What other Scriptures reinforce the principles found in Leviticus 18:19? Setting the Scene Leviticus 18:19 lays down a clear boundary: “You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual impurity.” The verse highlights two core themes—sexual holiness and reverence for blood. Scripture repeatedly affirms these same themes elsewhere. Direct Parallels in the Law • Leviticus 20:18—“If a man lies with a menstruating woman and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed her flow and she has uncovered the source of her flow. Both of them must be cut off from their people.” • Leviticus 15:19, 24—“When a woman has a discharge and it consists of blood from her body, she shall be unclean for seven days… If any man lies with her and her impurity transfers to him, he will be unclean for seven days.” • Ezekiel 18:6—“He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her period.” • Ezekiel 22:10—“In you they violate women during their periods of impurity.” Why Blood Matters • Leviticus 17:11—“For the life of the flesh is in the blood… it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” • Genesis 9:4—“But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.” • Acts 15:20—Gentile believers are told “to abstain from … sexual immorality … and from blood.” These passages show that blood is sacred in God’s economy, whether in sacrifice, diet, or sexual conduct. Broader Call to Sexual Purity While the menstruation law is specific, the principle of guarding sexual holiness stretches across Scripture: • 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4—“For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must learn to control his own body in holiness and honor.” • 1 Corinthians 6:18-20—“Flee from sexual immorality… your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit… you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.” • Hebrews 13:4—“Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” Putting It All Together Leviticus 18:19 is not an isolated rule; it rests on God’s broader design that: • Blood symbolizes life and atonement, and so is treated with reverence. • Sexual intimacy is confined to the boundaries God sets, ensuring purity and honoring the marriage covenant. • Holiness encompasses both outward actions and inward respect for God’s sacred patterns. By embracing these interconnected passages, we see that Scripture consistently calls God’s people to treat both sexuality and blood with the utmost honor, reflecting His holiness in everyday life. |
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