Lectionary Calendar

Thursday, November 21st, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33

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Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 20

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Verses 1-27

Intro:
1. Listed here are sins against “True religion & family”.
2. Sin is evil in relation to God, & crime is evil in relation to man.
3. The same Lord who declared the precepts also declared the penalties.
  1. 15 offences in Israel were capitol crimes.
  2. The offenders “usually” were stoned to death.
  3. “God gave his law to restrain sinners not reform sinners; The penalties He imposed were for the purpose of upholding His law, not improving the offenders.”
    1. Gal.3:22-24 “But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
4. So, what is the punishment for breaking the holiness code?
  1. The wages of sin is death!
  2. Death is used 9 times in this chapter.
  3. But the fear of death isn’t the highest motivation for Holy Living…”I am the Lord who sanctifies you”(8) ought to be motivation enough!
  4. Phil.2:12,13 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
    1. In Paul’s absence who was present? God!
HARLOTRY W/MOLECH! (1-5)
1. Molech, the Ammonite god, was often heated up(metal statue)& children were placed on his arms as a sacrifice.
  1. Even excavations in Israel have revealed piles of ashes & remains of infant skeletons in cemeteries around heathen altars.
  2. Even Israel’s kings stooped to worshiping Molech.
    1. Solomon(1 Kings 11:7); Manasseh(2 Kings 21:6); & other kings in the last days of Judah(Jer.32:35)
  3. Q: Where did the Ammonites come from? (see Gen.19)
    1. Note again how Idolatry is tied to sexual immorality…& vice versa.
2. Their punishment was severe, but the punishment fit the crime.
3. Q: How are we sacrificing our children to Molech?
4. Q: What does God think of those who look the other way when sin is being committed(4,5)?
  1. Q: Any area where you are looking the other way? (spouse, children, co-worker, friend)
CONSULTING SPIRITS! (6-8)
1. This deals w/all those who profess to “contact the dead” & “control the future” are an abomination to God.
  1. So, if you yoke yourself into someone else’s yoke, you will be led in the direction they are plowing.
    1. Notice the rigidity of my yoke here.
  2. There is no such thing as “Bungy-Yokes”!
  3. Rom.6:16 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
  4. Yokes can then be applied to: business relationships, marriage relationships, friendships, etc.
  5. Q: What yoke should you remove yourself from at this time?
  6. Q: What yoke can you save yourself from at this time?
  7. Q: What yoke should you stay committed to at this time?
  8. Q: What yoke should you start driving instead of following at this time?
  9. Q: What yoke should you stop driving & start following at this time?
2. (7,8)These are the foundation reasons for all of these laws.
CURSING PARENTS! (9)
1. Here we have a special use of “curse.”
  1. This is no uttering of casual oaths, or mere angry words.
  2. This is a qalal curse, linked in pagan thought with magic intended to harm others.
  3. The sin thus is doubly terrible. It appealed to spiritual powers other than God or was an attempt to use God’s name in magic.
    1. These take place in Haiti often.
2. Prov.30:11 “There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother.”
3. Prov.20:22 “Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.”
4. Prov.30:17 “The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it.”
5. 2 Tim.3:2 “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”
6. This cursing of a parent tears at the very fabric of society. - The bottom building block is pulled out! (Jenga!)
  1. Q: Are you helping society in raising up obedient offspring?
  2. Q: What can you do now to be an influence into your children’s life who are not under your control anymore?
SEXUAL SINS! (10-21)
1. Here we go again with this warning…yet immorailty isn’t slowing down any.
  1. I believe we can pound out this doctrine daily…& not hit it enough.
  2. Q: What can we do to stop this Immorality epidemic!
  3. We are: Breaking the heart of God; Crushing our spouses; kids are being thrown into total confusion…for brief moments of pleasure!
2. The bibles warns, if you’re skipping down the road of Adultery, that beware…it is the road to death!
  1. Prov.2:18 “For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead;”
  2. Prov.5:5 “Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell.”
  3. Prov.7:27 “Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death.”
  4. Prov.9:17,18 “Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell.”
3. Adultery, incest, homosexuality, bestiality are condemned for these are contrary to nature!
  1. Yet these are often promoted, & win networks awards as we see in many of the top sitcoms today…& someone is watching them.
  2. (14) This verse throws in something not often seen…not only killed, but then burnt w/fire!
  3. Let’s use the “rubber band application” now, so we don’t dismiss these categories.
    1. Stretch the rubber band until you fit within its circle.
    2. This is what the Pharisee’s were masters of(feeling proud that they hadn’t committed the very act, but forgot about the minds sins!)
    3. Q: I may not commit homosexuality but do I support it by watching sitcoms(smutcoms) “Will & Grace” or “Friends”?
      1. Would it be different if we had to hand these Actors/Actresses cash for their job well done in entertaining us?
    4. Expand the rubber band till you fit in.
SEPARATION! (22-27)
1. God brought his people out of Egypt – He now wants to dispossess the Cananites (whose cup of iniquity was full)
  1. The cup is often used in this sense: “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, "he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation.”
  2. Now Israel is reminded again, be different, be separate, else your cup will one day be full & you’ll be dumped out of the land…which happened(70 years of no Sabbath rest for their land).
2. (26) Here the Ownership of God! “…that you should be mine”.
  1. There are cords which bind Him to you, & cords that bind you to Him!
    1. "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”
3. (27) “This sin is high treason against God himself.” (Charles Pfeiffer)
4. The severity(death 9 times) shows God’s view of the heinousness of evil!
  1. This is unfaithfulness to your marriage…to God!
  2. Q: Doesn’t your “heavenly vows” mean anything to you? (Salvation prayer)

return to 'Top of Page'

Verses 1-27

Intro:
1. Listed here are sins against “True religion & family”.
2. Sin is evil in relation to God, & crime is evil in relation to man.
3. The same Lord who declared the precepts also declared the penalties.
  1. 15 offences in Israel were capitol crimes.
  2. The offenders “usually” were stoned to death.
  3. “God gave his law to restrain sinners not reform sinners; The penalties He imposed were for the purpose of upholding His law, not improving the offenders.”
    1. Gal.3:22-24 “But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
4. So, what is the punishment for breaking the holiness code?
  1. The wages of sin is death!
  2. Death is used 9 times in this chapter.
  3. But the fear of death isn’t the highest motivation for Holy Living…”I am the Lord who sanctifies you”(8) ought to be motivation enough!
  4. Phil.2:12,13 “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
    1. In Paul’s absence who was present? God!
HARLOTRY W/MOLECH! (1-5)
1. Molech, the Ammonite god, was often heated up(metal statue)& children were placed on his arms as a sacrifice.
  1. Even excavations in Israel have revealed piles of ashes & remains of infant skeletons in cemeteries around heathen altars.
  2. Even Israel’s kings stooped to worshiping Molech.
    1. Solomon(1 Kings 11:7); Manasseh(2 Kings 21:6); & other kings in the last days of Judah(Jer.32:35)
  3. Q: Where did the Ammonites come from? (see Gen.19)
    1. Note again how Idolatry is tied to sexual immorality…& vice versa.
2. Their punishment was severe, but the punishment fit the crime.
3. Q: How are we sacrificing our children to Molech?
4. Q: What does God think of those who look the other way when sin is being committed(4,5)?
  1. Q: Any area where you are looking the other way? (spouse, children, co-worker, friend)
CONSULTING SPIRITS! (6-8)
1. This deals w/all those who profess to “contact the dead” & “control the future” are an abomination to God.
  1. So, if you yoke yourself into someone else’s yoke, you will be led in the direction they are plowing.
    1. Notice the rigidity of my yoke here.
  2. There is no such thing as “Bungy-Yokes”!
  3. Rom.6:16 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
  4. Yokes can then be applied to: business relationships, marriage relationships, friendships, etc.
  5. Q: What yoke should you remove yourself from at this time?
  6. Q: What yoke can you save yourself from at this time?
  7. Q: What yoke should you stay committed to at this time?
  8. Q: What yoke should you start driving instead of following at this time?
  9. Q: What yoke should you stop driving & start following at this time?
2. (7,8)These are the foundation reasons for all of these laws.
CURSING PARENTS! (9)
1. Here we have a special use of “curse.”
  1. This is no uttering of casual oaths, or mere angry words.
  2. This is a qalal curse, linked in pagan thought with magic intended to harm others.
  3. The sin thus is doubly terrible. It appealed to spiritual powers other than God or was an attempt to use God’s name in magic.
    1. These take place in Haiti often.
2. Prov.30:11 “There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother.”
3. Prov.20:22 “Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.”
4. Prov.30:17 “The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it.”
5. 2 Tim.3:2 “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,”
6. This cursing of a parent tears at the very fabric of society. - The bottom building block is pulled out! (Jenga!)
  1. Q: Are you helping society in raising up obedient offspring?
  2. Q: What can you do now to be an influence into your children’s life who are not under your control anymore?
SEXUAL SINS! (10-21)
1. Here we go again with this warning…yet immorailty isn’t slowing down any.
  1. I believe we can pound out this doctrine daily…& not hit it enough.
  2. Q: What can we do to stop this Immorality epidemic!
  3. We are: Breaking the heart of God; Crushing our spouses; kids are being thrown into total confusion…for brief moments of pleasure!
2. The bibles warns, if you’re skipping down the road of Adultery, that beware…it is the road to death!
  1. Prov.2:18 “For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead;”
  2. Prov.5:5 “Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell.”
  3. Prov.7:27 “Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death.”
  4. Prov.9:17,18 “Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell.”
3. Adultery, incest, homosexuality, bestiality are condemned for these are contrary to nature!
  1. Yet these are often promoted, & win networks awards as we see in many of the top sitcoms today…& someone is watching them.
  2. (14) This verse throws in something not often seen…not only killed, but then burnt w/fire!
  3. Let’s use the “rubber band application” now, so we don’t dismiss these categories.
    1. Stretch the rubber band until you fit within its circle.
    2. This is what the Pharisee’s were masters of(feeling proud that they hadn’t committed the very act, but forgot about the minds sins!)
    3. Q: I may not commit homosexuality but do I support it by watching sitcoms(smutcoms) “Will & Grace” or “Friends”?
      1. Would it be different if we had to hand these Actors/Actresses cash for their job well done in entertaining us?
    4. Expand the rubber band till you fit in.
SEPARATION! (22-27)
1. God brought his people out of Egypt – He now wants to dispossess the Cananites (whose cup of iniquity was full)
  1. The cup is often used in this sense: “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, "he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation.”
  2. Now Israel is reminded again, be different, be separate, else your cup will one day be full & you’ll be dumped out of the land…which happened(70 years of no Sabbath rest for their land).
2. (26) Here the Ownership of God! “…that you should be mine”.
  1. There are cords which bind Him to you, & cords that bind you to Him!
    1. "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”
3. (27) “This sin is high treason against God himself.” (Charles Pfeiffer)
4. The severity(death 9 times) shows God’s view of the heinousness of evil!
  1. This is unfaithfulness to your marriage…to God!
  2. Q: Doesn’t your “heavenly vows” mean anything to you? (Salvation prayer)

return to 'Top of Page'

LeviticusLev 19 LeviticusLev LeviticusLev 21

Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Leviticus 20". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/leviticus-20.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesLeviticus 20

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-27

Verses 1-27

Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 20