The importance of spirituality over sexuality

Israel’s sexual morality is here portrayed as something that marks it off from its neighbors as the Lord’s special people. Ch. 17 stressed that Israel was not to compromise her witness by worshipping demons or eating blood. Chapter 18 insists that certain standards of sexual morality are equally decisive marks of religious allegiance.

It is not surprising, then, that the section of Leviticus concerning the behavior of the Israelites should be peppered with a reminder of who they are, and who their God is. This identification of Yahweh as their God (and not any other) occurs more than thirty times in chapters 18–22!

God is talking with Moses about peer pressure. He is speaking to the people as creatures tempted to conform. God is speaking to them, and to us, as people for whom the question is not, “Will you or will you not conform?” Rather, the question is, “To what will you conform?” That's just how we are. We were designed to be led, to serve, to worship.

The issue here is specifically sexual conformity. The place from which they came, and the place to which they were going, both had practices, customs, perspectives, standards related to sexual behavior. The same is true for us today.

No matter where you are coming from or where you are going in our culture, you will always be surrounded by voices promoting practices, customs, perspectives, standards related to sexual behavior.

But as God makes clear to the Israelites in these verses, those standards will always be at odds with His standards; always, no matter the person, place, or period of time in question. Why? Because we live in a fallen world, a world in rebellion against God. In rejecting God, men and women have rejected God's design for their bodies and their lives.

This is precisely why God is calling them in verses 4 and 5, to put spirituality before sexuality. That means answering those 'meaning of life' questions first, then letting the answers guide us in terms of all our feelings and desires, including sexual feelings and desires. We often reverse these two things, and thus, look for a system of meaning and morals that fits with our existing feelings and desires.

God declares three times in these five verses, “I am the LORD (Yahweh)”, or “I am [Yahweh] your God”. That is the starting point. The expression, “I am the LORD your God,” is the fundamental truth on which the following verses, and on which the following chapters must stand.

God is orderly, and therefore He expects that His creation do all things “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). God is not some kind of a cosmic drill sergeant who delights simply in giving orders; rather, our loving God gives us orders in order that we might have life, and that we might have it abundantly (John 10:10).

Application Questions

1. How can you honor God today in the area of your sexuality?

2.In what ways do God’s laws about sexuality and sexual relations promote a positive view of sexuality?

Quote:

Our problem with sex doesn’t begin with lust, with bad choices, or with sexual misbehavior. Our problem with sex begins when we forget that God must be at the center of this part of our lives as he must be with any other' - Paul Tripp

Prayer:

Lord, I thank you that you created human sexuality and said that it was very good. But man has corrupted it. Help me when I am living in this world with its different worldviews about sexuality, to make a difference. Amen.