Unlawful Sexual Relations

 Leviticus 18:1-30

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.

Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.

Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.

Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.

Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.

Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.

Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.

18:3 provides a key to these chapters. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you.

From what we know of Canaanite and Egyptian religions it is clear that many of these laws are directed against the specific practices of Israel's neighbors.

6-18: marriage between those closely related by blood or by marriage is forbidden in Israel. In Egypt, which had no marriage-laws, such marriages were common.

19-30: adultery, child-sacrifice, homosexual relations, bestiality were all part of the indescribably debased religions of Canaan. Israel is to shun behavior which is bringing God's judgment on the land.

Why?

For the Lord is my God so we can not do as the foreigner, the people did in Egypt and Canaan.

There are wrong sexual relationships so the Lord removed them, it is detestable things, wickedness.

Some customs in Taiwan are incorrect, so we should preach the gospel, let more people away from these wickedness.

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聖潔的規範： 在性關係上

因為以色列人離開的埃及及迦南地的兩性關係非常隨便，混亂。不僅骨肉之視，妻子的姊妹也不行。不可同性戀，不可行逆性的事。當時的環境已經存在的事。

很像今天的自由主義者，認為一切開放，只要法律允許，沒有道德的問題。基督徒不是合法就好，而是要合乎聖經的事。不要以是否合法的事來行事，唯基督徒要做合聖經的事。我們跟隨的是耶穌基督。不是跟隨世界的法律。

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How?

Because God is my Lord, so I will obey the word of my Lord.