Homosexuality: An Old Testament Perspective

Homosexuality. Few things are as controversial as this topic. Many believe there’s nothing wrong with it. Many believe it is wrong. I will be honest in my opinion on it. I do believe that homosexuality is wrong and will keep a person out of Heaven. “Now hang on,” you say. “What proof do you have for this? What makes you think it’s so wrong?” This blog on the topic is my attempt to explain my views on the subject and why I hold those views.

However, let me say that I hold the view of “love the sinner, hate the sin.” To go up to someone out of the blue and say, “You’re going to lose your salvation if you don’t change! Repent,” is not how I think it should be done. While I do agree with the essence of this statement, I don’t think it should be done in a condemning way. Jesus associated with many types of people. Many of whom were scorned by the society of His time on Earth. But He loved them and gave them every chance to change. Jesus loved the sinner and hated their sin. He still does.

Having said all this, this blog is written from a Biblical point of view. If you don’t hold the Bible as the sole scriptural authority, this probably won’t be very convincing to you. If you do, it might be convincing to you. It is my prayer that those who study the Bible on this topic (and any topic) will come to know what God desires of them and their behavior. I will be using mostly Biblical references both in scripture passages and the original languages behind them.

A lot of these verses that I’m using here are considered “clobber” verses. However, it is not my intention to clobber folks into obedience to God’s word. God doesn’t force people to obey Him and neither will I. I do feel, though, that it is the duty of every Christian to not shy away from what the Bible says on something simply because of a fear of people’s reactions. That’s why I started this blog. I feel called to write on Biblical topics. Now then, if you’re still with me, let’s dig in.

In Genesis 19 we find the story of angels visiting with Lot and his family. As you may recall, Lot was a relative of Abraham. At the time, Mr. and Mrs. Lot and their daughters lived in Sodom. God had told Abraham that He was going to destroy both Sodom and Gamorrah because of the amount of wickedness in both cities. Abraham prayed several questions to the affect of if 50 people, then less and less until he got down to 10 righteous people being in Sodom, that God would spare the city. God said yes but even 10 righteous people could not be found in Sodom.

When the angels got there, Lot insisted on inviting them in, even though they said they would stay in the town square. However, it says this in verse 4 of Genesis 19: “Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house.” Every man in the city surrounded the place. But that’s not the worst part. Here is verse 5 in a few different versions:

“They called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.’ ” NIV

“ ‘And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.’ ” KJV

“And they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.’ ” NKJV

The NKJV probably captures the original Hebrew best. The word here is יָדַע or yada`. The word itself can translate several ways. But in the sense of intimacy, it was one of the words used to have the meaning of knowing someone carnally. In other words, it was a word used for wanting to have sex with someone. Let’s put it together as the verse said. All the men of the city surrounded the city because they wanted to have sex with Lots visitors. Instead, the angels struck them with blindness.

“Hang on,” I hear someone say. “You’re saying angels. It was angels they wanted to have sex with. Not men.” However, they men of the city didn’t know this. Often times angels in the Old Testament appeared as men so sometimes even the visited didn’t know they were angels. Even the author of Hebrews said this in chapter 13:2, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” The men of the city didn’t know the visitors were angels. They thought they were other men and the townsmen wanted to engage in sexual behavior with them.

Lot tried to convince the townsmen otherwise. He even offered his virgin daughters to them as an alternative. He knew that the desires of these men were wrong. But they didn’t want to listen. They kept pressing forward yelling threats. The angels then pulled Lot back in and the men outside were then struck with blindness. Lot and family were given a warning by the angels in verse 12 and 13.

The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, ¹³ because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”NIV

So Lot and his family left and fled to another city. Then the angels carried out God’s command to destroy the city.

Here’s a couple passages in Leviticus.

Leviticus 18:22 says, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.”NIV

Leviticus 20:13 says, “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. “ NIV

The word here for sexual relations is the same in both verses. שָׁכַב or shakab. This word has a stronger meaning of sexual behavior. The passages are pretty straight forward. These were given to the Israelites shortly after the Exodus from Egypt. Israel had spent four centuries as slaves to the Egyptians. As such they needed to be reminded of several things. Don’t sleep with members of the same sex or face death and their blood will be on their own heads. In other words, it’s their own fault.

I know some folks reading this may be thinking that this is just referring to men. And even the Hebrew word here can mean man as in a male. אִישׁ or ‘iysh. However, it can also mean human kind, whosever, or even each. Here are a few examples with the corresponding words made to stand out:

Genesis 23:6 says, “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.” NIV

Genesis 38:2 says, “And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her.” NKJV

Exodus 12:22 says, “Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning.” NIV

Those are the major passages from the Old Testament that speak on the subject of homosexuality. Now enters the excuse that the Old Testament laws no longer matter; that they were nailed to the cross when Jesus died for us. Some might say that it’s just the ceremonial laws that don’t matter anymore. These were not from ceremonial laws. Nor are the Old Testament laws invalid. Jesus said in Matthew 5:18:

“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

The jot refers to the smallest Hebrew letter, “yod.” The word tittle refers to the smallest stroke of this letter. So Jesus said that not even the smallest piece of the smallest letter will ever disappear from the law. So these laws that God gave to the Israelites still stand. Not the ceremonial laws, mind you. But that’s another blog for another time.

In Judges 19:14-29 we find a story similar to that of Lot. A man, with his concubine and servant, were traveling trying to reach an Israelite city to spend the night in. They reached Gibeah and parked in the town square. An old man came in from work and asked them if they would spend the night with him instead of where they were. While they were in the old man’s house, some wicked men surrounded the house. They demanded that they be given the man who entered the house so that they could have sex with him.

However, the owner of the house pleaded with them not to do such an evil thing. He offered to them his daughter and the guest’s concubine. The men wouldn’t listen so he sent the concubine out anyway. They raped her all night and she was dead by morning. Now I’m not saying it was right for the men of the city to do what they did to the woman. In the next chapter we find out what happened to the men of Gibeah for their evilness; because rape is every bit as bad and evil as homosexuality.

So what is God’s plan for marriage? Let’s take a look at a few more Old Testament passages to find out.

Genesis 1:27, 28 says, So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 2:18-25 says, And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” ¹⁹ Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
²¹ And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. ²² Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
²³ And Adam said:
      “This is now bone of my bones
      And flesh of my flesh;
      She shall be called Woman,
      Because she was taken out of Man.”

²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
²⁵ And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

So we see here that God’s intention for marriage is one man with one woman. Not a man with a man or a woman with a woman. But even in the man and woman relationship there are principles we are to live by. But again, that’s another blog for another time.

This is what I believe about homosexuality from an Old Testament perspective. Stay tuned for a New Testament perspective on this subject. I know not everyone will agree with me. I know people will both vehemently disagree and agree to disagree with me. This is what I believe the Old Testament teaches on the subject and we will soon cover what the New Testament speaks about it. I pray you stay with me as we study this subject. And I pray you fall ever deeper in love with God, no matter what subject we study.