- Leviticus 18:1-28- Galatians 5:19-26- 1 Corinthians 7:1-3, 8-9, 25-281.The reference point is Egypt/Canaan/Molek – pagan worship that incorporated sexual practices into worship“the second major difference between chapters 18 & 20 concerns their characterizations of pagan religions. Chapter 18 speak out against the way the Canaanites and Egyptians. Chapter 20 opens with a major statement against the cult of Molech. The introductory statement is followed in verse 6 by a prohibition against necromancy (religious communication with the dead). The chapters’ distinctive perspectives must surely reflect their different historical backgrounds. What is common to both chapters is the assumed connection between pagan worship and sexual degeneracy – both are regarded as causes of exile.” –Jewish Publication Society Torah Commentary2.Why didn’t it just say – “Men, just have sex with your wives”? Because it seems the Bible was leaving room for men to have sex with other women, taking other women as their wives – just not family members (incest). Incest is what is being forbidden here. a.But the New Testament does say that. Shows an evolution of sorts…3.We pull out the verses on homosexuality here – I’m not going to deal with that today because that’s not what Lev 18 is about – and you see here, it comes after the talking about child sacrifice/religious worship of Molek – to me, seems to be directly connected to religious worship of Molek – again, not what we see today when we talk about the LGBTQ community. 4.Adulatory is not defined here as “sex with anyone other than your wife.” Adultery is defined as “sex with a married person.” 5.Prohibits having sexual relationship during and 7 days after the monthly menstrual cycle. (funny how we don’t pull that one out as a prohibited). 6.So what’s the point of this text?- 23% of college aged women and 5% of college age men report being sexual assaulted during their time in college. - Studies show that 10-15% of women have reported being rapped or there being an attempted rape upon them in their lifetime.- 65% of men look at porn at least once a month. Actually as much as, or more than non-Christian men. - 30% look at porn daily. - 20% of women look at porn once a month.

- Leviticus 18:1-28- Galatians 5:19-26- 1 Corinthians 7:1-3, 8-9, 25-281.The reference point is Egypt/Canaan/Molek – pagan worship that incorporated sexual practices into worship“the second major difference between chapters 18 & 20 concerns their characterizations of pagan religions. Chapter 18 speak out against the way the Canaanites and Egyptians. Chapter 20 opens with a major statement against the cult of Molech. The introductory statement is followed in verse 6 by a prohibition against necromancy (religious communication with the dead). The chapters’ distinctive perspectives must surely reflect their different historical backgrounds. What is common to both chapters is the assumed connection between pagan worship and sexual degeneracy – both are regarded as causes of exile.” –Jewish Publication Society Torah Commentary2.Why didn’t it just say – “Men, just have sex with your wives”? Because it seems the Bible was leaving room for men to have sex with other women, taking other women as their wives – just not family members (incest). Incest is what is being forbidden here. a.But the New Testament does say that. Shows an evolution of sorts…3.We pull out the verses on homosexuality here – I’m not going to deal with that today because that’s not what Lev 18 is about – and you see here, it comes after the talking about child sacrifice/religious worship of Molek – to me, seems to be directly connected to religious worship of Molek – again, not what we see today when we talk about the LGBTQ community. 4.Adulatory is not defined here as “sex with anyone other than your wife.” Adultery is defined as “sex with a married person.” 5.Prohibits having sexual relationship during and 7 days after the monthly menstrual cycle. (funny how we don’t pull that one out as a prohibited). 6.So what’s the point of this text?- 23% of college aged women and 5% of college age men report being sexual assaulted during their time in college. - Studies show that 10-15% of women have reported being rapped or there being an attempted rape upon them in their lifetime.- 65% of men look at porn at least once a month. Actually as much as, or more than non-Christian men. - 30% look at porn daily. - 20% of women look at porn once a month.

- Leviticus 18:1-28- Galatians 5:19-26- 1 Corinthians 7:1-3, 8-9, 25-281.The reference point is Egypt/Canaan/Molek – pagan worship that incorporated sexual practices into worship“the second major difference between chapters 18 & 20 concerns their characterizations of pagan religions. Chapter 18 speak out against the way the Canaanites and Egyptians. Chapter 20 opens with a major statement against the cult of Molech. The introductory statement is followed in verse 6 by a prohibition against necromancy (religious communication with the dead). The chapters’ distinctive perspectives must surely reflect their different historical backgrounds. What is common to both chapters is the assumed connection between pagan worship and sexual degeneracy – both are regarded as causes of exile.” –Jewish Publication Society Torah Commentary2.Why didn’t it just say – “Men, just have sex with your wives”? Because it seems the Bible was leaving room for men to have sex with other women, taking other women as their wives – just not family members (incest). Incest is what is being forbidden here. a.But the New Testament does say that. Shows an evolution of sorts…3.We pull out the verses on homosexuality here – I’m not going to deal with that today because that’s not what Lev 18 is about – and you see here, it comes after the talking about child sacrifice/religious worship of Molek – to me, seems to be directly connected to religious worship of Molek – again, not what we see today when we talk about the LGBTQ community. 4.Adulatory is not defined here as “sex with anyone other than your wife.” Adultery is defined as “sex with a married person.” 5.Prohibits having sexual relationship during and 7 days after the monthly menstrual cycle. (funny how we don’t pull that one out as a prohibited). 6.So what’s the point of this text?- 23% of college aged women and 5% of college age men report being sexual assaulted during their time in college. - Studies show that 10-15% of women have reported being rapped or there being an attempted rape upon them in their lifetime.- 65% of men look at porn at least once a month. Actually as much as, or more than non-Christian men. - 30% look at porn daily. - 20% of women look at porn once a month.

- Leviticus 18:1-28- Galatians 5:19-26- 1 Corinthians 7:1-3, 8-9, 25-281.The reference point is Egypt/Canaan/Molek – pagan worship that incorporated sexual practices into worship“the second major difference between chapters 18 & 20 concerns their characterizations of pagan religions. Chapter 18 speak out against the way the Canaanites and Egyptians. Chapter 20 opens with a major statement against the cult of Molech. The introductory statement is followed in verse 6 by a prohibition against necromancy (religious communication with the dead). The chapters’ distinctive perspectives must surely reflect their different historical backgrounds. What is common to both chapters is the assumed connection between pagan worship and sexual degeneracy – both are regarded as causes of exile.” –Jewish Publication Society Torah Commentary2.Why didn’t it just say – “Men, just have sex with your wives”? Because it seems the Bible was leaving room for men to have sex with other women, taking other women as their wives – just not family members (incest). Incest is what is being forbidden here. a.But the New Testament does say that. Shows an evolution of sorts…3.We pull out the verses on homosexuality here – I’m not going to deal with that today because that’s not what Lev 18 is about – and you see here, it comes after the talking about child sacrifice/religious worship of Molek – to me, seems to be directly connected to religious worship of Molek – again, not what we see today when we talk about the LGBTQ community. 4.Adulatory is not defined here as “sex with anyone other than your wife.” Adultery is defined as “sex with a married person.” 5.Prohibits having sexual relationship during and 7 days after the monthly menstrual cycle. (funny how we don’t pull that one out as a prohibited). 6.So what’s the point of this text?- 23% of college aged women and 5% of college age men report being sexual assaulted during their time in college. - Studies show that 10-15% of women have reported being rapped or there being an attempted rape upon them in their lifetime.- 65% of men look at porn at least once a month. Actually as much as, or more than non-Christian men. - 30% look at porn daily. - 20% of women look at porn once a month.

Leviticus 1:1Priest is:A protest against the thinness of societyA priest dares to speak of another realmA priest reminds us that there is a deep mystery and duplicity in the worldA priest keeps faith as difficult as it should beA priest pushes us to something larger than ourselvesA priest compels us to not make faith trivialA priest pushes us to tackle huge issues - issues for which we’d fail miserably if not for GodA priest keep ministry and life supernaturalA priest reminds us that church is more than simply a voluntary organization, but it is the very space where we meet with God in a mysterious and unusual wayLeviticus 8:8-13Exodus 19:4-6The word kohanim, “priests,” may mean “princes” or “leaders”. Or it may mean “servants”. But this is precisely the point. The Israelites were called on to be a nation of servant-leaders. They were the people called on, by virtue of the covenant, to accept responsibility not only for themselves and their families, but for the moral-spiritual state of the nation as a whole. This is the principle that later became know as kil Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, “All Israelites are responsible for one another." Jews were the people who did not leave leadership to a single individual, however holy or exalted, or to an elite. Instead, every one of them was expected to be both a prince and a servant; that is to say, every one of them was called on to be a leader. Never was leadership more profoundly democratized.–Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Lessons in Leadership1 Peter 2:9-10Numbers 18:1-7.19Matthew 5:13-16

Leviticus 1:1Priest is:A protest against the thinness of societyA priest dares to speak of another realmA priest reminds us that there is a deep mystery and duplicity in the worldA priest keeps faith as difficult as it should beA priest pushes us to something larger than ourselvesA priest compels us to not make faith trivialA priest pushes us to tackle huge issues - issues for which we’d fail miserably if not for GodA priest keep ministry and life supernaturalA priest reminds us that church is more than simply a voluntary organization, but it is the very space where we meet with God in a mysterious and unusual wayLeviticus 8:8-13Exodus 19:4-6The word kohanim, “priests,” may mean “princes” or “leaders”. Or it may mean “servants”. But this is precisely the point. The Israelites were called on to be a nation of servant-leaders. They were the people called on, by virtue of the covenant, to accept responsibility not only for themselves and their families, but for the moral-spiritual state of the nation as a whole. This is the principle that later became know as kil Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, “All Israelites are responsible for one another." Jews were the people who did not leave leadership to a single individual, however holy or exalted, or to an elite. Instead, every one of them was expected to be both a prince and a servant; that is to say, every one of them was called on to be a leader. Never was leadership more profoundly democratized.–Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Lessons in Leadership1 Peter 2:9-10Numbers 18:1-7.19Matthew 5:13-16

Leviticus 1:1Priest is:A protest against the thinness of societyA priest dares to speak of another realmA priest reminds us that there is a deep mystery and duplicity in the worldA priest keeps faith as difficult as it should beA priest pushes us to something larger than ourselvesA priest compels us to not make faith trivialA priest pushes us to tackle huge issues - issues for which we’d fail miserably if not for GodA priest keep ministry and life supernaturalA priest reminds us that church is more than simply a voluntary organization, but it is the very space where we meet with God in a mysterious and unusual wayLeviticus 8:8-13Exodus 19:4-6The word kohanim, “priests,” may mean “princes” or “leaders”. Or it may mean “servants”. But this is precisely the point. The Israelites were called on to be a nation of servant-leaders. They were the people called on, by virtue of the covenant, to accept responsibility not only for themselves and their families, but for the moral-spiritual state of the nation as a whole. This is the principle that later became know as kil Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, “All Israelites are responsible for one another." Jews were the people who did not leave leadership to a single individual, however holy or exalted, or to an elite. Instead, every one of them was expected to be both a prince and a servant; that is to say, every one of them was called on to be a leader. Never was leadership more profoundly democratized.–Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Lessons in Leadership1 Peter 2:9-10Numbers 18:1-7.19Matthew 5:13-16

Leviticus 1:1Priest is:A protest against the thinness of societyA priest dares to speak of another realmA priest reminds us that there is a deep mystery and duplicity in the worldA priest keeps faith as difficult as it should beA priest pushes us to something larger than ourselvesA priest compels us to not make faith trivialA priest pushes us to tackle huge issues - issues for which we’d fail miserably if not for GodA priest keep ministry and life supernaturalA priest reminds us that church is more than simply a voluntary organization, but it is the very space where we meet with God in a mysterious and unusual wayLeviticus 8:8-13Exodus 19:4-6The word kohanim, “priests,” may mean “princes” or “leaders”. Or it may mean “servants”. But this is precisely the point. The Israelites were called on to be a nation of servant-leaders. They were the people called on, by virtue of the covenant, to accept responsibility not only for themselves and their families, but for the moral-spiritual state of the nation as a whole. This is the principle that later became know as kil Yisrael arevim zeh bazeh, “All Israelites are responsible for one another." Jews were the people who did not leave leadership to a single individual, however holy or exalted, or to an elite. Instead, every one of them was expected to be both a prince and a servant; that is to say, every one of them was called on to be a leader. Never was leadership more profoundly democratized.–Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Lessons in Leadership1 Peter 2:9-10Numbers 18:1-7.19Matthew 5:13-16

•Leviticus 23:3•“The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day on which we are called to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world.He who wants to enter the holiness of the day must first lay down the profanity of clattering commerce, of being yoked to toil. They must go away from the screech of dissonant days, from the nervousness and fury of acquisitiveness and the betrayal in embezzling their own life. They must say farewell to manual work and learn to understand that the world has already been created and will survive without the help of humans. Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul. The world has our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else. Six days a week we seek to dominate the world, on the seventh day we try to dominate the self.” –Abraham Joshua Heschel, “Sabbath”•Sabbath is mentioned about 120 times in the Bible. That’s a lot. That would make it one of the most mentioned issues in all of Scripture. The word Salvation is only stated 112 times. •Exodus 20:1-17•“At the heart of the original sin is the refusal to accept God’s rhythm for us. The essence of being in God’s image is our ability, like God, to stop. We imitate God by stopping our work and resting. If we can stop for one day a week we touch something deep within us as image bearers of God. Our human brain, our bodies, our spirits, and our emotions become wired by God for the rhythm of work and rest in God. The Sabbath serve as ropes so we might live in a rhythmic and joyful way even in the midst of blizzards [or hurricanes]” –Peter Scazzero•Sabbath forces us to embrace our limits:1. To stop - you are not a machine. If you don’t stop you’ll lose hold of your rope, of God, of the image within you - and you’ll be thrown about by the hurricane of life2. Rest - take a nap. Like a “snow day.” Can’t go out, just have to rest.3. Delight - do what you love! Do what brings you life! Enjoy creation, enjoy each other, eat good food and enjoy it (even if it has sugar in it), play a game, take a walk, have a picnic, take pictures, watch a movie, slow down and pay attention to the beauty of life.4. Contemplate- keeping God at the center of modern life may be on of the most difficult endeavors before us. Pray. Read a psalm together. Pray together. Reflect on the goodness of God in your life. Count your blessings. Stopping to breathe the air of eternity.5. Resets our rhythms. We are living in God’s world. God’s time. God’s beauty. God’s creation. We can’t move Sabbath, get around it. It’s a wall. We with the holiness of time, the importance of life, the centrality of God every 7th day.•“As I seek to fulfill my priestly function I look at my life, I look at the physical universe that surrounds me, I look at Nature, I look into the human predicament of every person that I meet. And I cannot find something that is unblemished. The closer I look, the more imperfections I find. Everything and everyone is in process. We are all searching for balance in a world that is in flux. We are all flawed; our physical bodies are slowly or quickly decaying. This is the paradox of life. I and everything that I offer is likewise flawed, marked with the limitations of my particular perspective and prejudice. And yet, the truth of perfection permeates the atmosphere of my life, like a tantalizing fragrance.” –Rabbi Gold

•Leviticus 23:3•“The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day on which we are called to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world.He who wants to enter the holiness of the day must first lay down the profanity of clattering commerce, of being yoked to toil. They must go away from the screech of dissonant days, from the nervousness and fury of acquisitiveness and the betrayal in embezzling their own life. They must say farewell to manual work and learn to understand that the world has already been created and will survive without the help of humans. Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul. The world has our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else. Six days a week we seek to dominate the world, on the seventh day we try to dominate the self.” –Abraham Joshua Heschel, “Sabbath”•Sabbath is mentioned about 120 times in the Bible. That’s a lot. That would make it one of the most mentioned issues in all of Scripture. The word Salvation is only stated 112 times. •Exodus 20:1-17•“At the heart of the original sin is the refusal to accept God’s rhythm for us. The essence of being in God’s image is our ability, like God, to stop. We imitate God by stopping our work and resting. If we can stop for one day a week we touch something deep within us as image bearers of God. Our human brain, our bodies, our spirits, and our emotions become wired by God for the rhythm of work and rest in God. The Sabbath serve as ropes so we might live in a rhythmic and joyful way even in the midst of blizzards [or hurricanes]” –Peter Scazzero•Sabbath forces us to embrace our limits:1. To stop - you are not a machine. If you don’t stop you’ll lose hold of your rope, of God, of the image within you - and you’ll be thrown about by the hurricane of life2. Rest - take a nap. Like a “snow day.” Can’t go out, just have to rest.3. Delight - do what you love! Do what brings you life! Enjoy creation, enjoy each other, eat good food and enjoy it (even if it has sugar in it), play a game, take a walk, have a picnic, take pictures, watch a movie, slow down and pay attention to the beauty of life.4. Contemplate- keeping God at the center of modern life may be on of the most difficult endeavors before us. Pray. Read a psalm together. Pray together. Reflect on the goodness of God in your life. Count your blessings. Stopping to breathe the air of eternity.5. Resets our rhythms. We are living in God’s world. God’s time. God’s beauty. God’s creation. We can’t move Sabbath, get around it. It’s a wall. We with the holiness of time, the importance of life, the centrality of God every 7th day.•“As I seek to fulfill my priestly function I look at my life, I look at the physical universe that surrounds me, I look at Nature, I look into the human predicament of every person that I meet. And I cannot find something that is unblemished. The closer I look, the more imperfections I find. Everything and everyone is in process. We are all searching for balance in a world that is in flux. We are all flawed; our physical bodies are slowly or quickly decaying. This is the paradox of life. I and everything that I offer is likewise flawed, marked with the limitations of my particular perspective and prejudice. And yet, the truth of perfection permeates the atmosphere of my life, like a tantalizing fragrance.” –Rabbi Gold