Leviticus 18 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things because all the nations which I am expelling ahead of you are defiled with them. The land has become unclean and this is why I am punishing it – the land itself will vomit out its inhabitants. But you are to keep my laws and rulings and not engage in any of these disgusting practices, neither your citizen nor the foreigner living with you; for the people of the land have committed these abominations, and the land is now defiled.” Lev 18: 24-27

History tells us that just before the fall of every major empire, there was a “libertarian” view towards sexuality throughout the culture. One of the last allowances was open acceptance of homosexuality.

Interesting, that chapter 18 is devoted almost entirely to sex and its perversion. Then the L_rd warns Israel to stay away from those things, because the reason He is expelling the inhabitants of Canaan is because of those very same perversions! G_d says they have defiled the land, causing it to vomit them out.

Leviticus is about the calling-out of a people to be separate. It was not enough to call Israel out of Egypt. G_d also commanded Israel to drive “Egypt” out of itself!

This is not dissimilar to our situation as believers today. First we are called out of the _orld, to follow Yeshua. Next, we are called to live “holy and presentable to G_d”. Many followers of Yeshua take a passive view to morality. I often hear from believers, “My salvation is secure, so I can live however I wish.” That is not true.

While the true believer’s salvation is secured by G_d’s righteousness, not their own righteousness, the one who sins deliberately and habitually should do some healthy self-examination to determine if they are truly believers at all.

In the days of the prophets, the L_rd drove Israel out of the land, because they failed to heed His warnings to be separate, choosing, rather, to follow the ways of the pagans.

Likewise, Yshua shared a conversation that will take place between Himself and “pseudo Messianics” at the end of time: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘L_rd, L_rd!’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven.” Matthew 7: 21-23

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Monday, April 28, 2014