In this video listen to Leviticus 20 read by David Alley, followed by comments and prayer.

In Leviticus 20 we read many similar things as in chapter 18 but now in more detail, especially with punishment. The death penalty is ascribed for so many of these things. For some of these, such as sacrificing one’s children to the demon Molech, it makes more sense, but for others, our modern minds have washed away the seriousness of the sin.

Why are the punishments so severe?

One key reason is that God wanted to reinforce to the Israelites in advance, how bad these things were before they were confronted by them in Canaan. Parents do this with their own children today on occasion when they are going into a situation unfamiliar.

For example child sacrifice was not really an Etyptian thing, but a Canaanite thing. The Is ...