Day 637: Leviticus 18- God's Design And Desire

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the Lord your God.3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.
6 “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. 7 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. 9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home.10 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or of your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. 11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, brought up in your father's family, since she is your sister. 12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's relative. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's relative. 14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. 17 You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity. 18 And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
19 “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.20 And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor's wife and so make yourself unclean with her. 21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.23 And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion.
24 “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean, 25 and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do none of these abominations, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you 27 (for the people of the land, who were before you, did all of these abominations, so that the land became unclean), 28 lest the land vomit you out when you make it unclean, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. 29 For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. 30 So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”
 
 
Meditation                           
Covenant relationship with God is unconditional in regards to merit. You are unconditionally loved and accepted by the work of Jesus. Our response to God’s lavish, unconditional love is one of gratefulness and a life of trusting His design. This is true for all of life, especially God’s design for sexuality.
 
God’s design for human sexuality is woven into the fabric of creation (Genesis 2:21-24), a man and woman coming together in marriage as one flesh. God’s garden design is glorious! God’s grace for those of us being sanctified in areas of sexuality is scandalous.
 
Leviticus forbids God’s people to live sexually immoral lives (6-23). This chapter makes clear that the misuse and abuse of sexuality have been an issue for all of humankind since ancient times.
 
Celebrating God’s design for sexuality provides enjoyment of God’s blessing (28-30). Jesus is the fullness of God’s blessing to all who believe, trusting Him in all of life. God redeems us to restore us with His love, returning our joy, so we can delight in His design for all of life.
 
Grace invites us to enjoy the blessing of God’s design, welcoming His will. Paul writes, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: That you abstain from sexual immorality…” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). Love leads us to look like Christ in all of life, embracing His design from our heart.
 
Richly Dwelling
-God loves you unconditionally and desires for you to experience the blessings of living in His design for life and love. Where do you experience God’s blessing through obedience in your life? Where do you forfeit experiencing God’s blessing?
 
-The pagan practices of our culture reject God and His design for human sexuality. God’s grace is greater, inviting everyone to begin again. Where do you need to repent and be restored by God’s grace?
 
-God’s will for you is sanctification, that you look more like Christ and less like our culture. How can you proactively live and love like Christ?
 
Key Verse
You shall follow my rules   and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God.