Today's Reading:

Leviticus 11
Leviticus 12
Leviticus 13
Leviticus 14

 
These chapters are part of God's plan to the Israelites on how to stay "clean" (ritually pure) in order to live in God’s holy presence and preserve them by protecting them from illnesses. Being "unclean" was not always about being sinful or dirty in a moral sense, it was about things in everyday life that made someone temporarily unfit for worship or being with the community. The main idea is holiness: God is perfectly holy, so His people needed to set themselves apart to be holy (11:44).  

Early on, the Israelites' patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) did eat meat before the rules in Leviticus. In Genesis, God did not permit eating meat until after the Flood—He told Noah, "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you" (Genesis 9:3), with the only restriction being no blood. Before that, humanity was plant-based (Genesis 1:29). But after the Flood, meat was allowed, and there are examples of the patriarchs enjoying it: Abraham served a tender calf to his divine visitors (Genesis 18:7-8), and Jacob cooked a savory stew when tricking his father into giving him the blessing (Genesis 27:25).  God, in His amazing grace, didn't leave meat off the table forever—He allowed the Israelites to enjoy it as long as they followed His rules, setting them apart as holy while still letting them savor lamb chops and beef steaks with gratitude.  

 

 

The specific "clean vs. unclean" food restrictions (no pork, shellfish, etc.) did not happen until God gave them to Moses in Leviticus 11. This was to set His people apart in holiness. Before that, while Noah knew the distinction for sacrifices (not the kids' version of 2 by 2 of each animal, as there were 7 pairs of all clean animals and 7 pairs of birds), the patriarchs ate meat without the eating bans. Meat was not an everyday staple (mostly for special occasions, guests, or sacrifices), but it was part of life. 

Fast-forward to Jesus: His sacrifice fulfilled the law, declaring all foods clean (Mark 7:19; Acts 10), so now we get to enjoy the full menu.  Yum! No more limits, just freedom and rejoicing in God's provision. 

Here is the overview of the clean/unclean animals: 

• Land animals: Okay if they had split hooves and chewed the cud and no paws (like cows, sheep, goats). Stay away from pigs (split hooves but no cud), camels, rabbits, and hyrax, etc. (note the hyrax was also seen in Psalm 104:18 that we have read). 
• Sea creatures: Must have fins and scales (most fish were okay; shrimp, lobster, shellfish no-no). 
• Birds: Most okay, but no eagles, vultures, owls, or other birds of prey/scavengers. 
• Insects: Almost all were not allowed, except some locusts and grasshoppers, due to the jointed legs which help them to hop.  
• Slithering: Snakes, worms, lizards, rats were all a big no-no, as they were detestable- I have to say, I’d agree, haha. 
• Touching a dead, unclean animal also made you temporarily unclean. The point? Be different from other nations and remember God's holiness in daily life, like what you eat. 

Why just until evening? Uncleanness here was not a sin, it was temporary ritual impurity from contact with death/decay (like touching any dead unclean animal- you touch raw meat or even the Kroger package- wash your hands!). Sunset was a natural "reset" at the end of the day. It gave time to wash and dry clothes to handle any germs. No big offerings needed; wait it out, and you're good to worship again. Jesus flipped all this. He touched the unclean (lepers, dead) to heal, declared foods clean (Mark 7:19), and His blood made us forever pure, no more waiting until night. Rejoice in that freedom! 

Chapter 12 gave purification after childbirth rules, giving birth made a new mom ritually unclean for a set time (because of blood and the afterbirth).  

• For a boy: Unclean 7 days, then another 33 days of limited purity. Boy circumcised on day 8. 
• For a girl: Unclean 14 days, then another 66 days. Twice as long, there are a few thoughts on why the birth of a girl made the mother unclean longer, a few of those are: medical observations that the mom would bleed longer with the birth of a girl allowing for more recovery time, that the baby girl will one day have her own cycles, so this covers both mom and baby, girls were typically born smaller so it gave mom more time to care for her like maternity leave. 
• After that, note that the mom brought the same offering to the priest for atonement, no matter if the baby was a boy or a girl, as one was not more valuable than the other.  Note, they did have levels of sacrifice for rich/lambs to poor/doves and pigeons. Jesus' parents were not wealthy and brought the lesser-valued animals to the Temple to cover both the atonement and the dedication of the firstborn male to God. 

 Chapter 13 reviewed the rules for the priests to check everything from a pimple to leprosy. Again, this was to keep the community clean and without disease. Imagine how many millions were living in tents within close confinement to one another. Disease would have spread rampant.  

• Signs of unclean: Swelling, rash, or spot that is more than skin deep, with white hair or raw flesh; or if it spreads after initial observation (think like MRSA today). 
• If suspicious: Quarantine the person for 7 days, recheck, maybe another 7 days. 
• If confirmed, then unclean: the person had to live outside the camp, cover their mouth, and call out "Unclean!" to warn others while looking disheveled. It also covered mold in fabric- if a greenish/reddish mold spread, burn it.  

The priests were given the rules, and the people obeyed. Sometimes a person was never allowed back into camp and lived outside the community, unable to be close to worship or to God. The rules were strict, and for good reason: they kept their hearts and eyes on obeying God. The ceremonial cleansing was to take their uncleanness and transfer it to the birds, one to kill and one that would symbolically carry it away.   

• Person shaves, washes, waits 7 days, shaves again. (Smooth like a newborn) 
• Offerings: Lambs (or birds if poor) for guilt, sin, burnt, and grain offerings—blood and oil applied to ear, thumb, and toe (like priest ordination). NOTE- the person who had been unclean would not bring their own sacrifice, or it would then be unclean; a priest would have to get it for the person and bring it to the acting priest. 
• House Mold: Similar rules for mold/mildew in houses- scrape, replace stones; if it returns, tear down the house (I doubt insurance is going to cover this!). Same bird ceremony, if cleared , which is all about restoration—God provides a way back to cleanliness and community. 

Through these elaborate rituals for both people and homes, God graciously provided a path back to purity and fellowship for those who had been healed from defiling conditions. There was always a way back to Him. 

 
Today's Discussion question: 

If you had to follow the Leviticus 11 rules strictly for a week in today's world (no pork, shellfish etc.), what modern food would you miss the most—bacon, shrimp cocktail, McDonald’s Big Mac, pepperoni pizza? -and why? How do you think it would change your daily life or cravings?

 
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