Leviticus - Chapters 11-16

The speaker discusses chapters 11-16 of Leviticus, focusing on the various offerings and food laws. They explain the concept of clean and unclean, and how food restrictions have been interpreted differently throughout history. They also touch on purification laws, infectious diseases, and the role of the high priest in the atonement process. They conclude by emphasizing the importance of Jesus' sacrifice and urging listeners to have faith in him. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at vab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Well today we are covering chapters 11 through 16 of Leviticus and it's chapters like these that made me always think of the law when I thought about Leviticus. So far in this book the various offerings have been explained. The burnt offering, the grain offering, the fellowship offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering. It was explained what the people were to bring and do as well as the responsibilities of the priest in each of these offerings. The last offering was the ordination offering which set apart Aaron the chief priest and his sons who became the priests for the people of Israel. The priest began their job and the glory of the Lord appeared and fire came from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering. After that two of Aaron's sons did not respect the Lord in his ways and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord contrary to his commands. This time fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord. Aaron and his other sons were not allowed to mourn for them due to their disobedience and because Aaron and his sons were on duty as priests at this time. Now chapter 11's laws begin with food laws from animals to creatures living in the waters of seas and streams, various birds and even various flying insects. I go into more detail in last year's lesson which was called clean and unclean with the day of atonement which was on February 1st, 2023. When it comes to interpreting food laws of the Bible the first thing we need to try our best to understand is what did these laws mean to the people back then. One thing that is clear in this section are the words clean and unclean. Verses 43-45 say, Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or by made unclean by them. I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourself and be holy because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moved about on the ground. I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Therefore be holy because I am holy. The purpose of eating or not eating of food was holiness. For instance in the prophetic book of Daniel, Daniel and his three friends ate healthy food and water. They did not indulge in the rich food of the Babylonians and they stood apart and were smarter than the other wise men. Another key about interpreting food laws is to see what does all of scripture have to say about it. For instance with Adam and Eve they were vegetarians. After Noah people could eat meat and now with Moses clearer guidelines are given. Now there are a couple of New Testament passages that shed a different light about food restrictions. The first is found in Matthew chapter 15 and Jesus is talking to some Pharisees and they are getting on his case because Jesus and his disciples did not wash their hands before eating. Jesus responds by saying in verse 10 listen and understand what goes into a man's mouth does not make him unclean but what comes out of his mouth that is what makes him unclean. The disciples did not understand so they asked him to explain and he said in verses 17-20 don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out the body but the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart and these make a man unclean for out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what makes a man unclean but eating with unwashed hands does not make him unclean. In the telling of this story in Mark chapter 7 verse 19b Mark adds in saying this Jesus declared all foods clean. Another passage that sheds light on what believers should or should not eat comes from Acts 10 when Peter had a vision from the Lord. Heaven opened and a sheet came down with all kinds of four footed animals as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. The voice told Peter to get up kill and eat. Peter responded in verse 14 surely not Lord. Peter replied I have never eaten anything impure or unclean then the voice said do not call anything impure that God has made clean. This vision happened three times and when Peter was wondering what this vision meant Gentile men came and asked Peter to come to Cornelius' home and share the gospel. So why the changes in these eating laws? In Genesis with Adam and Eve it could be so that the animals had time to reproduce so they wouldn't be extinct. With the other food laws it seemed to bless Daniel and others to eat in a healthy manner. The Apostle Paul warned Christians in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 that we are free to eat anything but we are not to cause our brother to fall into sin by our eating. He says in verse 8 but food does not bring us near to God we are no worse if we do not eat and no better if we do. Then in chapter 10 verse 31 he said so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Each person must decide in their own heart how the Lord wants them to eat. Now back to Leviticus. Chapter 12 covers purification laws after having children. Chapter 13 covers infectious skin diseases and clothing that is contaminated with mildew. Again we see throughout what makes something or someone clean or unclean. In chapter 14 we read about how one becomes ceremonially clean and the role that the priests play. In the New Testament when Jesus encountered people with leprosy after they were cleansed by him he sent them to the priest so that they could be ceremonially clean and re-enter the city instead of living outside of the camp. In Leviticus chapter 13 verse 45 it said that those who were infected were to wear torn clothes, keep their hair unkempt, wear a mask and cry out unclean unclean. He was to live alone and outside the camp. Now that we've gone through COVID we can sort of understand some of these laws. This shows me that these laws were in place to keep people safe. Verse 33 of chapter 14 begins about once they entered the promised land and built houses. If mildew is found in their houses there were rules as to how to make their home clean. One thing we know in this age is how some mold and mildew can be very dangerous to live in and how amazing it is that the Lord would take time to cover such things. Chapter 15 covers discharges which bring uncleanliness. I work in a public school setting and if there is any kind of bodily fluid we have to call the janitor to come and clean it. We're not to touch it at all. We all know there are diseases that can be spread with bodily fluids and again after COVID if we wipe a preschooler's nose we immediately go to the hand sanitizer. These laws were there to protect the people. Chapter 16 begins the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord. The Lord said to Moses tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the most holy place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark or else he will die because I appeared in the cloud over the atonement cover. Now it could be that Aaron's sons when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord contrary to his command could have entered into the most holy place with their incense but it's not clear. But chapter 16 stresses to Aaron that he as the high priest has regulations on how to enter the most holy place before the Lord and we learn that it is only on the day of atonement once a year. He presents his own sin offering first which also covered his household and then for the people of Israel. Verse 16 in this way he will make atonement for the most holy place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites whatever their sins have been. After this Aaron would take the scapegoat and verses 21 and 22 say he is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites all their sins and put them on the goats head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place and the man shall release it in the desert. After that Aaron would offer a burnt offering unto the Lord. This was to happen on the 10th day of the 7th month. Verse 30 reads because on this day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you. Then before the Lord you will be cleaned from all your sins. It is a Sabbath of rest and you must deny yourself it is a lasting ordinance. In the New Testament the writer of Hebrew shows us that Jesus is better than the Old Testament because he fulfills it. Jesus is better than the angels, better than Moses, better than Aaron the high priest because Jesus was the high priest of a new covenant that puts God's laws into our hearts and changes us from the inside out to become holy like God. In chapter 9 the writer spoke about the tabernacle and the blood of Christ as a sacrifice better than what Aaron and the priest ever did. Verses 27 and 28 say just as man is destined to die once and after that to face judgment so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people and he will appear a second time not to bear sin but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Who are the quote many people? Those who have faith in Jesus Christ the son of God who loves us and gave himself for us. Those are the ones who will be saved. Are you in that group? Are you waiting for his return? I hope so. If you have heard his voice today please don't harden your heart instead let's be women who hear, believe in the Lord Jesus and obey. Until next time and thank you so much for listening.