11-12 Leviticus - Clean & Unclean

11-12 Leviticus – Clean and unclean animals

Leviticus 11

Israel has a High Priest, and he is expected to be able to distinguish between clean and unclean (Chapter 10). God places great importance on unblemished animals. In Chapter 11 God instruct the High Priest on the difference in animals.

The WHY of it all is in verse 44.

We will need to define UNCLEAN. Unclean is an abomination – (used 8 or 9 times in Chapter 11) a detestable thing.

Clean and Unclean - Designate states of ritual suitability or unsuitability before God. Closely related to the states of holy and profane. Often used to denote a state of righteousness. Used in regard to physical state, behaviors, and animals. (The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.)

While chapter 11 provides a list of animals not to be consumed, Deuteronomy 14:4-6 provides a list of clean animals that may be consumed. These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, 5 The hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois. 6 And every beast that parteth the hoof, and cleaveth the cleft into two claws, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

What of Acts 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. (also in 11:9)

Verse 32 is a rather profound and clear statement on the part of GOD - And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.

What does all of this mean for the Christian? Can we eat meat, any meat, or not?

What does the Bible teach?

What of Mark 7:18-19 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? Is that really a license to eat anything? Probably not as Christ was addressing the tradition of washing hands. And yet at the same time, His truth is far reaching and more applicable than just the washing of hands.

What of Romans 14:2-3 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Paul is trying to teach us to avoid unnecessary arguments. Let God be the Judge, seeing HE has received the person.

Did Jesus eat meat? Yes, because we know He partook of the Passover meal… all His life. So, I feel certain that HE ate lamb if nothing else.

Also consider that God provided quail and Jesus served fish so that covers foul and fish. Still, one cannot dismiss the fact that GOD made a difference between the clean and the unclean animal for a reason and who can say whether or not we would be better off today if we had heeded HIS commandment.

Bottom line might be that you have to decide this, (interpret this) for yourself.

Peter wrote, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 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.” 1 Peter 1:13-16. Which was his way or repeating the Key Verse in Leviticus 11, verse 44.

Leviticus 12

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.

· Several points here:

o The act of birthing a child is not a sin. Anything involving bodily fluids however does make a person unclean in the eyes of God.

o The act of childbirth ought to remind us of Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

o

3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

· Blood begins to clot best after 7 days

· The child becomes more sensitive to pain after 8 days

4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.

· 7 days plus 33 days = 40 days

5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.

· 14 days plus 66 days = 80 days –The little bit I understand about this purification being twice as long suggest that women hold a higher degree of holiness, thus when she has birthed a child, thereby spilling blood (the life is in the blood) she has touched death – thus she is ritually impure and needs a period of purification. In the case of a female child, again, the woman holds a higher degree of holiness = twice as long a purification. IT’S NOT ABOUT SIN.

6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:

· Here we see an illustration of the offerings, Burnt and Sin, being not about forgiveness but rather about purification or cleanness. It wasn’t that she had sin but rather that she was no longer considered pure in the eyes of God.

7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.

· Another picture of our need of Christ who is our High Priest.

8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.

And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:21-25.

In Closing:

While it may not be a clear teaching, we can see once again, here in Leviticus 12 that God makes a distinction between male and female. What and why it is we may not always understand but it is what the Bible teaches. It’s all a part of God’s plan. One is stronger, the other weaker; one is fairer, the other rougher; one is more often the life taker, the other a life giver; one is meant to lead, the other to support, and yet one is never superior to the other.

Final thought: Leviticus is about the praise and worship of God. What is taught in these two chapters is that we need to be diligent in our efforts to remain pure. God expects purity.