Leviticus 20:12 "If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be put to death..."

If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be put to death; they have committed incest; their blood is upon them. (Leviticus 20:12)

Comment:

On its surface, the passage means just what it says. Most of Leviticus and all of Chapter 20 represent an attempt by a small, primitive nomadic tribe to maintain their identity and separate themselves from the other peoples in the land. Maintaining what they considered to be an orthodox sexuality was a part of that attempt. In particular, the people were warned against the practice of temple prostitution involving both males and females. They were also concerned with preventing any sexual relationships that might lead to dissension and vengeance within the tribe. Thus, although in this case the two parties are not blood relatives, the ban made sense in terms of their priorities.

Metaphysically the Bible is a record of spiritual progression. It describes our own inner journey as we move forward in understanding, until we reach the point at which we are ready to hear the truth Jesus came to share: we are all One with the Power of God through the Christ Presence that he demonstrated through himself and calls us to express through ourselves. To stay stuck in old superstitions, fears and limitations is to miss the point of Scripture, the message of Jesus, and the purpose of our own human experiences. Jesus was constantly calling his followers to release themselves from fear-based understandings of the law and step up in consciousness to a higher understanding. “You have heard it said ...” he acknowledges frequently in the Sermon on the Mount, “but I say to you....” In every case the progression is from a literal understanding to a new awareness centered in love.

We understand this, of course, when it comes to all the many other rules and regulations included in the early books of Hebrew Scripture. We know longer assume we have the right to sell our daughters into slavery, even though we’re told we do (Ex. 21:7). We don’t consider it a sin to eat shellfish (Lev. 11:10). We no longer believe that God supports the idea of slavery, although it’s specifically approved at Leviticus 25:44. We no longer judge people for sowing two crops in one field, or wearing clothing made of two different fabrics (Lev. 19:19). In all these cases and many more we realize that we have grown beyond the limited understanding of a primitive desert tribe. While the law continues to be a useful guideline in many respects, we certainly don’t see death as an appropriate punishment for presumed “offenses” which are really a matter between God and the individuals involved.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed