Sola Scriptura-15

What clean laws are still in force? How many do you actually know of or have heard of from the pulpit? I would guess not many. Clean animals were first introduced to us in Genesis.

Genesis 7:1  Then the LORD said to Noah, "Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time. 7:2  "You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female; 7:3  also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth. 

God continued to chastise the priests and prophets on their lack of training on clean vs unclean and holy vs unholy.

Lev 10:9  "Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die—it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations— 

Lev 10:10  and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, 

Lev 10:11  and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses." 

Aaron and all of his descendants are to teach these distinctions. Holy and profane are just as important as clean vs unclean.

Leviticus 11:1  The LORD spoke again to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them, 11:2  "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'These are the creatures which you may eat from all the animals that are on the earth. 

The list and the characteristics of clean and unclean can be found in Leviticus 11. But is that the extent of clean and unclean?

11:24  'By these, moreover, you will be made unclean: whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, 11:25  and whoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

11:32  'Also anything on which one of them may fall when they are dead becomes unclean, including any wooden article, or clothing, or a skin, or a sack—any article of which use is made—it shall be put in the water and be unclean until evening, then it becomes clean. 

11:33  'As for any earthenware vessel into which one of them may fall, whatever is in it becomes unclean and you shall break the vessel. 

11:34  'Any of the food which may be eaten, on which water comes, shall become unclean, and any liquid which may be drunk in every vessel shall become unclean. 

This sounds a lot like common sense for today. We all need to be careful around dead animals as germs, bacteria, and viruses are likely to be present. Who would argue against this clean Law? Also be careful if these dead animals fall onto vessels, which are most often ceramic and porous. Clothing is equally vulnerable to remaining dangerous after coming in contact with a dead animal.

How many of you are careful when cutting up a chicken in the kitchen? Of course you are!

12:1  Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12:2  "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying: 'When a woman gives birth and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean for seven days, as in the days of her menstruation she shall be unclean. 

Lev 12:3  'On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 

12:4  'Then she shall remain in the blood of her purification for thirty-three days; she shall not touch any consecrated thing, nor enter the sanctuary until the days of her purification are completed. 12:5  'But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall remain in the blood of her purification for sixty-six days. 

12:6  'When the days of her purification are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the doorway of the tent of meeting a one year old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. 12:7  'Then he shall offer it before the LORD and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who bears a child, whether a male or a female. 

For all of you who have the blessing of children know something of the blood involved in birthing. Also, for sometime after the birth, bleeding continues. We are all aware of being careful around this naturally occurring cycle. The menstrual cycle has it’s own set of precautions.

So are the above warnings for our own good? Of course they are! God doesn’t want to keep the good things He has made from us, but He wants to protect us from the daily activities of life that can be harmful.

More next Saturday.