There are different punishments mentioned in this chapter: death, “cutting off from the people” or childlessness. God is simply warning the Israelites that He will not tolerate these types of sins that are commonly committed in Canaan. He is throwing the Canaanites out because of these kinds of transgressions. He is educating the Israelites and doesn’t want them to commit the same sins that got the Canaanites kicked out of the land. God is telling them what is holy and what is unholy.
Holiness is not just spiritual; it’s also physical. It’s how to respond to the commands of Elohim.
God says that these commands are not far from us. God tells us how we can be holy and righteous. There are teachers who teach that we can never be righteous or holy, but they are denying scripture.
“You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 20:7)
God tells us that His rules are not difficult. They aren’t that hard. He tells us we can be righteous and holy and if we say we can’t we are making God a liar. God does not accept our excuses. We can move in the direction of righteousness and holiness.
You might not think that these verses are for you since they seem so simple and obvious but these things were recorded for our admonition. It’s always a good thing to re-learn and understand more fully what we already know. We sometime close our minds off because the punishments seem so harsh, but God is showing us how to live and how serious sin, transgression and iniquity is.
Remember who is speaking here: God. Remember who the audience is: The people and the priesthood of Israel.
Why does God not want us to speak to mediums and necromancers? Because they lie just as HaSatan lied to Eve. God is the one who speaks the instructions we need to know. If we go to another source, we have turned our face against Him and He will His face against us.
We are in God’s vineyard, learning God’s word. If we choose not to follow God’s rules for living in His vineyard, He will throw us out of His vineyard.
We don’t sanctify ourselves, we don’t set ourselves apart. That is God’s doing. God is making us into a holy priesthood.
Israel was not a holy nation when He removed them from Egypt. He is moving them to holiness and setting them apart for Himself.
Fasting and prayer doesn’t make one holy, practicing and living according to God’s commandments are what make us holy. This is not a performance but a lifestyle.
There are three punishments in this chapter:
- death
- “cutting off from the people” which means the person is no longer a member of the covenant people of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
- childlessness
“‘Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them. ‘Hence I have said to you, You are to possess their land, and I Myself will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples.” (Leviticus 20:23–24)
He has pulled them out from the uncleanness of Egypt and doesn’t want them to live like they lived in Egypt and He doesn’t want them to live like they do in Canaan. The entire book of Leviticus is about God’s will for His people.
This entire journey is about God fulfilling His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Then how do those of us who are not Jewish enter into this promise?
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
God says in His word over and over again that we can do this. God says we are His and we can obey His rules. We don’t always do it well but we can do it in His power.
When God calls you out of Canaan, He calls you out of Canaan’s rules. When He calls you out of Egypt, He calls you out of their rules. He calls you to no longer live in Egypt or Canaan but to live in His vineyard and by His rules.
Reader: Jeff. Speaker: Richard Agee. Summary: Tammy. Note: Because of a technical problem, audio of this study isn’t available.