Feb 6, 2010 Leviticus 18:19-ch 21

We continue with forbidden sexual relations:
with a woman during her monthly period
with your neighbor's wife
Do not sacrifice your children to Molech the fire god (I do not know what this had to do with sexual relations. Frankly, I don't want to know.)
with a man as one lies with a woman; it is an abomination
with an animal; it is a perversion
"Whoever commits any of these abominations shall be cut off from among [his] people."
(verse 29)

Chapter 19 embellishes the ten commandments with more laws. God said, "Be holy because I, the Lord your God am holy." (v.1) That should be reason enough, but since humans are the way we are punishments were also listed in Chapter 20.
Below is a list of some additional laws from chapter 19:
When you harvest, don't harvest a second time - leave some behind.
Do not curse the deaf or trip the blind.
Don't spread slander.
Don't do anything that endangers your neighbor's life.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Do not mate different kinds of animals.
Do not plant your field with two kinds of seeds.
Do not wear clothing woven of two different kinds of material.
Do not eat the fruit of a tree until it is 5 years old.
Do not eat meat with blood still in it.
Do not practice divination or sorcery.
Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip the edges of your beard.
Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves.
Do not make your daughter a prostitute.
Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them.
Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly.
Accept strangers as natives among you.
Use honest scales and weights.

Below is a list of some of the punishments from chapter 20:
Anyone who sacrifices a child to Molech will be stoned to death.
A person seeking mediums and spiritists will be cut off from his people.
Anyone cursing his father or mother he must be put to death.
Anyone who commits adultery will be put to death.
If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, they will both be put to death.
If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they will both be put to death.
If a man marries both a woman and her mother, all three will be burned to death.
If a man or woman has sexual relations with an animal they must be put to death.
If a man marries his sister and has sex with her they will be cut off.
If a man has sex with a woman during her period they must be cut off from the people.
If a man has sex with his aunt they will both be held responsible.
If a man marries his brother's wife he dishonors his brother, they will be childless.
God said "You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own."
I guess you could sum it up by simply realizing that God wants us to avoid ANYTHING that will take us away from Him.

Chapter 21 is rules for priests. Because they were ceremonially clean it was very important for them to be very careful to avoid any uncleanliness. They were to marry only virgins from among their own people - the tribe of Levi. Any physical deformity would preclude them from serving in the Holy of Holies. The descendants of Aaron were set apart as priests and had to be physically perfect just as the animals brought before God as a sacrifice had to be perfect.

Tomorrow read Leviticus 22-23