I. Introduction (v. 22-26) - Again the introduction is at the end of the chapter.

A. The death penalty proclaimed in this chapter for "religious sins".

1. 400 A. D. - The first Roman Catholic who said it was proper to kill those people who didn't agree with their religion.

2. Augustine - The Bishop of Hippo. (The town is later called Carthage.)

3. Since then, there have been many religious wars. (Now in Ireland between Catholics and Protestants). In U. S. during the first 200 years before the constitution. Catholics killed Puritans and the Puritans killed the Catholics.

4. Augustine reached back into the Old Testament and applied the theory of the Universal Visible Church to those scriptures. They said the church was in the Old Testament, therefore, they perverted the meaning and said the church had the right to kill unbelievers.

5. The Universal Invisible Church Theory (which belongs to the Protestants) does the same things and if carried to its full conclusion will cause them to feel justified in killing unbelievers.

B. This chapter is concerning the judgments of God that will come on all that disobey His commands. (See the word "therefore".)

C. There is a vary important and interesting thing to be noted here as concerning the "keeping of the law".

1. There are many people today that teach that we are under grace, and not under the law, therefore we don't have to do the things contained in the law.

2. See verse 23 - The nations that lived in the land of Canaan did those things spoken of in chapters 17-20. They did not have the law of God nor did they know who God was, yet God still held them accountable for the law and hated (abhorred) them because they disobeyed the law and didn't recognize Him as God.

3. We know these nations didn't have the law of God because it is just now being given to Moses and Israel.

4. Romans 2:14,15 - Even though they didn't have the written law of God, they knew what God expected, for in their conscience they knew right from wrong. God is judging them on that basis.

5. Those people today that do not believe in keeping the laws of God have forgotten some things. Mainly that God is an unchangeable God. The things He required of others, He will also require of us. God did not desire that Israel keep only the letter of the law. He desired them to keep the law in the Spirit. This is what the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is all about. He desires the same things of us today. Not the dull keeping of the letter, but the bountiful keeping of the Spirit of the law, because of the love of God which abounds in our hearts.

D. V. 22 - Spue them out - vomit them out because of their sickness in sin.

E. V. 24 - They are a separated people - Therefore, they should keep themselves separated from the wickedness of the world. So it is with us. God has saved us from sin and the wickedness of this world and we ought to be holy for He is holy.

F. V. 25 - There are some things the people of God ought not to do.

G. V. 26 - We ought to do some things because we have been separated to be the people of God.

II. The details of the judgments of God. (V. 1 - This is the Word of God.)

A. Verse 1-5 - Again - See 18:21 (v. 27, An Israelite that is demon-possessed should die.)

1. Either a stranger or a true Israelite.

2. Put to death with stones - the common form of capital punishment.

3. Set face against - the person's sin shows that he does not belong to God, but will spend his eternity in hell.

4. "cut off from the people" - means two things.

a. A public expulsion from the camp of Israel.

b. An expulsion from the presence of God in eternity.

c. Compare verse 1 & 3, 4 & 5 - If Israel judges people correctly, God also judges them correctly. If Israel fails to judge righteously, God still judges correctly. We need to do on earth what God does in heaven.

5. Reason:

a. He has turned his children over to the devil.

b. He has defiled the worship of God, both in the sanctuary and His authority.

c. Note: There is to be no mixing of traditions of religion. Today this is a common goal of most religions. Only the true religion will remain true to god.

6. Verse 4,5 - Those that protect the people involved in this sin reveal that they do not belong to God and He will turn against them (even though there is no punishment on them from Israel) and eventually they will wind up in hell.

B. Verse 6- 8 - Those that seek to worship demons and the ways of Satan will be rejected of God and cut off from the people. If Israel doesn't judge these evil people, God will.

C. Verse 9 - The mother and father may put up with the child that curses them (doesn't listen to their advice and acts like they are dumb), but God says they ought to die that others may fear. His blood or guilt shall be upon him, not upon those that kill him.

D. Verse 10-21 - Various forms of sexual sins.

1. Verse 10 - Adultery is punishable by death, both the man and the woman.

a. David lived after he committed adultery with Bathsheba because of the grace of God. But he had much trouble with friend, family, and foe.

b. John 8 - The woman taken in adultery was forgiven by the grace of God. Jesus taught the men that they were also guilty of adultery, if not in action, then in thought. Are we not all guilty??

2. Verse 11 - Adultery with his father's wife is punishable by death.

a. I Cor. 5:1 - The man in the Corinthian Church that had his father's wife.

b. He was excluded from the church. A punishment equal to death if the person is a child of God. See the severity of church exclusion.

c. Note: Even a saved person can do things that make us think they are lost. Let us judge no man's salvation, only their works.

3. Verse 12 - Adultery with a daughter in law is punishable by death.

a. Gen. 38 - Judah unknowingly lay with his daughter in law, Tamar.

b. Gen. 38:24 - Judah was going to have her burnt with fire when she was found with child.

c. Gen. 38:25,26 - When it was discovered that Judah was the father - all was forgiven and Judah "knew her no more".

d. According to the letter of the law, both Judah and Tamar would have been killed. But grace prevailed and the twin boys born by Tamar were faithful to god and Phares was counted in the genealogy of Christ. (Matt. 1:3).

4. Verse 13 - Homosexuality is punishable by death. It ought to be so today. In Nevada, the homosexuals are trying to establish a city solely for homosexuals. This is a modern day Sodom, which God will judge. (Note, this plan failed to materialize because of a lack of funds.)

5. Verse 14 - Taking (perhaps not in adultery, but in marriage) a mother and daughter. They shall all be killed first, then burnt with fire to the death. (See Joshua 7:25 - the death of Achan.)

6. Verse 15,16 - Beastology condemned by death of the people and the animals.

7. Verse 17 - Adultery or fornication with a sister, half sister, or step sister is punishable by death. (See notes on 18:9.)

8. Verse 18 - Lying with a woman (even a wife) during the monthly cycle results not in death, but a cutting off from the people. This is something that would not be known publicly, but it would be known to God. This sex act would reveal unbridled passions, which might reflect a lost soul.

9. Verse 19,20 - No sex relations with an aunt.

a. Their iniquity shall be upon their own head.

b. They shall be childless.

1) She shall bear no children.

2) The children will not inherit God's promises.

3) The children will die before reaching child bearing age.

10. Verse 21 - Brothers wife.

a. They shall bear their own iniquity.

b. They shall be childless. (See point #9 above.) eventually they will wind up in hell.