Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 18

Verses 1-30

Leviticus 18:1-30 Sexual Sins The topic of Leviticus 18:1-30 is sexual sins.

1. Intro: Charge to Keep God’s Commandments Leviticus 18:1-5 2. Sin of Incest Leviticus 18:6-18 3. Sin of Lying with a woman in uncleanness Leviticus 18:19 4. Sin of adultery Leviticus 18:20 5. Sin of child sacrificing Leviticus 18:21 6. Sin of homosexuality Leviticus 18:22 7. Sin of bestiality Leviticus 18:23 8. Conclusion: God’s Warning of Judgment Leviticus 18:24-30 This passage of Scripture also deals with the issue of nakedness and commands the children of Israel not to expose their nakedness as do the Gentiles around them. We know that in the original order of creation all of God’s creatures, including Adam and Eve, were naked and were not ashamed. But when Adam and Eve fell, He gave them alone the awareness of their nakedness and it is for this reason that all of mankind must cover their shame. But to the animals God did not give this awareness of nakedness and they continue in their nakedness until now.

Leviticus 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 18:5 Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament - Note a New Testament reference to Leviticus 18:5 in the following verses:

Romans 10:5, “For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.”

Galatians 3:12, “And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.”

These reference verses tell us that a man who practices the Law would have to find justification before God by fulfilling these laws. This is what is meant by the phrase “if a man do, he shall live (or be justified) by doing them.” Unfortunately, if man fails and breaks just one law, he might as well have broken them all, because he becomes guilty before God as if he had broken all; for, this is what James meant in his epistle when he wrote, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (Leviticus 2:10) Knowing man’s sinful nature, the Lord intended the Law to be our “schoolmaster” as a tool to lead us to Christ, as man realized his sinful nature while living under the Law.

Leviticus 18:6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 18:6 “to uncover their nakedness” - Comments - This is a term referring to sexual intercourse, here with relatives.

Leviticus 18:8 The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.

Leviticus 18:8 Comments - Note an example of this sin in 1 Corinthians 5:1, “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.”

Leviticus 18:23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

Leviticus 18:23 Comments - Confusion is produced when something is out of order, while peace is the product of order in one’s life. We find examples of such confusion in the Old Testament Law. It tells us that when a man or woman lies with a beast (Leviticus 18:23), that it is confusion; or, when a man lies with his daughter-in-law (Leviticus 20:12), he has brought confusion. This is because such immoral acts are out of order in a god-fearing society. We also see confusion in the New Testament Church when public worship is out of order (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Leviticus 20:12, “And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.”

1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”