Podcast

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. And on the eight day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She shall not touch anything holy, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. Leviticus 12:1-4

Intro: Years ago, I was asked to speak to a large church in Europe

Afterward, the pastor and his associate invited me to lunch
– on our way to restaurant they cleaned hands with disinfectant wipes
• probably a wise and healthy thing to do, after shaking so many hands
◦ but it seemed wrong to me
• it felt like they were wiping off the contact they had with ordinary people
◦ that was exactly the behavior of Pharisees in Jesus’ time
◦ and it had evolved from purity laws like those in Leviticus
– we don’t derive the same value from this part of scripture as the original readers
• the nations around them were haunted by sinister forces
◦ they had all sorts of amulets, charms and spells for protection
◦ even today a popular talisman in the middle east is the “the evil eye” symbol
• Israel’s purity code was Israel’s protection from bad juju
◦ although their worldview was significantly different from ours,
◦ these rules still have something to say to us

Chapters 12-15 continue last week’s theme of ritual contamination

Their dietary restrictions divided clean from unclean animals
– some foods entering entered the body would make it impure
• impurities interfered with their connection to God
◦ these impurities were not moral or physical, but quasi-spiritual
◦ God’s holiness was a barrier that could not be violated
Mary Douglas observed that the purity rules offered them protection from “the dangers of impurity in the approach to the tabernacle, the danger that holiness will break forth and destroy or that impurity will break in and contaminate.”
• impurity could attach itself to their bodies
◦ in fact, the body continues to be a focus of concern in Leviticus
– both chapters 12 and 15 have to do with fluids that exit the body
• the contents of all four chapters summarized at the end of each section

Chapter 12 deals with impurity caused by chidbirth

There was nothing sinful, wrong, or dirty with childbirth
– but delivery drew thin line between birth and death
• there were ancient beliefs that spirits showed up at childbirth
• both the mother and child were vulnerable
– Leviticus has nothing to say about evil spirits and childbirth
• it shifts concern to God and his holiness
• protection for mother and infant are offered Israel’s worship
◦ that is, there was a period of separation from the sanctuary
◦ then afterward, there was a sacrificial offering for atonement

The sacrifice the mother brought is referred to as a “sin offering”
– Robert Alter says that is misleading, since no sin was committed
• he suggests “offense offering”
◦ the offense was the impurity that occurred naturally
◦ it only a problem if the mother had contact with anything holy
• it’s like the “pig in the parlor” I mentioned last week
◦ there was nothing morally wrong with the mother’s condition
◦ but for a space of time, it would be out of place for her to enter the sanctuary
– and that’s the issue here – blood belongs in the body
• outside the skin, it contaminates the body

Chapters 13-14 deal with impurity caused by leprosy

The first challenge here is that leprosy is not what we usually think
– the way it is used in English refers to Hansen’s Disease
• it is a serious illness and can be fatal if not treated
• what Leviticus describes is a variety of skin conditions
◦ it includes infections resulting from boils and burns
– Leviticus makes the priests experts regarding these ailments
• they would have to examine and diagnose the skin disease
• the protocol for person who proved to be leprous:
◦ they had to wear torn clothes
◦ they could not groom their hair
◦ they had to cover their upper lip with a veil
◦ they had to shout “Unclean, unclean” if anyone approached them
◦ they had to live alone outside the camp

The body’s first layer of protection (or covering) is its skin
– there is a second layer of protection for the body – its clothing
• this can also be infected by “leprosy”–i.e., mold or mildew
– the priest would inspect the garment, then it was washed
• next, there would be a trial period in which it was set aside
◦ afterward, the priest would reexamine it
◦ if the infection had spread then the garment was burned
• eventually it was either spared or burned

Chapter 14 shifts from clothing back to the leper
– it describes the ritual for purifying the leper when “clean”
• the priest would have to go and examine him or her outside camp
• the ritual for purification and atonement involved several sacrifices
◦ one part of the ritual was similar to consecration of priests
◦ blood, then oil, was applied to right ear lobe, thumb of the right hand, and big toe of the right foot
◦ in both instances, for the priest and the leper, holiness was the central concern
the priest was ordained for a sacred position
the leper was purified from an unclean condition
And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for him who is cleansed (v. 31)
– atone means “to cover” — to permanently remove from sight
• after the body’s first layer of covering is clean again,
◦ through the atonement ritual, the body’s purity is re-covered

The last part of chapter 14 brings us to the body’s third layer of covering
– and that is a person’s home – the house can also be infected
• in all three layers–body, clothing, and home–the protocol was same
• the priest would examine, diagnose, quarantine, re-examine, and then pronounce the person, the garment, or the house either clean or unclean
– here are three concentric circles that move outward from the body
• and they keep going, from their houses to God’s dwelling
Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst (Lev. 15:31)
(ch. 16 will address an annual purification of God’s tent)

Chapter 15 returns to bodily fluids

In this case, the fluids have to do with procreation
– Leviticus takes seriously the spiritual energies involved in procreation
• its connection is to the original divine act of creating human life
– it is worth noting, Leviticus has nothing to say about other fluids
• tears, sweat, blood from wound or nose bleed, or eliminating waste
• none of these normal, daily processes require special attention

Conclusion: Remember why we’re trudging through Leviticus

The Book of Hebrews will have something to say about these purifying rituals
– and it will reveal their fundamental inadequacy
– for now, what useful information from Leviticus can we take home?

Jesus had a run-in with some scribes and Pharisees over these rules (Mk. 7:1-23)
– they had over-interpreted them,
• so that they were performing little baptisms all the time
In Mark’s Gospel we read, For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches (Mk. 7:3-4)
• so the Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for eating without washing
◦ but Jesus said they placed their tradition above God’s commandments . . . thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down (Mk. 7:13)
◦ then he reinterpreted the whole idea of purity
There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. . . . For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness (Mk. 7:15 and 21-22)

Few of us pass the “pure in heart” test
– our hope is in the atonement Jesus provides
• that our hearts can be purified again and again
• and at ever deeper levels as we become aware of what lies within

A favorite story of mine comes from Mark chapter 1. A leper came to Jesus, and kneeling on the ground in front of him, said, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Notice he did not say, “If you can, will you please make me clean.” He knew Jesus could do this, but he did not know if Jesus was willing to do it for him. Jesus was moved with compassion for this leper and he did the unthinkable, he reached out and touched his unclean body. “I will,” Jesus told him, “be clean.” It is no different when we come to Jesus with a heart that needs to be clean. His touch and his word sets us right.

Another favorite story is found in Luke chapter 5. There was overwhelmed by what Jesus did for him, and in his boat he also fell down at Jesus’ knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Jesus told him not to be afraid, that he would soon be catching men and women in the Lord’s gospel net. But let’s listen to their conversation by putting together what Peter says and how Jesus’ call came to him from the Gospel of Matthew.
Peter: “Depart from me.”
Jesus: “Follow me.”
Peter: “I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
Jesus: “I will make you a fisher of men.”

Some Christians are on unending quest to find their Calling
They are either lured by the exotic or heroic
or else they’re terrified by the primitive and bug-infested
But it is here in our everyday world–
at times frustrating, at other times boring–
that Jesus sets us to work
The Lord fits us for service
and this is it
our work is always right here, right now

Podcast

This is the law about beast and bird and every living creature that moves through the waters and every creature that swarms on the ground, to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten. Leviticus 11:46-47

Intro: This paragraph summarizes the contents of chapter 11

We will skim through the details of this chapter,
– but first, we want to mark the key words: “to make a distinction”
• our ability to distinguish one thing from another is serious business
◦ in the extreme, it can be difference between life and death
◦ for instance, when picking berries for a pie, it’s best to know which ones are wholesome and which ones are poison
• chapter 11 has to do with making distinctions

A brief outline of the chapter

It may be a mixed blessing that,
– we come to this chapter during a critical stage in the Coronavirus
• we understand why it is important to regard it with serious caution
◦ this chapter is about contamination,
◦ its contagion, prevention, and decontamination
• the nature of contamination in Leviticus was like a virus,
◦ but it was not a virus in the clinical way we understand the term

“Unclean” animals that were not to be eaten:
– first, those that were clean and unclean among land animals (vv. 3-8)
• the criteria for the clean: cloven-footed and chews the cud
• “unclean” applies to any others that did not fit the in first category
– secondly, the clean and unclean water animals (vv. 9-12)
• criteria for clean: everything that has fins and scales
• “unclean” were any others that did not fit the first category
– third, the clean and unclean “things that fly” (vv. 13-10)
• no criteria is given
• instead, what is given is a list of the birds that were taboo
– fourth, insects (vv. 20-23)
• all insects were unclean, with one exception
◦ those that matched the criteria for locusts, grasshoppers and crickets

The carcasses and any remains of dead animals were unclean
– verses 24-28, the carcasses of unclean animals could be touched
• it was only dead animals that transmitted uncleanness
◦ otherwise camels could be ridden and donkeys could pull carts
• the carcasses of clean animals were unclean if they died naturally

Swarming things – that is, those that “crawl” or “proliferate”
– verses 29-32, rodents and reptiles

Instructions for decontamination (vv. 33-45)
– objects: anything made of wood, cloth, hide, or animal hair
• could be cleansed by immersing in water
• earthenware pots and so on, had to be broken
– people: the contamination only lasts until evening
• in some cases, person would have to bathe themselves
• then they would become clean at sundown

The motive behind these dietary and contact instructions
Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy (vv. 44-45)
– their destiny was to belong to God
• to realize that destiny, they had to be like him
• notice that the animals that were acceptable for sacrifice,
◦ were the same that were acceptable for consumption
◦ it was like God’s people shared his diet
Everett Fox, “After ten chapters devoted mainly to [sacrificial] rules, we move from the priestly altar to everyone’s table.”
Mary Douglas, “The animal taken into the body by eating corresponds to that which is offered on the altar by fire; what is disallowed for the one is disallowed for the other; what harms the one harms the other.”

Certain ideas and concepts in this chapter are challenging for us

Why would God create animals he detested?
– short answer: he didn’t
• Gen. 1:20-25 details creation of all these animals and insects
◦ and uses many of the same words: swarm, creeps, proliferates
◦ and in each instance, God saw that it was good
• “detest” does not refer to an attitude or a feeling
◦ it was how animals were to be treated in specific contexts

As far as something placed on God’s altar or their dining room tables, unclean animals were to be considered as grossly out of place. The familiar idiom, “pig in the parlor” captures this idea well. When most every home had a parlor, it was reserved for hosting dignified or important guests. Pigs belonged in muddy pig pens, not the parlor.
Think about it, if you were an animal in Israel, would you rather be in the clean category or unclean? Those in the clean were eligible to be either sacrificed or eaten. Those in the unclean category could not be touched and their carcasses could not be used for anything.
Mary Douglas, “The rule of not touching the corpse makes the skins useless for fur coats or fur blankets, no leather waistcoats or bags, no shoe leather or wine-skins. Their bones and teeth cannot be carved for combs, buttons, containers, dice, jewelry, utensils. Their gut cannot be used for stringed instruments nor their stomachs or bladders for bags, or their sinews for sewing. . . . To be classified unclean ought to be an advantage for the survival of the species.”

The most difficult challenge for us:
– comprehending the terms “clean” and “unclean”
• nothing is said here about the health benefits of this diet
◦ it may be we know something of its benefits today,
◦ but what we know now, was of no value to them then
• we can also cross off the list any thought of hygiene
◦ they knew nothing of bacteria or germs
– Moses never explains the meaning of clean and unclean
• so we must assume his audience understood
◦ it had to do with their worldview
◦ how they understood the natural overlapped with the supernatural
• perhaps it is most helpful if we think of clean and unclean as metaphors
◦ they represent something that is both physical and metaphysical
◦ unclean is a condition of contamination that is contagious
– there is no mention of sacrifice in this chapter
• no sin has been committed
◦ the unclean condition is only a problem if the person has contact with something holy
. . . the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the LORD’s peace offerings while an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people (Lev. 7:20)
• take note:
◦ purification removes something from a person (uncleanness or iniquity)
◦ sanctification adds something to a person (holiness)

Conclusion: Yesterday I spent several hours with a small group of Christian psychiatrists
(No, it wasn’t so they could figure out what’s wrong with me)

We are fortunate to have people like these brilliant men and women in our corner
– the majority of them were young
• maybe half of those present work with children and adolescents
◦ they said many of their clients have no sense of identity
◦ even those who were intelligent and successful
• Leviticus chapter 11 has something to say about this
◦ in verses 44-45, God tells Israel who they are,
that they are his people and they are to be like him
◦ and to help them remember, he establishes boundaries
– that is why I say the primary theme of this chapter is making a distinction
• this message occurs all through Leviticus (see for instance, Lev. 20:24-26)

You cannot know who you are without boundaries
– borders define identity
(our skin, for example, is a border that defines the space our bodies occupy, separating and distinguishing ourselves from others)
• borders indicate clearly who is inside the circle and who is outside
◦ in Israel, a line was drawn between those in covenant with God, and everyone else
• this boundary extended to animal kingdom,
◦ what they presented to God on his altar and consumed themselves
– personal boundaries are mostly invisible
• making them visible is like putting up a fence along a property line
◦ my boundaries remind me where I belong and don’t belong
◦ boundaries remind me who I am
• when God says, You shall not make yourself detestable,
◦ he is reminding Israel of who they are not
◦ if you know who you are, you know your boundaries

People who don’t know who they are tend to travel in one of two directions
1. nowhere, because they have no sense of belonging anywhere or of being safe anywhere
2. everywhere, they are “all over the place” and do anything, because they do not know what’s appropriate to them as unique persons

Making distinctions–separating light from dark, the seas from the dry land–is how God turned the original chaos into an ordered universe (Gen. 1:3-10)
• and it is how he organizes the lives of his people
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Cor. 14:33)
• only now, God works from the inside out rather than outside in
◦ not so much by shaping us through rules and restrictions
◦ but by transforming us into the persons he wants us to be
– verse 43, goes beyond the uncleanness of animals — God says,
You shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarms, and you shall not defile yourselves with them, and become unclean through them
• you see, if we do not know who we are,
◦ we do not know what is off limits
• and when we do what is off limits, we defile ourselves
◦ we make ourselves something we’re not suppose to be
◦ we betray ourselves — the true self, made in God’s image

The message that comes to us from Leviticus 11 is this:
know God
know yourself
know your sport
know which team you’re on
and know what position you play
then follow the rules of the game

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread. And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” Leviticus 8:1-3

Intro: Let me go over again why we are in Leviticus

The gospels tell us the story of Jesus within the frame his own lifetime
– this includes his teaching, deeds, and his crucifixion and resurrection
• the rest of the New Testament reveals the meaning of his earthly life
– Hebrews is different; it reveals Jesus as he is in himself
• this is to say, Jesus’ heavenly life — it’s as if we see him in his glory
◦ as he appeared to the three disciples when he was transfigured
Even though we once [knew] Christ according to the flesh, we know him thus no longer (2 Cor. 5:16)
◦ in this new way of seeing Jesus, we know him in his fullness
• but to understand the Book of Hebrews, we need to know the Old Testament
◦ the one book with which we are the least familiar is Leviticus
◦ yet it plays an important role in Hebrews

Chapters 8-10 tell a story

There are only two stories in Leviticus and we fly through them quickly
– the rest of the book is rules, regulations, procedures, and protocols
Mary Douglas wrote, that when the two stories are “finished no further interpretation is provided. The sequence of laws seems to continue as if there had been no interruption.”
• it’s as if the legal code swallows up the narratives and they disappear
– here, in these chapters, we find a setting, plot, characters, and atmosphere
• the story has a beginning, a middle, and an end
◦ there is also a tense moment of suspense
• but we will soon come to all of that

God’s sanctuary, the tent of meeting, is set up and ready for service

But first it had to be made fit for God – this is no ordinary tent
– it must be made to transcend its status as a material structure
• to become God’s dwelling, it must be made ethereal, holy
• and then it has to be staffed by priests, who were also made holy
– all the people of Israel were invited – now gathered near the entrance
• Moses explained,
This is the thing that the LORD has commanded to be done (v. 5)
◦ but instead of telling them what God commanded, he went to work
• Aaron and his two oldest sons would be the first priests
◦ they had to be bathed
◦ then dressed in the sacred garments, item by item

The next stage of preparation was the anointing
– oil was poured and sprinkled
• first on the tent, its furnishings, and on the altar
• then Aaron was anointed (oil was poured over his head)
◦ this was to “consecrate” or more properly “sanctify”
◦ to make them holy, which means they and the sanctuary belong to
God exclusively
– then sacrifices were made
• the blood was used to purify the altar (smeared on its “horns”)
◦ some was also used to purify and ordain Aaron and his sons
• it was dabbed on the right ear, thumb of the right hand, and big toe of
the right foot
◦ starting at top, with the ear (meaning: to hear and respond)
◦ then the extremities, symbolizing
the sacred work they did with their hands
and their movements at the altar and in the sanctuary
The blood decontaminates and the oil consecrates

The whole time required for the ritual was seven days
– during this time, the priests were sequestered in God’s tent

Chapter 9 begins, “On the eight day”

The ritual of purification continues and moves outward to the whole community
– the ceremony of installation of the tent and the ordination of priests,
• would reach its climax with a big even
“. . . today the LORD will appear to you.” And they brought what Moses commanded in front of the tent of meeting, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. And Moses said, “This is the thing that the LORD commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.” (Lev. 9:4-6)
• note, all the congregation drew near
◦ this word appears dozens of times in Leviticus
(they drew near, not just to sanctuary or the altar, but to God)
◦ I mention this, because drawing near is a key theme in Hebrews
– after sacrifice had been made for people, Aaron blessed them
• Moses and Aaron entered the sanctuary to complete the ritual
◦ then emerged and together blessed the people again
• that was the moment God revealed his glory
And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burn offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces (Lev. 9:23-24)

As spectacular as this is, I always struggle through these chapters

We have to slog through the death and dismemberment of animals,
– the manipulation of the parts that were burned on the altar,
• and the pouring, smearing and sprinkling of blood here and there
• I ask myself, What relevance does this have for us?
◦ how does it speak God’s answers to our questions?
◦ how does it address our fears and sorrows
◦ how does it help us become better people?
better spouses, parents, neighbors?
– when we come to passages like this, we must change perspectives
• sometimes our perspective is shaped by how the scriptures are relevant to our lives
◦ and other times our perspective is shaped by how the Scripture orient our lives to God so that we are relevant to him
◦ we may have to dig, search, and meditate to find this second perspective, but the answers will be there

I wish the story ended with chapter 9

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'” And Aaron held his peace (Lev. 10:1-3)

The entire process of the previous seven days was meant to draw a line
– it ran between what belonged to God,
• and what belonged to the people and their everyday world
◦ Nadab and Abihu stepped over that boundary
• they brought something outside the realm of holiness into it
– we’re bewildered at the abruptness and severity of God’s action
• warning sings are posted for a reason,
◦ like those around a high voltage substation
◦ if you disregard them, you do not get a second chance
• Nadab and Abihu did not take God’s holiness seriously enough
◦ perhaps it wasn’t clear to them that they were crossing a line

What motivated or inspired them to do this?
– they may have been caught up in excitement of the moment
• eager to jump in and participate
• sometime afterward, God has a conversation with Aaron
And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, “Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.” (Lev. 10:8-11)
◦ this does not mean Aaron’s sons had been drinking
◦ it’s a warning against anything that could blur the lines
– there is a religious enthusiasm that creates illusions
• illusions of deep feelings of love for God or of inspiration
◦ no doubt, what Aaron’s sons felt seemed genuine
◦ but it was wrong to surrender themselves to that feeling
• our emotions can be moved by worship
◦ but we don’t want to mistake our emotions for God’s work in us
◦ so it is, that in the most gruesome part of the story,
its relevance to us becomes obvious

Conclusion: I was going to wrap this up with a word about reverence

That holiness can be terrifying, the sacred can be scary
– this is the reason the Bible uses the word “fear” for reverence
• that feeling awe and distance in worship, is as important as feeling love and closeness to God
– but I think there’s an ending to the story that we’ll find more helpful
• Aaron and his surviving sons were not allowed to mourn
◦ it seems harsh, but the protocol was precise and rigid
• later, Moses learned one of the offerings had been burned up
◦ furious, Moses took to task Aaron’s sons

Aaron was delicate in his response to Moses
And Aaron said to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the LORD have approved?” And when Moses heard that, he approved. (Lev. 10::19-20)
– he tip-toed around the tragedy, not mentioning it by name
• “approve” translates the Hebrew word, yah-tav, “to do well”
◦ Aaron knew God would understand — that he would pardon them for not eating when they did not feel like eating
◦ Moses approved, yah-tav – he took Aaron’s response well
he could see the good in it

God is holy–and God is love
Within the circumference of these two truths,
we know we can trust his faithful integrity
and his unfailing compassion
He accommodates our weaknesses and imperfection
making up for them by his grace
In his love and kindness
God accepts our service, such as it is
He is our loving Father in heaven