Burunche’s Blog

Signs of Home Contamination

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “When you enter the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as your possession, and I put a contamination of mildew into a house in that land, the owner of the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘Something like mildew has appeared in my house.’

The priest must order that the house be cleared before he enters it to examine the mildew, so that nothing in the house will become unclean. After this, the priest shall go in to inspect the house.

He is to examine the house, and if the mildew on the walls consists of green or red depressions that appear to be beneath the surface of the wall, the priest shall go outside the doorway of the house and close it up for seven days.

On the seventh day the priest is to return and inspect the house. If the mildew has spread on the walls, he must order that the contaminated stones be pulled out and thrown into an unclean place outside the city. And he shall order that the inside of the house be completely scraped, and that the plaster that is scraped off be dumped into an unclean place outside the city. So different stones must be obtained to replace the contaminated ones, as well as additional mortar to replaster the house.

If the mildew reappears in the house after the stones have been torn out and the house has been scraped and replastered, the priest must come and inspect it. If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a destructive mildew; the house is unclean. It must be torn down with its stones, its timbers, and all its plaster, and taken outside the city to an unclean place. Anyone who enters the house during any of the days that it is closed up will be unclean until evening. And anyone who sleeps in the house or eats in it must wash his clothes.

Cleansing a Home

If, however, the priest comes and inspects it, and the mildew has not spread after the house has been replastered, he shall pronounce the house clean, because the mildew is gone.

He is to take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop to purify the house; and he shall slaughter one of the birds over fresh water in a clay pot.

Then he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times. And he shall cleanse the house with the bird’s blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet yarn. Finally, he is to release the live bird into the open fields outside the city. In this way he will make atonement for the house, and it will be clean. This is the law for any infectious skin disease, for a scaly outbreak, for mildew in clothing or in a house, and for a swelling, rash, or spot, to determine when something is clean or unclean. This is the law regarding skin diseases and mildew.”

Now that we have dealt with skin diseases and contamination of clothing, we turn to contamination of buildings. Although these precautions may sound like overkill, they are not. Failing cleansing, buildings infested with mold and mildew can make their occupants very sick, particularly if those occupants suffer from asthma. While the Israelites might never have heard of asthma and allergies as such, they are still at risk.

Such buildings are to have their contents cleared allowing the priest to inspect the house. If the priest sees red and green depressions below the surface of the walls, the priest will lock up the house for seven days, at which time, he will re-inspect it. If the mold has spread further, the affected stones will be removed, the walls will be scraped, and the stones will be replaced and the walls re-plastered. If the mildew recurs, the entire house must be torn down and the stones, plaster, and timbers dumped in an unclean place outside the city. “Anyone who enters the house during any of the days that it is closed up will be unclean until evening. And anyone who sleeps in the house or eats in it must wash his clothes.”  On the other hand, if the mildew does not spread, the priest will perform a ritual similar to that for cleansing of an individual, making atonement for the house.

APPLICATION: In the wake of Katrina and other hurricanes, many homes in the Gulf Coast have had to be destroyed or extensively decontaminated. Mold and contamination from asbestos have forced older buildings in the U.S. to be destroyed or rehabilitated. It’s interesting that God is giving the Israelites these regulations while they are still wandering in the desert living in tents. God isn’t leaving anything to chance.

We read these regulations and think, “Why would anybody need to make a blood sacrifice on behalf of a house? Generally, blood sacrifices are only done to atone for sin; aren’t buildings spiritually neutral?”  Actually, the jury is out on that one. People leave spiritual stains behind them on places they live and sometimes even the places where they have worked.

For nearly two years, we lived in New Orleans. Although there are many people who rave about the beauties of the French Quarter, we found it a very disturbing place. There are many dark stories about things that happened in the French Quarter centuries ago, some of them true. We have lived in Memphis, Tennessee and Charleston, South Carolina. Although each of these cities has places of serene beauty, there are other parts in which the evil is palpable. We believe that it is no accident that each of these cities has a history of being involved in the slave trade. Slavery is a horrific evil that stains anyone involved with it.   

These days, we don’t need to make blood sacrifices for places where we live and work. But if you find yourself uncomfortable in a building, don’t disregard your feelings; you may be picking up on something. Pray and break off curses in the Name of Jesus.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, thank You that there is more power in one drop of the Blood of Jesus than in all the forces of hell. Thank You that when we pray in Your Name, You will protect us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Cleansing from Skin Diseases (Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16)

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is the law of the one afflicted with a skin disease on the day of his cleansing, when he is brought to the priest. The priest is to go outside the camp to examine him, and if the skin disease of the afflicted person has healed, the priest shall order that two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. Then the priest shall command that one of the birds be slaughtered over fresh water in a clay pot. And he is to take the live bird together with the cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the skin disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and release the live bird into the open field.

The one being cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. Afterward, he may enter the camp, but he must remain outside his tent for seven days. On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair—his head, his beard, his eyebrows, and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.

On the eighth day he is to bring two unblemished male lambs, an unblemished ewe lamb a year old, a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with olive oil, and one log of olive oil. The priest who performs the cleansing shall present the one to be cleansed, together with these offerings, before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and present it as a guilt offering, along with the log of olive oil; and he must wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. Then he is to slaughter the lamb in the sanctuary area where the sin offering and burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy.

The priest is to take some of the blood from the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Then the priest shall take some of the log of olive oil, pour it into his left palm, dip his right forefinger into the oil in his left palm, and sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD. And the priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering.

The rest of the oil in his palm, the priest is to put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering and offer it on the altar, with the grain offering, to make atonement for him, and he will be clean. If, however, the person is poor and cannot afford these offerings, he is to take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, along with a tenth an ephah of fine flour mixed with olive oil for a grain offering, a log of olive oil, and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, whichever he can afford, one to be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.

On the eighth day he is to bring them for his cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. The priest shall take the lamb for the guilt offering, along with the log of olive oil, and wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. And after he slaughters the lamb for the guilt offering, the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Then the priest is to pour some of the oil into his left palm and sprinkle with his right forefinger some of the oil in his left palm seven times before the LORD. The priest shall also put some of the oil in his palm on the right earlobe of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot—on the same places as the blood of the guilt offering.

The rest of the oil in his palm, the priest is to put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. Then he must sacrifice one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, whichever he can afford, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the LORD for the one to be cleansed.

This is the law for someone who has a skin disease and cannot afford the cost of his cleansing.”

Having described the diagnostic process for skin diseases, Moses now describes the rituals to be followed to declare someone clean and ready to re-enter society. Why are these rituals so long and involved? God wants people to be assured that anyone returning to society will pose no threat to their families and their neighbors. The priests are to go to the diseased person outside the camp and examine him. If the disease has cleared, the priests sacrifice one clean bird over a pot with clean water, sprinkle the patient and the other bird seven times with the blood, and set the other bird free.

The patient is to shave off all his hair and bathe; then he may enter the camp but he may not enter his tent until the eighth day when he shaves all his hair again and makes an offering of three lambs, a grain offering, and an olive oil offering. If the patient cannot afford three lambs, he can offer turtle doves or pigeons. During this ritual, the priests will anoint the patient on his right earlobe, his right thumb, and his right big toe as a sign that from then on he will hear only righteousness, do only righteousness, and walk righteously.

APPLICATION: We might wonder why God is ordaining such complicated rituals. God wants to make sure that people realize that these patients have truly been declared clean and that they are no longer to be social outcasts. What must it be like to be a cured patient and to watch that one bird fly free? Now the patient himself/herself will also be free.

The late President Theodore Roosevelt has been quoted as saying that, “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” If we are honest with ourselves, we can agree with that statement. While we might not be suffering from a skin disease, but each one of us suffers from a disease of congenital sin. Romans 7:21-25 tells us, “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” No matter how hard we try, we sin. But there is good news.

We are on the After side of Calvary. Rather than offering animals or birds, we can trust in the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin. But we must believe that Jesus has done this for us. Let’s pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord Jesus, help us to trust that You have shed Your blood for our sins. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In Your mighty and precious Name, King Jesus. Amen.

The Law Concerning Leprous Garments

“Also, if a garment has a leprous plague in it, whether it is a woolen garment or a linen garment, whether it is in the warp or woof of linen or wool, whether in leather or in anything made of leather, and if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather, whether in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a leprous plague and shall be shown to the priest. The priest shall examine the plague and isolate that which has the plague seven days. And he shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, in the leather or in anything made of leather, the plague is an active leprosy. It is unclean. He shall therefore burn that garment in which is the plague, whether warp or woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of leather, for it is an active leprosy; the garment shall be burned in the fire.

“But if the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, then the priest shall command that they wash the thing in which is the plague; and he shall isolate it another seven days. Then the priest shall examine the plague after it has been washed; and indeed if the plague has not changed its color, though the plague has not spread, it is unclean, and you shall burn it in the fire; it continues eating away, whether the damage is outside or inside. If the priest examines it, and indeed the plague has faded after washing it, then he shall tear it out of the garment, whether out of the warp or out of the woof, or out of the leather. But if it appears again in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in anything made of leather, it is a spreading plague; you shall burn with fire that in which is the plague. And if you wash the garment, either warp or woof, or whatever is made of leather, if the plague has disappeared from it, then it shall be washed a second time, and shall be clean.

“This is the law of the leprous plague in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or in anything made of leather, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.”

The Israelites are traveling through a desert where the humidity is likely around 20%; however, it is still possible for clothing to develop mildew and other problems. Again, the priests are charged with maintaining sound public health and keeping people safe from potential contagions. If a garment develops red or green spots, the priests are to isolate it for seven days and then re-examine it. If the spots are enlarging, the priests are to burn the garment. If the spots are not enlarging, the garment should be washed and then isolated for another seven days. If the color does not change, the priests will burn the garment, but if the color has faded, then the spots will be torn out of the garment. But if the spots recur, the priests will burn the garment. If the spots disappear after washing, then the garment will be washed a second time and be considered clean.  

Why is God so particular about clothing? Leviticus tells us a great deal about hygiene, both private and public. God wants His people to be holy and not stinky. How badly would someone smell after wearing a moldy garment in desert heat for most of the day? God also wants to make sure His people remain healthy. Potentially, a garment that is infested with some kind of rot might cause skin problems to the wearers.

APPLICATION: When I was growing up, one of my mother’s rallying cries was this: “You are MY child! I don’t care what other people are doing.” While the Israelites were living in Egypt, they likely became used to lax measures as far as hygiene was concerned. Bathing can be difficult when water is at a premium. These are God’s people and He wants them to be different from the pagans surrounding them. God is playing a very long game; He’s using a forty-year journey through the wilderness to train His people in essential public health and hygiene practices. God is looking down the centuries when the Jews will maintain sanitation while others around them will not. How difficult is it to maintain cleanliness in such a situation? The number of Israelites who have left Egypt is roughly 2 million and people using non-water borne sanitation require 3 gallons of water a day, so this group requires 6 million gallons of water a day for washing and drinking water. That’s 8,760,000,000,000 gallons of water over a forty-year period, not allowing for population growth. Talk about long-term miracles!

(The 3-gallon figure comes from the book Medical Administration for Front-line Doctors by Dr. C. Andrew Pearson, a missionary doctor who ran the Ilesha Methodist Hospital in Nigeria.)

Why all these regulations concerning garments? God wants His people to be healthy, even in the middle of a wilderness. These regulations are specific because God knows His people are going to argue with everything He says and He doesn’t want any gray areas.

When we first came to Kumasi, Ghana, many years ago, there were a lot more trees. Kumasi was in the center of the rain forest, and the humidity was so high that clothing would mildew right in the closet or in a dresser. Many people used naphtha – scented moth balls in a vain effort to fight mildew, and it was a common smell in large gatherings. We swiftly learned not to use wire hangers, lest we wind up with rust spots on our clothing. The only way to halt the mildew was to re-wash the clothes using bleach if appropriate and then iron them with a hot iron and wear them that day. For the ancient Israelites, sunshine would have been the best preventative, since sunlight can kill fungus.

These days, many people no longer struggle with mildewed clothes; however, God’s concern for our health and well-being remains. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God wants to give us a hope and a future, one that is not blighted by mold. Let us run after God and serve Him, so that we can move into that hope.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You that You want us to be healthy and productive. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Law Concerning Leprosy

“And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean. But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore seven days. And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore appears to be as it was, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him another seven days. Then the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore has faded, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean. But if the scab should at all spread over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again. And if the priest sees that the scab has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is leprosy.

“When the leprous sore is on a person, then he shall be brought to the priest. And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling, it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean.

“And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one who has the sore, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks, then the priest shall consider; and indeed if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. It has all turned white. He is clean. But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean; for the raw flesh is unclean. It is leprosy. Or if the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest. And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the sore has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. He is clean.

 “If the body develops a boil in the skin, and it is healed, and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest; and if, when the priest sees it, it indeed appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore which has broken out of the boil. But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days; and if it should at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore. But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

“Or if the body receives a burn on its skin by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white or white, then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore. But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days. And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore. But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread on the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. The priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.

“If a man or woman has a sore on the head or the beard, then the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if it appears deeper than the skin, and there is in it thin yellow hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a scaly leprosy of the head or beard. But if the priest examines the scaly sore, and indeed it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale seven days. And on the seventh day the priest shall examine the sore; and indeed if the scale has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the scale does not appear deeper than the skin, he shall shave himself, but the scale he shall not shave. And the priest shall isolate the one who has the scale another seven days. On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scale; and indeed if the scale has not spread over the skin, and does not appear deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes and be clean. But if the scale should at all spread over the skin after his cleansing, then the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the scale has spread over the skin, the priest need not seek for yellow hair. He is unclean. But if the scale appears to be at a standstill, and there is black hair grown up in it, the scale has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

“If a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, specifically white bright spots, then the priest shall look; and indeed if the bright spots on the skin of the body are dull white, it is a white spot that grows on the skin. He is clean.

“As for the man whose hair has fallen from his head, he is bald, but he is clean. He whose hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the forehead, but he is clean. And if there is on the bald head or bald forehead a reddish-white sore, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead. Then the priest shall examine it; and indeed if the swelling of the sore is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, as the appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body, he is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean; his sore is on his head.

“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

 

LEPROSY! One of the most feared diagnoses one can have. This disease is caused by Mycobacterium leprae, a bacterium related to the bug that causes TB. The priests are acting as public health officials to protect the populace as they carry out their inspections. But how can people be certain that the priests have gotten it right? That is where these detailed instructions come in.

Basically, the priests are supposed to judge based on the color of the sore, the depth of the sore, the color of the hair associated with the sore, and whether the sore becomes deeper and/or more extensive or heals during an extended period of observation. ““Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.”

The World Health Organization tells us that “the disease is transmitted through droplets from the nose and mouth. Prolonged close contact over months with someone with untreated leprosy is needed to catch the disease.” Nobody knows exactly where leprosy began, although it has been known in Africa and the Middle East for thousands of years. But what are the priests to do with a group of millions of people moving together in the desert and living in tents where they will automatically cough and sneeze on one another? That is where inspection and isolation practices come in.  

Why have such complicated rules for diagnosing leprosy? If there were not iron-clad rules, a priest might be tempted to take out his resentment on anyone he hates; after all, what could be worse than social isolation? By the time of Jesus, lepers are known as social outcasts; however, Jesus heals many of them, touching them in violation of these regulations. (Matthew 8) 

These days, there are highly effective medicines to treat leprosy, so lepers are no longer isolated as they once were. Treatment regimens range between six and twelve months. But family members should be closely monitored.

APPLICATION: While very few of us will ever have to worry about leprosy, each one of us has a problem that we cannot overcome by ourselves: sin. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” No matter how hard we try, we are still stuck. That is why we all need a Savior who can deliver us from ourselves. Sin must be paid for in blood, and only the blood of a sinless Man will be sufficient to wipe out our sins. This is why Jesus has come to earth, has been born as a man, and has died on Calvary and has risen.

PRAYER:  Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to trust in what Jesus has already done for us. Send dreams, send experiences, speak to our hearts so that we will truly know the depth of Your love for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The Ritual After Childbirth

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled.

‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days.

‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then he shall offer it before the Lord, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.

‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons—one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’ ”

Why consider a woman unclean for seven days after she bears a male child? Seven days gives time for the lochia, the bleeding after childbirth, to stop. People with any kind of discharge are barred from open society. This time period also allows the woman to recover from childbirth. Although the Jews have practiced circumcision from the time of Abraham, now God is giving a time period for the circumcision. Eight days is long enough to ensure that the baby is going to live. But the mother is still going to continue in seclusion for thirty-three more days, giving the mother a chance to rest and to bond with the baby.

Circumcision has been a sign of the covenant between God and the Israelites ever since the time of Abraham. There are also sound hygienic reasons for circumcision; it helps prevent penile cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of cervical cancer among women having sex with circumcised men. For an in-depth discussion of the meaning of circumcision, check out David Guzik’s Enduring Word commentary on Leviticus 12.

At first glance, when we read these few verses, we wonder if God is discriminating against girl babies. Why is the mother of a girl infant considered unclean for two weeks and secluded for sixty-six days? Girl babies are generally a little smaller and might take longer to gain strength. Since sons are more prized, this extended seclusion allows the family to better bond with the little girl. Guzik also suggests that this extended time of impurity is for the symbolic responsibility of bringing other sinners into the world. “When giving birth to a female, a mother brings a sinner into the world who will bring till other sinners into the world.” (David Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary Leviticus 12)

Once the time of seclusion ends, the mother is to bring an offering and a sin offering to the temple. The requirements are the same for both boy and girl babies. God makes allowances for the very poor by allowing them to offer two turtle doves or two young pigeons. When Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem, they offer a pair of turtle doves, indicating that their family is quite poor.

APPLICATION: These days, maternity leave is a given for women in many countries; however, in the past, many women were forced to return to work as soon as they delivered. Maternity leave allows a mother’s body to recover while she also copes with the strident demands of an ever-hungry newborn. It is both touching and amazing to realize that even in the time of Moses, God was already instituting maternity leave.

Sometimes we view God as an angry old man in the sky who is simply waiting to zap people with a lightning bolt. In this short chapter, God reveals Himself as caring for infants, for mothers, for families, and particularly for the poor. If God cares so much for people in these situations, we can also be certain that He cares for us as individuals.

Please note that these instructions apply to all the Israelite mothers. There is no indication that a particular mother must be unusually virtuous or hard-working to qualify. God refuses to demand that a mother fulfill a set of requirements before she is allowed to enjoy her seclusion; all she must do is to give birth. By the same token, God wants to bless each one of us with rest if we will only allow Him. Jesus told the crowds, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Today, why not ask God to give you the rest you need -physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. God stands ready if we will let Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Your ordinances. Thank You that You don’t play favorites and that You stand ready to help any of us to find rest if we will only let You. Help us to trust You and to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Clean and Unclean Animals (Deuteronomy 14:1-21; Acts 10:9-16)

“The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them, “Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. But of those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.

The rock badger, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales. But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales. They shall be an abomination to you; you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses. Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be detestable to you.

Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, any kind of falcon, any kind of raven, the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.

All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. However, you may eat the following kinds of winged creatures that walk on all fours: those having jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket, or grasshopper. All other winged creatures that have four legs are detestable to you. These creatures will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening, and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.

Every animal with hooves not completely divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you. Whoever touches any of them will be unclean. All the four-footed animals that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up a carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening. They are unclean for you.

The following creatures that move along the ground are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, any kind of great lizard, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.

These animals are unclean for you among all the crawling creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean. If any of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean; you must break the pot. Any food coming into contact with water from that pot will be unclean, and any drink in such a container will be unclean.

Anything upon which one of their carcasses falls will be unclean. If it is an oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you. Nevertheless, a spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but one who touches a carcass in it will be unclean. If a carcass falls on any seed for sowing, the seed is clean; but if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.

If an animal that you may eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean until evening. Anyone who eats from the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening. Every creature that moves along the ground is detestable; it must not be eaten. Do not eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it crawls on its belly or walks on four or more feet; for such creatures are detestable.

Do not defile yourselves by any crawling creature; do not become unclean or defiled by them. For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground. For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that crawl along the ground. You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’”

This chapter is one of the most complicated in Leviticus. Why all these detailed regulations? God wants His people to stay healthy and holy. The illustration is from a site entitled “Doodling through the Bible.”

Basically, God lists clean and unclean animals. Reading the list of unclean animals, we realize that even then, some of those animals may have carried diseases such as tularemia in rabbits. The list of seafood eliminates shellfish that might also carry diseases. Four-footed animals that walk on their paws are likely to be scavengers, as are the prohibited birds. Moles, mice, and lizards of all shapes and sizes are also likely to carry various kinds of diseases.

Of prohibited animals, God says, “Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean. If any of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean; you must break the pot. Any food coming into contact with water from that pot will be unclean, and any drink in such a container will be unclean. Anything upon which one of their carcasses falls will be unclean. If it is an oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you. Nevertheless, a spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but one who touches a carcass in it will be unclean. If a carcass falls on any seed for sowing, the seed is clean; but if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.”

Even if a clean animal dies, anybody who touches it or eats the carcass will be unclean until he washes at evening.

Why all these complicated rules? God knows His people and God knows their propensity for arguing, splitting hairs, and pushing the envelope. Give these people a millimeter and they will definitely take a kilometer! These people must remain healthy without antibiotics, so stringent public health measures are essential.

APPLICATION: We read theses lists of rules and think, “YIPES! How can anybody possibly keep up with this stuff?” But given the alternatives of sickness and death, following these dietary rules begins to make sense. Do we have to observe all these rules? Yes and no. Some people are vegans while others are vegetarians or follow macrobiotic diets. Others follow many of the Jewish dietary rules as part of their religion. But even if you love surf and turf, it still makes sense to be careful about your food, especially when even your breakfast oatmeal can expose you to herbicides.

God always has many different purposes in His commandments. These commandments have been given to keep the Israelites healthy; however, God is also hauling His people out of pagan practices. For many pagans, anything goes, and God wants His people to seek holiness.

How far will we go to be holy? God wants us to be healthy so that we can serve Him and others better. How much are we willing to give up? No matter where you live, food additives can be a problem. Watered down honey, fake cooking oils, frozen food that has thawed and has then been re-frozen-these are all challenges that we face even in northern Ghana. And many of us need to be careful about our diets because we are diabetic or hypertensive.

As we continue to study Leviticus, let’s remember that God loves us and wants us to be healthy and productive. While very few of us are about to chow down on grasshoppers, we still need to be careful about our food.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to realize how deep Your concern is for us and how much You want us to be healthy. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

THE PROFANE FIRE OF NADAB AND ABIHU

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.

Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.

And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord has kindled. You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

Conduct Prescribed for Priests

Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.”

And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left: “Take the grain offering that remains of the offerings made by fire to the Lord, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy. You shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons’ due, of the sacrifices made by fire to the Lord; for so I have been commanded. The breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering you shall eat in a clean place, you, your sons, and your daughters with you; for they are your due and your sons’ due, which are given from the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel. The thigh of the heave offering and the breast of the wave offering they shall bring with the offerings of fat made by fire, to offer as a wave offering before the Lord. And it shall be yours and your sons’ with you, by a statute forever, as the Lord has commanded.”

Then Moses made careful inquiry about the goat of the sin offering, and there it was—burned up. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? See! Its blood was not brought inside the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded.”

And Aaron said to Moses, “Look, this day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?” So when Moses heard that, he was content.”

Hoo Boy! Talk about a misplaced sense of entitlement! God has chosen Aaron and his sons to minister in the Tent of Meeting; unfortunately, two of Aaron’s sons figure that they can now “behave anyhow” as the Ghanaians would say. From God’s subsequent commands, it is obvious that Nadab and Abihu have either sneaked alcohol into the Tent of Meeting or they have slipped out against God’s orders and gotten drunk. Once boozed up, they have then decided to show off by loading their censors with incense and waving them around in the Tent of Meeting to show how important they are. Bad move! God looks down, points His finger, and ZAP! No more Nadab and Abihu!

“And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.” LESSON #1: DON’T DISRESPECT GOD! Aaron had better hold his peace; he is the one who has raised two rebellious sons with no regard for the Lord. Aaron’s family has not learned much since the golden calf incident. Moses orders Aaron’s cousins to carry what’s left of Nadab and Abihu out of the camp. What we don’t see is any instructions for burial; perhaps there isn’t enough left to bury and it’s better to leave the ashes out in the desert. 

God forbids Aaron and his sons from leaving the Tent of Meeting or from mourning this loss; however, all the Israelites are enjoined to grieve in their place. Next, God commands Aaron and his sons, “Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.” Wake up, Aaron! God is holding priests to a higher standard. Pagans might get drunk during their religious rituals, but God’s ministers need to remain sober and vigilant.

Moses then gives instructions about the grain offerings and the wave offerings, but now there is a new problem. Aaron has been so distracted by the death of two sons that he has left the entire goat for the sin offering burning and now it is completely burned up. “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? See! Its blood was not brought inside the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded.”

Is Aaron repentant? Are you kidding? Once more, Aaron gives mealy-mouthed excuses. “And Aaron said to Moses, “Look, this day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?” So when Moses heard that, he was content.”

This ridiculous statement totally ignores the fact that Nadab and Abihu were drunk and disorderly, carrying out an act that God had not commanded. These two were not struck down because they were obedient to the Lord but because they were showing off and disrespectful. Aaron and his sons were to eat the sin offering to bear the guilt of the congregation and to make atonement for them before the Lord. Had Aaron and his sons obeyed God’s commands, there should not have been any problem. Aaron’s excuse is merely the latest in a long line of excuses, excuses Aaron has been making his entire life. If Aaron’s actions were computer software, this would be Golden Calf 2.0.

APPLICATION: We read this and think, “These guys must be a special kind of stupid! Why would anybody disobey an all-powerful God?” Well, people have been disobeying God ever since the human race got started. Why do you think Noah wound up on that boat with all those animals? It was not because his neighbors were so great. What is so sad about this story is the character of Aaron, or lack thereof. Moses has complained to God that he doesn’t speak well, and Aaron has become Moses’s spokesman; however, when it comes to character, Aaron is sadly lacking. And Aaron has also failed as a father. This probably is not the first time that Nadab and Abihu have gotten sloppy drunk, disgracing Aaron and themselves in the process.

Is it possible that Aaron’s dead sons have learned their disrespect for God from their father? Children are amazing mimics, copying parents far more closely than those parents would generally like. Reading the scriptures closely, you get the impression that Aaron loves to dress up and show off, but he does everything he can to avoid taking responsibility for his actions. These days, we may blame social media for being a bad influence on our children; however, what examples are we giving? The tragedy of Nadab and Abihu didn’t begin the day they showed up for worship service drunk; it started when they were little. Has Aaron been secretly drinking? Who knows? But the tragedy of Nadab and Abihu is a family tragedy, not an individual one. May God help us so that we will set Godly examples for our children!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all of us to parent our children wisely so that they learn to fear and respect You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

The First Offerings of Aaron

“On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and present them before the LORD. Then speak to the Israelites and say, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without blemish—for a burnt offering, an ox and a ram for a peace offering to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the LORD will appear to you.’”

So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the whole congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. And Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to make atonement for yourself and for the people. And sacrifice the people’s offering to make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded.”

The Sin Offering (Leviticus 6:24-30)

So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. The sons of Aaron brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and applied it to the horns of the altar. And he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the sin offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. But he burned up the flesh and the hide outside the camp.

The Burnt Offering (Leviticus 6:8-13)

Then Aaron slaughtered the burnt offering and his sons brought him the blood, and he sprinkled it on all sides of the altar. They brought him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. He washed the entrails and the legs and burned them atop the burnt offering on the altar.

The Offerings for the People

Aaron then presented the people’s offering. He took the male goat for the people’s sin offering, slaughtered it, and offered it for sin like the first one.

He presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the ordinance.

Next he presented the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning’s burnt offering.

Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram as the people’s peace offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he sprinkled it on all sides of the altar.

They also brought the fat portions from the ox and the ram—the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver— and placed these on the breasts. Aaron burned the fat portions on the altar, but he waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded.

Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having made the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down.

Moses and Aaron Bless the People

Moses and Aaron then entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.”

Aaron and his sons have spent seven days in seclusion in the Tent of Meeting. Now it is time for the priests to be consecrated and for the first offerings to be given. First, Aaron offers the sin offering and the burnt offering to make atonement for himself and for the people. Aaron slaughters a perfect calf, burns the fat on the altar, and smears the blood on the horns of the altar, pouring out the blood at the base of the altar. Aaron burns the rest of the calf outside the camp. Next, Aaron slaughters aperfect  ram for a burnt offering, sprinkling the blood on all sides of the altar. Aaron burns the ram piece by piece, washing the legs and entrails before burning them.

Having made the sacrifices for himself, Aaron now makes the sacrifices for the people- a male goat for the people’s sin offering, a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for a peace offering. All of these animals must be perfect and without blemish. Aaron lays out the fatty portions of the animals and waves the breast and the right thigh as a

wave offering; however, he does not set fire to these offerings. This meat will later come to the priests. Moses and Aaron then enter the Tent of Meeting. When they come out, they bless the people, and the glory of the LORD appears to all the people. A heavenly fire ball comes out from the presence of the LORD and consumes the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people see it, they shout for joy and fall facedown! Wow! When Moses advises the people that the Lord will appear to them, he is not kidding!

APPLICATION: These days, some churches are resorting to special effects to enhance their worship services. It is sometimes difficult to find a church in which the musicians stop playing long enough for the pastor to give the sermon. One church we have visited had a continuous light show going during the service; it was very distracting. One television evangelist even boasted that his church had a Starbucks coffee bar in their church. A columnist, disgusted with a church using a fog machine, has referred to these practices as “Six Flags over Jesus.” (For non-Americans, Six Flags is a chain of amusement parks with all kinds of rides and other entertainment. Such a description is NOT a compliment!) But what do these practices have to do with worshiping God?

God does not need special effects; He is perfectly capable of astounding people without any assistance from fog machines, light shows, spooky music, or any other demonstrations of showmanship. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that “God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.” If our hearts are not right and if we are not really seeking God, special effects are likely to distract us from finding Him, rather than helping bring us closer. Those who lead worship or who give messages need to make sure that they get out of the way and allow God to act.

The question this chapter does not address is this: Once these people have seen God send fire from heaven, have they had a change of heart, or are they still unrepentant pagans in search of the next thrill? Given the subsequent actions of the Israelites, even when God sends heavenly flames, people treat the event much as modern American treat Fourth of July fireworks; they are great entertainment, but once the fireworks are over, everyone goes back to the way they were living before.

One of our friends used to sing a song entitled, “I’m tired of being stirred but not being changed.” Worship should bring us closer to God. Sermons should bring us closer to God. If church descends to the level of entertainment, it is worth very little. Let us forget about special effects and beg God to do what He does best: change our hearts.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, bring us closer to You and help us to follow You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Moses Consecrates Aaron and His Sons (Exodus 29:1-9)

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, and assemble the whole congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.”

So Moses did as the LORD had commanded him, and the assembly gathered at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And Moses said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded to be done.”

Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He tied the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him. Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece. Moses also put the turban on Aaron’s head and set the gold plate, the holy diadem, on the front of the turban, as the LORD had commanded him.

Next, Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it; and so he consecrated them. He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them.

He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him. Then Moses presented Aaron’s sons, put tunics on them, wrapped sashes around them, and tied headbands on them, just as the LORD had commanded him.

The Priests’ Sin Offering

Moses then brought the bull near for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the bull, took some of the blood, and applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar, purifying the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it so that atonement could be made on it.

Moses also took all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it all on the altar. But the bull with its hide, flesh, and dung he burned outside the camp, as the LORD had commanded him.

The Priests’ Burnt Offering (Exodus 38:1-7; Leviticus 1:1-17)

Then Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the ram and sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar. He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces, and the fat. He washed the entrails and legs with water and burned the entire ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The Ram of Ordination (Exodus 29:10-30)

After that, Moses presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Moses also presented Aaron’s sons and put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar.

And Moses took the fat—the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with their fat—as well as the right thigh. And from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one cake of unleavened bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer, and he placed them on the fat portions and on the right thigh. He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the LORD as a wave offering.

Moses took these out of their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. He also took the breast—Moses’ portion of the ordination ram—and waved it before the LORD as a wave offering, as the LORD had commanded him.

Next Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, as well as Aaron’s sons and their garments.

And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’ Then you must burn up the remainder of the meat and bread.

You must not go outside the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are complete; for it will take seven days to ordain you. What has been done today has been commanded by the LORD in order to make atonement on your behalf. You must remain at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day and night for seven days and keep the LORD’s charge so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.” So Aaron and his sons did everything the LORD had commanded through Moses.”

There are three main parts to this chapter: first, Moses calls the entire congregation as witnesses and then bathes Aaron and his sons with water. Moses dresses Aaron in the priestly garments as God has directed and then dresses Aaron’s sons in linen tunics and head bands as well. While not described here, the priests are also supposed to wear linen breeches, thus avoiding exposing their genitalia as they ascend to the altar. This kind of dress is in stark contrast to that of the pagan priests who might wear little or nothing at all and who will deliberately exhibit their genitalia, the bigger the better. Moses offers a bull as a sin offering for the priests, applying some of the blood to the horns of the altar and pouring the rest of the blood out at the foot of the altar. After offering the kidneys and fat as a burnt offering, Moses takes the rest of the bull and burns that outside the camp.

Next, Moses offers a ram as a burnt offering on behalf of the priests. MOses sprinkles the blood on all sides of the altar, cutting the ram into pieces, washing the entrails and legs, and burning the entire animal on the altar.

Finally, Moses offers the ram of ordination. Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head. Moses slaughters the ram, taking some of its blood and putting it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Moses also presents Aaron’s sons and puts some of the blood on their right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Moses takes meat and bread and has Aaron and his sons wave these items before the Lord as a sign that they are offering them; however, the priests will later consume most of these items. Finally, Moses sprinkles anointing oil and blood from the altar on the priests and their clothing. The priests then spend seven days in the Tent of Meeting without leaving it to complete their consecration. Presumably, the priests will eat the bread and boiled meat from the sacrifices during that time.

What’s the point of all this? God wants His people to take His worship very seriously! God orders Moses to anoint the right ears, right thumbs, and right big toes of the priests so that they will hear His Word, do what He wants them to do, and go only where He wants them to go. Aaron and his sons are just as sinful as all the other Israelites, so they must undergo special rituals before they are qualified to minister before the Lord. God wants those men to remain in the Tent of Meeting for seven days so that they can commune with Him and consider their priestly calling.

APPLICATION: Those of you who are truly Bible scholars will realize that these descriptions constitute “Leviticus Light,” in other words, a very sketchy analysis of this chapter. Entire books have been written about the symbolism of these offerings; however, here I am trying to describe the main purposes of these rituals. I feel the main thrust of this chapter is that those who minister need cleansing from sin just as much as everybody else, if not more so. 1 John 1:8-10 tells us, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

When I was a small child in Sunday School, we learned a song that said, “Oh be careful little eyes what you see.” If you look at the verses, you will realize they follow the pattern of anointing God has carried out in this chapter.

1 Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see, Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see. There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love, Oh, be careful, little eyes, what you see.

2 Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear, Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear. There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love, Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear.

3 Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say, Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say. There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love, Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say.

4 Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do, Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do. There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love, Oh, be careful, little hands, what you do.

5 Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go, Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go. There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love, Oh, be careful, little feet, where you go.

Whether we are big or little, our Heavenly Father is still looking down in tender love. God wants everything we see, hear, speak, or do, and every place we go to honor Him. But we all fall short because we are human. Moses ritually slaughtered animals and sprinkled blood and anointing oil on the priests to consecrate them. But Jesus Christ has shed His blood on Calvary as the ultimate blood sacrifice. Our only remaining actions are to trust that Jesus has done this for us and to believe on Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord Jesus, we confess that we are sinners and that we cannot free ourselves from our sins. Help us to trust that You have paid the price for our sins. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In Your mighty and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

The Guilt Offering (Leviticus 5:14-19; Leviticus 6:1-7)

“Now this is the law of the guilt offering, which is most holy: The guilt offering must be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and the priest shall sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar. And all the fat from it shall be offered: the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which is to be removed with the kidneys. The priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made by fire to the LORD; it is a guilt offering. Every male among the priests may eat of it. It must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.

The guilt offering is like the sin offering; the same law applies to both. It belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it. As for the priest who presents a burnt offering for anyone, the hide of that offering belongs to him. Likewise, every grain offering that is baked in an oven or cooked in a pan or on a griddle belongs to the priest who presents it, and every grain offering, whether dry or mixed with oil, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron.

The Peace Offering (Leviticus 3:1-17)

Now this is the law of the peace offering that one may present to the LORD: If he offers it in thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, he must offer unleavened cakes mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers coated with oil, and well-kneaded cakes of fine flour mixed with oil.

Along with his peace offering of thanksgiving, he is to present an offering with cakes of leavened bread. From the cakes he must present one portion of each offering as a contribution to the LORD. It belongs to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offering. The meat of the sacrifice of his peace offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day he offers it; none of it may be left until morning.

If, however, the sacrifice he offers is a vow or a freewill offering, it shall be eaten on the day he presents his sacrifice, but the remainder may be eaten on the next day. But any meat of the sacrifice remaining until the third day must be burned up. If any of the meat from his peace offering is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted. It will not be credited to the one who presented it; it shall be an abomination, and the one who eats of it shall bear his iniquity.

Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten; it is to be burned up. As for any other meat, anyone who is ceremonially clean may eat it. But if anyone who is unclean eats meat from the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people. If one touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable thing, and then eats any of the meat of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.”

Fat and Blood Forbidden

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘You are not to eat any of the fat of an ox, a sheep, or a goat. The fat of an animal found dead or mauled by wild beasts may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it.

If anyone eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be presented to the LORD, the one who eats it must be cut off from his people. You must not eat the blood of any bird or animal in any of your dwellings. If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people.’”

The Priests’ Portion

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘Anyone who presents a peace offering to the LORD must bring it as his sacrifice to the LORD. With his own hands he is to bring the offerings made by fire to the LORD; he shall bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast as a wave offering before the LORD.

The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons. And you are to give the right thigh to the priest as a contribution from your peace offering. The son of Aaron who presents the blood and fat of the peace offering shall have the right thigh as a portion.

I have taken from the sons of Israel the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution of their peace offerings, and I have given them to Aaron the priest and his sons as a permanent portion from the sons of Israel.’”

This is the portion of the offerings made by fire to the LORD for Aaron and his sons since the day they were presented to serve the LORD as priests. On the day they were anointed, the LORD commanded that this be given them by the sons of Israel. It is a permanent portion for the generations to come.

This is the law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the ordination offering, and the peace offering, which the LORD gave Moses on Mount Sinai on the day He commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai.“

YIPES! Is this complicated? Well, yes and no. One of the ways of ensuring that the priests will not wander off in search of their fortunes is by ensuring that they benefit in some fashion from the offerings. There is a lot of work involved in maintaining the temple, cleaning it, carrying out ashes, and generally making sure that things take place according to God’s commands.

The priests benefit in several ways: the meat from the guilt offerings and the sin offerings belong to the priests. The priest making the offering keeps the skin of the animal offered. The grain offerings belong to the priests making the offerings. The right thigh and the breast from the peace offerings belong to the priests.

 The fat from any offering is burned on the altar. The meat from a peace offering is to be eaten by people who are ritually clean and to be consumed that day; however, meat from an offering for a vow can be consumed the next day. After that, the meat must be burned. God forbids the Israelites from eating either fat or blood. What is the big deal about blood? Many pagan religions employ the drinking of blood in their rituals. God teaches that blood is life and wants His people to separate themselves from these pagan practices. Those eating peace offerings who are not ritually clean are to become outcasts. Meat that touches anything unclean is not to be eaten but to be burned.

When we are considering these regulations, it is helpful to remember that the Israelites did not enjoy the benefits of refrigeration. Meat that was kept too long would spoil and give someone food poisoning. But if God were to say, “Do not keep meat beyond a certain point because you might get food poisoning, someone somewhere would try doing just that to see if it would really happen.

APPLICATION: Sometimes the number of regulations in Leviticus seems mind – staggering. It helps if we remember that many pagan tribes practiced unspeakably awful rituals involving drinking blood, eating rotten meat and rancid fat, etc. God was trying to protect the Israelites in the only way He could that might work. The Israelites were not a bunch of earnest God- seekers; they were pagans who had spent four hundred years in Egypt and had absorbed much of the death -based Egyptian religious culture. When God took on training the Israelites, He really had a job on His hands!

We might read many of these regulations and feel superior; after all, we would not engage in some of those nasty practices. But God’s purpose in all these regulations was for people to obey Him. How well do we obey God and how many times do we argue with Him, second guessing Him, rebelling against Him? Recently one of my patients has suffered a series of medical catastrophes. I have prayed earnestly for this young man’s healing and have tried to follow God’s guidance; yet, the young man continues to suffer. At this moment, trusting God is a struggle; however, I must realize that God knows the end from the beginning and I do not. One pastor friend used to say that we were only in advertising; God was in management. That is still true. So, we go on trusting where we cannot see and believing that God can work all things for good, including medical disasters.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.