Leviticus 20:7-27 (The Message)
7-8 "Set yourselves apart for a holy life. Live a holy life, because I am God, your God. Do what I tell you; live the way I tell you. I am the God who makes you holy.
9 "Any and every person who curses his father or mother must be put to death. By cursing his father or mother he is responsible for his own death.
10 "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—the wife, say, of his neighbor—both the man and the woman, the adulterer and adulteress, must be put to death.
11 "If a man has sex with his father's wife, he has violated his father. Both the man and woman must be put to death; they are responsible for their own deaths.
12 "If a man has sex with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is perverse. And they are responsible for their own deaths.
13 "If a man has sex with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is abhorrent. They must be put to death; they are responsible for their own deaths.
14 "If a man marries both a woman and her mother, that's wicked. All three of them must be burned at the stake, purging the wickedness from the community.
15 "If a man has sex with an animal, he must be put to death and you must kill the animal.
16 "If a woman has sex with an animal, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. And they are responsible for their deaths.
17 "If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother, and they have sex, that's a disgrace. They must be publicly cut off from their people. He has violated his sister and will be held responsible.
18 "If a man sleeps with a woman during her period and has sex with her, he has uncovered her 'fountain' and she has revealed her 'fountain'—both of them must be cut off from their people.
19 "Don't have sex with your aunt on either your mother's or father's side. That violates a close relative. Both of you are held responsible.
20 "If a man has sex with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible and die childless.
21 "If a man marries his brother's wife, it's a defilement. He has shamed his brother. They will be childless.
22-23 "Do what I tell you, all my decrees and laws; live by them so that the land where I'm bringing you won't vomit you out. You simply must not live like the nations I'm driving out before you. They did all these things and I hated every minute of it.
24-26 "I've told you, remember, that you will possess their land that I'm giving to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am God, your God, who has distinguished you from the nations. So live like it: Distinguish between ritually clean and unclean animals and birds. Don't pollute yourselves with any animal or bird or crawling thing which I have marked out as unclean for you. Live holy lives before me because I, God, am holy. I have distinguished you from the nations to be my very own.
27 "A man or woman who is a medium or sorcerer among you must be put to death. You must kill them by stoning. They're responsible for their own deaths."
Mike's Thoughts:
At first glance this appears to be a list of commands that we already know, with ridiculous punishments. At second glance it's a God who desperately wants to be with the people. Unlike any other GOD, our GOD wants us to know Him personally. Go back and reread the last sentence in 22-23, all of 24-26 and 7-8, and you will see this GOD. He is holy, and he wants us to be holy in his presence. In this and in other passages that we will read, His high standards and His definition of what it means to be holy is demonstrated. It's an impossible task, but he isn't done. He wants to be with us so much, and wants us to be holy so badly that he will find a way to make it happen. Let this be a passage that helps you appreciate Jesus. Let this passage define the love God has for us when he sent Jesus to die for us. We couldn't be holy by God's standards, yet he found a way to make us holy.
Prayer:
Thanks for being HOLY. Thanks for setting the standard for holiness and upholding it. Thanks for Jesus and how he made us holy. Thanks that you have revealed your holiness in the bible. Let us know you more and appreciate what you have done for us. Please, forgive us of our sin and unholiness. Draw us to your holiness and help us to live a life of holiness. Help us to read your word and see your love for us.
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