“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.” (Leviticus 18:22-25)
First, this is not in response to the stupid Supreme Court Ruling about Gay Marriage, this just happened to be what I was reading in my 5th trip through the Old Testament. It certainly applies to the ridiculous ruling though.
God proclaims no less than 5 times from verse 22-30 that homosexual conduct and bestiality are abominations. I read an article from a man defending the abomination of homosexuality in which he stating that a god of love would want everyone to be happy and content, so being gay is okay. God is love, but his statutes are clear, and they are clear because he loves us so much that he wants to protect us from ourselves. That’s why he enacted these laws, because he loves us. God will not idly stand by and condone sin in order to make everyone happy and content – what a goofy, ridiculous notion.
Levitical Law was and is in place to share with us the only way to react to sin (things that are bad for us and an affront to God). We must reject sin with all our hearts. Love the sinner, but completely and irrevocably reject the sin. The Almighty God, the creator of everything (including us) has condemned homosexual behavior and referred to it as an abomination (outrage, disgrace, atrocity, horror). There is no gray area in this and saying that – oh that’s the old covenant, so it no longer applies – is just ludicrous. Jesus said that he came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. Sacrifices are no longer necessary, but the Law still stands as the manual for how we should conduct ourselves, not to lord it over us, but to protect, comfort and educate us. To edify us in the true, best and healthiest path in life – the straight and narrow way that leads to righteousness. Not in self-righteousness like the sinners that serve themselves, but in true righteousness (virtue, morality, justice, decency). This is what we should aspire too. No one, including me, can be completely righteous, but we can aspire to it, strive for it and achieve it predominantly. It’s the journey not the destination that makes us or breaks us.
The passage for today referred to the populations that inhabited the Promised Land – the land that was promised to Abraham and his decedents, the Israelites. The inhabitants were wicked, evil and conducted themselves in grossly degenerate activities, like worship of false gods, religious prostitution, infant sacrifices, homosexuality, bestiality to name a few. This type of behavior will not go unpunished. God is a patient and forgiving God, but in the end, he is our Father God and any good father will chastise his children when they do wrong. America is just about over do for a severe chastisement.
I love all people. I hate all sin. Sin is and will always be sin. It cannot ebb and flow with humanities whims. We must conduct ourselves in accordance with God’s will, as it is written in His Holy Bible. “…go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11)