Question 1

What does “uncover nakedness” mean in this passage?

Accepted Answer

In this passage, the phrase “uncover nakedness” is a gentle way of speaking about sexual relations. It does not just mean seeing someone without clothes. It means having sexual union, whether inside or outside of marriage. God lists many close family members and in‑laws and says their “nakedness” must not be uncovered. This shows that these sexual relationships are forbidden. The phrase reminds readers that such acts bring shame, break the honour of the family, and go against the order God set for marriage and the home.

Question 2

Why does God forbid sexual relations with close family members here?

Accepted Answer

God forbids sexual relations with parents, children, grandchildren, siblings, aunts, uncles, in‑laws, and a woman and her daughter or granddaughter to protect the family and keep marriage honourable. By marriage two become one flesh, so joining with someone who is already closely one flesh in the family twists what God made. These commands guard against abuse, jealousy, and confusion in the home. They also separate Israel from the nations around them, where such acts were common, and call them to be a clean and orderly people before God.

Question 3

What is the warning about Molech, and why is it so serious?

Accepted Answer

The passage forbids letting any of their children “pass through the fire to Molech.” This refers to giving children over in sacrifice or burning them in honour of a false god. God calls this a way of profaning His name, because it denies Him as the true Lord and treats life as something to be thrown away for an idol. It shows how far idol worship can drag people into cruelty. God puts this command right in the middle of sexual laws to show that both sexual sin and idol worship deeply corrupt a people.

Question 4

What does it mean that the land “vomits out” its inhabitants?

Accepted Answer

When God says the land “vomits out” its inhabitants, He is using a strong picture. Just like a body throws up what harms it, the land is said to throw out those who fill it with sexual sin and idol worship. The nations before Israel had done these things and were being removed. God warns Israel that if they copy those sins, the same thing will happen to them. This shows that sin is not only a private matter. It affects whole societies and brings real judgment from God in history.

Question 5

Why are sexual acts with a neighbour’s wife, the same sex, or animals forbidden?

Accepted Answer

The passage clearly says not to have sex with a neighbour’s wife, not to lie with a man as with a woman, and not to lie with animals. Adultery with a neighbour’s wife breaks trust and defiles both people. Sex between men is called an abomination, showing it is against God’s design for male and female. Sex with animals is called confusion, meaning it mixes what God separated and deeply corrupts a person. These commands show that God cares about purity, faithfulness in marriage, and respect for the order He built into creation.

Question 6

What does “if a man do, he shall live in them” mean here?

Accepted Answer

When God says, “if a man do, he shall live in them,” He is speaking about His statutes and judgments. In the setting of Israel, this meant that if they kept His laws, they would enjoy life and blessing in the land, rather than being cut off or driven out. Some readers also see a hint of deeper life beyond this world for those who truly walk with God. At the same time, the passage also shows that no one earns eternal life by perfect law‑keeping, since all fall short and need God’s mercy.

Question 7

Who is God speaking to, and what was happening when this was spoken?

Accepted Answer

God is speaking to Moses, telling him to pass these words on to the people of Israel. They had come out of Egypt, where they had lived among people who practiced these sins, and they were on their way to Canaan, where the same sins were common. God is warning them not to copy either place. He is shaping them as His own people, different from the nations around them. These laws are given before they fully settle in the land, so they will know how to live when they get there.

Question 8

What does this passage teach about God’s character?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God is holy and cares deeply about how His people live. He repeatedly says, “I am the Lord your God,” which reminds them that He has the right to command them and that they belong to Him. He is not uncaring or distant. He guards the weak in families by forbidding abuse and twisted relationships. He hates idols that destroy people, like Molech. He also warns of judgment, showing that sin has real consequences. At the same time, His laws are meant for life and good, not for harm.

Question 9

How can believers today think about these commands on sexuality and idolatry?

Accepted Answer

Believers today can see in these commands how seriously God treats sexual purity and the worship of the true God. Not every detail of Israel’s law carries over in the same way, but the moral heart of this passage still speaks. God still calls His people to honour marriage, avoid sexual sin, and turn away from any form of idol worship. The list of forbidden acts shows how far people can stray when they follow their own desires or the customs around them, and it calls believers to live set apart for God.

Leviticus 18:1

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

Unlawful Sexual Relations

Unlawful Sexual Relations

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Leviticus 18:1

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

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Unlawful Sexual Relations

Unlawful Sexual Relations

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