As a kid, I always needed to know the rationale as a prerequisite for obedience. I needed to know why I couldn’t chew gum in church or date boys before I was sixteen. “Because I said so” didn’t cut it for me. The same became true when I began my newfound relationship with Christ. I was always looking for a rationale for why I should wait until marriage to have sex or why I should forgive my absentee father. It just didn’t make sense.
Over the years, I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to make sense. See, God is not a force or an idea. He’s not binoculars in the sky or a mannequin we can clothe into our image, swapping out one cultural mantra for another. No. He is an infinite Being who possesses personhood. In the pages of Scripture, He reveals what grieves Him, causes Him to burn with anger, and brings Him joy. And in today’s reading, we learn He has boundaries.
Leviticus is the story of how sinful people can be in a relationship with a holy God. Though it was a profound blessing for them to have God dwell among them, it was also dangerous. To resolve this issue, God provided Israel with instructions on how to live in His presence safely. These instructions aren’t an arbitrary list of preferences and pet peeves. They are connected to His holiness. Because God is holy, He has boundaries and requires His people to be holy, for He is holy.
Now, I can’t speak to why animals that chew their cud but don’t part the hoof were unclean. The same is true for the cleansing laws following touching a dead carcass or giving birth. Commentators have a handful of theories. And no, none provided satisfactory answers for me for why having a daughter extends a woman’s period of uncleanness. Since God does not offer a rationale for these laws, all we can do is speculate.
But as I sat before the Lord with these chapters and tussled through commentaries looking for answers, I sensed the Lord ask, “Why do you need to know? Why do I need to provide you with a rationale for my commands?” Yeah. Ouch.
Obedience isn’t about the rationale. Obedience is about the relationship. And these laws we read today were given to teach sinful people how to be in relationship with a holy God. And though Jesus makes every believer positionally holy through the cross, God still invites us to be practically holy to experience a deeper relationship with Him.
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43 thoughts on "Clean and Unclean"
Literally as I was reading this I kept having to talk to my 4yo son about how I was the parent and he had to listen to what I was saying, and while he could choose to disobey, that there would be consequences if he broke the rules.
This is so good, my kids really struggle with wanting a rationale for everything we say – and most of the time I have one, but sometimes it’s tricky and hard to explain. Everything in me just wants them to trust me. And this is like us with God, it’s about a relationship of trust and faith in his nature. I love the way our relationships here reveal spiritual things and give us a real flesh example of the spiritual realm
Lord I see you and I speak to you lord for you are good!
Obedience is also about faith. See, we may not know where God is leading us or how He will. We simply may not know all the answers or “why” these are somehow His answers, but we have to trust and have faith that they are correct and just; That’s when you know it’s a true and loving relationship. That’s when you know you’re one with Christ Jesus, our Savior! ❤️
Jennifer loves Jesus,I have been wrestling with these same questions and for me the holy spirit is showing me that to walk as Jesus walked means to keep the Sabbath, celebrate the biblical feasts (the greatest of which of coming this week, The feast of Tabernacles where we celebrate God dwelling in tents with the Israelites and how he will be coming back to dwell with us for eternity). I want to be like Jesus which means walk as he walked and those are things he did and commands us to do.
I love when Yana shared that she ‘sensed the Lord ask, “Why do you need to know? Why do I need to provide you with a rationale for my commands?” Yeah. Ouch.’
We must come to terms with the fact that there are answers that God will not provide this side of Heaven. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).
I also love when Yana shared ‘Obedience isn’t about the rationale. Obedience is about the relationship. And these laws we read today were given to teach sinful people how to be in relationship with a holy God. And though Jesus makes every believer positionally holy through the cross, God still invites us to be practically holy to experience a deeper relationship with Him.’
I’ve never considered positional v. practical holiness. Praise Jesus for positional holiness! May we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us to be practically holy.
@Taylor glad to see you’re feeling a little better. I don’t know the situation but I also know how awful it feels to be consumed with anxiety. @Sarah D. Praying for you as well. Dealing with anxiety is truly awful. I hope you’re able to get the help you need from your doctor. Ladies I too would ask for prayers as I deal with anxiety. I feel very lost in this season of life and I really hope to pull out of it.
@Taylor glad to see you’re feeling a little better. I don’t know the situation but I also know how awful it feels to be consumed with anxiety. @Sarah D. Praying for you as well. Dealing with anxiety is truly
Good day to all our lovely she’s. May your new week be filled with awe and thankfulness to our God. I found something in my KJV Bible study note that helped me to get through the “why’s” –which happens every now and then on our human walk with God who is so high in wisdom and levels of sophistication. It was quite interesting so I am sharing with hope that it may help to know that God is so detailed, and He is always always for our good! Here goes:” The reason for rules concerning clean/unclean flesh has been a topic of discussion for many centuries. Clean and unclean animals were distinguished even before the Flood of Noah (Genesis 7:2, Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs, a male and its mate; and of the unclean animals, one pair, a male and its mate; Genesis 7:3, Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth, Genesis 7:1, Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation). Only in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 were various kinds specified.
Four explanations have been offered: a/ the distinctions were arbitrary, and the rationale was known only to God who revealed to man as a test of obedience b/ the cultic explanation holds that the unclean animals were either those used in pagan worship or those associated with non-Israelite deities, so to be shunned. c/ the hygienic interpretation holds that the unclean creatures unfit to eat because they were carriers of disease, while the clean ones are relatively safe to eat. d/ the symbolic interpretation of the food laws views the behaviour and habits of clean animals as living illustrations of how the righteous Israelite was required to behave, while the unclean represented sinful men. It seems best to recognize that these restrictions were adapted to a people dwelling for 40 years in a wilderness and afterward located in a tropical climate. Thus, the health of the Israelites must be considered. And not just within food intake, God in the New Testament makes a distinction in every area of their life: “Whether you eat or drink, whatsoever you do, do all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Leviticus 12 involves purification after child birth, the ”separation for her infirmity” is a reference to her menstrual period. Why should a woman be unclean after childbirth? Reproduction is essential to the survival of the human race, yet intercourse made both Israelite man and wife ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:18)”. Hope this helps someone.
Besides, I really would like to sincerely encourage anyone who finds it hard to understand certain difficult/confusing passages of the Bible to constantly seek knowledge through resources (human ones, we can raise questions here for instance, or seek scholar commentaries like Matthew Henry commentary, who is an incredible English bible scholar with a massive amount of research done, you can download a free app of his 6 volumes life-long work onto your phone). We should hold off our emotions when we don’t understand why God acts this way or that way. Certain things take times to permeate us and we need patience to understand. As long as we are obedient to Him, knowing who’s God and who’s not, with humility and reverence approaching Him in sincerity and truth, God doesn’t mind us asking why, He would gladly lead us to more understanding to the level and dimension we can grasp. In all our getting, get understanding (Proverbs 4:7). He wants us to know Him deeper, but sometimes we can’t handle it, so it has to be in stages.
Lifting our sisters in prayers (so proud of you, may I say you are warriors for just trusting in God and acting out in faith, and believing in Him regardless of your current realities. God trusts you so much when allowing hardships knowing you would hold on to Him, when your faith is being tested to the point of being more precious than pure gold and you will be lacking nothing, James 1:2-4.) Be blessed dear sisters.
I am such a questioner. Like Yana said, “because I said so” is often hard for me to take as an answer. But I loved this sentiment: “we must also trust God when we don’t understand the “why” behind what He does.”
Trust without fully knowing the outcome.
Ladies thank you for praying for me for my business pitch. I ended up being one of the winners and got to take home 5k for my business! It was so needed and just a few days ago I was lamenting to God about lack of funds! The funny thing is, I almost did not go to this conference to do the pitch but God kept pushing for me to go. I am so glad I obeyed! Winning this allows me to pitch at another event to an angel investor at the end of October. God is so good and honestly takes care of everything. Thankful that He is my father.
Sometimes I think we have such a small grasp of how horrible sin is! Because of the time in which we have been born, we can so easily take for granted the plan of GOD/sacrifice of Jesus to make a way for us to be reconciled to Him. We can never fully understand who GOD is, this side of heaven. We are so small and the story of GOD, his creation and the work he has done/is doing is so big!! I pray the Lord’s blessing on each of us as we study and work to have that deep, abiding relationship with Him.
The Jews had to learn to despise the foods that God said were unclean and to enjoy the foods God said were clean. It was a choice between pleasing themselves and being unclean or pleasing God and being clean. There was NO MIDDLE GROUND.
We need to get our direction from God and not other people. We have to be willing to be different from the world. Our greatest desire should be to please the Lord joyfully, not grudgingly, and not to see how close we can get to sin and still not get into trouble.
The first step toward disobedience is often “reclassifying” sin and making it look acceptable instead of abominable. Today, we live in a society that rejects moral absolutes and promotes a “fluid” morality that isn’t morality at all. Just like the people described in the book of Judges, everybody is doing what seems right in their own eyes. But society’s reclassifying of sin hasn’t changed anything: God still calls sin an abomination and still judges it.
Sin comes from within, from fallen human nature; unless the heart is changed, there can be no solving the sin problem. (Excerpts from Warren Wiersbe)
“Obedience isn’t about the rationale. Obedience is about the relationship.” What powerful words these two sentences are. I never thought about my obedience to God and Christ in this way but I will now. Yana’s devotional really hit home today. I’d also like to share a quote from my devotional/journaling Bible — “Looking back on God’s faithfulness increases your faith.”
Sisters, be blessed and keep increasing your faith.
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” – Mark 7:20-23 this is me- Lord thank you for your forgiveness every day!! My sin is real- intentionally and unintentionally help me to focus on you with obedience and repentance!!
Excellent! The podcast today was so so good!
I have been playing catch up. We were traveling back to Illinois this past weekend to see my family. What came to mind from reading the last couple lessons was how I wish I would have known Jesus sooner. I was raised catholic. I visited a church with a friend in 6th grade. It was a group called pioneer girls. I loved it!! My mom told me it was a bad church and I couldn’t go again. I often think how my life would have been different if I was allowed to go. Would I have fallen in love with Jesus sooner? Would my behavior been different? My whole life could have gone in a different direction. It grieves me sometimes because I didn’t have great behavior. I was the party girl. Promiscuous. Pushing limits. I now see how God’s parameters give us a much better life. His boundaries are good. I wish I would have prayed like Job over my son every morning. I think I may only have 20-30 years left to know my God. I agree with JENNIFER LOVES JESUS. I want to know what He requires from me in this life. To turn my face to Him every morning and ask what His will is for my day.
Yesterday my husband and I traveled 3 hours to worship and witness the confession of faith and baptism of one of our granddaughters. We openly wept even though she isn’t our first grandchild to commit her life to Jesus as Lord. The joy of the occasion never gets old for us. We also helped at the wedding of a nephew on Friday (rehearsal dinner) and Saturday. A momentous weekend. I couldn’t help noticing the contrast & correlation between the events. Though one was opulent and the other quiet and humbling, God was openly honored and acknowledged at both. I was reminded that the humble act of submission at baptism will ultimately lead to a wedding feast at Christ’s return. I love seeing glimpses of the Kingdom. I pray each of you catch meaningful sight of God’s presence in the coming week.
Father God, when You issue a command I pray my first response would be “Yes, Lord” and not “why?” Help me to submit my will to Yours as evidence of my complete trust in You.
@Susan Lincks – Friend, I’m right there with you. I cannot describe to you how agonizing it was to study and write about this passage. I really wish I had more words to describe the process, the musing, and the frustration. It was tough. Please know you are not alone in “trying to understand and not be upset.” I pray you would stay right there with God, tussling it out…I know I still am. Praying for more clarity, wisdom, and understanding that sometimes doesn’t come before the deadline.
Lifting my hands to the Lord in praise him for his love. Provide for the needs of your people in mighty ways!
I remember reading a different perspective on a woman’s uncleaness after childbirth. It was the perspective that it was a mercy and kindness to the mother. She was not expected to get up and go to church and go right back to life as normal. And with a daughter, she was granted even additional bonding time. No man was going to argue that she needed to get up and make things happen when she was unclean.
What have we become? Can we lay our devices down, delete our social media accounts, and be honest about our idols? Can we just look at each other across from a table and talk without looking at that square on our wrists? We look just like the world. Where are the holy ones? Why is reading Leviticus so unsettling? Why are the rituals offensive? We are called to be holy. The sacrifices were meant to make us so. Our lives should be distinct and our actions should reflect God’s holiness. My prayer is that this would be true. If we love Jesus, we should be all about Him. We should walk like Him, talk like Him, and spend our time the way He did when He came to us. I imagine how Jesus would be today, if He was here physically in this time with us. Would He be holding an iPhone scrolling and looking at the screen for hours? Would He be indulging in fancy, rich food every day? Would He be looking for ways to entertain Himself constantly? Would He be doing what I am doing each day? I know I risk sounding judgy and putting off some reading this. I am just convicted with these questions in my own spirit, and am working out my own faith. Yes, I am off social media. Mostly. I don’t have a personal account, but I still use it for my business. The tentacles of worldliness always reach in. I want to reach out for Jesus more. Crowds of people came from miles away to see Jesus. Many wanted healing. And He healed many. But that’s not what He came for. He came to fulfill the law. He came to make a way for us to be holy. To reconcile us to God. To save our souls and give us true and everlasting life with Him. He came to make us clean and holy so that we could be in God’s presence and experience His love. The Levitical laws and ritual requirements kept God’s people in a constant state of returning to Him. That was the point. And I see such goodness in their obedience. I find myself longing to see more holiness. I want others to see holiness in me. I want to be holy for God. Father God, draw me near to Your heart, show me what I allow to get in the way. Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Renew my love for You each day so that Your peace and contentment is distinct in my daily life. Make me strong and ready for the battle at hand. Show me what it takes to be holy today and why it matters. I want to be like Jesus. Show me how to really walk like Him, talk like Him, love like Him, and how to live in today’s world the way He would. Help bring me out of the world and let me walk closely in Your presence. Nothing can separate me from Your love except for my own selfishness and pride. Even then, Your will be done. Even now, make me new in Your grace. Selah. Maranatha. Amen.
The clean and the unclean. I too always want to know the “whys” of everything. But God in His holiness does not answer to me of anyone. He does as He pleases. (Psalm 115:3)
Asking continued prayer for my dad & my family. I am back with him. I don’t think it will be long now before he leaves us, but praying that it is not today as its both my son & my neice’s birthday.
In reading some of these guidelines God set forth, many make sense from a health/scientific standpoint as well.
Many of the animals and birds mentioned are species that eat carion and detritus, which in turn could make us very ill if we consume their meat.
Many carry specific diseases that are transmissible to humans. Or even the animals that are farmed and considered clean.
Many are vulnerable species (whales would have fallen under that category, as well as migratory water fowl) and it’s possible God was protecting the species as well as His children.
Priests were given instructions on health/disease to usher in an almost type of medical care. To protect the rest from ailments and affliction of the body that could have been detrimental to the population in their midst.
So while some decrees and orders make sense, and others don’t- much like Yana’s take- it’s not about the ‘Why’ but about acting in obedience. Even if we think we know better, even if we think it’s overkill… doesn’t matter. God calls us to obedience- for our own good and benefit.
Leviticus 12 reminded me about how Mary had to put this law into action in Luke 2:1-24. The Savior was born, but until he completed the perfect sacrifice, atonement still had to be made for his own mother. It’s a reminder that God’s law, though it may not have made sense, remained in effect until his plan was completely fulfilled.
God help me to understand this and to not be upset by it.
@Rhonda J- You are in my prayers. May God continue to give you wisdom, patience, and joy. May He continue to bring peace and restoration to your community. His will be done.
@Taylor- thankful you took some time to be relax and take care of yourself. You are just as important as the people you serve! It is ok to take a moment to recharge and refocus on your own well being. :)
This was an interesting reading today. I think it’s ok to want to figure out the “why” behind God’s commandments. But also, as stated by a lot of you ladies and the author, we must also trust God when we don’t understand the “why” behind what He does.
I’m still wrestling with these kinds of things, but I must remind myself that God is faultless and does things for my good, because He is ALWAYS good!
God bless all you Shes. Let us stay honest and faithful, and remember mercy when we fail.
Praying for you all, especially Rhonda J. as you are still feeling the effects of the hurricane, and Taylor for your anxiety.
I would love your continued prayers as well. Over the weekend I sent my resume to two people for potential job opportunities!! I am hopeful and praying that a new job would open up for me. My rescheduled doctors appointment is this Friday, so I am eager to talk to my doctor about my anxiety and get her input. Going to keep pushing through! Also would love your prayers as I finish my one class, this week I have a bigger paper due, so prayers for time management and that I can work on it throughout the week. Love you all!
It is so wonderful to be back in the Word and the study! It is such a connection to my sisters in Christ! We have had a couple if days of my church volunteering in my area and they have been such a blessing to those that got their whole house destroyed from flood and debris. It is so devastating, yet everyone seems happy they are safe even after losing everything. Some fought for their life as the flood waters rose, some got rescued by neighbors, just unreal experiences! We actually brought our life jackets up being scared we might need them, but our stilt home was a blessing. Others had to break into neighboring stilt homes out of fear for their families! Anyways, Im sure yiu all have seen the news stories, but it was heartbreaking for me and my husband to see “our happy place” beach destroyed on the news, the reason we moved here 3 years ago. But God knows the future, and all will be good!
Prayers for us please as we still have now power except with a generator for a few of our needs of refrigerator and phone charge, and of course the coffee maker!! Some church friends have offered to get me today so I can have a hot shower and do laundry!
Love you guys and your prays, thoughts and concern!! Also prayers that I find the ones in mist need today to direct help to with the groups to cleanup!
We must be holy because the One we follow and revere is holy. We can’t question Him nor should He. We walk by faith & not by sight!
These words are so beautiful and challenging! I do NOT need to know the rationale behind every law. I DO need to trust the heart of my good and holy Father. ♥️
God is good , all the time
I have a better understanding now of what God wants. He wants us to have relationships with Him and follow His word. We don’t have to know why all the time. We should just trust almighty God for His will and plan are holy and he loves us so much. Trust…Amen!
Reading through these laws on purification and uncleanness, I was struck with the truth that the Fall caused every relationship we have to be tainted with sin. No matter what we do, that thing can be a temptation that leads us into sin.
-What we ingest through outside influences (what we watch, read, or listen to) can lead us to sin in our thoughts & attitudes.
-The physical world (what we can touch) can lead us to sin.
-What is inside our our own bodies, inside our own hearts & minds, can lead us to sin. As Jesus said in Mark 7:23, “All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”
-Our own fleshly nature is sinful and unclean.
The point of these laws on purification and uncleanness is to drive home the point that we are all sinners and we are all unclean. Sin is pervasive and affects every part of our life. Without the atoning blood of Christ, there would be no way for us to be purified from our sin.
Praise the Lord that Christ’s blood satisfies the wrath of God and covers all of our sin. I was reminded how Jesus healed people from their skin diseases and how he declared every food clean after His ascension. His blood cleanses and purifies is and He clothes us in His righteousness. Only in this way can we be declared righteous and become righteous through His Holy Spirit. The death of Jesus Christ is enough to purify us from all unrighteousness! Hallelujah!
Hi ladies! Again I am so grateful for your prayers and words of encouragement. I was at my breaking point Friday morning and by the grace of God I was able to get in with a therapist on Friday afternoon. I need to take this step for my mental health. I was also so blessed that my two best friends came around me and we spent a relaxing Friday night together watching movies and snuggling with their dogs. Saturday I called out of my college game and spent the day relaxing on the couch which was so needed. Last night I felt some relief from my anxiety and was able to sleep through the night for the first time in a few days. I still woke up feeling anxious and I have another long week of work and reffing, but I’m meeting with my therapist again today so hopefully that will help start my week off right. I appreciate your continued prayers! My friend who also struggles with anxiety sent me the song “Sound Mind” by Bryan and Katie Torwalt and it was so encouraging to pray this song over myself.
I hope everyone has a blessed week <3
Lord let my heart and mind choose obedience. Holy Spirit help me. In Jesus name, Amen
I appreciate the way of looking at this reading as Gods boundaries so we can live in His holiness. It makes it seem less daunting and more meaningful. Now, fortunately His holiness lives in us in the Holy Spirit, but all along God has desires to be with us and give us a way to connect with Him – whether we truly understand why or not. Part of his kind and forgiving nature.
Amen ❤️ who would’ve thought that just from my period I would be unclean? Could it be because of Eve? One of my many questions to God when my time comes.
Today was such a great reading and commentary. Really enjoying this study.
“Obedience isn’t about the rationale. Obedience is about the relationship”.
Even the natural course of life (ie pregnancy), we are tainted by sin. God in His mercy, grace, and lovingkindness provided a way to be in His presence.
PS – wonder how many women hoped for a girl so her time to disengage was longer?
Like ARINA, shining the light of understanding on obedience struck a chord with me – obedience is about the relationship. I could really identify with Yana as “because I said so” was something I heard daily growing up and even as an adult in some situations with my parents. I think I questioned pretty much everything and still do in many instances. The older I get, the more I understand that I don’t HAVE to know the answer to every question. Sure, I still want to know the why, how, what and when. Some days I spend/waste a lot of time trying to get those answers. Other days I realize that if I even if find those answers, it doesn’t make a difference to anything or anyone other than myself – and the only difference to me is that I know the answer. I guess it is a matter of realizing what is truly important (God and seeking/doing His will) and choosing to spend my time focusing on those things, rather than wasting precious time on what amounts to nothing more than distractions.
LEXI B – thankful your family is ok
RHONDA J – so glad to hear from you! Praying for restoration of power and that the loss of your car is replaced quickly and other damages repaired. Hurricane recovery is a slow process, praying for all affected in the weeks and months ahead.
DOROTHY – praying for you and your sister
TAYLOR – praying for you and that you are feeling better today.
Obedience isn’t about the rationale. Obedience is about the relationship. Such a good reminder that obedience is a form of trust. Still, the explanations I found were helpful in understanding these laws ;) The Enduring Word commentary states 3 purposes for the dietary laws: 1. To give the Isrealites an opportunity to demonstrate obedience to God, 2. To separate the Israelites from their gentiles neighbours (this limited also the fellowship they could have with the surrounding people), 3. To protect the health of the Jewish people. These laws are not just a list of restrictions to make life harder. By keeping them, they would lead to the flourishing of the Israelites. We can trust the Lord that His laws are always meant for our good, even when we don’t understand how.