Some things are better left undone and covered up. Curiosity can be a good or bad thing. Some matters are not for us to delve in. Moses said so in Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." We are to keep out of those things that God has not revealed to us. The idea of covering has to do with atonement and therefore, grace. Christians are covered by God’s grace. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:15 regarding the woman’s covering, "But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering." The woman wears long hair as a covering i.e. an act of grace. God has given her hair as an operation of His grace. Paul had also said in 1 Corinthians 11:5-6, "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered." A woman who is uncovered is a shame. She must be covered with the proper covering.
Application
To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.
Leviticus 20:11 reads, "And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." This is the penalty of Leviticus 18:8, "The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness." Clearly, someone that would uncover what is not to be uncovered has not grace operating in their lives. Grace covers, sin uncovers. This is the idea behind all pornography the uncovering of the body for open display. Those who have grace operating in their lives will seek to cover themselves properly and not to allow their bodies to be openly displayed.
This case law and penalty prohibits incest. There is a prohibition for a son to be married to his own mother. As Rushdoony has pointed out "The ban on consanguinity is thus supported." We are not be married to our near relatives as Leviticus 18 makes clear. This is a perversion if there ever was one. The one who gave birth is having sexual union with her own child. This is clearly a confusion of the proper roles that God has established. In other words, these things ought not to be. It brings with it the death penalty.
A church is to be characterized by its purity. This was, however, not the case at the church in Corinth. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 10Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 12For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 13But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." Here is an example of incest within the confines of the church.
Obviously, Paul did not approve of such behavior. In fact, he says that the pagans and heathen that do not know God were not guilty of such gross sin. He chastised them greatly for tolerance of such wickedness in their midst. The State has the requirement to put such to death, not the church. The church is, however, to put such outside of the church. In other words, after a church trial, if found guilty, they are to be excommunicated. Only repentance and forsaking of the sin can bring them back in. They have to be covered and no longer uncovering that which must remain covered. Deuteronomy 22:30 says, "A man shall not take his father’s wife, nor discover his father’s skirt." Discover here means to uncover. It is the same prohibition. Those who do such things are to be cursed as Deuteronomy 27:20 enjoins, "Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife; because he uncovereth his father’s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen." All the people are to agree with God’s prohibitions against such wickedness by saying, Amen.
Conclusion
Incest is to be dealt with harshly. It is something that cannot be overlooked but must be stopped. This is why the death penalty is attached to it. It is meant to be a deterrent. When one is covered with grace and it will prevent future sins as 1 Peter 4:8 says, "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." Better to be covered than uncovered.
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