We have been looking at sexual love from the beginning. Our series started with Genesis 1, the creation of man and woman. Today, we look at what the Bible says about incest. This is a very sensitive subject, but it is mentioned in the Bible, and we should review the passages.
Our verse of the day comes from Leviticus 18:6-18.
“6 “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. 7 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife; it is your father’s nakedness. 9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home.
10 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son’s daughter or of your daughter’s daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. 11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought up in your father’s family, since she is your sister. 12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is your father’s relative. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is your mother’s relative.
14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. 15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness.
17 You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity. 18 And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.
Let’s dig in.
God’s word covers just about every family relationship in the passages above.
Recently I heard about a man who lives in New York. This man is trying to marry his daughter. He has asked a judge to declare the law unconstitutional. His name and appearance are anonymous.
I found the following details about the laws in New York regarding incest.
“Under New York law, incest is a third-degree felony and punishable by up to four years in prison. The parent who wants to marry their own child said they want to propose but is worried about causing emotional harm if they do it while the laws are intact. A similar incident was reported a few days ago.”
A similar incident?
You would be surprised but then again maybe not, to learn that there are similar situations in other parts of the country. Others have tried to marry their family members. Ons such man from Nebraska married his daughter. He is currently going through court proceedings trying to stay out of jail.
As I mentioned in our look at prostitution, some could argue that the passage from Leviticus is no longer valid because that was under the Old Covenant. We live under the New Covenant in the 21st Century, so incest, strip clubs, and brothels are acceptable today. They are no longer an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.
However, we can’t ignore the very last chapter in the last book of the Bible, Revelation 22, verse 15, where sexual immorality is among the other things listed as a warning. The sexually immoral are standing outside the gate of the city when Jesus returns.
Don’t shoot the messenger.
I am sharing what God’s word says about incest.
One has to ask this question – are there not enough people on this round ball to choose from? Do you have to pick from your own family? Surely they aren’t the only choice.
Jesus spoke the words in Revelation 22:12-16, where he offers both an invitation and a warning. If sexual immorality is acceptable to God in the 21st Century, then the warning in Revelation 22 is worthless.
Please consider this – what Jesus says is not worthless, and if it is in the Bible, we should pay attention and act accordingly.
Next time we’re together, we will look at what the Bible has to say about homosexuality.
Blessings.
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