Biblical Principles for Sexual Conduct • ~10 min read
Welcome, dear friends, to our study on God's beautiful design for sexuality. As we open God's Word today, we're going to delve into the Old Testament to understand the clear principles and prohibitions God laid out for His people regarding sexual conduct. God's desire has always been for His children to live in purity and holiness, reflecting His own character. The Old Testament provides a foundational understanding of what God considers acceptable and what He calls an "abomination" – something utterly detestable to Him, contrary to His loving and holy design for humanity.
Let's open our Bibles and seek to understand these important truths.
From the very beginning, God called His people, Israel, to be a holy nation, set apart from the surrounding cultures and their practices. This call to holiness extended to every area of life, including their sexual conduct. The book of Leviticus, in particular, outlines many of these commands, emphasizing the purity required of those who would represent the Holy God.
“Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.”
Leviticus 19:2
This overarching command to be holy forms the backdrop for understanding the specific prohibitions we will examine. God's standards are not arbitrary; they flow from His very nature and His perfect design for human flourishing.
In Leviticus, God explicitly addresses various sexual acts that are contrary to His design. He uses the strong term "abomination" to describe practices that are deeply offensive to Him and destructive to human relationships and society. One such prohibition directly addresses homosexual acts.
“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”
Leviticus 18:22
This verse clearly states that sexual relations between men are an "abomination." The term "abomination" (Hebrew: to'evah) signifies something utterly repugnant and morally detestable, particularly in the context of religious and ethical purity. It's used to describe practices that violate God's fundamental order and character.
The severity of this command is further underscored in Leviticus chapter 20, where specific penalties are outlined for various sexual sins, including this one.
“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
Leviticus 20:13
These passages reveal that, in the Old Testament, homosexual acts were considered a serious offense against God's created order and His moral law. God's original design for sexual union, established in Eden, was between a man and a woman within the covenant of marriage (Genesis 2:24). Any deviation from this pattern was seen as a distortion of His creative intent.
It's important to remember that these laws were given to Israel as part of their covenant with God, setting them apart from the idolatrous and immoral practices of the nations around them. For example, God warned them against adopting the ways of Egypt and Canaan:
“After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.”
Leviticus 18:3
The Old Testament also strongly condemns prostitution, particularly when it was linked to pagan worship. God desired a pure worship from His people and would not tolerate practices that defiled both the worshiper and the sanctuary.
“There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.”
Deuteronomy 23:17
Here, a "whore" refers to a female prostitute, and a "sodomite" (Hebrew: qadesh) refers to a male cult prostitute. These were individuals who engaged in sexual acts, often in the context of idolatrous worship, believing it would bring fertility or favor from false gods. God absolutely forbade such practices among His people, as they were a direct affront to His holiness and an adoption of pagan immorality.
The severity of this prohibition is further emphasized by the command regarding the earnings from such practices:
“Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”
Deuteronomy 23:18
The "price of a dog" here is often understood to refer to the earnings of a male cult prostitute, or it could be a general term for something unclean and despicable. The point is clear: any money earned through such immoral means was considered defiled and utterly unacceptable for use in the worship of the holy God. This demonstrates God's profound rejection of all forms of sexual immorality, especially when intertwined with religious practices.
Throughout the Old Testament, true worship was to be pure and undefiled. The presence of cultic prostitution, whether female or male, was a sign of deep spiritual apostasy and was repeatedly condemned by God's prophets and righteous kings.
“And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.”
1 Kings 14:24
“And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.”
1 Kings 15:12
These verses show that righteous leaders actively worked to eradicate such practices from Israel, underscoring God's consistent standard.
Beyond these specific prohibitions, the Old Testament consistently upheld the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman and condemned all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, incest, and bestiality. The Ten Commandments themselves include the command, "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14), highlighting the importance of fidelity within marriage.
The story of Joseph is a powerful example of an individual in the Old Testament choosing sexual purity even in the face of intense temptation:
“There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
Genesis 39:9
Joseph understood that sexual sin was not merely against another person or societal norms, but fundamentally "against God." This deep understanding of God's holiness and His moral law guided his choices.
The Old Testament clearly and unequivocally establishes God's standards for sexual conduct. It prohibits various forms of sexual immorality, including homosexual acts and prostitution, particularly cultic prostitution, as abominations against His holy design. These prohibitions were given to a people called to be distinct and holy, reflecting the character of their God. They underscore God's desire for purity, righteousness, and adherence to His original creative intent for human sexuality within the bounds of a holy marriage between a man and a woman.
As believers today, we look to these foundational principles to understand God's unchanging character and His timeless call for His people to live in purity and holiness, honoring Him in our bodies.