Grievous Punishment
TEXT: Leviticus 20:10-21
Key verse: “And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10 ).
In world of science, there are irrefutable laws that hold the universe. Isaac Newton, one of the foremost minds in the world of scientific discovery, posited the laws of motion. One of them states that action and reaction are always equal and opposite. That is why in order to maintain equilibrium in human societies, offences must inexorably attract punishment.
Reading through the whole passage before us today, we see a catalogue of detestable acts which were very common in the heathen nations of Canaan – their religions were rampant with sex goddesses, temple prostitution, and other gross sins. The Canaanites’ immoral religious practices reflected a decadent culture that tended to corrupt whoever that came in contact with it. By contrast, God wanted the children of Israel to have a positive influence on the world. He did not want the Israelites to adopt the Canaanites’ practices and slide into debauchery. So He prepared the people for what they would face in the Promised Land by commanding them to steer clear of sexual sins.
In our dispensation, it appears surprising that the gamut of abominable acts of immorality depicted in the passage are very much prevalent in this age. Romans 1:27 declares that because “…the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another (homosexuality) receiving in themselves that recompense of their error (grievous punishment) which was meet.” The list of commands in the passage today also includes drastic punishment of death. Why? Such sins shatter the mutual commitment of married partners, destroy the sanctity of the family, spread diseases, and twist people’s mental well-being. The glorification of immorality between people who are not married to each other often hides deep tragedy and hurt behind the scenes.
It has been discovered that in a relationship between partners, without marital commitment, one partner or both, will get hurt at last. God has good reasons for prohibiting immoral sins.
Believers are called unto holiness. We should always say no to sexual immorality it damns the soul.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God loves us and so punishes our sinfulness to save us from eternal doom.