The Old Testament and Homosexuality-Old Testament Teachings on Homosexuality

PART 2 - Page 7 of 34
Old Testament Teachings Regarding Male-on-Male Sex
The Leviticus and Deuteronomy Holiness Codes
What Does Abomination Mean?
If one of the laws Of The Holiness Code applies today, then they all would have to be observed, Correct?

The Holiness Codes and Their Purposes
The only time that same-sex sexual behavior is mentioned in the Old Testament is in the Leviticus and Deuteronomy Holiness Codes. And I believe that God put The Holiness Code and the long list of Jewish purity laws in place for the following 3 purposes:

1) To separate the Jewish people in God’s eyes from their idol worshiping neighbors. The Canaanites and Moabites worshiped images of created things rather than God himself and God abhorred this practice. Leviticus 18:3-4 (NLT) reads:

So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God.

And part of these neighboring countries' way of life was the practice of male-on-male anal intercourse by male temple prostitutes. This was part of the religious sexual rituals or fertility rites of the pagan religions in the Canaanite and Moabite nations that surrounded the Jews in their new home after fleeing Egypt.

2) To require that the people of Israel be ceremonially clean or ritually pure.

3) And as a side benefit for His people, to make sure that they practiced better hygiene than their neighbors.

Examples of prohibited conduct under the Holiness Codes
Leviticus 20:13 (New King James Version) reads "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them."

Other commandments in Leviticus include: do not eat meat with blood in it, do not to wear garments made of two kinds of yarn, do not to plant fields with two kinds of seed, and do not be tattooed, as well as specific instructions on a whole list of sexual matters. These forbidden sexual issues in Leviticus 18 and 20 include bestiality (sexual intercourse with animals), incest (sexual intercourse between close relatives), the above mentioned male homosexual acts, adultery, and sexual intercourse with a woman during her menstrual period. (1) Also prohibited is cursing one's parents, eating rabbit and sea animals without fins or scales like shrimp or lobsters, acting as a fortune teller or medium and doing a host of other things.

What Does Abomination Mean?
And when any Israelite committed one of these abominations, the penalty was death. But when the term abomination is used in the Hebrew Bible it is always used to address a ritual impurity or wrong. It is never used to refer to something that is innately immoral. Eating pork was not innately immoral for a Jew, but it was an abomination because it was a violation of a ritual requirement (Pigs were considered unclean [Lev. 20:25 and 26 largely defines an abomination as another word for unclean] or impure because as a land animal they did not meet the requirement of being able to chew the cud). Now returning to the issue of homosexuality, remember that there is no ability to procreate when homosexual behavior is permitted. So it was a violation of a cultural norm (and therefore impure). Onan committed an abomination in Genesis 38:8-10 where he is sentenced to death because he ejaculates out of the woman's body so that his partner doesn't get pregnant. As the King James Version says [paraphrasing], "Onan spills his seed on the ground and God strikes him dead." It was ritually impure, an abomination. (2)

If one of the laws Of The Holiness Code applies today, then they all would have to be observed, Correct?
So this argument in Leviticus regarding homosexual sexual acts is religious, not ethical or moral. That is to say, no thought is given to whether the sex in itself is right or wrong. In other words it is a religious taboo, and not something unethical or wrong in itself in ancient Israel. The intent is to keep Jewish identity strong. The concern is purity. (3)

Also there are three other problems when you try to apply any Old Testament scripture to the issue of modern day homosexuality. First of all, as a Christian I believe that Christ’s death and resurrection set aside all of these laws of the Old Testament (Galatians 2:15-16) and ushered in a new way of living based on only the two love commandments that Jesus gave us in Matthew 22:37-40. And secondly, we have to ask again, what does all this have to do with two people of the same sex living in a committed, monogamous, loving relationship with the blessing of God in today’s world? And lastly, nobody believes that God meant for all these laws to apply to today's world - [see the letter to Dr. Laura below]. Because it stands to reason that if one of these laws should be applied, then they all would have to be observed, correct? For example, if all the kids in the world were put to death for cursing their parents at one time or another in the heat of an argument, wouldn't civilization as we know it and the people in it cease to exist in short order, ha-ha?

The Boring Stuff - A Hebrew Word Study
According to Daniel A. Helminiak, Ph.D., in his book What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality, the very Hebrew term used in Leviticus conveys the meaning as just explained above. "Abomination" is a translation of the word toevah. This term could also be translated "uncleanness" or "impurity" or "dirtiness." "Taboo," what is culturally or ritually forbidden, would be another good translation.

The significance of the term toevah becomes clear when you realize that another Hebrew term zimah could have been used - if that was what the authors intended. Zimah means, not what is objectionable for religious or cultural reasons, but what is wrong in itself. It means an injustice, a sin.

Clearly, then, Leviticus does not say that for man to lie with man is a sin. Leviticus says it is a ritual violation, an uncleanness; it is something "dirty". (4)

"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (NASB)

The Silliness of Applying Old Testament Rules to the Modern Day World

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a US radio personality who dispenses advise to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned in any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by a US resident, which was posted on the internet. :-)

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When some tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the alter as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbors claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a women while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchases from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the alter of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made by two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev. 24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you for reminding us that God's work is eternal and unchanging. Your devoted disciple and adoring fan. This letter to Dr. Laura may or may not have actually been sent to her, but in any case it is best read as an essay offering a counter to the "homosexuality is wrong because the Bible says so" argument. Click here to read the interesting biography of Dr. Laura Schlessinger and the history and origins of this letter/e-mail at snopes.com.