Saturday, June 7, 2008

ABOMINABLE CUSTOMS OF THE LAND

Introduction

Man apart from God is a sinner. A sinner is someone who is lawless or antinomian. This is what John declared in 1 John 3:4, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." Lawlessness is the chief characteristic of the devil. John also wrote in 1 John 3:8, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." This verse is clear that sinners are of their father, the devil. The devil is the first sinner. John further wrote in 1 John 3:10, "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." Those who do not follow and obey the law of God are children of the devil. It is cut and dry.

Application

To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.

God told Moses to tell the children of Israel the following in Leviticus 18:19-25, "Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. 20Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. 21And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. 22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. 24Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: 25And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants." These abominable practices were being done by the people of Canaan. God was going to use the children of Israel to bring about His judgment upon them.

An abomination is something that is extremely hated and exceedingly detestable. Sinners are going to sin. God, however, only allows them to proceed so far and then He cuts them short in their sin. This is what Exodus 20:5, "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." God does not allow evil to continually compound. He decapitalizes them and they have to start all over again. God hates sinners and He hates sin.

These practices of the heathen of Canaan were extremely loathsome to God. He did not tolerate it forever. All sexual sins fall under the seventh commandment. Having marital relations with a menstruating women is an unclean practice according to God’s law. To lie with one’s neighbor’s wife is a breaking of the seventh and tenth commandments of adultery and coveting.

It is confusion for a man to have sexual relations with another man. This type of situation is characterized by these individuals burning themselves out in their lust as Romans 1:27 states, "And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet." The Amplified Bible renders "burned in their lust" as, "Set ablaze (burned out, consumed) with lust." In other words, they are burning themselves out doing what wholly unnatural and wicked. The homosexual spiritually is one of the most perverse spirits. They have crossed a line and it is extremely difficult to get them to repent of their vileness. God has nothing but abhorrence for such wickedness. This wicked practice is also a violation of the law of distinction. God made them male and female, not male and male. Homosexuals cannot reproduce. Therefore, they represent the epitome death. Proverbs 8:36 characterizes the sodomite, "But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." By their abominable actions, they demonstrate their hatred of God. The feelings are mutual.

For a man or woman who has sexual relations with an animal proves they are a reprobate. Paul wrote of such in Romans 1:28, "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient." The Amplified Bible says about the reprobate mind, "...God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things nor proper or decent but loathsome." Loathsome is a despicable act. It is wholly wicked to carry out such unnatural acts. God utterly detest such individuals that would stoop to such wickedness. There are degrees of sin. Some sins are worse than others. Homosexuality and bestiality are among the worse in God’s sight.

False worship and profanation of the Lord’s name were forbidden also in this list of abominable practices. The first and second commandments prohibit have any other king than the Lord and worship is to be to God only. Molech worship was being practiced in the land of Canaan. This is a false god and it also involved idolatry. These people also used their gods name commonly. God prohibits His name to be thus used. We are to reverence His high and holy name.

Conclusion

God said to Moses in Leviticus 18:30, "Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God." God detested these abominable customs. They are an affront to His holiness.

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