Sex and God

Leviticus 15 would cause anyone fits to see why it matters but it does in so many ways. It is about the bodily discharge of both males and females as well as sexual intercourse in relation to worship and faith.

We MUST understand the original context in which these laws are handed down. We must also understand the purpose of God in using these regulations to preserve for Himself an ancient people who are still around to this day.

First the strange laws:
Leviticus 15:1–2 (ESV) The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.

Leviticus 15:10 (ESV) And whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. And whoever carries such things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

Leviticus 15:16 (ESV) “If a man has an emission of semen, he shall bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until the evening.

Leviticus 15:18 (ESV) If a man lies with a woman and has an emission of semen, both of them shall bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening.

Leviticus 15:19–21 (ESV) “When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. 20 And everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean. Everything also on which she sits shall be unclean. 21 And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

These laws were given to a people living in the ancient world still working out the details of sexuality and religious practice. To this day, humans have never handled the two very well together. In the ancient world, it was a mess. 

To be noted is the human propensity to make sex an act of worship. Today we treat sex as if it's a gateway to eternal pleasure. Pop songs speak about sex taking us to heaven, making love all night long, finding sexual healing, etc... Things that in reality always prove to be completely false, yet we continually fall for this lie again and again. Sex is powerful and it affects us in a deeply spiritual way. But there must be direction for human sexuality to flourish. God is giving Israel His direction here. 

For one, these laws would have made it impossible for sex to have ANY part in Israel's religious practices. They were living in a time when cultic practices of other nations considered sex to be a sacred act and prostitution to be a spiritual business. Temples for sex were commonplace in the ancient world. Israel was to worship the ONE TRUE GOD in purity, not sexual immorality. 

Secondly, both men and women are treated equally here. In fact, it is the emission of semen during intercourse that accounts for the uncleanness of the couple. This would have upended the ancient contexts that repeatedly treated women as second class citizens. 

Third, God was guarding the weaker gender - women - from the abuse of the male sex drive. There was to be no intercourse with a man who had a genital disease (commentators believe verses 2-15 are dealing with gonorrhea) AND no intercourse with a menstruating woman or one with a continuous flow of blood. A woman's privacy had to be respected during these difficult times. She was not to be treated as an object of a man's passions. 

God was creating a people who represented His sacred respect for both genders. An Israelite woman would have been healthier and happier than her gentile counterparts. The strength of a nation depended upon this. And God knew it. 

So what does this mean for us? It means we must put sex in the proper place in our lives. We are not live like those around us. Sex can be wonderful, but it is not supernatural. Also to remember is that sex will not follow us to heaven. Sex is intended for males and females on Earth in mutual, respectful, covenantal (marriage) relationship. Making sex more than intended will always harm both our spirits and our bodies. Today's Christian should pursue purity in body because they understand the love God has for them, the respect He has for His creation, and His concern for their own well being. To disobey in these areas only hurts us.