Now to start, I think it is important to know that I had been looking forward to reading the full context of this book for quite a while. The reason for that is simple, many people who believe that homosexuality is biblically wrong point to two verses in this book as a defense for that point of view. And when you take the verses at face value, they are rough to say the least. Leviticus 20:13New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 13 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them. Leviticus 18:22New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination These verses come out strongly against male on male sex acts, and I really can’t make a case saying that it doesn’t. I could point out of course that it does not forbid women from sleeping with other women. I could also point out that it does not forbid the love of a people of the same sex. But these holes aside, I believe the biggest issue with taking these verses at their face value is the context in which they are written. So what is the purpose of this book? Why was it written? Leviticus was originally known as “the Priest’s Manual” and lays out God’s law to the people of Israel regarding purity, and specifically purity within the sanctuary. These laws include all kinds of things: some pretty familiar to us while others seem to be out of a strange cult movie. Many of the laws of Leviticus involve the burning of offerings for God. Often times, these offerings are animals without defect who were slaughtered on the alter and burned to create a pleasing aroma to the lord. Here’s a taste from a ritual involving skin diseases: 23 “On the eighth day they must bring them for their cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the LORD. 24 The priest is to take the lamb for the guilt offering, together with the log of oil, and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 25 He shall slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot. 26The priest is to pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, 27 and with his right forefinger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before the LORD. Now I don’t bring this up to dismiss the book entirely, or to make fun. It’s just really important to understand the context of the book we are reading, how different the world was, and the things that were required of God’s people at the time. At this time, God required many things from the Israelites that are no longer required laws for us today. Specific animals that are good or bad to eat (shellfish comes to mind immediately), the forbidding of tattoos, and the forbidding of mixing cloth (I will attach a link below that shows a much more complete list). So what to I see in this? What’s my takeaway? To this point, I have been entirely disappointed in the way the bible deals with sex issues as a whole. Perhaps my biggest complaint is the lack of mutual decision making to this point. Sex seems to be a male dominant issue to this point, and the rules imply to me that a man is the sole decision maker as to who he has sex with and when, which shows the differences in society at that time. And all of that leads to my real point: societal differences are the main focus of this book for me. I found myself reading it as I would a textbook about a far-off culture, not as the history of my own faith. The culture and world of the Israelites is so vastly different than our own, and it is important to make that distinction before taking verses at their face value. I believe that the bible was written by holy people, who were inspired by God acting in the world and in their lives. They wrote about their society, their history (literal and traditional), and did their best to explain how God lead them in their lives. These laws are to separate and differentiate a people from the rest of a wild and changing world. And as people, they wrote through a societal lens that none of us can escape from. These verses do not deal with love. They do not deal with a Christ centered, monogamous relationship. They hardly deal with a sliver of what it means to be homosexual. It deals with taboos of a culture that came before us trying to make sense of the way God acts in the world. What that means for us today is that we must find the similarities between ourselves and those Israelites. There are times that I feel like an outsider in a strange land, and I truly believe that we must differentiate ourselves from the rest of the world. We have a unique faith with a unique history. It is important to read this history and understand why Christ’s sacrifice was essential for the people of the world. It is because of him, that we are able to differentiate ourselves, not by burning the carcasses of dead animals, but by the love and compassion we are called to put into the world. Banned things in Leviticus http://hill-kleerup.org/blog/2012/06/13/76-things-banned-in-leviticus-and-their-penalties.html Types of offerings and their significance https://www.waynestiles.com/offerings-in-leviticus-what-they-were-and-why-they-mattered/
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