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

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

March 31 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 90 David's family situation continues to spiral.  In today's reading, David's family is torn apart by rape.  As a consequence, David's son sets his eyes on his father's throne. DAILY READINGS 2 Samuel 13-15 & Psalm 90 DAILY NOTES 1 Samuel 13:1-14 Amnon was David's first born son (3:2).  That may shed light as to why David seems to deal with him so easily (Verse 21).  Although he does kind of the same thing later with Absalom. Tamar is Absalom's full sister, half sister to Amnon.  Amnon is lovesick with her.  He devises a plan, with the help of a friend, to have her enter his chamber (bedroom).   Since she was a virgin, she didn't go out and about.  She remained in her house, perhaps protected.   Tamar knows what will become of her if Amnon goes through with his wishes; she will be left aside, unable to marry (see Verse 20).  She seems willing to have become married to Amnon, but his lust clouds h...

January 27 + Daily notes & readings

DAY 27 We'll be reading about atonement today.  T oday's video helps make sense of that biblical theme. DAILY READINGS Exodus 30-31 & Psalm 27 DAILY NOTES Exodus 30:6 Everything has its place.   Exodus 30:10 Once a year would be Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Exodus 12-15 The Lord's offering is required of everyone equally (of the appropriate age).  Strangely enough, there is a designation of rich and poor.  Everyone has just come from Egypt.  How has that distinction arisen?   Exodus 31:13 It's interesting to compare how the idea of sabbath here relates to previous mentions of it.   Exodus 31:18 Moses had written the words down.  Now, with merely his finger, God has provided the tablets for all to remember the covenant that has been made.   Psalm 27 Have you ever prayed and prayed and prayed for something?  The psalmist seems to know the feeling.  His final adm...

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 ...