leviticus 18 and 19

Read Leviticus 18 and 19 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for today’s chapters are:

Lev 18:1-5 {s} Doing the statutes of Egypt and Canaan forbidden
Lev 18:6 {s} Relations with near of kin forbidden
Lev 18:7 {s} Relations with father or mother forbidden
Lev 18:8 {s} Relations with father’s wives forbidden
Lev 18:9 {s} Relations with sisters forbidden
Lev 18:10 {s} Relations with granddaughters forbidden
Lev 18:11 {s} Relations with half sisters forbidden
Lev 18:12 {s} Relations with father’s sisters forbidden
Lev 18:13 {s} Relations with mother’s sisters forbidden
Lev 18:14 {s} Relations with father’s brothers and wives forbidden
Lev 18:15 {s} Relations with daughters- in- law forbidden
Lev 18:16 {s} Relations with brothers’ wives forbidden
Lev 18:17-30 {p} Forbidden relations + Do not profane the name of the LORD + keep His statutes
Lev 19:1-22 {p} Be holy for the LORD your God is holy + statutes for holiness
Lev 19:23-32 {s} Statutes: re the land, to not defile the land + Fear the Lord your God
Lev 19:33-37 {p} Statutes re: strangers dwelling with Israel, to not defile the land + I am the LORD

Now we come to the sore spot of the Torah (for the world); those things which the Lord considers abominable. Starting with the strong theme formed by Lev 18: The majority of the chapter has to do with forbidden relations, which, we gather, were the common custom of both Egypt, where they had been, and Canaan, where they were going. There is a single verse, however, in the middle of the repetition of forbidden relations, which stands out like a sore thumb, because it is a break in the previously established pattern:

And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am YHVH. Lev 18:21

Molech was a gruesome and abominable idol of the Canaanites, who demanded the sacrifice of children as burnt offerings. The height of his worship was at Carthage, a Phoenician colony in North Africa. The Phoenicians were Canaanites. It might be that the offspring of these forbidden relations were reserved for such sacrifice, which would explain the break in pattern in the midst of this strong theme. Be that as it may, these customs of Egypt and Canaan were practices common in the culture, not only common but promoted and admired, which God revealed as abominable and unholy. If His people have taken Him for their God, then, He says, separate yourselves from these common norms of the culture, for they defile the land and profane His name. Leviticus, far from being arcane and outdated, has much to teach us. Here is the chiastic structure:

1a) Lev 18:1-5 {s} I am YHVH your God; you shall keep My statutes and not the statutes of Egypt and Canaan;

1b) Lev 18:6-20 {sx11} Forbidden natural relations;

central axis) Lev 18:21, And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am YHVH;

2b) Lev 18:22-23, Forbidden unnatural relations;

2a) Lev 18:24-30 {p} You shall not defile yourselves + your land with their statutes, but you shall keep My ordinances; I am YHVH your God.

So we see that the heart of calling holy, what the Lord has called abominable, and the heart of calling abominable, what the Lord has called holy, is idolatry, which is the same as unbelief, no matter what is professed with the mouth.