Leviticus 18:3 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.
I remember when I was growing up there were some kids in the neighborhood who were doing some things that my parents thought were unhelpful, or even harmful. They told me to not follow their example, to stay away from them. This was a loving caution. And for the most part, that is the way I heard it.
My parents had my best interest at heart. They wanted to protect me from danger. I guess they knew that I would get in enough trouble on my own, so I didn’t need any extra help!
Our text today comes at the beginning of a listing of many additional laws laid out by the LORD to Moses. These laws were given to help bring guidance to a community in its early formation. They were provided as a way to teach what holy living as a community following the LORD would look like.
If you look later in the chapter you will see similar wording used again at the end of this first section of prohibitions. These three verses (18:3, 24, 27) form an envelope around one topic of prohibitions. This is the Hebrew way of marking a section for particular attention.
This section of prohibitions detail some of the practices of both the Egyptians and the Canaanites, and these practices don’t reflect the character and nature of the LORD or of the design He has for His people. And this section of helpful advice deals with sexual relationships. It is a who’s who of who we should not have sexual relations with.
But why start this section with our text? What was it about these practices that the LORD wants to protect His people from the effects of their implementation? Let’s go back in our story to page one.
Humanity was created in two genders, male and female. All animals outlined in the first page were male and female. The ark was filled with animals in pairs of two, male and female.
When the Fall happened, part of the consequences would be a shame related to nakedness, and difficulties around childbearing and work. The Fall brought about difficulties that would not have been there if obedience had prevailed.
We read about the leading women characters in our story and their difficulties giving birth and their cultural practices that included other women into the marriage bed. Sister, slave, prostitute, father in law. Each became a pawn in a game to win the prize of a child. No wonder the LORD wanted one man and one woman to be His representatives. The other combinations, the combinations accepted by the other cultures around Israel, created chaos and division.
So the LORD wants to correct the record. He wants this new group of people, a people who have been rescued from slavery, to go back to the original design. He wants them to focus their sexual practices to one man and one woman for life. He says this, not as a way to deprive them of what is really fantastic, but as a way to protect them from what is very detrimental to living in conformity to holiness.
Notice one more thing. The author starts and ends this section with this declaration: “I am the LORD your God.” The LORD was the one who purchased Israel out of Egypt as the fulfillment of the promise He had made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was not because Israel deserved rescue, but it was because the LORD has a plan for humanity, and He remains faithful to that plan.
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