Leviticus 18 is a chapter about holiness in ordinary life, especially in family relationships and sexual conduct. The questions below help a small group, a Sunday class or a personal reader work through what the chapter says, what it means and how it shapes daily faithfulness. They are arranged so a leader can move from observation to interpretation to application without preparing a separate summary.
Leviticus 18 at a Glance
The chapter opens with God speaking to Moses and reminding Israel that they are the Lord’s people, so they must not copy the practices of Egypt or Canaan. Verses 6 through 18 list family relationships that are off limits, and verses 19 through 23 add further prohibitions, including adultery, child sacrifice to Molech and certain same-sex and bestial acts. The chapter closes with a warning that the land itself reacts to such practices, and that God calls his people to keep his statutes.
The flow moves from a command to be distinct, through a detailed list, to a summary of consequences and a call to faithfulness. Pay attention to the repeated refrain “I am the LORD,” which frames each section as a matter of relationship with God, not merely a list of rules.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an interpretation. Ask group members to point to the exact words in the text, and resist the urge to explain until the observations are on the table.
Leviticus 18:1-5
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘I am the LORD your God. 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived: and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. 4 You shall do my ordinances, and you shall keep my statutes, and walk in them: I am the LORD your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am the LORD.
(WEB)
Read this opening passage first to set the frame of the whole chapter. It establishes that God’s people are called to live differently from the nations and that God’s statutes are meant for life.
Leviticus 18:6-7
6 “‘None of you shall approach any close relatives, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. 7 “‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, nor the nakedness of your mother: she is your mother. You shall not uncover her nakedness.
(WEB)
These verses introduce the detailed list of family relationships and the central command about nakedness. Reading them aloud helps the group hear the tone of the section and its focus on protecting the household.
Leviticus 18:20-21
20 “‘You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, and defile yourself with her. 21 “‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
(WEB)
Reading these verses reminds the group of the seriousness of adultery and the sacrifice of children to Molech. Pause after verse 21 to note the phrase “I am the LORD,” which ties the prohibition back to God’s name.
Leviticus 18:24-25
24 “‘Don’t defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled. 25 The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.
(WEB)
This passage explains that the land was defiled and the nations were removed. Reading it aloud sets up the discussion of consequences and why the chapter ties conduct to the health of a place and people.
Leviticus 18:26-28
26 You therefore shall keep my statutes and my ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations; neither the native-born, nor the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you; 27 (for the men of the land that were before you had done all these abominations, and the land became defiled); 28 that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.
(WEB)
These verses apply the earlier warning directly to Israel and include the people who live among them. Read them slowly so the group can hear the warning that Israel too could be vomited out of the land.
Memory Verse for Leviticus 18
Leviticus 18:5
You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am the LORD.
(WEB)
This verse sums up the chapter by pairing God’s statutes with life and ending with the reminder “I am the LORD.” It is a good verse for members to carry into the week as a reminder that God’s commands are rooted in his own faithfulness.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come before you knowing that you are the Lord who calls your people to holiness. Thank you that your commands are not arbitrary, but rooted in your own character and given for our good. Search our hearts in the areas of family, sexuality and daily faithfulness, and show us where we have strayed from your ways. Give us courage to live differently from the patterns around us, and compassion for those who struggle in these areas. Keep us in your statutes and make our lives a witness to your goodness. Amen.
