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Monday, January 03, 2022

Bible Reading Reflection from Leviticus 11-16

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (PG), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

π•ƒπ”Όπ•π•€π•‹π•€β„‚π•Œπ•Š πŸ™πŸ™:πŸœπŸ›-𝟜𝟝

"Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy."

They can't afford to make themselves detestable by the food they eat, not because it's detestable to man but to God.

They say dogs are detestable. Well, they aren't gods. So, who cares? 😎 Go eat dogs! [North East Indians] πŸ˜‚

God set aside for Israelites what food to be eaten and what not to be eaten. Till today God sets aside for Christian what to do and what not to do. We may not know the reason, but it's enough that He sets aside, and we must obey! We are servants to obey orders. Even the Servant Jesus obeyed to the point of death!

 

π•ƒπ”Όπ•π•€π•‹π•€β„‚π•Œπ•Š πŸ™πŸš:𝟚

"Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: ‘When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean.’"

Jesus was brought up exactly like this. His earthly parents being still young could not afford to bring animals for the sacrifice so they brought pigeons.

BTW, there is a distinction between a male and a female when it comes to purification. If male child, then 7 days unclean plus 33 days quarantine. If female child, then 14 days unclean plus 66 days quarantine. According to the good design of the all-wise God.

And good luck to all the feminists and egalitarians!

 

π•ƒπ”Όπ•π•€π•‹π•€β„‚π•Œπ•Š πŸ™πŸ›:𝟜𝟞

"He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp."

Leprosy (a disease) made a person unclean. He must dwell outside the camp. He shall live alone.

The worst thing disease can do to a person is death.

Leprosy is contagious, but it doesn't spread to everyone. Not everyone gets leprosy. But he who gets leprosy is cast out from the camp to dwell alone. Leprosy is that serious. Even if the person would die, they let him die outside the camp.

Now, Sin is contagious and deadly. It spreads to everyone and everyone will die. However, the people of God are cured of sin. Now, why would God allow an unrepentant sinner to dwell in the camp? He shall be cast out into utter darkness where there shall be gnashing of teeth!

Sin is far serious than leprosy. An unrepentant sinner would be treated worse than a leper.

Reading this chapter enriches an understanding of God's desire for holiness!

 

π•ƒπ”Όπ•π•€π•‹π•€β„‚π•Œπ•Š πŸ™πŸœ:𝟠

"And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but live outside his tent seven days."

Another chapter on cleansing a leper. I see a lot of similarities between cleansing a leper and cleansing a sinner.

First, let's set it straight. I don't think it's a typology. Nor do I think it to be an allegory, but a suitable analogy.

Leprosy is serious, excommunicable, lonely, dreadful, contagious, and deadly. Cleansing a leper, reconciling him to society, making him acceptable, declaring him clean [again] is a meticulous task requiring a lot of time, evaluation ceremonies, and the priest of God.

If so, why would the reconciliation of a sinner to God's fellowship be taken lightly? In actuality, it takes the death of The Eternal Priest of God, Jesus Christ, our Lord. In ceremonial practice, we are commanded to take water baptism once and communion as often as we can. In piety, we are to confess our sins and take up our cross.

It was real for the leper, why won't it be real for a sinner? What a joy it must be for a leper that was declared cleansed! He would not complain of these requirements because the state of being a leper is worse than the process of becoming cleansed. And I am sure the thought of freedom after the cleansing would fill his soul with delight. He must be very glad before, through, and after the procedure.

Christian living is much more so.

 

π•ƒπ”Όπ•π•€π•‹π•€β„‚π•Œπ•Š πŸ™πŸ:πŸ›πŸ™

"Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them."

To me, this is one of the most disgusting chapters in the entire Bible. I don't like to read it, but it's in the Bible. Bible, indeed, has sufficient instructions for everyone to live a holy life before man and God.

 

π•ƒπ”Όπ•π•€π•‹π•€β„‚π•Œπ•Š πŸ™πŸž:πŸ™-𝟚

"Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they had approached the presence of the LORD and died. The LORD said to Moses: ‘Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.’"

This account always fascinates me. God has just killed the sons of Aaron. Then Aaron was commanded to not mourn but to keep doing his priestly duties faithfully or else he too shall die.

A tyrant killed people and threatened to kill more. He is obeyed by force, torture, and fear. God is not a tyranny. God is a loving Father. He is a good God. And there's no fear in love. We want to serve God in delight. God wants us to enjoy Him. God even gives us a will, a choice, a free life. Moreover, God is long-suffering, compassionate, and gracious. Yet what He demanded of Aaron was very sobering.

Aaron must be extremely sad about the demise of his two sons (not only one). His reputation among the people was at stake. He wasn't even allowed to mourn. Moreover, God still demanded faithfulness.

God was not afraid to hurt Aaron. God was not afraid if Aaron would threaten to resign. God did not back down.

Indeed, what is of God is greater than anything of us.