February 10: So they will not Die in their Uncleanness

Описание: Full Commentary:
`You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.' -Leviticus 15:31

When you study the moral code of Leviticus, with all its attention to what is considered “clean” and “unclean,” it becomes obvious that these regulations would have had a favorable effect on the physical health of the people of God. This is especially true considering what we know about communicable diseases. The meat that they were allowed to eat was generally much safer (rats, lizards, vultures, bats, and sea scavengers were out). If they were to touch a carcass of a dead animal, they were to wash themselves and their clothes afterward. If something “unclean” found its way into a clay pot, the pot was to be destroyed. They were not to eat meat that was over a day old. Persons with infections had to shave their body hair and be quarantined until the contagion was gone. Bacterial laden clothing was to be burned. If a fungus in a house couldn’t be controlled, the entire house was to be destroyed. If anyone were to come in contact with the pus, semen, blood, or saliva of another, they where considered “unclean” for a time and had to wash their clothes and take a bath. And here’s an interesting one: If the man with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person must wash his clothes and bathe with water (Lev 15:8). More than ever, in our awareness of infectious diseases (especially STD’s), these passages from Leviticus make a whole lot of sense.
The Israelites were to be kept separate from the things that would make them “unclean” so that they would not die in their uncleanness. Obviously, their adherence to these instructions would go a long way to prevent an outbreak of deadly viruses and infections. In that respect, they were ahead of many cultures–ancient and modern.
No doubt, the Lord wanted to prevent their demise due to the physical defilement of communicable diseases. But if they did not remain separate from that which would make them unclean, there would be a defilement that would go beyond germs, bacteria and viruses. Their uncleanness would defile the Lord’s dwelling place, and that would be the thing that would be the true cause of their demise. It would be the fear of defiling the tabernacle of God that would truly motivate the people to “stay clean” and would, in turn, keep them safe from the things that could cause physical disease.