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This Question comes through the website:
"I do have a question you may be able to address for me. Leviticus 19:28 talks about what? Does it mean tattoos are wrong? Or is it a sin? Please explain. "My take is this: Romans 15:4 states that the O.T. is for our learning. We go over there and learn the mistakes of what they did and don’t do them. It seemed God wasn’t happy with the practice even if it was for ceremonial purposes. "Then in the N.T. the scripture 1 Corinthians 6:9 was brought up and some say that scripture talks about the temple in context of a sexual sin. "So because the body is God's temple we can tattoo it but can't have sex in it until we are married? Our bodies are holy, and we give them as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). Even God in the O.T. didn't want blemished animal sacrifices." Harrell Davidson |
Answer: We are happy to try to help you with your inquiry regarding what Leviticus 19:28 means. We appreciate you mentioning Romans 15:4 regarding learning from things written aforetime were written for our learning etc., which, of course, is very true. However, we must learn in the context of the day, time and traditions of that time. When Leviticus was written the children of Israel were still around Mt. Sinai. They had not moved since getting to Sinai. They had come from Egypt where there were various idols and customs. Let us put verses 27 and 28 together and take a look at them. "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:27-28). First, the custom of the Egyptian men was to have their hair cut in such a way as to be round, similar to the Chinese to this very day. Most of the men in China have round haircuts. The Egyptians were not to wear square beards for the most part, though King Tutt had a square beard, but this is exception. The point in verse 27 is that the children of Israel were not to cut their hair or their beards in any way that would mimic the Egyptians. Whether this was done in Egypt to some idol would only be conjecture. The point being that God's people then and now are to be different from those about us, but not in a peculiar way, explained later. For instance, some infidels dress modestly and are well groomed as much so as we. Second, we turn to verse 28. It is very interesting that here the children of Israel were commanded not to have any cuttings in their hands, but in Jeremiah they were told to have cuttings. "For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth" (Jeremiah 48:37). We find the very opposite in Jeremiah from Leviticus 19. Why? Difference in time and purpose. Cutting the hair to baldness and cutting their hands in Jeremiah's day was the symbol of the greatest distress. This was while the children were in captivity. What do we learn? We learn that cutting the hands and/or printing things on them was to serve Israel at different times under different circumstances. Therefore, cutting the hands was not always wrong in God's eyes for He commanded it at certain times. It is my conviction that these matters are listed here in Leviticus 19 so that Israel would not be like the Egyptians or the Canaanites where they were going. They were told not to have cuttings in their hands nor to be bald again in Leviticus 21:5. The cutting of the hands or of the flesh was sometimes in reference to some deity. The printing of marks on their skin was in reference to some god or goddess. There were people in the New Testament era that cut themselves to show their piety to their god. The more they cut themselves the greater their devotion to their god. I believe that a tattoo with the symbol of a cross or of Mary would indicate some religious practices. And, of course, lewd pictures and sayings printed on the body would violate every law of God in respect to morality and a lack of respect for the body that God has given us in which the Spirit dwells through the Word. If one had the word "mother" or some other word not suggestive of anything derogatory, it might not be wise,but I do not believe that such an one would lose his soul. Comparing have sex before marriage with tattoos is like comparing apples with oranges. Fornication is specifically forbidden in many Scriptures, but if tattoos are forbidden one must use principles for the condemnation of such. There is quite a difference. With that said, if one cannot have a tattoo with a good conscience then it should not be done (cf. Romans 14:23). I have talked with and have known men who were elders in the Lord's church who were tattooed while in the military and everyone one of them regretted it. No tattoo that I saw was suggestive. One had "mother" and another simply had a heart drawn. I do not believe that they will lose their souls for this. If a modest tattoo was a sin 25 years ago, then one would need to repent and repentance would demand getting rid of the tattoo. There has been no way to get a tattoo removed until more recent years. Personally, I would not have one whatsoever. I know that this has been rather long, but necessary. I am sure that you would be interested in reading Revlation 13:16-17; 14:9; 14:11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20 and 20:4. These passages deal with the mark of the beast which was Satan. It was a mark or printing in the right hand and on the forehead. This makes the point that God does not want us to have anything cut or drawn that would indicate any allegiance to Satan or any other idol. Thanks for the question. |