Leviticus 13:47-59 – Contaminated Garments

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What do you do when you see mold on your clothes? Maybe you’ve led a sheltered life and never experienced that. We had a problem in our last rental with a closet that held moisture – unbeknownst to me at least. Once I discovered my moldy clothes, they went immediately to the washing machine. Sadly, there were a few items that never came clean. I never thought to burn them!

When we come across passages like this, we can only marvel at how God thinks of everything. It opens our eyes to see the types of “issues” that people in Bible times had to deal with. If their climate was at all humid, it’s not surprising that mildew would set in. But I always picture the Promised land as dry and desert-like. Where did the mildew come from? Continue reading “Leviticus 13:47-59 – Contaminated Garments”

Leviticus 13:1-46 – Skin Diseases 101

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Now the priests are taking on the role of a doctor to examine skin abnormalities that might set someone apart as ceremonially unclean. We need to remember that the priests were given discernment for these matters so they weren’t just guessing. Depending on the “diagnosis,” the priest “prescribed” certain actions, like quarantining. Notice this type of uncleanliness cannot be remedied with a burnt offering.

This chapter is not the most pleasant to read. I’m sure I’m not the only one who examined my skin quick for any abnormalities. Caring for our skin should be something we take seriously. I’ve seen firsthand the difference between using a good product on my skin and one that may be cheaper. Some people have a hard time believing I’m the age I am, and I’ve often had comments about my skin. Continue reading “Leviticus 13:1-46 – Skin Diseases 101”

Leviticus 12:1-8 – What Happens After Childbirth?

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Continuing in our discussion about clean and unclean, we have the discussion on what happens after a baby is born. If you’ve ever been around someone giving birth, it’s messy, yet very sterile if you happen to be in a hospital setting. The people first hearing these words would not have had any idea what a hospital was, but it doesn’t matter. Being unclean starts with birth but lasts for days with the purification process lasting for more than a month.

Childbirth is a beautiful part of life. Yet, in those days, there was a lot of pressure to be ritually cleansed so you’d be ready to be around people, attend church, etc. Can you imagine? While we have maternity leave from work these days, the focus is getting accustomed to the new human entering your family. Caring for the child’s every need consumes the parent’s time in that very delicate time. Imagine having to add the realities of being unclean to that mix! Continue reading “Leviticus 12:1-8 – What Happens After Childbirth?”

Leviticus 11:1-46 – Detestable Animals

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We’ve entered a new section of this law book to speak of the problem of uncleanliness and what to do about it. In our day, we tend to think of “unclean” in terms of hygiene or sanitation.

It’s hard for us to wrap our minds around this concept and why God would find it so important to reveal to his people. When something is unclean in the Biblical sense, it has only to do with a person’s relationship with God and not the extent of germs present. Continue reading “Leviticus 11:1-46 – Detestable Animals”

Leviticus 10:8-20 – Priestly Conduct

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After the tragedy in our last reading, having more details about proper priestly conduct is helpful to those priests just learning their jobs. Thankfully the mistake caught in this reading became only a teachable moment, and Aaron’s response of remorse satisfied Moses.

The key here for the priests is discernment. The LORD says directly to Aaron, “You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean.” If only Aaron’s other two sons had made a better choice about the incense, a non-sacred item they brought to the sacrificial process. We’ll get to the clean and unclean discussion very soon. Continue reading “Leviticus 10:8-20 – Priestly Conduct”