Book Of Leviticus #14

It is not enough to know the law; one must live by it.

But what does it mean to "live by the law?"

Chapter 20 of the Book of Leviticus presented pious Israelite with a mode of living acceptable to God. Recall that the thrust of the Levitical law is to make the presence of the Israelite (and by extension any other human being) tolerable before God. The sacrificial system was instituted by the Lord to help his chosen people learn who He is and who they are. In that same vein, Chapter 20 continues the study we began in Chapter 18 by providing specific penalties, often of a capital nature to each offense that was mentioned in Chapter 18.

God's intent for us is to reach Heaven. But he wishes to make it amply clear that the road to Heaven is the Cross in complete fidelity to his Son and to the Church His Son established. This lesson is already inscribed in Chapter 20 of the Book of Leviticus and the warnings and admonitions this chapter contains are very much applicable to our own day and age.