As we continue our walk through Leviticus this morning, we should remember the broad context of this book. Such an exercise will be particularly helpful with our text this morning. As we saw two weeks ago, the book of Leviticus consists of God telling the people of Israel exactly what is necessary for his presence to dwell in their midst. God is laying out the stipulations that must be met in order for the holy God to reside among sinful, unholy people. Two weeks ago, we saw God lay out the various sacrifices that must be offered on behalf of the people. Last week, we looked at the institution of the priesthood – seeing that there must be an intermediary between God and men if the offerings of men are to be accepted.
This week, we will continue to see requirements that must be met if God is going to dwell in the midst of his people, but we will also see that the emphasis is slightly different. Up to this point, the central issue has been the sin of the people and the way that sin is atoned for. In our passage this morning, we will see a clear shift from matters of sin to matters of uncleanness. While the two are intimately related, they are not identical, so we will begin by looking briefly at the way the two are related before looking specifically at Leviticus 11-15.
Upon first glance, the subject matter of Leviticus 11-15 seems a bit ridiculous. These chapters focus on such things as clean and unclean animals, childbirth, skin diseases and discharges of the body. More specifically, these chapters deal with how the people of Israel are to remain clean as well as how they are to purify and cleanse themselves if they become unclean through any of these things.
As we come to these chapters, you may wonder why such stipulations are here. These issues being dealt with are not issues of sin, so why are they addressed? Childbirth and skin diseases are not sin, so why are they such a big deal? The answer lies in a proper understanding of sin and its effects. While uncleanness and impurity are not in themselves sin, they are most certainly effects of sin. In Genesis 3, when Adam fell and God pronounced his curses, the whole created order was affected. That is, sin did not just cause people to do bad things, but it has corrupted everything. As evidence of this, we merely need to remember that – because of Adam’s sin – God cursed the ground, and as a result, it brought forth thistles and thorns. Thorns are not sin in the same way that adultery is sin, but they are a product of sin. And Paul makes this clear when he says, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Rom. 8:20-22). The entrance of sin into the world not only brought evil actions but corruption and impurity and death. Genesis 3 brought not only lying, murder and greed but earthquakes, famine and cancer.
But it is not enough to know that sin has brought impurity and brokenness to the world, we must also understand how such brokenness affects God’s interaction with that world. Because God’s holiness involves not only sinlessness but perfection, any person or object that will dwell in the presence of God must not only be without sin but without stain or taint or imperfection. It is not enough for an object to be without sin; it must also be without the effects of sin. As one example of this, God makes clear – in Leviticus 21:16-24 – that no priest can make offerings in the sanctuary that has any sort of physical deformity such as being blind or lame or being a hunchback or a dwarf. Such an individual “shall not go through the veil or approach the altar, because he has a blemish, that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am the Lord who sanctifies them” (Lev. 21:23). This is a very clear declaration that in order for any individual to come into God’s presence, they must not only be without sin but also without blemish. The same holds true for the animals brought in the sacrifices. As one commentator writes, “What is profane is incompatible with the holy.” Proper fellowship with God requires not only the elimination of sin but of the effects of sin as well.
Understanding the full scope of the fall and the distinction between sin and uncleanness, we can turn our attention to our specific text: Leviticus 11-15. As I said before, these chapters deal not with issues of specific sin but with issues of uncleanness – that is, effects of sin. The central point of these chapters is to instruct the people about what things can make them unclean and how they can be cleansed from that uncleanness if it happens.
At first glance, it may seem like this discussion does not fit into the flow of Leviticus, but – in reality – this discussion of uncleanness was hinted at in Leviticus 10 as God told Aaron, “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean” (Lev. 10:10). Moreover, this discussion lays the groundwork for the ceremony we will look at next week in Leviticus 16 – the Day of Atonement. In fact, God actually tells Moses that the Day of Atonement is necessary, “because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins” (Lev. 16:16). Here we see very clearly the distinction that has already been made between sin and uncleanness (the effects of sin). Both issues have to be addressed. Understanding this, then, we can look at the particulars of our text.
Clean and Unclean Animals (11:1-47)
The first major section of our text deals with clean and unclean animals. The essential message of this chapter is that there are certain animals that will cause the Israelites to be unclean if they are eaten or if their dead carcasses are touched. First, the Lord address those animals that walk on the earth and makes clear that only those that both part the hoof and chew the cud may be eaten. Anything that does one without the other or neither is unclean (11:1-8). Next, the Lord addresses fish and makes clear that those with fins and scales are clean while all others are unclean (11:9-12). This pattern continues by distinguishing clean birds from unclean birds (11:13-19) and clean insects from those that are detestable (11:20-23). Having addressed the issue of eating, God goes on to make clear that touching the dead carcass of any of these unclean animals also renders the one who has touched them unclean (11:24-28). On top of that, there is a large group of “swarming” animals that could make the people unclean such as mole rats, mice, a variety of lizards as well as “whatever goes on its belly, and whatever goes on all fours, or whatever has many feet” (11:42). These animals could not be eaten, and anything they touched after they died became unclean (11:29-43).
There have been numerous attempts – and thousands of pages written – to explain why certain animals are clean and others are unclean. While there is nothing inherently wrong with these efforts, I fear that such discussion could distract from the central point of the text. It does not matter why a particular animal was unclean. The message of the chapter is that certain animals are unclean, and the Israelites were to avoid them. And to demonstrate the seriousness of this issue, the chapter also makes clear that a person made unclean by an unclean animal or a carcass had to cleanse themselves by washing (11:25,28,40). And even after cleansing themselves, the person remained unclean until evening (11:24,25,27,28,39,40). And if the object that was polluted was a thing rather than a person, it still had to be cleansed (in the case of a garment – 11:32) or broken (in the case of a vessel – 11:33). The central issue is not so much the animal as the uncleanness that it brings, and God makes clear that his people are to remain pure and undefiled because he has chosen them. Because he is holy and undefiled, the people he has chosen should be so as well. These regulations regarding cleanness have their foundation in the perfectly clean, pure and holy God. As we saw before, it is wrong not only for sin to come into his presence but any sort of defilement or uncleanness.
Childbirth (12:1-8)
The next chapter of our text moves to the issue of childbirth. The chapter begins by laying out the fact that the woman who gives birth is unclean and has to go through a purification period before she can come to the tabernacle. If the child is a male, the woman is unclean for 7 days and has to go through purification for 33 days. If the child is a female, the woman is unclean for 14 days and has to go through purification for 66 days (12:1-5). The second part of the chapter lays out the sacrifices that she is to bring once the days of her purification are over. These offerings include a lamb for a burnt offering and a bird for a sin offering. Like we saw two weeks ago, provision is also made for the poor (12:6-8).
More so than perhaps any other topic in our text this morning, the inclusion of childbirth could radically confuse some people. Is childbirth a sin? Is childbirth even an effect of sin? Did God not tell Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply prior to the fall? The key to understanding why childbirth is included here is understanding what part of the process makes the woman unclean. This chapter is very clear that the thing that makes the woman unclean is not the pregnancy or even the child but the flow of blood that accompanies the birth (12:4,5,7). The reason the woman is unclean is because she has an “unnatural” flow of blood from her body – much like the bodily discharges that we will look at in chapter 15. This unnatural flow of blood renders her unclean and results in her being separated from God and unable to come into her presence. Once again, we see that it is not only explicit sin that separates us from God but uncleanness can separate us as well. Just like with the discussion of clean and unclean animals, we see that the whole discussion of childbirth centers around the fact that God is holy and that sacrifice is necessary to restore the ruptured relationship between the woman and God.
Leprous Diseases (13:1-14:57)
Having addressed the issue of childbirth, God then brings up the issue of leprous diseases. In order to aid understanding, it should be pointed out that the phrase “leprous disease” is a very vague – and possibly misleading – term. In actuality, the specific disease known as leprosy is very likely not even in view here. In fact, it is more than likely a large collection of diseases that are envisioned in these two chapters. The term “leprous disease” – rather than referring to one specific ailment – actually serves to identify any disease that erupts and spreads on the skin of a person or on a garment or in a house. Understanding this will help us understand the variety of instruction given in these two chapters.
Chapter 13 is concerned with the identification of the diseases. It begins by generally addressing any eruption or spot that turns into a case of leprous disease. If this happens, the afflicted person is to come to the priest who is to examine the individual and determine if the disease is leprous. If so, the individual is quarantined and reexamined after a week. The person is then quarantined for another week and again reexamined. If the disease has not spread, the person is clean and needs only to wash himself. If the disease has spread, the individual is declared unclean (13:1-8). God then reiterates these rules and gives a few more explicit instructions regarding diagnosis of these diseases (13:9-17). The rules are then reiterated for some more specific cases such as eruptions arising from boils (13:18-23), those arising from burns (13:24-28) and those arising on the head or beard (13:29-44). In all of these cases, the process is the same: the individual comes to the priest to be examined; if necessary the individual is quarantined and then reexamined; if the disease is checked the individual is declared clean, but if the disease has spread the individual is declared unclean. The section on disease in human beings closes with explicit instruction to the infected person regarding how they are to behave and live: they are essentially an outcast who is not allowed to dwell in the camp because of their uncleanness (13:45-46). The rest of the chapter gives similar instructions with regard to disease found in a garment. The garment is brought to the priest for examination, and then closed up (“quarantined”) for a week before being reexamined. If the disease has not spread, the garment is washed and quarantined again for another week before being declared clean. If the disease has spread, the garment is declared unclean and burned (13:47-59). Once again, we see very explicitly the idea that uncleanness cannot reside among the people of God. If a person is unclean because of a leprous disease, they are cast out of the camp – away from God’s presence. And even if an item that is used in the camp becomes diseased, it must be destroyed. Uncleanness is incompatible with the holiness of God – in human or garment.
Having discussed the identification of the disease, chapter 14 deals with the cleansing of it. In an elaborate ritual, the cleansed individual brings two birds to the priest – who meets him outside the camp. One bird is killed and its blood is mixed with fresh water. The other bird is dipped in this bloody water along with some cedar and hyssop. Some of the bloody water is sprinkled on the individual, and the second bird is set free. The cleansed individual then washes and shaves and is declared clean – he is allowed back into camp but must sleep outside his tent for a week (14:1-9). It seems that this ritual symbolizes what could have happened to the individual (they die from their disease) while demonstrating what is happening to the individual (they are cleansed and set free). This is a graphic picture of the gracious cleansing that has happened. After being cleansed, the individual is to bring three lambs and some grain to the tabernacle. The priest first uses a lamb to make a guilt offering – signifying that restitution is being made. The cleansed individual is anointed with both blood and oil from the guilt offering – signifying his own rededication and reconsecration to the Lord. Again , this is a graphic portrayal of a spiritual reality – the cleansed individual is being reintegrated into the covenant community. The priest then makes a sin offering, a burnt offering and a grain offering to make atonement for the cleansed person (14:10-20). The details are repeated, with appropriate accommodation, for those who are poor (14:21-32). The rest of the chapter is spent detailing the necessary steps to cleanse a house in which such a leprous disease is found. Much like with the garments of chapter 13, the house is to be inspected and then quarantined. If the disease does not spread, the affected stones should be replaced. If the disease persists, the entire house is to be destroyed. The cleansing of the house involves the same ritual involving two birds to demonstrate that the house is cleansed. No sacrifice is necessary because the affected entity is not a person but a house (14:33-57). Once again, it is made very clear that uncleanness is such a problem that a cleansed person has to offer sacrifice to be restored to the covenant community. Even in the case of leprous disease, this uncleanness is incompatible with the holiness of God, and it must be addressed.
Bodily Discharges (15:1-33)
The final section of our text deals with various bodily discharges. In a very orderly fashion, God speaks to Moses about four separate types of discharges. First, he addresses any unnatural discharge from the body of a man. The description is very vague, and the only thing we can know is that God is not talking about the male discharge during sex because He addresses that later. Whatever the details of this discharge, it is deemed unclean and quite serious. Everything that the man touches also becomes unclean – including anything that his spit touches (15:1-12). Once again, we see the seriousness of this uncleanness by the fact that – once cleansed – the individual must wait seven days to be cleansed and then wash himself. He must then bring two birds to be offered as a sin offering and a burnt offering. Because the man must be restored to fellowship with God, atonement must be made for him because he has been unclean (5:13-15).
Next, God addresses the male discharge that occurs in the act of sex – even this good, God-ordained gift results in the two parties becoming unclean because of the discharge. The uncleanness is not as serious as that which we just saw because no offering is mandated. The man and woman are simply told to wash themselves – they are unclean until the evening (15:16-18). Yet again, we see that any uncleanness results in separation from God and must be addressed.
Next, God addresses the natural discharges of the female. This section parallels the section that immediately preceded it and has to do with the discharge related to the sexual act. Specifically, this section addresses the menstrual impurity of the woman. During this menstrual period, the woman is unclean for seven days. Like the more serious discharge of the male, anything the woman touches becomes unclean and must be cleansed. Like with the more minor male discharge, the woman is not required to bring a sacrifice for this uncleanness – she is merely required to wash herself. She remains unclean until the evening (15:19-24).
The final discharge spoken about in this chapter is the more serious discharge for females. This discharge is entirely different from the more regular menstrual discharge just mentioned. Instead, this is a discharge that lasts for an extended period of time. Likewise, while in this impurity, anything the woman touches becomes unclean – a reality that would have been devastating if this discharge persisted for an extended period of time. Like with the more serious discharge of the male, the woman who is cleansed of this discharge must undergo seven days of cleansing. She must then bring two birds to make a sin offering and a burnt offering. Just like with the more serious discharge of the male, their must be an offering to restore the relationship between the woman and God (15:25-33).
Before leaving this section, it should be noted that – just like the rest of the uncleannesses mentioned – these extensive rules for dealing with discharges are rooted in the very character of God. God says, “Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst” (15:31). God is making clear, once again, that these uncleannesses must be addressed because He is absolutely holy. If He is to dwell in the midst of His people, they must be clean. They must not only address their sin but their impurity and uncleanness as well. Their uncleannesses are incompatible with the holiness of God.
The Scope of Uncleanness
Having looked at some of the details of our text regarding the things that could have made the Israelites unclean, we are no doubt staggered by the sheer “overwhelmingness” of it all. Were they ever clean? Having looked at this text, it should cause us to step back and realize just how unclean we are. Women, after you gave birth, you would be unclean for anywhere from 40 to 80 days. Also, you would be unclean for seven days every time you went through your menstrual cycle. For all of us, if you had any sort of outbreak or rash on your body, you would be unclean – meaning you would be separated from your house and your family and quarantined. If the outbreak did not go away, you would be essentially exiled. If something like a mouse or a lizard or even some insects died in your house, you would have to go to elaborate measures in order to cleanse the house. For those of you who eat pork, you would have to either give it up or remain perpetually unclean. For those who are married, any time you had sex with your spouse you would be unclean for the rest of the day. The scope of uncleanness is mind-boggling.
But the more important part of the uncleanness is that it would separate you from God. Uncleanness would not be such a big deal without this crucial element. Anytime the Israelites were unclean, they were unable to come before the Lord. They were unable to make offerings and have fellowship with God. In short, they were unable to be at peace with God. Their uncleanness was incompatible with the holiness of God. And the same is true of us. God has not changed, and our uncleanness is incompatible with his holiness.
So what is our hope? Are all of us, because we do not go through these elaborate rituals detailed in Leviticus 11-15, forever condemned to uncleanness and separation from God? The emphatic answer is “NO!” And the reason behind the answer is found in the same place that the answer for our sin was found – in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
We see this typified in Jesus’ earthly ministry.
Before we look at the way Jesus addresses our personal uncleanness, I want us to notice that even in his earthly ministry, Jesus made clear that a radical change had taken place. As we saw in our text this morning, a person with a chronic leprous disease was unclean. They had to remove themselves from the camp and live in exile – apart from their family, the rest of the people, and God. In essence, the one who was unclean in this way had to remove themselves as far as possible from the holy presence of God – they were not allowed to come near. But, in the ministry of Jesus, we see this pattern radically altered. In Matthew 8:1-4, we read of a leper who came to Jesus asking to be made clean. Matthew says, “And Jesus stretched out his hadn and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.’” (Matt. 8:3). Here we see something radically different: instead of the man being sent away from God because of his uncleanness, he comes to Jesus and the uncleanness is removed. Suddenly, God – instead of sending uncleanness out of his presence – has made a way for that uncleanness to be removed for those who come into his presence.
We see the same sort of thing in Luke 8:43-48. In Leviticus, we saw that an unnatural discharge of blood made a person unclean. Like the leper, they were forbidden to come into the presence of God because of it. In Luke 8, we read of a woman who had such an unnatural discharge. The woman creeps close to Jesus and touches his garment and is immediately healed. At that point, Jesus forces her to reveal herself. Luke makes very clear that the woman was terrified as she came before Jesus (Luke 8:47). She was terrified because of the very rules we saw in Leviticus 15 – her touching Jesus would have made him unclean, her touching of any of the people around her would have made them unclean. She was terrified because she would have tainted all of these people. But that is not what happens – by touching Jesus she does not make him unclean but is made clean herself. Just like the leper, she is not sent away because of her uncleanness but is made clean by coming to Jesus Christ.
Here we see an incredibly glorious part of Jesus’ identity and work. As we have seen, uncleanness and impurity is incompatible with the holiness of God. This means that no such uncleanness can exist in God’s presence. This was true in the Old Testament, and it is true today. The central question then is: how can an unclean people dwell before the perfectly holy God? The answer in the Old Testament was that the uncleanness was banished from God’s presence. The glorious answer in the new covenant – in Christ – is that the unclean person can come to Jesus Christ and be made clean for all time. Rather than exile, there is acceptance. Rather than rejection, there is purification. And rather than death, there is life. And this is accomplished because of the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is perfectly holy and clean and able to make us perfectly holy and clean as well.
We see that this is a central aspect of the new covenant as a whole.
Even after Jesus is taken up into heaven, we see very clearly in Acts that his finished work has resulted in an incredible change in regard to the rules and regulations of Leviticus 11-15. In Acts 10, we read the story of Peter having a vision in which he sees a sheet full of animals lowered from heaven. God then instructs Peter to rise and kill and eat the animals. Peter – being the good Jew that he is – responds by declaring that he has never eaten anything unclean. Amazingly, the Lord answers by declaring that Peter is not to call unclean what God has called clean. The point of this remarkable passage is that the animal distinctions of Leviticus 11 have been done away with because of the work of Christ. The difference between Leviticus 11 and Acts 10 is the finished work of the Savior.
Even more remarkably, Acts 10 continues with Peter’s visit to the gentile Cornelius. Upon officially meeting Cornelius, and seeing the many people gathered to hear him, Peter says, “you yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean” (Acts 10:28). Here we see an astounding reality: Peter applies the principal of his vision from the Lord regarding animals to people. In some way, it seems that the clean and unclean animals symbolized the division between Israel and the gentile nations. Just as the division between clean and unclean animals has been abolished, so the division between Jews and Gentiles has been abolished as well. Now, the central reality in regard to approaching God is not whether one is clean or unclean but whether one is coming through Christ or not. Christ makes individuals clean and able to come before God.
We see that this is true of us as individual believers.
Moving more specifically to the point of applying this reality to ourselves as individuals, we can see very clearly from the New Testament that part of what Jesus Christ has done for us, alongside dealing with our sins, is he has made us clean before God. Titus 2:14 says, “Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Here we see an explicit statement by Paul that Jesus came to redeem us from our sin and to purify us as his people. The work of Christ is broad and incredible – involving the forgiveness of sin (and all that that entails as we saw in Leviticus 1-7) as well as the purification of those who are too unclean to come into the presence of God. The author of Hebrews makes this same point as he writes, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19,22). Here we see once again that through the blood of Jesus Christ we have our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience as well as our bodies washed with pure water. We not only have our sin dealt with but our uncleanness as well. In Christ, we are righteous before God – without sin, even though we still fight that sin. In Christ, we are pure and clean – without stain or blemish, even though we can see our own uncleanness everyday. But in Christ, we are acceptable before God.
We look to the day when the positional becomes the actual.
The final glorious piece of this puzzle is that there will come a day when all uncleanness is eradicated. We saw at the beginning that not only adultery but hurricanes were born in Genesis 3. The effect of Adam’s sin was not only lust and murder and lying but disease and tornadoes. The reason this is important for us to understand is because it enhances the glorious hope that we have in Christ. We are looking forward to a day when not only sin but the effects of sin are eradicated! We are looking forward to a day in which we see perfection. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15 wrote, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:51-53). Here we see very clearly that at the end of all things, when we enter into God’s presence, we will leave our filthy, unclean bodies behind and be clothed in new, glorious and clean bodies. The imperishable will be perfectly clean, and the immortal will be perfectly clean. How do we know? John tells us in Revelation 21:27 – speaking of the new heavens and the new earth – that “nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” In eternity, we will not have to worry about sin. And in eternity, we will not have to worry about uncleanness because only those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb will be there. And those washed in His blood are clean forever.
Understanding these realities is vital for all of us. If you are not a believer – a follower of Jesus Christ – then you are exiled from the presence of God. You have no hope before him and you will not be allowed into his presence. You are, by nature, sinful and unclean. Uncleanness is incompatible with the holiness of God. But the glorious news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ died on the cross and was buried and was raised from the dead three days later so that his people might be clean – in the words of Paul “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing…holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). Your only hope for becoming acceptable before God is to trust in Jesus Christ. He will make you clean. There is no other way but through the precious, cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.
For those of us who are believers, we come to take communion rejoicing. Once again, we have seen just how glorious our Savior truly is. If it were not for him, we would be lost. Just as he has made a way to deal with our sin and just as he has become our great high priest, he has also cleansed us from every impurity and uncleanness. By his blood that was shed, our hearts are sprinkled clean from sin and our bodies are washed with pure water. Let us rejoice in this great Savior as we take communion together. Amen.