Set Apart for God
Leviticus 11-15 provides a comprehensive look at laws concerning clean and unclean foods, purification after childbirth, skin diseases, and bodily discharges. While these chapters focus on physical cleanliness, they profoundly illustrate the principles of forgiveness and atonement, showing how God provides a way for His people to be purified and restored.
Leviticus 11 outlines dietary laws, distinguishing between clean and unclean animals.
“For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves with any of these small animals that scurry along the ground. For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44-45 (NLT)
These laws underscore the need for holiness and separation from impurity, symbolizing the broader spiritual principle of living a life set apart for God.
Leviticus 12 details the purification process after childbirth, emphasizing the need for atonement.
“If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.” Leviticus 12:8 (NLT)
This provision highlights God’s grace, allowing even the poor to access forgiveness and purification.
Leviticus 13 and 14 address skin diseases and their purification rites.
“Then the priest must offer the sin offering and purify the person who was cured of the skin disease. After that, the priest will slaughter the burnt offering and offer it on the altar along with the grain offering. Through this process, the priest will purify the person who was healed, and the person will be ceremonially clean.” Leviticus 14:19-20 (NLT)
This process signifies the restoration and atonement available through God’s appointed means.
Leviticus 15 discusses laws regarding bodily discharges, again stressing the need for atonement and purification.
“This will keep the people of Israel separate from things that will defile them. If they are not careful to remain clean, they will die, for their defilement would defile my Tabernacle that stands among them.” Leviticus 15:31 (NLT)
This underscores the seriousness of impurity and the importance of remaining holy before God.
Lessons on Forgiveness and Atonement
Today, while we are not bound by the specific rituals of Leviticus, the principles of forgiveness and atonement remain vital. We are called to live lives set apart for God, continually seeking His forgiveness and striving for holiness.
The New Testament reveals Jesus as the ultimate atonement for our sins, making purification and forgiveness accessible to all.
“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” Hebrews 10:10 (NLT)
By understanding and applying these principles, we can live lives that honour God, continually seeking His grace and striving to be set apart for His purposes.