Leviticus
chapter 20 provides the punishment and consequences for all of the
detestable behavior mentioned earlier. God uses VERY personal terms
to describe the unacceptable actions, the penalty and His reasons.
God is not some distant, disconnected, harsh executioner, but rather
He is personally hurt and offended and protective of the rest of His
children. As a parent, we know that disciplining a child is not the
goal; it is the way to correct the child. With multiple children the
corrective action is even more important because one child’s behavior
can have consequences on all the children. The chapter begins, “Any
Israelite, or alien living in Israel who gives any of the children to
Molech must be put to death“.
As discussed in chapter 18, this horrific act of infanticide was
both idol worship, murder and “profanes
My Holy Name“.
God adds, “I
will set My face against that man…I will cut him off from the
people“.
God even warns those that “close
their eyes when the man gives his child to Molech and they fail to
put him to death“.
They are equally guilty in God’s eyes. What a clear message to us
that it is not enough to just believe something is wrong, if we
tolerate it, or accept it, we are agreeing with it. Listen to the
heart of God, “I
will set My face against the man and his family and will cut off
their people, both him and all that follow him in prostituting
themselves to Molech“.
This is personal.
The
chapter continues, “I
will set My face against the person that turns to mediums…
prostitutes himself… I will cut him off from his people“.
Again listen to how personal this is to God, “Consecrate
yourselves and be holy… keep My decrees and follow them. I am the
Lord who makes you holy“.
When we reject God’s standards, we reject His authority and we
reject His very character. Next we are given a number of actions
that are punishable by death. “If
anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death… If a
man commits adultery… both the adulterer and the adulteress must be
put to death… [commits incest] both the man and the women must be
put to death… If a man lies with a man as one lies with a women…
they must be put to death… sexual relations with an animal, he must
be put to death and you must kill the animal.”
In every case, God says, “Their
blood will be on their own heads“.
In Luke 10:28, Jesus teaches those that would accept the salvation
of the cross must first “Count
the cost“.
We do not have the option to receive the forgiveness of sin through
the blood of Christ and reject God’s standards. Leviticus 20:22
explains God’s purpose. We are not to live like those that do not
believe, we are to be an example to the unsaved. Just as in a
marriage, there is a certain intimacy that is not shared with anyone
else, God declares, “You
are to be holy to Me, because I, the Lord and holy, and I have set
you apart from the nations to be My own.”
In
John 14:1-4, Jesus is explaining to His followers that after a time
He will return for His beloved. In the tradition of a groom building
a home for his bride, then returning to bring her home, Jesus tells
all believers, “And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive
you to Myself, that where I am there you will be also“.
But Matthew 24:42 warns, “Therefore
be on alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming“.
We need to live each day with the hope of Christ’s return. Are you
ready?