Leviticus 18 and Lot/his daughters by the_underdog

So I am taking a class at Colorado Christian University. It is the History of the Old Testament. AWESOME CLASS!!! However, I came across something that is bothering me.

Leviticus 18 describes in specific detail all the sexual sins that cannot be committed. There is one relationship left out. Father and daughter relationship. Every other sexual sin is described with precision, every other one. The only verse that covers it, sorta, is the catch all, verse 6. Now the reason this bothers me is because in Gen 19:30-38 Lot and his daughters are involved in an incestuous relationship.

My problems with this:
1) Lot and his daughters were not punished. In fact, the only thing that can be found in the bible is that the ammorites and the moabites (the sons of the two daughters, were Moab and Benammori) were thorns in Israels' side. (mind you, Ruth the Moabite is in the line of Jesus)
2) Lev 18 describes every possible relationship that could be incestuous, in great detail, even situations that aren't thought of normally. If incest is such a great sin that Moses devoted a whole chapter to it, in detail, why leave out the Father/daughter relationship?
3) With this all in mind, the only verse that would cover this is verse 6, however, why not write it out in detail as the other verses? IF it was a well known fact that daughters and fathers shouldn't have sex, then why wasn't Lot and his daughters punished? (unless you count being "thorns in the side of Israel" punishment. Which I don't, considering the punshiments of other sins found in the OT are far more extreme than that.

There are other problems I have with Lev 18, but this one stands out the most.

8 replies on this topic

PutHisBloodOnIt - 5/10/11 @ 5:24 AM

Well I read it and your right it doesn't explain it specifically, did your class talk about it maybe you should bring it up and bring back your answer here I'm interested.

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the_underdog - 5/10/11 @ 8:20 AM

I did. No one had an answer. Which is why I came here, maybe someone has an answer to this.

George - I understand the story of Lot, but that doesn't excuse the "sin" there. The daughters' knew better than to have sex with the father, because they had to get him drunk in order to have sex with him.

The closest thing they could tell me was that verse 6 covered it and the punishment was the "thorn in the side".

the_underdog - 5/10/11 @ 4:42 PM

So no answers huh?

h - 5/11/11 @ 12:12 AM

I have one word: ew.

the_underdog - 5/11/11 @ 3:48 PM

Thank you!

Sarah - 7/4/12 @ 10:47 AM

Yeah, like...wow! I've always thought that they did wrong, but you're right--it's not actually spelled out as a sin. HOWEVER I don't believe that it is right for a father to have sex with his daughter.
If for no other reason, they were not married to each other.
But yeah, that is so freakishly gross! I cannot see God approving of that kind of situation AT ALL!!!

Lesha - 7/20/12 @ 4:57 PM

Hey just came across your post - just so you know!
Good question but ask yourself - who came first Lot or Moses?
G-D gave the commandments thought Moses, but before then - there was no law. Well there was the commandments give to Noah (see Genesis 9). You will find lots of stuff in Scripture pre Moses that was forbidden after the commandments were given. This is why you will not find any punshiments for either Lot or his daughters. It wasn't a sin then.

joseBloodBought - 10/12/12 @ 1:03 PM

@the_underdog Question: Was Paul punished for his sin? Was David? Was Jacob? What about Joseph's brothers? God can deal with men in either grace or wrath but just because He does not punish doesn't make it sinless. A lack of direct punishment isn't a cosign. There are many ways that God has punished sin indirectly. Read the book of Judges or 1 and 2 Kings.There were many other pagan nations around the time of Sodom and Gomorrah yet God chose only those two nations or cities. God has His plan, His purpose, His way, in His time, as He pleases, and it cant be any more simple. Lot's daughters were in sin , yet sin does require direct punishment in order to validate it as sin. If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it does it make sound? Clearly whether or not we are there to observe the sound doesn't mean a sound isnt made. Just because we don't observe immediate judgment doesn't mean that God didn't count it as sin. Abraham sinned by acting upon his own desire instead of waiting on the promise of God. Abraham is not directly punished and neither is sin communicated but the seed of Ishmael becomes a thorn in the side of both Israel and the Christian church. Jacob commits a variety of sin but it is not immediately identified as sin and often he receives grace in place of judgment. God in His sovereignty deals with man as He deems right for His purpose. God could save all of mankind if He chose to. Yet He has a chosen an ends and a means to meet that end for His sake.