Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
"The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord.
" 'No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the Lord. " 'Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her. " 'Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father. " 'Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere. " 'Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would dishonor you. " 'Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister. " 'Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative. " 'Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative. " 'Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt. " 'Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; do not have relations with her. " 'Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother. " 'Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness. " 'Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living. " 'Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period. " 'Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her. " 'Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed [a] to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. " 'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.
" 'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. " 'Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the Lord your God.' " Leviticus 18
One of the biggest problems we face in our Christian walk is resisting worldly influence.
For as we go through life trying to live in accordance with God’s standards and expectations, we’re doing so immersed in a world that runs completely counter to Him. If God says not to do it, you can bet you’re going to end up encountering someone who is going to do otherwise and not think anything of it. This is because the ways of the world are the ways of Satan…who leads the world astray. (Revelation 12:9) Scripture also tells us that his wisdom, the earthly wisdom of the devil, is unspiritual. (James 3:15) Yet, we too often fail and fall into the world’s ways which draw us away from holiness and move us into sinfulness.
The people of Israel had the same problem and it was a big problem. For nearly all the failures of Israel, as we track through the Old Testament to the arrival of Jesus, came from them adopting sinful practices of other cultures and, in doing so, violating God’s commands and covenant. This is why the Lord commanded them to "not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and….not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees…for the man who obeys them will live by them." Yes…the key was to obey the Lord and you will live in accordance with His will. Easy to say but as we see in life now and then, not was easy to practice.
Well, the Lord doesn’t just tell Israel what not to do, which in this chapter involves a myriad of sexual sins coupled with the sacrificing of children, but He also shares what will happen if the people choose to live otherwise:
"Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways (the ways listed in Chapter 18), because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you. Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people."
Can there be anything worse than having the Lord vomit you from wherever he has you? Well, the Lord did clear out Canaan for Israel when they entered but later, the Israelites would refuse to listen to the Lord’s command and did indeed defile themselves in many of the ways the Lord warned them about. Thus, we know that Israel faced God’s wrath at the hands of Assyria and Babylon, rival empire nations that the Lord vomited Israel into from Canaan. One thing we should always remember…the Lord keeps His word. Remember that as you are assessing your life and how obedient you are to the Lord.
Question: How well are you living in accordance with God’s word and will for your life? How would He grade you on His obedience scale? Are you adversely influenced by others…so much so that you find yourself siding with them and their sinful, earthly standards before siding with God’s holy, righteous ones?
Friends, there should be no question what we should do. The Lord told us…and what other reason do we need to obey? No more explanation is needed. If the Lord said it, we need to do it. If so, we will live in a way that pleases Him and models the life behavior He wants all to adopt. If we don’t…well…then we defile ourselves and can stand by for His correction.
I don’t know about you but I would much rather live in God’s favor. We can do so if we live in the world but not of it, instead living for the Lord. Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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