What is the meaning of Leviticus 20:23? You must not follow the statutes - God’s command is direct: His people are to reject every law, ritual, and moral code that conflicts with His revealed will (Leviticus 18:3-5; Deuteronomy 18:9). - The Lord sets the standard; human culture never does (Psalm 19:7-8; Romans 12:2). - Obedience safeguards Israel from drifting into the same corruption that ruined other nations (Proverbs 4:14-15). of the nations I am driving out before you - Israel’s arrival in Canaan is not random but part of God’s judgment on entrenched wickedness (Genesis 15:16; Deuteronomy 9:4-5). - The phrase underscores both God’s sovereignty and His moral consistency: He disciplines all peoples without favoritism (Acts 10:34-35). - By witnessing the eviction of these nations, Israel receives a living illustration of the consequences of sin (1 Corinthians 10:6,11). Because they did all these things - “These things” refer to the specific sins detailed earlier in Leviticus 18 and 20—idolatry, sexual perversion, child sacrifice, sorcery (2 Kings 17:7-17). - Sin is not merely theoretical; it manifests in practices God explicitly condemns (Romans 1:24-32). - Past behavior of the Canaanites serves as a cautionary snapshot of where unchecked rebellion leads (Ephesians 5:6-7). I abhorred them - God’s holy nature recoils from persistent, unrepentant evil (Habakkuk 1:13; Psalm 5:4-6). - “Abhor” highlights relational rupture—sin makes fellowship impossible until repentance occurs (Isaiah 59:2; 1 John 1:6-7). - The term signals finality: divine patience has limits when societies harden themselves (Genesis 6:5-7; Revelation 2:21-23). summary Leviticus 20:23 is a sober reminder that God’s people must chart their lives by His statutes, not the surrounding culture. The Canaanites serve as an object lesson: persistent violation of God’s moral order brings inevitable judgment. Israel—and every believer today—must therefore reject corrupt patterns, embrace God’s revealed ways, and remember that the Lord who drove out wicked nations still calls His people to holiness. |
    |