Bereans Corner
Bereans Corner
Thru the Bible - #107 - Leviticus 20 - - On Human Sacrifice and Immoralities
Why were the Israelites warned so severely against human sacrifice and sexual immorality? Brace yourself for an enlightening exploration as we tackle Leviticus chapter 20 on Berean's Corner. We scrutinize the Lord's commandments aimed at eradicating the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice to Molech, underscoring the dire consequences ordained for such transgressions. We dive into the broader context of these edicts, understanding how they were designed to set the Israelites apart from the surrounding nations in their pursuit of holiness and purity. The episode meticulously covers the stringent laws against various sexual immoralities, such as adultery, incest, and bestiality, and the severe penalties associated with these acts.
This isn't just a list of dos and don'ts. We delve into the historical backdrop of these laws to grasp their significance in maintaining moral purity within the community. By analyzing Leviticus 20:11-21, we emphasize the equal culpability of all parties involved in these forbidden acts and reflect on the gravity of the prescribed punishments. Join us as we underscore the importance of studying the Bible verse by verse to avoid misconceptions and gain a comprehensive understanding of Scripture. Don't forget to visit our YouTube page, Berean's Corner, for more engaging content. Thank you for your support, and God bless!
Welcome back and thank you for joining me on Berean's Corner, the podcast where we go through books of the Bible verse by verse. Open your Bible to Leviticus, chapter 20. The title of today's lesson is on human sacrifice and immoralities. Take a moment and grab yourself a glass of water, a cup of coffee, a cup of tea as we get into today's lesson. As always, we start out by reading the chapter and then we go through the chapter breaking it down Leviticus, chapter 20, and let's read.
Speaker 2:Leviticus 20. The Lord said to Moses say to the Israelites any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Moloch must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him. I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people, for by giving his children to Moloch he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Moloch and they fail to put him to death, I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Moloch. I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them. I will cut him off from his people. Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord, your God. Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the Lord who makes you holy. If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother and his blood will be on his own head. If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, with the wife of his neighbor. Both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman must be put to death. Their blood will be on their own heads. If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death, for what they have done is a perversion. Their blood will be on their own heads. If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death. Their blood will be on their own heads. If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire so that no wickedness will be among you. If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death and you must kill the animal. If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. Their blood will be on their own heads. If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off before the eyes of their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible. If a man lies with a woman during her monthly period and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow and she has also uncovered it. Both of them must be cut off from their people. Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative. Both of you would be held responsible. If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible. They will die childless. If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity. He has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.
Speaker 2:Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. You must not live according to the customs of the nations. I am going to drive out before you Because they did all these things. I abhorred them, but I said to you you will possess their land. I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord, your God, who has set you apart from the nations. You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals, and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground, those which I have set apart as unclean for you. You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them. Their blood will be on their own heads.
Speaker 1:All right Now. The last time we were together, we looked at more sundry laws and idolatry. Today we are looking at more immorality in Leviticus, chapter 20. In Leviticus, chapter 20. Now let's start with the first part of this study. The Lord gives a warning to the people about sacrificing to Molech. Notice verses one through two. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying I like to always stop there, just to remind us of who the Lord was talking to. Verse two you shall also say to the sons of Israel any man from the sons of Israel or from the aliens sojourning in Israel who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. Why did the Lord have to say this? Because there were people in Israel picking up the practices of those around them, and some of the people around them were actually sacrificing children. Remember, this whole thing is about the Lord calling a people unto himself and separating Israel in the land that they're about to go to, to not pick up all of the bad habits and the customs of the other people. Part two God will turn his back on such a man. Notice verse three. I will also set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people Because he has given some of his offspring to Molech as to defile my sanctuary and to profane my holy name. So we see that the lord definitely frowned upon this type of ritual. Now we know, even in the time we live in, that this had to be horrific to be, in a time where men and women were actually giving up their children to be burned, no matter what the reason was for. But the lord made it clear that this would defy, this would actually defile, his holy name.
Speaker 1:We move on to part three. The lord gives a warning to anyone who disregard the man who made such a sacrifice. We see this in verses four through five. If the people of the land, however, should ever disregard that man when he gives any of his offspring to molek so as not to put him to death, then I myself will set my face against that man and against his family and I will cut off from among their people both him and all those who play the harlot after him.
Speaker 1:By playing the harlot after molak, the lord is very clear that not only was this man where these people if you go back to verse two to be stoned and cut off from their people. But the lord had an issue if you didn't do anything about it. Kind of reminds me of where we are today. It's kind of is like you know someone who's in sin and you just never say anything about it or you don't do anything about it. Now, in the time we live in, we don't stone people anymore, but we can actually confront a person and let them know what they're doing is not right unto the lord. That is the very same thing here. He called his people to do something about it and the people would have an issue with the lord if they didn't do something about it. And the people would have an issue with the lord if they didn't do anything about it, knowing these type of practices were going on. Next, if you met, if you meet with a medium, you would be cut off verse six. As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists to play the harlot after them, I will also set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. Mediums and spiritists they still exist today. Some of them go by the name of psychic spiritual, all of these other type of names. But it is those people who like to dabble in the world that is in between. The Lord makes it very clear that you will be cut off from your people if you deal with such a man or a woman names. But it is those people who like to dabble in the world that is in between. The lord makes it very clear that you will be cut off from your people if you deal with such a man or a woman.
Speaker 1:Part five the people were to consecrate themselves. We see this in verses seven through eight. You should consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I, the, your God, and you shall keep my statutes and practice them. I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Like I've always said before, the Lord has made it very clear that we are to worship him in his way, not our way. He made it clear right here, with the children of Israel, and he made it very clear with us as well. Now, in the rest of this chapter, you know we are given a bunch of do nots, a bunch of things that were not supposed to be done. So let's take our time going through verses nine through 27.
Speaker 1:Verse nine, if there's anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. He shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood guiltiness is upon him. Whenever you hear that term, his blood guiltiness, it really means that he brought this upon himself. Now the lord tells children to honor their father and mother, and this, right here, is no exception. If, if a child curses their mother or father, they were to be put to death. Now the thing is this a child is supposed to honor their father and mother, not curse them. And if and if you let this go unchecked, this child could also grow up to be a disrespectful adult.
Speaker 1:Verse 10 if there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. Now the lord took this very serious that you were not to have relations with another man's wife or your neighbor's wife. Now this reminds me of the story in the new testament. Do you remember when the pharisees brought the woman calling adultery to jesus? And they brought the woman and said that the law says that we are to stone such a woman. What do you say? You got to remember something. They did not bring the man, they only brought the woman before the lord. But right here in leviticus. In leviticus, chapter 20, verse 10, it says that if there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death. See, those men brought the adulteress, but they didn't bring the adulterer in front of Christ. They both are to be put to death because they both know exactly what they're doing.
Speaker 1:Verse 11 if there is a man who lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness.
Speaker 1:Both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them. In other words, this woman would be his stepmother and he was not to lie with her because her body belongs to his father. Verse 12 I mean that. That's pretty straightforward. Verse 12 if there is a man who lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have committed incest. Their blood guiltiness is upon them. You are not to have relations with your son's wife, the lady who was going to bear your grandchildren, and it says that they both should be put to death. Why? Because you know what you're doing when you are laying down and you are having sexual relations. It's not one person is more guilty than the other. You both know what you're doing is consensual Verse 13.
Speaker 1:If there is a man who lies with a male, as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them. Okay, we're going to take a minute and break this down right here Leviticus 2013 bookmark, where you read this at when you hear someone saying that the Bible in the Old Testament does not condemn homosexuality, this is what you bring them to, just like it says if a man lies with his father's wife, he's uncovered his father's nakedness. In verse 11. In verse 12, if there is a man who lies with his daughter-in-law, that word lies is no different than in verse 13. If a man, if there is a man who lies with a male. That's why it's very clear and this is what it says in the Hebrew if he lies with a male, as those who lie with a woman, it's being very clear what's going on here that this is a homosexual act. What does the Lord say both of them have committed a testable act. They should surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon them. Why? Because they know what they're doing.
Speaker 1:Verse 14. If there is a man who marries a woman and her mother, it is immorality. Both he and they shall be burned with fire. That there may be no immorality in your midst. In other words, they had to be done away with with. Listen. You are not to marry a woman and her mother. That would be your mother-in-law.
Speaker 1:Verse 15 if there is a man who lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death. You shall also kill the animal. Now, unfortunately, the animal has to pay the price, because the animal cannot give consent. But the fact is that the animal will be unclean because a man has had relations with this animal. So the man is to be put to death and so is the animal.
Speaker 1:Verse 16 if there is a woman who approaches any animal to mate with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They should surely be put to death. Their blood guiltiness is upon excuse me, is upon them. Same goes for women. Women, a woman is not to have sexual relations with an animal. I know to you and I. That's self-explanatory, but there were people around israel, around their land, who was doing this, and the lord did not want them to pick up those practices. All right, verse 17.
Speaker 1:If there is a man who takes his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace and they shall be cut off in the sight of the sons of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness. He bears his guilt. Now. This is another thing that was not permitted anymore. Now, if you go back to Genesis, we know that Adam and Eve being the first humans that there was a time where a brother had to have his sister until the bloodline began to spread out. Now we're some 1,500 years from there. There's enough people on the earth, the flood has happened, everyone is spread out, so there's no need for a man to have his actual sister. The blood is now thin enough to where a man can get his own wife. But if a brother and sister did this during this time, their guiltiness is upon them.
Speaker 1:Verse 18. If there is a man who lies with a minstrel woman and it covers her nakediness, he has laid bare her flow and she has exposed the flow of her blood, does both of them should be cut off from among their people. This is pretty straightforward. There was nasty people during that time I'm sure some of them exist today who did not care that a woman was on her minstrel cycle. He wanted to do what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. But there's also a warning here for the woman, because a woman is not supposed to expose her menstrual cycle to a man. So in order for the man to lay with her, she would have had to have exposed herself to him and he would have had to wanted to go into her. And they said they both should be cut off from their people. Verse 19 you shall also not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister or your father's sister, for such a one has made naked his blood relative. They shall bear their guilt. Pretty straightforward you are not to have relations with your aunt.
Speaker 1:Verse 20 If there is a man who lies with his uncle's wife also your aunt, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness they shall bear their sin. They shall die childless. Is a man who lies with his uncle's wife also your aunt. He has uncovered his uncle's nakedness. They shall bear their sin. They shall die childless. Very clear now. He's giving you know the uncle a little bit of love here. That is your uncle's nakedness. It's not for you to see verse 21. If there is a man who takes his brother's wife, which would be his sister-in-law, it is abhorrent. He has uncovered his brother's nakedness. They shall be childless. When it says he shall uncover his brother's nakedness or anyone's nakedness, it means that that woman is only for that man to see. No one else is supposed to see her body Verse 22.
Speaker 1:You are therefore to keep all my statues and all my ordinances and do them so that the land to which I am bringing you to live will not spew you out. Remember what I said earlier this is all in preparation for Israel to enter their land, but before they get to their land, they have to go through all these other lands and go through all of these people, and the Lord does not want them to pick up those customs Verse 23. Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation. We just said that, which I shall drive out before you, for they did all these things and therefore I have abhorred them. The lord has already told them this is to stop you from doing the things unpleasing to me. These people before you have done these things. This is not something that the lord is just making up, these are things that people in these other lands have done Verse 24. Hence, I have said to you you are to possess their land and I myself will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord, your God, who has separated you from the peoples.
Speaker 1:Why did God call Israel? How many times have I said this is not because God wanted a quote-unquote race of people unto himself, but he wanted a nationality of people. He wanted the people who he could show his glory to, where others could look at and say there's a there. Those are the people of God. Those are the people who he, who he, split the Red Sea for. Those are the people when he brought plagues upon Egypt, that didn't touch them, but it touched all the other Egyptians. This is why God called a people to himself and through that, the other people the Gentiles, if you will would see that and they would want to be saved because they would want this same God.
Speaker 1:Verse 25 you are therefore to make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean and between the unclean bird and the clean, and you shall not make yourselves detestable by animal or by bird or by anything that creeps on the ground which I have separated for you as unclean. You can go back to Leviticus, chapter 10, verse 10, leviticus, chapter 11, verses 1 through 47, to read more about the clean and unclean animals. As I said before, it's not because the pig was a gross animal because you're not going to find that anywhere in the scriptures or any of those other unclean animals. It was because the lord gave a reason why they couldn't eat them. They chewed the cub but didn't separate the hoof. The animal had to chew the cub and separate the why they couldn't eat them. They chewed the cub but didn't separate the hoof. The animal had to chew the cub and separate the hoof in order to eat.
Speaker 1:Also, too, because there's a good chance that these other people were doing detestable things with these animals, sacrificing them and possibly doing other things, and the Lord did not want his people doing these things verse 26. Thus, you are to be holy to me, for I am the Lord. Excuse me, for I, the Lord, am holy and I have set you apart from the peoples to be mine Talking to Israel 27. Now a man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones. Their blood guiltiness is upon them.
Speaker 1:Once again, we talk about spiritists and mediums. Listen, the lord is bringing this up to them because the lord does not want his people dealing with that black magic, with that wickedness. We were not. The lord did not put the stars in the sky for us to look up and talk about zodiac signs. And it means this, and it means that the lord did not intend for people to be trying to read the future, to speak to the dead. These are things that the lord did not want his people to deal with and that will go for us even today. It went for israel and during this time, and that goes for us even to this day. We are not to dwell with those things. And listen to me, people, if you are out there and you have dabbled in that, you've dabbled in that black magic, you dabbled in that tarot card reading, you dabbled in palm reading, uh, spirit, spirit, you know that spiritist stuff. Get away from that stuff, repent. Right now the lord is able and just to forgive, repent and get that stuff out of your life. Ok, people, that brings us to the end of Leviticus, chapter 20.
Speaker 1:I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you learn something, as I did. Wherever you are here in this Berean's Corner podcast, give it a like or whatever it is there to spread the word. Also, spread the word to your family and friends and let them know that it is a brother out there who goes through books of the Bible, verse by verse. Why do I do this? Because you can never. I never want anyone to say that I made something up or or you know, that's your own opinion.
Speaker 1:What we're doing is we're going verse by verse, if the Lord tarries all the way through Revelation 22, to put the Bible in this proper context, so that way, no one can lie to you. You can read it, you can study with me, you can ask the Holy Spirit to reveal these things to you so you can know exactly what's going on. Also, don't forget about our YouTube page, berean's Corner. Pretty much, if you see the praying hands, the same way you see this podcast, you know image. It's going to be the same image on YouTube. I haven't changed it in a while. I have some interesting things going on over there. Pretty much, that's it, people. That is all for now. God bless, thank you ¶¶, thank you, thank you.