Land "Vomiting Out" Its Inhabitants

These are notes for an incomplete "Concept" page.

Information is being added as the Bible Pages are added. In the end, everything will be compiled, further information added (as necessary), broken links connected, etc.

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Cross-references Parent Topic a Related Topics b Links to Additional Materials c

All passages that mention this concept are linked to:

1. The need to avoid sexual sins (and how repulsive such sins are to God).
2. The need to avoid the practices of the wicked (which includes the sexual sins described in the context).

Since God created sexuality to be a reflection of his own character (a part of what it means to be created in the image of God), every deviation from what he created it for is totally abhorrent to him.

• Sexuality

These verses describe the land (as though it were a person), as "vomiting out" the people. The context also describes it as God casting them out.

Leviticus 18:24-30 Previous context: The previous verses list a wide variety of sexual sins and perversions. Don't defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled. The land was defiled: therefore I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out her inhabitants. 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; (for all these abominations have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land became defiled); that the land not vomit you out also, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. For whoever shall do any of these abominations, even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore you shall keep my requirements, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them: I am Yahweh your God.

Leviticus 20:22-23 and v. 24 Previous context: The previous verses list a wide variety of sins, but there is a greater emphasis on sexual sins and perversions. You shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them; that the land, where I am bringing you to dwell, may not vomit you out. You shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you: for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. In the previous verses, God tells Israel what they must not do. Beginning here (verse 24), God will tell them what they must do: But I have said to you, "You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from the peoples. (Etc.)

So how does the land do this??? Perhaps it might help to look at what happened to Israel in later years. There were ecological problems (such as drought). There were problems with other nations (foreign armies). Other factors were also used by God (there were internal problems; God no longer actively protected them, etc.) - in fact, it seemed that everything went against them!

• See also: Defilement of the Land.

• See also: Seventh Commandment, related to the primary cause of this.

Scripture Pages that Link to Here

Leviticus 18:1-30

Sexual sins are the reason these nations were going to be destroyed. Such practices defile the land and are the reason for the land “vomiting” the people out.

Reaffirmation of the fact. Sexual sin is an abomination to God. Don't practice these abominations or the same thing will happen to you – the land will “vomit” you out, also.

See also: Lev 20:22 - You shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them; that the land, where I am bringing you to dwell, may not vomit you out.

The verses previous to this focus on sexual sins (just as those in Lev. 18 do). There is also the similar statement about not practicing the ways of the wicked nations around them.

Unless otherwise noted, all notes and comments are © by Dennis Hinks.