Leviticus 20:1–2: “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Again, you shall say to the children of Israel: “Whoever of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who gives any of his descendants to Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.”’”

January 3rd, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

In Leviticus 20, God sets out a list of capital offenses. Much of what we find on this list sounds extreme to our twenty-first-century ears. Few, if any, would be willing to insist on capital punishment for every offense listed here. We may insist along with Scripture that the life of a murderer is required, but we stop quickly at the law commanding a teenage son, who in a fit of anger curses his father, to also be put to death. Again, in our enlightened view, many may agree to apply capital punishment for someone who causes children to be sacrificed, but would struggle with other seemingly minor sins listed in this chapter. 
What we miss at first reading is the fact that God views every sin as a capital crime worthy of death.

In the New Testament it becomes quite clear that sin requires death as Paul writes in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is the bad news and the good news (the gospel) together in one sweeping sentence. There is one and only one payment for sin, and according to God’s law that payment is death; which is the natural result of a Holy God, who is absolutely perfect, being placed against a very unholy human being, who is in a fallen condition. If that were the end of the discussion, then life would be very bleak indeed. But thankfully it’s not the end.

“The gift of God” is just that, a gift, freely offered to mankind. How we all need to be reminded of the Grace that came to earth and fulfilled the law, our Savior Jesus Christ. We are no longer married to the law, as Paul goes on to say in the next chapter of Romans. We have been released from the law of death.

“LORD, we do not ever want to take Your sacrifice for granted. Thank You for Your gift of eternal life today.”