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April 21, 2023
Making the Unclean Clean
Little boys love to terrorize little girls with things most girls find disgusting like bugs, snakes, mice, and … Well, this week you may feel squeamish reading God’s rules regarding several very disgusting things! But the point is to define those things that made His people unclean. Then we learn how they were to remedy it so they could freely enter His holy presence.
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Making the Unclean Clean (Out of Zion Episode #176)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Transcript
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,160
You know, little boys love to terrorize little girls with things that they find disgusting,
2
00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:11,480
like bugs and snakes and mice and, well, I'll stop there.
3
00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:17,080
Well, this week you may be feeling squeamish as you're reading in the Torah portion this
4
00:00:17,080 --> 00:00:24,320
week about bodily discharges, leprosy, scabs, really some disgusting things.
5
00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:30,280
But the point is to teach us how to separate from those things that make us unclean.
6
00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,360
First, we have to define what is unclean.
7
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,920
Then we learn how to remedy it.
8
00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:42,480
So welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional when I seek to share a little inspiration,
9
00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:46,320
bring a little piece to the close of your very busy week.
10
00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:53,880
So this week's Torah portion reading is called Tatsria Mezora, and it means bearing seed.
11
00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,480
Those are the first words of the portion.
12
00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:01,360
We're reading Leviticus 12 through chapter 15 this week.
13
00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:07,520
So yes, we're talking about blood, scabs, leprosy and bodily discharges.
14
00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:08,520
Yuck!
15
00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:16,240
But the requirement, I want to focus on the requirements about a leper who has been cleaned
16
00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:22,200
and or healed and how he has to go before the priest to prove that he is healed and that
17
00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:23,860
he's now clean.
18
00:01:23,860 --> 00:01:28,080
This process takes 21 days.
19
00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:35,440
And you remember the verses in Luke 17 where Jesus healed the lepers and he comes upon
20
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:41,880
these 10 lepers and they stand far away from him because they had to as lepers, but they
21
00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,680
cried out to him for mercy.
22
00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,320
And it says this in verse 14.
23
00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:50,200
This is Luke 17, 14.
24
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:55,840
So when he saw them, he said to them, Go show yourselves to the priest.
25
00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:00,600
And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
26
00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:06,640
So while their step of faith resulted in their healing, Jesus knew that they would be healed
27
00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,840
and that the priest had to verify the healing.
28
00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:11,940
Why?
29
00:02:11,940 --> 00:02:16,640
Because of these very verses in Leviticus that we're reading this week, this was the
30
00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:23,920
procedure for a healed leper to be made clean and accepted back into society.
31
00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:30,320
And so Jesus was telling them, Be obedient to the law, go before the priest and let them
32
00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,600
verify your healing.
33
00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:39,080
The why behind all of these regulations about uncleanness, you know, we read it in verse
34
00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,080
31.
35
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:47,880
In this is now Leviticus 15, verse 31, Thus you shall separate the children of Israel
36
00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:55,720
from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle
37
00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,160
that is among them.
38
00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:03,800
So a lot of these laws and regulations were to teach them what was clean and what was
39
00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:05,040
unclean.
40
00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,760
And then also a remedy for the uncleanness.
41
00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:13,320
And I want to be clear here that some of these laws, it's not about sin at all.
42
00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:19,680
It's certainly not sinful for a woman to give birth and then have to go through a process
43
00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,480
of ritual purity to be clean again.
44
00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:29,000
It certainly isn't sinful to have leprosy and to then, once they're healed, to go through
45
00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,520
this process.
46
00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:36,680
So a lot of this uncleanness, it's not about sin, it's about uncleanness.
47
00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:42,040
And the Lord wants to teach his people like little children how to be clean, how to take
48
00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:47,000
their baths, how to wash their hands like our moms, and therefore to be able to enter
49
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:48,920
his presence.
50
00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,040
So I just want to make another comment.
51
00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:55,640
There are two types of laws that we are reading in the Torah.
52
00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:01,200
There is one that is called Mishpatin, and these are the laws that the human intellect
53
00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,480
can understand.
54
00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:08,200
We understand the reason behind those laws, but there are some laws that are considered
55
00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,480
chokin.
56
00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:16,000
Those are the laws that human intellect actually does not understand.
57
00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:23,200
Those are the laws that just require sheer obedience because we don't understand why
58
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:24,480
they were given.
59
00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,260
We don't understand what they're good for.
60
00:04:27,260 --> 00:04:29,000
We don't understand their meaning.
61
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,960
And that's when we express our faith by obeying God.
62
00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:39,480
And I want to close this week with a New Testament scripture, Romans 11-33, where the Apostle
63
00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:48,360
Paul says, Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable
64
00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,540
are his judgments and his ways past finding out.
65
00:04:53,540 --> 00:04:58,840
So if you're reading something in these laws that you don't understand, that's okay.
66
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:05,280
The Apostle Paul didn't either, and he proclaimed the wisdom of God that his ways are just above
67
00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:06,480
our ways.
68
00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,880
One day we'll understand when we enter eternity.
69
00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:17,000
But while here on earth with limited understanding, we just have to obey in faith.
70
00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:29,160
And with that, I wish you Shabbat Shalom.
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,160
You know, little boys love to terrorize little girls with things that they find disgusting,
2
00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:11,480
like bugs and snakes and mice and, well, I'll stop there.
3
00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:17,080
Well, this week you may be feeling squeamish as you're reading in the Torah portion this
4
00:00:17,080 --> 00:00:24,320
week about bodily discharges, leprosy, scabs, really some disgusting things.
5
00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:30,280
But the point is to teach us how to separate from those things that make us unclean.
6
00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,360
First, we have to define what is unclean.
7
00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,920
Then we learn how to remedy it.
8
00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:42,480
So welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional when I seek to share a little inspiration,
9
00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:46,320
bring a little piece to the close of your very busy week.
10
00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:53,880
So this week's Torah portion reading is called Tatsria Mezora, and it means bearing seed.
11
00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,480
Those are the first words of the portion.
12
00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:01,360
We're reading Leviticus 12 through chapter 15 this week.
13
00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:07,520
So yes, we're talking about blood, scabs, leprosy and bodily discharges.
14
00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:08,520
Yuck!
15
00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:16,240
But the requirement, I want to focus on the requirements about a leper who has been cleaned
16
00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:22,200
and or healed and how he has to go before the priest to prove that he is healed and that
17
00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:23,860
he's now clean.
18
00:01:23,860 --> 00:01:28,080
This process takes 21 days.
19
00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:35,440
And you remember the verses in Luke 17 where Jesus healed the lepers and he comes upon
20
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:41,880
these 10 lepers and they stand far away from him because they had to as lepers, but they
21
00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,680
cried out to him for mercy.
22
00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,320
And it says this in verse 14.
23
00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:50,200
This is Luke 17, 14.
24
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:55,840
So when he saw them, he said to them, Go show yourselves to the priest.
25
00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:00,600
And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
26
00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:06,640
So while their step of faith resulted in their healing, Jesus knew that they would be healed
27
00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,840
and that the priest had to verify the healing.
28
00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:11,940
Why?
29
00:02:11,940 --> 00:02:16,640
Because of these very verses in Leviticus that we're reading this week, this was the
30
00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:23,920
procedure for a healed leper to be made clean and accepted back into society.
31
00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:30,320
And so Jesus was telling them, Be obedient to the law, go before the priest and let them
32
00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,600
verify your healing.
33
00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:39,080
The why behind all of these regulations about uncleanness, you know, we read it in verse
34
00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,080
31.
35
00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:47,880
In this is now Leviticus 15, verse 31, Thus you shall separate the children of Israel
36
00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:55,720
from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle
37
00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,160
that is among them.
38
00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:03,800
So a lot of these laws and regulations were to teach them what was clean and what was
39
00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:05,040
unclean.
40
00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:07,760
And then also a remedy for the uncleanness.
41
00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:13,320
And I want to be clear here that some of these laws, it's not about sin at all.
42
00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:19,680
It's certainly not sinful for a woman to give birth and then have to go through a process
43
00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,480
of ritual purity to be clean again.
44
00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:29,000
It certainly isn't sinful to have leprosy and to then, once they're healed, to go through
45
00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:30,520
this process.
46
00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:36,680
So a lot of this uncleanness, it's not about sin, it's about uncleanness.
47
00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:42,040
And the Lord wants to teach his people like little children how to be clean, how to take
48
00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:47,000
their baths, how to wash their hands like our moms, and therefore to be able to enter
49
00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:48,920
his presence.
50
00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,040
So I just want to make another comment.
51
00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:55,640
There are two types of laws that we are reading in the Torah.
52
00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:01,200
There is one that is called Mishpatin, and these are the laws that the human intellect
53
00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:02,480
can understand.
54
00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:08,200
We understand the reason behind those laws, but there are some laws that are considered
55
00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,480
chokin.
56
00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:16,000
Those are the laws that human intellect actually does not understand.
57
00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:23,200
Those are the laws that just require sheer obedience because we don't understand why
58
00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:24,480
they were given.
59
00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,260
We don't understand what they're good for.
60
00:04:27,260 --> 00:04:29,000
We don't understand their meaning.
61
00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,960
And that's when we express our faith by obeying God.
62
00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:39,480
And I want to close this week with a New Testament scripture, Romans 11-33, where the Apostle
63
00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:48,360
Paul says, Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable
64
00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:53,540
are his judgments and his ways past finding out.
65
00:04:53,540 --> 00:04:58,840
So if you're reading something in these laws that you don't understand, that's okay.
66
00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:05,280
The Apostle Paul didn't either, and he proclaimed the wisdom of God that his ways are just above
67
00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:06,480
our ways.
68
00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,880
One day we'll understand when we enter eternity.
69
00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:17,000
But while here on earth with limited understanding, we just have to obey in faith.
70
00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:29,160
And with that, I wish you Shabbat Shalom.
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