SHELLFISH AND SEXUALITY
Another common argument heard in defense of
homosexuality is the equivocation between Moses’ prohibition of eating
shellfish and his prohibition of homosexuality in the book of Leviticus. The
argument usually goes something like this: “The Bible says homosexuality is an
abomination. But it also says that eating seafood without scales is an
abomination. If you can eat shrimp why can’t you accept homosexuality?” But are
these acts both abominations in the same sense? Are they equal?
There are two Levitical passages prohibiting homosexual acts.
The first is Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” The second
is Leviticus 20:13, “If a man lies with a male
as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall
surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” Chapter 20 deals with
unlawful acts that defile the land, such as child sacrifice to Molech,
consultation with sorcerers and mediums, and unlawful sexual relations. Chapter
18 deals specifically with the sexual abominations of the Canaanites which
Israel were not to follow. In chapter 18, many of the sexual sins are called
abominations while in chapter 20 only homosexuality is called an abomination.
This is the context of the prohibitions against such acts.
Earlier in Leviticus the Lord lays out the dietary code for
Israel. This occurs in chapter eleven. The verse we will focus on is 11:10
where the Lord says, “But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not
have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you.” Here, the
eating of seafood without fins and scales is called an abomination. By simply comparing the texts, eating shellfish and homosexuality are both
abominations to the Lord.
But not so fast. In English both verses have the word ‘abomination.’ But
that isn’t the case is the Hebrew text. In Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 the word
translated ‘abomination’ is hb'[eAT (pronounced To-ay-vah). An
abomination is something that doesn’t only defile the person participating in
the act, but it also defiles the land of Israel. This is why in Chapter 20
homosexual acts are in the context of child sacrifice and sorcery. Idolatry
among Israelites is also named as an abomination. The prescribed punishment for
actions is typically death.
But the dietary restrictions in chapter 11 are a different animal. In
Leviticus 11 the Lord says that certain animals are abominations to Israel so
they are not to eat them. The Hebrew word translated ‘abomination’ in these
passages is not hb'[eAT (to-ay-vah) but #q,v, (pronounced ‘she-ketz’). This is more accurately translated as “a
detestable thing.” A detestable thing does not defile the person as an
abomination does, nor is it punishable by death.
There is a theological difference between a detestable thing and an
abomination. The detestable thing makes one ritually impure. Being unclean is a
ritual punishment, meaning that the person is unable to enter the Tabernacle
and participate in the Divine Service. Being unclean lasts until the evening.
It is a temporal punishment for a ritual condition. #q,v, (‘she-ketz’)
is only used in chapter eleven the on dietary restrictions while hb'[eAT (‘to-ay-vah’) the Hebrew word for Abomination, never appears in that chapter. It is also
never used throughout Leviticus in an association with ritual impurity.
What does this mean? It means that the argument in
question is untenable. It’s simply not what the text says. Homosexuality is sin
which merits death while eating shellfish makes one ritually unclean which
makes one unable to worship until evening.
The reason for this is that Leviticus does not exist
independently from the rest of the Scriptures, especially the other books of
Moses. The Levitical laws in Chapter 18 and 20 are reinforcements of the
creation narrative in Genesis 1-2. In Leviticus 18 the legislation concerns who
is out of bounds for sexual relations. The chapter can be summarized as ‘no
intercourse with family, animals, or the same sex.’ Why? Because all the acts
listed in that chapter violate the institution of marriage in Genesis 1-2 especially
where God said, “male and female He created them,” (Gen 1:27) and “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they
shall become one flesh.” (Gen 2:24)
The same is true for chapter 20, which deals with sexual sins as well as
idolatry and sorcery, both first commandment issues of faith in the true God.
It is clear (at least in Hebrew) that eating fish without fins and scales is
not of the same caliber as intercourse with a member of the same sex. The
dietary restrictions were solely for the people of Israel, not for Gentiles and
these restrictions existed to teach Israel that “man does not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Deut 8:3) The
prohibitions about sexual relations are rooted in the creation,and thus apply to everyone since everyone has an innate recognition of
natural law (Romans 1-2).
In fact, that the laws about sexual relations are a part of natural law
makes all of this Leviticus discussion a moot point. Christ has fulfilled the
law of Moses. Christians are not bound to follow Moses unless he agrees with
natural law, as in the Ten Commandments. The Levitical law, the observance of
specific feast days, the Sabbath, and other sacrificial and ceremonial features
Christ fulfills entirely. All things were established as “shadows of things to
come, but the substance is Christ.” (Col 2:17) The Christian is not bound to
Levitical law. This is reiterated in Acts 10 when Christ tells Peter in vision concerning
unclean foods, “What God has
cleansed you must not call common (unclean).” Even Jewish Christians are free
from Moses.
We are not bound to Mosaic Law, but we are bound to the natural law, that
which is written on our hearts since the creation (Romans 2:15) and the Ten
Commandments. The Ten Commandments are really just a summation of natural law
into its simplest for). Natural law tells us that men are not to lie with a man
as they would a woman and human biology (as part of nature) teaches against it.
Man and man, woman and woman, are not sexually compatible. Those who ignore
this are simply suppressing the truth apparent to everyone.
Thus we see that this argument of equivocation is nothing. Shellfish and
sexuality are not the same. Besides, arguing from Leviticus amounts to nothing.
The only true use of Leviticus for the Christian is to teach us Christ and His
sacrifice upon Calvary, as our propitiation for sin and the thing which makes
us clean from our sinful impurity, even the sin and impurity of
homosexuality. May we always read it so,
and rejoice in Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away all the sin of the world.
