S) "3 You shall not do what is done in the land of Egypt where you lived, nor are you to do what is done in the land of Canaan where I am bringing you; you shall not walk in their statutes."
Leviticus 18:3 (NASB)
O) This verse captures the essence of the entire chapter. This chapter has an oft-quoted verse (see v.22) that is taken out of context almost every time I've seen it quoted. We must remember what v.3 is showing us about the audience, before we read any of the commands given in this chapter. God was warning His people, His nation that was to be holy as He is holy, that they cannot live lifestyles akin to the culture they'd just left. God was redeeming them from Egypt, calling them to a new home that would be theirs, an established kingdom set apart for Him and to Him. He was also warning them not to conform to the ways of the nations that they would set out and conquer. It was precisely because of the sinful acts of the Canaanites, that they were being cast out of the region in the first place (see v.25). God is telling His people that their ways must be different than what the world thinks. Their ways must be separate, distinct, and set apart. In a word, they must be holy.
A) Even though the commands in this chapter were specific to this people, at this time, between these two regions (coming from Egypt, going to the Promised Land), that doesn't mean I can simply choose to ignore them. They still convey the character of God. Most importantly, from the above verse, I see that God does not want me to revert to the lifestyle and habits I had before He redeemed me. He doesn't want me to conform to the culture of my current society (no matter how politically and socially acceptable it is). There are many, many verses in the New Testament regarding sexuality (which is mostly what this chapter covers), so there is no shortage of instruction on the topic through the New Covenant. Most importantly, I need to remember that God is still calling His people to holiness. He wants us to be distinctly different than the nations around us. It's important to remember that God's kingdom is not a political or military force, but an invisible kingdom of His active saints. As such, we should be noticeably different than the lifestyle we left, and the surrounding cultures.
P) Father, You are holy and so I want to be holy. I want Your influence in my life to be recognizable to others. Just as I bear a noticeable resemblance to my earthly parents and brothers, I want to bear an unmistakable resemblance to my Father in heaven, and my brothers in Christ. Remind me daily, by the Holy Spirit, that Your glory is at stake in everything I do. Be glorified in my life, Father God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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