Leviticus 12: Purification and more Cleanliness-Why? Be Holy like God

Leviticus 12

New International Version (NIV)

Purification After Childbirth

 ¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. ³ On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. ⁴ Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. ⁵ If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.

 ⁶ “‘When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.^[a] 7 He shall offer them before the LORD to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.

   “‘These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. ⁸ But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”

Daniel's Thoughts:

Why does giving birth make a mother unclean? God you created us this way for women to give life in this way and to give birth. How can something you designed be unclean? I guess some living creatures are also  unclean. They are not evil or poorly designed but they are not designed for people at least at that time to touch or eat. 

This passage is very confusing to me, but I think again a post-Christ understanding in grace helps me to wrap my my around the fact that the heart of the issue is what matters. Being holy like God is what matters. 

1 Peter 1

New International Version (NIV)

Be Holy

 ¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”<sup>[a]


[a] Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2</sup>

Daniel's Prayer:

^Lord

^{Help me to desire to be righteous and holy like you.}

^Amen

Leviticus 11: Cleanliness Dietary Rules - Be Holy like God

Leviticus 11

New International Version (NIV)

 Clean and Unclean Food

¹ The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

² “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land,

these are the ones you may eat:

²⁴ “‘You will make yourselves unclean by these;

whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening.

²⁵ Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes,

and they will be unclean till evening.

⁴³ Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures.

Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them

or be made unclean by them. 

⁴⁴ I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy,

because I am holy.

Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. 

⁴⁵ I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God;

therefore be holy, because I am holy.

⁴⁷ You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean,

between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.’”

Daniel's Thoughts:

One amazing aspect of Leviticus and much of the early books in the bible God the Lord was speaking directly to Moses or Aaron and the Israelite people through them. God is so present and he is moving in amazing ways before these people. God has revealed himself and proved faithful. God provides manna and water in their wanderings. Yet the people constantly turn away.

What does cleanliness mean and what makes something unclean?

Why is cleanliness so important in this culture and in the law? 

Why is cleanliness so important to God? 

Here the Lord speaks to Moses and Aaron about the foods that the Israelite people are supposed to eat and not eat. God made all things and they are good. But that does not mean all things are good for us. We are not meant to eat some things and some animals. Maybe to us now in modern society where food is safe to eat we can't understand why this would be in the law or that important to God. Why would God care that much about what his people eat? Also in a post-Christ era with the words of Jesus and Paul in mind we are free from the constraints of the law with regards to commands such as dietary restrictions. But we have to keep in mind the culture, time period and significance of cleanliness to the Jewish people before Christ. 

New Testament Post-Christ Understanding


Matthew 15:17-20

¹⁷ “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.²⁰ These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Romans 14:14

¹⁴ I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 

So why then did cleanliness matter so much to God and to the Israelite people? Cleanliness was necessary to enter the Temple and necessary for the priests to offer sacrifices. People who were unclean could not come to the tent of meeting and could not come close to God. Verses 44 and 45 really summarize the significance. The Lord God is holy and therefore his people should be holy. For the Israelite people this meant following the law and command of God about food. For us as Christians this may look different, but the same is true God is Holy and we ought to be holy!

⁴⁵ I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

Daniel's Prayers:

Father God

I don't always understand you or your commands,

but I do love and trust you.

Please help me to understand and come closer to you.

Help me to understand your will for my life and to follow it. 

God you are holy and I am not,

but God you are making all things new and making me holy

Thank you! 

I want to be holy and righteous and follow your heart.

Create in me a pure heart God

Amen

Romans 8:38,39 Nothing can separate us from Christ

Romans 8:38,39

New International Version (NIV)

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It is so comforting to know that nothing can separate us from our savior and his love. Not our sin, not our choices, not our careers, not our relationships with people, nothing can separate us! Our faith and relationship with Christ will go through ups and downs, but in the end will not keep God from us. God is breaking into our world and our hearts and nothing will stop him. I feel that Love and I am so thankful that you are faithful God even when I am not! I love you but more importantly you Love me!

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice and Trust everything to the Lord!

Philippians 4:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


Daniel's thoughts prayers:


This verse is such an encouragement and comfort! I want to rejoice in all things, because God is so Good! God please help me to rejoice in the present sufferings, for I know you have planned them to grow me in faith and character. Also I will hope in the promise you have to take our burdens and the final promise to give us eternal life through faith in you! 


Daniel's prayer:

God it is so hard to trust in you and not worry, 

but it is the most amazing feeling of freedom and peace to offer my life and my burdens up to you! 

God please help me to not worry but to Trust in you Lord,

to give up my worries to you by prayer and petition, 

and not only that but to do it with thanksgiving! 

Let us rejoice!

God thank you so much for your love and your peace in my heart! 

Amen

Ecclesiastes: 1:12-2:16 Wisdom and Pleasure are Meaningless

Ecclesiastes 1

New International Version (NIV)

Wisdom Is Meaningless

 ¹² I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ¹³ I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! ¹⁴ I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. ¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be straightened;
   what is lacking cannot be counted.
 ¹⁶ I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” ¹⁷ Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
 ¹⁸ For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
   the more knowledge, the more grief.

Ecclesiastes 2

Pleasures Are Meaningless

 ¹ I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. ² “Laughter,” I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” ³ I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

 ⁴ I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. ⁵ I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem^[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹ I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

 ¹⁰ I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
   I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
   and this was the reward for all my toil.
¹¹ Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
   and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
   nothing was gained under the sun.

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

 ¹² Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, 
   and also madness and folly. 
What more can the king’s successor do 
   than what has already been done? 
¹³ I saw that wisdom is better than folly, 
   just as light is better than darkness. 
¹⁴ The wise have eyes in their heads, 
   while the fool walks in the darkness; 
but I came to realize 
   that the same fate overtakes them both.

 ¹⁵ Then I said to myself,

   “The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
   What then do I gain by being wise?”
I said to myself,
   “This too is meaningless.”
¹⁶ For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;
   the days have already come when both have been forgotten.
Like the fool, the wise too must die!

Daniel's Thoughts

Wow, that is depressing right! Everything is meaningless. Wisdom and pleasure, two of the things that many people spend most of their life pursuing. Both are meaningless and not worth placing hope or finding purpose in! Lots of people believe society has improved or gotten better. But think about the cost of technology and medicine indirectly or directly some of the costs are for example human rights violations, poverty, and inequality. The world and people are so complicated there is no start or finish in sight. There is brokenness in the world and as the verses say this brokenness cannot be made right by humanity. Yet God is at work in the world. We are his workers, together as the body of Christ we are making things new and bringing hope to the darkness. It is important to think about how this passage is written before the coming of Christ and the complete revealing of God and his mysteries. 

Where have you found purpose? Maybe Church and family? What else?

For me it was school and success

Then it was InterVarsity

Now I want it to be God and God alone. 

What is meaning?

• Feeling whole
• Doing what we are designed to do by God

What would it take to change a pursuit of meaning or desire for meaning in life to a whole hearted pursuit of God?

• Allowing myself to trust God would make me whole
• Naming and being intentional
• Joyfully listening to word and praying to God. I believe that as we come to know God better we will be more complete and know what is right and what our purpose is, as it says in Romans 12:2  "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Ch2
Solomon pursued selfish pleasure in many ways: power, wealth, and women. He delighted in the pleasures and had everything he desired. That seems silly:right? Of course there is no meaning in it right? We are good christians, we know better than materialism! 


We say materialism is bad all the time as Christians. But think about it, do you really depend on material things? Do you seek happiness and contentment in your status or in what you have?  Would you be content without financial stability or even just a job? OK if nothing else ask yourself this question: Could I live without a car for 6 months? Would I be content and trust in God? 
I don't think that I am nearly as independent of material things as I hoped I was. I am desperately dependent on my car. I drive all the time! I drive to church, bible study, to friends houses, to the store, to work, to school. I could not do half of the things I do without a car. I could take buses, but it would take a lot longer. Would I be content without a car? I don't know, but I think it is helpful to realize how dependent I am on material things and to think how I can actually Trust in the Lord in all things?.

What core things are necessary to make a life complete? Take away all things you have and what would you need in your life?

• Relationships
• Work- earn a living
• Self worth
• Goal or passion
• Relationship with God
• Growth in faith and character
• Grace

Could I have lived without God?

• Yes i did it, but without joy or purpose.
• Other people do and they seem to get by. 
• They crave it an feel the brokenness and emptiness and desperately seek meaning in other things: marriage, the next best material thing, careers, drugs, social status . . .

Ok Solomon if wisdom, pleasure and even life itself are meaningless, then is there any meaning to life? Connor my roommate suggested: there is no deeper or inherent underlying meaning
The only meaning purpose is God and to live into how he created and designed us with individal gifts but yet a common purpose: (See Ecclesiastes 12: 13 Fear God and keep his commands this is the whole purpose of man)

• Love God
• Love other people
• Grow in faith and character
• Glorify God

Verse 16 says all will die wise ad foolish and not long be remembered. So why does our life matter or does it? Does your answer change if we take Christ out of our understanding?


This has been a rough section of scripture to read through. Lots of deep questions and maybe discouraging thoughts have come up. Yet there is a bigger purpose and meaning to life I believe in God!

Psalm 112: Abundantly Blessed are those who fear the Lord: the Righteous

Psalm 112

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹ Praise the LORD.^[b]   Blessed are those who fear the LORD,
   who find great delight in his commands.
 ² Their children will be mighty in the land;
   the generation of the upright will be blessed.
³ Wealth and riches are in their houses,
   and their righteousness endures forever.
⁴ Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
   for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
⁵ Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
   who conduct their affairs with justice.
 ⁶ Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
   they will be remembered forever.
⁷ They will have no fear of bad news;
   their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
⁸ Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
   in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
⁹ They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
   their righteousness endures forever;
   their horn^[c] will be lifted high in honor.
 ¹⁰ The wicked will see and be vexed,
   they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
   the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

So many Psalms begin with Praise the LORD! How often to I just praise the LORD? Not often enough, but I am trying to be thankful and give thanks and praise to God more often. This has made the good things more significant and has helped me get through the hard times by recognizing all that God has blessed me with. Also god uses the hard times for my good and I can give thanks for that as I look back and see God at work. As I read this Psalm I see the overabundant stream of blessing that God promises to send over us as we live righteously! I love that the verse says: blessed are those who find great delight in his commands. God's commands are not an obligation or a burden. Following God is a great joy! It is not easy but it is the best possible life!

Prayer:

Praise the Lord!

I want to follow you in all things and delight in my life following you.

God thank you for the blessings you shower upon us!

Amen!

Psalm 113: Praise the Lord and Trust Him

Psalm 113

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹ Praise the LORD.^[a]   Praise the LORD, you his servants;
   praise the name of the LORD.
² Let the name of the LORD be praised,
   both now and forevermore.
³ From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
   the name of the LORD is to be praised.
 ⁴ The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
   his glory above the heavens.
⁵ Who is like the LORD our God,
   the One who sits enthroned on high,
⁶ who stoops down to look
   on the heavens and the earth?
 ⁷ He raises the poor from the dust
   and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
⁸ he seats them with princes,
   with the princes of his people.
⁹ He settles the childless woman in her home
   as a happy mother of children.
   Praise the LORD.

God created all things and us for his glory. He desires our praise in worship, in following his commands, in prayer and thanksgiving. Our God is worthy of praise. Even the angels sing in praise of God without ceasing in heaven. Our world may seem broken and beyond hope, it may even seem God is not present here. But, God is at work and his second victory will bring his kingdom to ours. All will bow to Christ in the end. Not all is covered in glory, but it will be.

Yet in all his glory and power our God is not like us our God is Love. God who is perfect cares so much about us broken sinners and looks down upon us and the earth. He cares for us and has plans for us, plans to prosper us and give us a future. We can trust in this that God is both victorious and a God who loves us. We need not fear God, our life may be hard but God will take care of us and if we have faith then he will save us by the work he has done in Christ on the cross.

Let us praise and give thanks to God!

God

I give you thanks for all you have done in creation and in my life. 

Help me to trust in your love and provision for me. I know that does not mean life will be easy, but it will be good. 

Amen