Notes: March 28, 2008 - Leviticus 17 & 18
Bob Feather March 28th, 2008
Trinity Baptist Church of Athens, Greece: English language Bible study notes
Instructions concerning false worship, forbidden food, and family issues
I. Sacrifices outside God’s approved system are prohibited (Leviticus 17:1-9)
II. Consuming blood is prohibited (Leviticus 17:10-16)
III. Egyptian practices contrasted with God’s ways (Leviticus 18:1-5)
IV. Laws of consanguinity (Leviticus 18:6-18)
V. Sex sins of Canaan described (Leviticus 18:19-24)
VI. Consequences of disobedience (Leviticus 18:25-30)
Meditation Points:
- When we say that we don’t need to go to church, we are declaring our independence from God and our intent to worship that which is not God.
- By proscribing the ingestion of blood, God was emphasizing the greater reality that only a blood sacrifice can atone for sin.
Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
- In God’s wisdom and grace, the blood ordinance passed away with the Christ’s completed sacrifice at Calvary–long before men discovered blood transfusions for medical purposes.
- The ways of the Egyptians and Canaanites may have been widespread, popular and enticing; but they were contrary to the will of the holy God. Let us not be conformed to our world either. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” is NOT a divine commandment!
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
- Marrying close relatives may have been the norm when the human population was small; but as men spread across the globe, God forbad such relationships. One may argue that this was the right decision from a geneticist’s point of view. But we must examine this from God’s point of view. Nakedness is a sign of sin (remember Adam and Eve?). By forbidding marriages to close relatives, and even half-relatives and in-laws, God is teaching us that we must not intentionally expose the sins of our families. This is not an order to deny such sin; but rather instruction on recognizing the human condition–our condition.
- Just what was the abomination mentioned in Leviticus 18:22 if it wasn’t homosexuality?
- Religious sex orgies were prohibited (18:21).
- Nations fall because of sin (18:24-30)
Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Print This Post
Leviticus 17:1-9
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying,
3What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,
4And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:
5To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD.
6And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
7And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.
8And thou shalt say unto them, Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the LORD; even that man shall be cut off from among his people.
Leviticus 17:10-16
10And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
12Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood.
13And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
14For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.
15And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
16But if he wash them not, nor bathe his flesh; then he shall bear his iniquity.
Leviticus 18:1-5
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.
3After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.
4Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
5Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
Leviticus 18:6-18
6None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.
7The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
8The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.
9The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.
10The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.
11The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
12Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.
13Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.
14Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.
15Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
16Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.
17Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.
18Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.
Leviticus 18:19-24
19Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.
20Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her.
21And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
23Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.
24Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
Leviticus 18:25-30
25And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.
26Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
27(For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
28That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.
29For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
30Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.
Matthew 26:28
28For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Romans 3:25
25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Hebrews 9:22
22And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Romans 12:2
2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Leviticus 18:22
22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Proverbs 14:34
34Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
- Bible Reading Notes
- Comments(0)
