Skip to main content

February 2 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 33

This isn't the first time we've heard about clean/unclean animals.  Remember the animals prepared to put on the ark?  Still, when we get to reading about clean/unclean things in the Bible, a common question comes about, "Why?"

Why are some animals unclean and some not?  Why does it matter to God what we eat?  Why do we need these distinctions?

Good questions.  There have been many theories.  There are few, if any, explanations in the Bible.  We just have to be willing to read it, and appreciate the people's pursuit of purity and holiness.

Let's get to it.

DAILY READINGS

Leviticus 11-13 & Psalm 33

DAILY NOTES

Leviticus 11
  • Notice 3 words: unclean, detestable and defile.  
  • This chapter deals with what foods and animals are clean/unclean.
  • If someone comes in contact with anything unclean, they become unclean, too.  Verse 43 sums it best, "You shall not make yourselves detestable....you shall not defile yourselves with them...."
Leviticus 12
  • A short chapter about purification for women after childbirth.  You get off lucky, guys!
Leviticus 13
  • Leprosy seems to be a catch all for several skin conditions.  
  • Remember in Matthew 8 when Jesus tells the man he heals of leprosy to go see the priest?  This is where that comes from.  Anyone who has any skin condition must go to the priest for examination.  The priest determines whether someone is clean/unclean.  
  • I'm just going to leave Verse 40 alone.  You can make your own jokes.
  • Verses 45-46 also remind us of Jesus going along and seeing those with leprosy.  They were separated from others.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Here's a great thought regarding the food restrictions we read about today: Why did God make so many clean/unclean rules about what we eat?  Well, remember, in the garden, we only had one rule.  How did that go for us?

We tend to ask about food restrictions because we've already come to love the things we eat.  Have you seen how expensive bacon is now?  But how must it have felt for those who may not have had such a connection to all those foods?  Did they have any great fondness for pork, shellfish, etc?  Did they just accept the restrictions?  Did the prohibitions make sense to them?  

Again, I don't know.  But I'm inspired by the pursuit of holiness and purity.  What can/do we do to pursue holiness and purity?

Stay blessed...john

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

March 24 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 83 The relationship between Saul and David worsens.  David is now Saul's enemy.   DAILY READINGS 1 Samuel 18-20 & Psalm 83 DAILY NOTES 1 Samuel 18 Saul's delight for David quickly turns.  Saul is jealous of David's success and the fact that everyone else seems to like David more than him. Of course, we have to think about what this evil spirit from the Lord might mean. Saul tries to kill David.  He even devises a plan to have him married into the royal family so that he can create a snare for him. What does it say about David that, even after Saul has tried to kill him, he still finds it an honor to be married to the family? David escapes Saul's traps.  So, from here on out, the text says that Saul considered David an enemy.  Think he knows what it means to love your enemies? 1 Samuel 19 Verse 5 reminds us of David's fight with Goliath.  At this point, David has fought other times.  What makes that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

May 14 + Daily readings & notes

DAY 134 We're reading another prophet today.  Here's t he Bible Project video that describes what the book is about. DAILY READINGS Jonah 1-4 & Psalm 129 DAILY NOTES Jonah 1 Notice the simple, direct message God gave Jonah.  There's no explanation for why Jonah doesn't follow through (yet).  As quickly as the word from God comes, he goes away. The mariners have their own god to cry out to for help.  They ask Jonah to cry out to his God.  Did you notice he never did?  He only told them that he worships the Lord.   The mariners feared the Lord after this.   Jonah 2 When he and the others were in trouble, Jonah didn't cry out to God.  Now that he's sitting inside a big fish, he offers a prayer to God.   And notice even the fish listens to God! Jonah 3 The word of God comes to Jonah again.  This time Jonah responds.  And the people of Nineveh respond with faith in God. Up to this p...
Post a Comment
Read more

June 19 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 170 DAILY READINGS Jeremiah 7-9 & Psalm 15 DAILY NOTES Jeremiah 7 Notice the emphasis of God's house having God's name.  It belongs to God, but the people, through their unrighteous actions, have made it theirs.  God's house has been turned into a "den of robbers" (vs. 11).  Remember when Jesus said that (Matthew 21:13)? According to Jesus, what was the Temple supposed to be called? Remember when the people tried to use the ark of the covenant as a weapon against the Philistines (1 Samuel 4)?  That was at Shiloh.  Jeremiah brings that event to our minds again as a sign (vs. 14).  God says that human sacrifice was not his command, nor did it come to his mind.  You'll have to do some wrestling with the story of Abraham almost sacrificing Isaac (Genesis 22). Jeremiah 8 Jeremiah (God) says to unearth the kings' bones and lay them before the sun and moon and all the other gods they served and worshiped.  Ouch. Even animals ...
Post a Comment
Read more