I. Verse 1-5 - Introduction.

A. Verse 2 - This is a message from God, who is the Lord your God.

B. Verse 3 - Do not do like Egypt. It is appropriate that Israel forget all the things they saw practiced in Egypt as religion.

C. Verse 3 - Do not do like the Canaanites. These are the things they shall see done as religious activities. It is hard to believe that these things would be practiced by anybody as a part of their religion. But they are. The only thing that will protect us is a holy reverence for our God and His laws for us.

D. Verse 4 - Keep my judgments and ordinances - This is in opposition to keeping the ordinances of the pagans.

1. We should walk in God's laws. They should be a definite part of our daily lives and the principles upon which our lives are based.

2. If the Lord is our God, it won't bother us to walk in these laws.

E. If we do what God said, He shall give us life.

F. Note: "I am the Lord".

1. Verse 2

2. Verse 4

3. Verse 5

4. Verse 6

5. Verse 21

6. Verse 30.

7. It is because we know that God is Lord of our lives that we submit to Him. If we do not know (or are unsure) of His Lordship, we will disobey and go the way of the world, following our own thoughts and desires.

II. Verse 6-23 - The detail of the chapter.

A. Verse 6-18 - The proper marriage partners. (uncover nakedness means sexual intercourse).

1. Verse 6 - Gives us a general statement not to marry near of kin. Many people in a place of leadership or authority would follow their own sinful desires and marry brother or sister or near kin. This would result in the children being deformed or lacking in mental discernment. This would eventually lead to the downfall of those nations when that person came to the throne. These laws given by God does not hinder Israel, but sets them free from this kind of short-run kingdom. God desires Israel to rule the world forever. Following these laws will avoid many pitfalls.

2. Do not uncover the nakedness of:

a. Verse 7 - Thy natural father or mother.

b. Verse 8 - Your step-mother.

c. Verse 9 - A sister or step-sister or half-sister.

1) Cain and Abel probably married their sister. There was no one else to marry! This broke the law of God, but by the grace of God they were accepted.

2) Gen. 20:12 - Abraham married his half-sister.

a) More than likely, Abraham was worshipping idols with his father when he married Sarai.

b) It was by the grace of God that Abraham and Sarai were accepted by God and blessed by being the father of Israel. Nobody can keep the law, all is by grace. God protects us by grace when we don't realize what He is doing.

d. Verse 10 - Your granddaughter. It's your own nakedness.

e. Verse 11 - your whole sister.

f. Verse 12 - Your fathers sister, your aunt.

g. Verse 13 - Your mothers sister, your aunt.

h. Verse 14 - Your father's brothers' wife, your aunt.

i. Verse 15 - Your daughter-in-law.

j. Verse 16 - Your sister-in-law, this is your brothers nakedness.

k. Verse 17 - A woman and her daughter, or granddaughter.

1) Verse 17 seems to refer to having two wives (polygamy), but does not approve of it or condemn it. God accepts many things that is not His perfect will.

2) The exception to this rule is the "Law of Kinsman Redeemer", Deut. 25:5-10. This law is seen with Ruth and Boaz. Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi.

a) Ruth 3:2 - Boaz is called our kinsman.

b) Ruth 4:3 - Boaz calls Elimelech (Naomi's husband) his brother.

c) Ruth 4:10 - Boaz takes Ruth for his wife.

d) Ruth 4:17 - There was a son born to Naomi. Naomi didn't actually bear the child, Ruth did. But the law of the Kinsman Redeemer placed the child of Ruth in the inheritance of Elimelech and Naomi. l.Verse 18 - Don't marry two sisters, or have two wives. See I Samuel 1:1-8, Samuel's dad had two wives.

l. Verse 18 alludes to a man having two wives, but does not approve of it or condemn it. God allowed many things because of the hardness of the peoples heart.

1) Jacob and Leah and Rachel. See Genesis 30:14-16 for an example of the jealousy and problems caused by having more than one wife.

2) The exception - remarriage is allowed when the spouse dies.

B. Verse 19-23 - Examples of wicked lewdness to avoid.

1. Verse 19 - Come not at a woman sexually during her monthly cycle.

2. Verse 20 - Avoid thy neighbors wife. (in adultery)

3. Verse 21 - Do not pass your children through the fire to Molech.

a. Molech is a pagan god.

b. The children pass through the fire in two ways.

1) By burning them in a fire as a burnt offering. It a parent would burn one child to Molech, they were supposedly protecting their other children.

2) By passing them between two fires. This was the method of dedicating them to the services of Molech.

4. Verse 22 - Homosexuality is an abomination.

5. Verse 23 - Beastalogy by man or woman is condemned. It is confusion, and God is not the author of confusion.

III. Verse 24-30 - The judgment of God upon those that do this wickedness.

A. God will judge pagan nations.

1. Verse 24 - The land is defiled.

2. Verse 24 - The people are defiled.

3. Verse 24 - The people are cast out of their land because of their sin.

4. Verse 25 - The land itself vomits out her inhabitants.

B. God will judge His own people.

1. Verse 26-28 - God will judge Israel even if the sins were committed by strangers dwelling (not visiting) in the land.

2. God will judge his own people just like He judges the pagan nations, for He does not change.

C. Verse 30 - If we desire the blessings of God, we must do exactly what He commands. This is for anybody in this entire world.

D. NOTE - There are those people today that say we live under grace and are not accountable to God through the law given to Moses. They believe this because Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law. I believe Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from the curse of the law, but; does this mean we are free to chose our activities even if God's Word speaks against it? Many people say "yes". If this is so, why did God judge the people of the world before the law was given? Why did God judge the people of Canaan, who did not have the law of God or knew anything about it? Why will God judge the world by the Word of God when much of the world knows nothing about His Word? Why will God send many people to hell who have never heard the Word of God, or about Jesus who died for our sinfulness? He will judge the world because He is God and all the world must meet His standard whether they realize it or not. Didn't God judge Egypt who did not know God? Didn't God judge the inhabitants of Canaan who didn't know God? Won't God judge us even though we are ignorant of His Word? Will all the world not become guilty before God??!! Even though we live under the grace (every person from the creation of the world has lived under the grace of God) we are accountable to God under the law because that is God's standard of righteousness revealed to mankind. No man can live up to the law, but by God's grace we will be accepted. Not on the merits of our works (righteousness), but on the merits of God's grace.