Make A Difference Between Clean and Unclean

I would like for us to look tonight in a book of the Bible that is not often preached from out of the Old Testament.

Turn with me to the book of Leviticus. We will be looking at a few verses first in chapter 10 and then in chapter 11.

As you turn there by way of introduction,

The other day Russell had made a comment about meditation of the Scriptures and drawn application from the phrase chewing the cud… And while tonight we will find ourselves in that portion of Scripture that deals with the dietary restrictions found in the law, that point that He was making was very much appreciated… and that is simply this,

The Old Testament was written for our learning.

And oftentimes we miss what God has for us in the Old Testament by failing to grasp what it is that God is teaching. We fail oftentimes to make application.

Perhaps this is because we do not read the OT enough.

Perhaps it is because we do not meditate on the OT enough.

And so tonight, I want us to muse on the words found in the book of Leviticus.

By they way the term ‘muse’ is a Bible term I discovered in the book of Psalm 39:3…in that verse it means to meditate or think on.

In the book of Leviticus, the first seven chapters deal with the different types of offerings commanded by God.

Chapters 8 and 9 deal with the consecration of Aaron and his sons.

In chapter 10 in the course of this consecration the Bible tells us of of the death of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu who offered strange fire before the Lord.

We could say a lot about this particular incident.

But let’s notice in verse 3 two “I will” statements that caught my attention and also relate to what we are going to look at tonight.

The Lord states, “I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me….”

The Lord also states, “…before all the people I will be glorified.”

Our desire to be close to the Lord, to walk with Him necessitates that we have a right view of God and walk in His ways.

It also is a solemn decree for you and I to glorify God before all.

In chapter 11, the Lord continues by outlining not only His commandments for the levitical priests and the peoples offerings, but then begins to speak about the lives of the people.

It is in this chapter that the Lord begins listing what the people should eat and not eat…

It reminds me of what I was told when I was young… “You will eat what I give you…”

Look with me in verses 44-47.

Leviticus 11:44–47 “44 For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 45 For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. 46 This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: 47 To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.”

And I want us to consider this thought tonight, “Make a Difference Between the Unclean and the Clean.”

Let’s Pray

In the Old Testament God was dealing with the World through this special group of people, the nation of Israel.

In doing so, God laid down laws to be followed. This section deals with the dietary laws. As such they had sanitary/health significance.

These dietary laws were to help the nation with their health.

They also had political significance.

There was to be a distinction between the nation of Israel and the surrounding nations.

Remember they were a Theocracy - governed by God Himself, different from the surrounding nations. A peculiar people whom God chose to be His people.

In addition, these laws were to teach spiritual truth as well.

This latter end is where we want to find ourselves tonight.

Remember that in the end the Bible tells us that “…the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

I believe as we look at these verses tonight, the main thought for you and I is to Make a Difference Between the Clean and the Unclean.

This was a principal failure with the Priests that led to the downfall of the nation as a whole.

Ezekiel 22:26 tells us “26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”

And while we understand from Matthew 15:11 and I Timothy 4:4 we are not under this dietary prescription, we can certainly draw some application from the truth that God was teaching the nation of Israel.

Please note first of all tonight:

I. A Call To Holiness

There are really two opposing ideas seen in verse 44.

Let’s read verse 44 again.

Leviticus 11:44 “44 For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

The first idea is this matter of holiness.

Or we might say set-apartness to the Lord.

The two terms holiness and sanctification are related to each other.

We understand that holiness has to do with purity.

The idea is that God’s people ought to be different from the fallen world.

We ought to be pure people set apart wholly to the Lord.

And so the Lord says, ye shall… sanctify yourselves…

You shall conduct yourselves in the way of my instruction so that you are set-apart to me and from the world.

A. Sanctify Yourselves

As we look at this verse, we understand that God gives the reason for this. He does not say for this is what is best, although that is true, He does not say for this is what will promote you this most…although the blessings of God certainly are more abundant in a holy life…

He states, “For I am the Lord your God…”

And then He says, “For I am Holy…”

Above all other reasons our highest motivation, is Christ Himself.

In fact our motivation and our measure is Christ Himself.

The Lord says, I am holy…

We serve an awesome God!

And Our God is Holy!

This speaks to His perfection.

And because He is Holy he calls us to be Holy.

This is not just some Old Testament command to be set aside… for we find in 1 Peter 1:15–16 “15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Clearly, the Apostle Peter, is applying this matter from the Old Testament Scriptures to the entire Christian’s life.

What we are talking about is practical everyday Christian living.

We are talking about a call to live in a way that pleases the Lord. To walk in His ways.

2 Corinthians 7:1 “1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

The opposite term is mentioned here as well, which is defilement.

Notice with me again verse 44.

Leviticus 11:44 “For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

The word ‘defile’ is mentioned 11 times in the following chapters 8 of those times refer to the individual.

B. Defile Yourselves

The idea of being defiled means to be unclean, to be foul, to be dirty.

Example: I think about young boys especially… I was one who liked to play in the clay ditch in one of our houses…and I think about that now, how dirty I would get…

Illustration: As a father came home from his work he saw his little daughter who had been playing in the mud. He said to her, “Honey you’re pretty dirty…To which she replied, “Yes I know daddy, but I’m prettier clean…”

Our defilement, in truth, however is no laughing matter… it renders us ineffective for the cause of Christ.. We understand that as a Christian, Christ paid our sin debt.

We will never be cast into the lake of fire because our sin-debt has been paid by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

But we can walk around defiled, dirty, and practically speaking in an unholy way.

And as we look at this verse, we come to understand that God declares that it is our responsibility to not defile ourselves.

He states, in verse 44 “…neither shall ye defile yourselves…”

This rightly pins the tail on the donkey doesn’t? It speaks with authority as to who the responsible party is. We cannot blame the person sitting next to us, behind us or in front of us——

Not only do we have a call to holiness, but we have:

II. A Call To Discernment

I am amazed when I think about the judgment seat of Christ, and when I consider the Millennial reign of Christ.

What baffles my mind is that there are no grey areas with the Lord.

When we look out at the world, there are a million choices presented to us in all manner of situations. We must exercise holy discernment based on God’s Word and His guidance to know what to do.

With the Lord and His judgment however there will be no debate, no struggle to determine right and wrong, everything is plain to Him.

His rule is and will be in complete perfect righteousness.

Concerning the millennial reign we have yet to see the world governed in that way.

One of the greatest needs you and I have is godly discernment.

If I were raising kids, I would place an emphasis on teaching my children how to discern what is clean and unclean.

Not just this will hurt you and this will not. Or this is how you can get ahead financially and this is how to avoid debt.

God was teaching the nation of Israel to make a difference between what is clean and unclean.

Why do we need discernment?

A. We live in a world of clean and unclean.

We can go back to what we have recorded for us in the book of Genesis, and we discover that: “Man coveted in Eden to “know good and evil.” From that hour the “clean and unclean” have been around [us] in every path of life. 1. In the sphere of daily life we have contact with both.”

B. We live in danger of contamination.

Trouble exists all around us of being influenced by the world.

How do these defiling things enter in?

Some come from without.

They come in through the eyes.

They come in through the ears.

They come in through the touch.

Colossians 2:8 “8 Beware lest any man spoil you [we might say defile your mind…]through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

Some come from our old nature. [Within]

In opposition to the empty traditions of the religious leaders the Lord stated this in:

Mark 7:15 “15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”

All things that defile are to be shunned.

One expositor said this, “The ban of heaven is upon much which the world sanctions.”

We could all make a list tonight perhaps of some of the more outrageous things.

But what concerns me is perhaps the more subtle things that the Devil tries to sneak into our lives.

There are those things that slowly erode our attention from the Lord and perhaps to self or some other idol.

What we need is to have an understanding from the Lord to make a difference between Clean and Unclean.

Turn with me over to Ephesians 5.

The epistle to the Ephesians much like the letter to the Colossians speaks much about the glorious high mark of Christ and His church.

Listen to what is penned here beginning in verse 6.

Ephesians 5:6–13 “6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: [this is that influence from without..]

There are a lot of vain voices in this world.

“for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.”

In other words, these worldly ways of ungodly men along with the Devil and His crowd will reap judgment because of unrighteousness and unholiness. When these ideas and ways are accepted by the Christian cause no good to come in the life of the Christian or the local church.

And so it is commanded in the very next verse, verse 7.

7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. 13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.”

Here in is the key, the key to discernment is light.

Light is what we need.

There are two basic ways the Lord gives us light— by Himself and His Word.

God is referred to over and over again as light.

When He guided the nation of Israel out of Egypt He guided them as an illuminated pillar of cloud, and at night a fiery pillar.

The psalmist declared in Psalm 27:1 “1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

1 John 1:5 “5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

And we could multiply this references exceedingly.

The fact is that God’s indwelling presence, the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian is wonderful!

Not only is the Lord the Light, but His Word is light!

Have you ever been amazed at the law in Leviticus how particular it is.

How were these folks able to know what was clean and unclean? How were they able to know what to do and what not to do?

These folks were able to know what was clean and unclean because God spelled in out in His Word.

They didn't have to flip on the News Channel to figure it out.

They didn't have to ask the surrounding nations.

They didn't have to consult with their most trusted friends.

They didn't have to find out what the majority consensus was, they simply had to listen to what Moses delivered and penned down from God.

Here is the truth,

We must teach our children to listen to the Lord’s leading using His powerful Word to make a difference between what is clean and unclean.

We must in our homes be guided and listen to the Lord’s leading using His powerful Word to discern and make a difference between what is clean and what is unclean.

We must stand up and teach in the Sunday School classrooms and in our preaching that Christians must be guided and listen to the Lord’s leading using His powerful Word to discern and make a difference between what is clean and what is unclean.

As I close, I want us to think about this,

The enemy of our souls is doing everything he can to try to grey the lines between what is clean and unclean—He knows that defiled compromised Christian is an ineffective Christian.

The Bible gives the warning “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)

The danger is to just not make a difference between what is clean and unclean. In other words, adopt the worldly philosophy there is no right and there is no wrong—everything is just personal preference—

Will you Make a Difference Between the Clean and the Unclean

Understanding God’s Call To Holiness

God’s Call To Right Discernment

How can I know which way is up and down and left in right?

Through His indwelling presence, communion with Him.

Through His wonderful Word—-

Both of these are Light in the dark world.

Let’s pray.