WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.679 I'm gonna pray and then we'll dig into Leviticus for a little while and then 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:09.120 we'll gather in the small groups as normal and we'll pray. I've got some big 00:00:09.120 --> 00:00:13.000 things to pray about tonight that are going on in the life of the world so 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:16.679 we'll do that in just a little while. Let's pray. Lord we thank you so much for 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:21.920 gathering us and we ask now that in your holy presence we would know the 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:26.640 presence of the Holy Spirit particularly to illumine this word to us that we 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:33.439 would receive such a strange and different context the the legal code of 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:38.320 cleanliness laws in your Levitical order Lord would you help us to understand 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:43.320 and so we ask for that it's so different than our modern context so Lord be near 00:00:43.320 --> 00:00:47.359 unto us now as we receive this we recognize this to be your holy word 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:53.079 and so we want to hear it oh God and we pray this in Jesus name amen. Alright so 00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:58.640 we're looking at Leviticus we've been is our fourth time together to do that so 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:02.920 there's a handout Leviticus 11 to 15 is what we're gonna think about together 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:09.359 for a little while and if you've not been around for this that's okay so so far 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:13.680 the big thing we've said is that when you read Leviticus the question is the 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:21.359 reality is to see is that we were all made for God's presence and there's a 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:24.879 hunger for that in all every single one of us tonight even if we don't feel it 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:30.680 at the moment so you might come tonight not feeling hunger and thirst for the 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:34.719 living presence of God in your life but that is exactly the thing you were made 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:39.680 for and that's what Leviticus is actually all about and so the question of 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:47.719 Leviticus is how can people who were made for the living presence of God enter 00:01:47.719 --> 00:01:52.079 into that presence when they have unclean lips as Isaiah puts it sinners 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:56.959 people of dust like we are how can we enter onto the holy mountain of God's 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:00.879 presence that's the question of Leviticus and that's what we've been 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:06.120 talking about so far and what we have in Leviticus is basically just God's 00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:13.039 gracious yes sinners can enter and so sometimes we come to a book like Leviticus 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:18.560 and think this is the law and we're gonna get to the grace later but actually 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:23.879 Leviticus is unbelievably gracious from top to bottom can a sinner enter into 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:30.000 God's presence Leviticus says yes by way of sacrifice we saw already by way of 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:35.000 priesthood so you need both so far to enter into God's holy presence and 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:41.239 that's what this book of it is about we said the past couple of times that the 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:49.800 tabernacle in the book of Leviticus is a representation of the Garden of Eden 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:55.800 that's a big claim that we're making and even more than that the tabernacle that 00:02:55.800 --> 00:03:01.480 God requires Moses and the priest to build is a representation of the cosmos 00:03:01.480 --> 00:03:08.960 itself and so in the Garden of Eden the first temple of God God condescended in 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:12.200 order to be with us to dwell in our presence and we in his presence and 00:03:12.200 --> 00:03:17.840 now in Leviticus we have this what the theologians will call a recapitulation 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:22.640 of that event mimicked in the way the temple is structured and designed the 00:03:22.640 --> 00:03:28.240 tabernacle and so just like Adam and Eve exited out of the east gate of the 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:34.600 Garden of Eden and Cain was sent further east east of Eden so the tabernacle 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:40.479 faces east and you approach the tabernacle the temple the altar by the 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:45.519 east gate it's a reentry into the Garden of Eden is the picture we're being 00:03:45.519 --> 00:03:50.479 given and the further you get into the temple the tabernacle the holy of 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:56.199 holies the closer you get to the center of the garden the tree of life so the 00:03:56.199 --> 00:04:01.479 temple furniture looks like trees flowers the temple is decorated in that 00:04:01.479 --> 00:04:06.159 way the tabernacle is and so this is all about getting in return going in 00:04:06.159 --> 00:04:10.560 return from our exile back to the Garden of Eden that's the big picture here 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:16.560 now last time we ended at Leviticus 10 and in Leviticus 10 at the end of 00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:22.879 Leviticus 9 Moses is able for the first time to enter the tabernacle he had not 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:28.639 been able to in Leviticus 1 but by way of sacrifice and priestly ordination he's 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:32.959 able to enter the high priest in Moses are and then the very next story is the 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:38.639 story of Nadab and Abihu who we said very probably it doesn't tell us for sure 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:44.519 entered into into the holy of holies where they were not allowed they brought 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:49.800 what's called strange fire incense from the altar outside and they were struck 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:55.639 dead and so as soon as the temple the tabernacle gets consecrated and we are 00:04:55.639 --> 00:04:59.479 as human beings able to enter it it's immediately in the next story defiled and 00:04:59.479 --> 00:05:04.479 so we said that just like Genesis 1 and 2 comes along and there's the Garden 00:05:04.479 --> 00:05:11.120 Temple then Genesis 3 is the very next story the fall story Leviticus 1 to 9 is 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:18.079 like Genesis 1 and 2 new creation new cosmos God's presence condescending in 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:23.479 this one place and yet in Leviticus 10 is the fall story so it's already defiled 00:05:23.480 --> 00:05:27.960 it's already corrupted it lasted about a day and it's broken again that's the 00:05:27.960 --> 00:05:32.040 that's the image of Leviticus 10 and so you pick up in Leviticus 11 with this 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:37.759 whole series Leviticus 11 to 15 of what's clean and unclean this whole code 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:45.160 of animals people that are clean and unclean and it begins with Nadab and 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:50.960 Abihu why because when Nadab and Abihu died in the holy of holies their dead 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:57.759 corpses today's on the cleanliness and unclean codes is a little a little heavy 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:05.159 so their dead corpses were laying inside the tabernacle and a dead body is 00:06:05.159 --> 00:06:10.079 defiling to the to the presence of God the tabernacle so immediately you have 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:14.959 the first unclean event take place Nadab and Abihu's bodies so the priests the 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:19.359 high priestess to go in and get those bodies out and then from Leviticus 11 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:23.439 to 16 next time we'll see this you have this ritual called the day of atonement 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:28.080 how in the world are you going to get a temple that's been filled with dead 00:06:28.080 --> 00:06:32.000 corpses clean again and that's what the day of atonement is all about Leviticus 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:36.920 16 but before we get to that we've got okay people of Israel by the way here are 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:41.879 all the other ways you can defile the temple that's what Leviticus 11 to 15 is 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:46.480 doing all right so what I want to do briefly is three quick things one what 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:53.439 are these cleanliness laws saying just try to get a basic sense of it quickly so 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:57.600 I've printed a majority I've just printed some quotes for you from the text to 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:01.640 kind of get some clarity on that and then let's just I'm gonna give you three 00:07:01.640 --> 00:07:06.360 to five kind of summary statements what do the cleanliness laws mean just the 00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:10.280 most basic way you can take it with you and hopefully use it in your own Bible 00:07:10.280 --> 00:07:14.520 reading and then lastly why does it matter to us in the light of Christ very 00:07:14.519 --> 00:07:17.959 briefly so let's let's think about that all right what are these cleanliness 00:07:17.959 --> 00:07:23.120 cleanliness laws saying the first in chapter 11 is about food so you'll see 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:27.919 that on your handout and the first thing we're told is the Lord speaks to Moses 00:07:27.919 --> 00:07:32.359 and Aaron and he says to them speak to the people of Israel and say this there 00:07:32.359 --> 00:07:36.639 these are the living things that you may eat among the animals and what is it 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:42.719 whatever parts the hoof and choose the cudd you may eat so everything else 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:48.640 largely is unclean all right so what animals let me see if we can get some 00:07:48.640 --> 00:07:56.440 audience participation what what animals part the hoof and chew the cudd cows 00:07:56.440 --> 00:08:05.280 yeah cows that's a big one sheep yep yep I had to look this up all the 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:13.119 different options and the ancient areas that this could fit gazelles dear no not 00:08:13.119 --> 00:08:18.000 pigs no they don't they don't fit because they don't chew the cudd row book wild 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:24.679 goats I don't even know what this is the ibex anybody ibex okay form of good 00:08:24.679 --> 00:08:28.679 excellent thank you for that antelopes mountain sheep these are the types of 00:08:28.679 --> 00:08:34.279 things we're talking about then in verse 9 it's look how it's divided land water 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:42.839 air this follows Genesis 1 in reverse okay water these you may eat what can you 00:08:42.839 --> 00:08:45.720 eat from the waters well the only thing you can eat from the waters is that which 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:53.439 has both fins and scales and everything else is unclean okay and then in the air 00:08:53.439 --> 00:08:57.159 it doesn't list the birds of the air that you can eat it lists all the ones you 00:08:57.159 --> 00:09:00.679 can't eat and when you read it it's things like the eagle the vulture 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:05.959 different types of vultures falcons so make a note just let me ask you for I'll 00:09:05.959 --> 00:09:09.279 mention something about this in just a minute but what kind of animals are 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:14.000 these just think about that for a second and capture especially the birds I 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:17.679 think and then at the very end of the food laws at the end of the food laws 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:26.399 God says now instead of eating unclean food be holy as I am holy and then he 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:31.120 says because I brought you out of the land of Egypt all right so he gives you 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:34.600 a reason for the food laws at the end be holy as I'm holy because I brought you 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:38.759 out of Egypt we'll come back to that when in the kind of conclusion section so 00:09:38.759 --> 00:09:43.399 just think about it for now then it comes to chapter 12 and chapter 15 chapter 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:51.079 12 is all about women chapter 15 is all about men now to prevent making everybody 00:09:51.079 --> 00:09:55.319 here incredibly uncomfortable for a little while I won't say any detail at 00:09:55.320 --> 00:10:00.440 all about this though in the detail there is a whole lot of symbol and meaning 00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:05.600 that's very important but 12 to if a woman conceives and bears a male child 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:10.600 then she shall be unclean seven days and at the time of her menstruation she 00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:15.680 shall be unclean if she has a male child she shall be unclean sorry female 00:10:15.680 --> 00:10:20.840 child she shall be unclean for 14 days unless that's an interesting why okay 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.920 we'll come back to that why is it that a woman would be unclean giving birth to 00:10:24.919 --> 00:10:30.799 a baby boy for seven but a girl for 14 that's an interesting question we'll 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:36.319 come back I'll provide an answer for that in a second that's it Jean you got it 00:10:36.319 --> 00:10:42.559 15 one when any man has a discharge from his body his discharge is unclean you 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:45.120 can read the rest of chapter 15 to understand all the conditions of that 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:50.919 and then we see in verse chapter 15 verse 29 what do you do in these 00:10:50.919 --> 00:10:56.559 situations you take two turtle doves or two pigeons this is what Mary the 00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:00.240 mother of Christ does in the gospel so we're told in the gospel that she 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:05.159 couldn't afford the highest level of this particular sacrifice so she had to 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:10.360 take two pigeons and she brought and she brings them to the priest to the 00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:14.559 entrance of the tent of meeting and the priest shall use one for a sin offering 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:18.319 and the other for a burnt the word burnt there remember if you were with us 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:22.360 week one is a sentient offering so the sentient offering is the offering that 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:28.160 says you are reconciled to the presence of the Lord that's what it says and so in 00:11:28.160 --> 00:11:33.600 the act of giving birth you have to go through the process of atonement and 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:38.440 offering to reenter the camp or the presence of God amongst the people of 00:11:38.440 --> 00:11:44.640 God all right so that that's works for not only women but also men and in all 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:49.159 of these situations what's going on it's very clear if you look at chapter 12 and 00:11:49.159 --> 00:11:54.759 15 together that it's the issue of losing bodily fluids in a way that's not 00:11:54.759 --> 00:12:00.399 the everyday norms okay so that could be that you have a cut that won't stop 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:06.480 bleeding or other types of losing loss of body bodily fluids and later on in 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:13.019 the book of Leviticus we we are told in the blood there is life all right so 00:12:13.019 --> 00:12:16.199 hold on to that we'll come back to that in just a second of what what that means 00:12:16.199 --> 00:12:22.319 and then lastly chapter 13 and 14 is all about the uncleanness and the 00:12:22.319 --> 00:12:28.279 defilement around visible diseases so leprosy is the word that gets used but 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:31.639 when you read it really carefully one of the things you realize is it's not just 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:36.240 about leprosy in the sense that we mean it it literally means any visible skin 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:42.000 condition that is infectious so it's very clear when you read it that it's 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:46.639 talking about infections so you could have Hanson's disease leprosy where you 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:51.039 have what looks like infections all over your body boils things like that but 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:56.000 it's talking about not just bumps and bruises but actually any spot that's 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:00.600 become infected is clearly the white and the red is what is quite often 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:06.240 referenced you can see that in chapter 13 the text there and then even further 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:11.559 in that chapter it talks about how if there is white red black green these 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:14.959 different types of colors are mentioned not all of those can't remember exactly 00:13:14.959 --> 00:13:20.959 which ones in a garment so it references leprosy in a garment leprosy on your 00:13:20.959 --> 00:13:28.719 walls what is that mold yeah it's saying mold so if you go to your house and it 00:13:28.719 --> 00:13:34.959 has leprosy infection of the wall infection of the garment it says first 00:13:34.959 --> 00:13:39.959 you have to remove the stones where the infection is found meaning the spots in 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:44.280 your wall and then if it doesn't stop you have to tear the house down right so 00:13:44.280 --> 00:13:50.160 it's talking about mold right so you see these conditions now in all of these the 00:13:50.160 --> 00:13:55.800 pouring out of blood and from a human person in some way mold on your walls 00:13:55.800 --> 00:14:02.560 visible infections on the body or these certain types of animals did anybody 00:14:02.560 --> 00:14:09.879 gather okay you can eat a cow you can eat you can eat an antelope but what 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:13.320 kind of animals can you not eat 00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:23.759 scavengers what else predators yeah so predatorial animals are disallowed 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:30.639 scavenging animals are disallowed right any type of animal that's associated 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:36.720 with what what types of things are scavengers cave-dwelling animals predators 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:48.200 associated with death and what is bleeding associated with death and what 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:53.840 is visible infection associated with decay and death right and so what we have 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:58.519 here is that in all these instances of the cleanliness code the cleanliness 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:04.120 code is not suggesting that someone who gives birth is a sinner for it no not at 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:08.679 all and it's not suggesting that somebody who contracts leprosy is a sinner 00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:13.279 for that not at all and it's not saying that an amphibian that lives in a cave 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:19.560 is a particularly sinful type of animal not at all the issue is not sin the 00:15:19.560 --> 00:15:25.919 issue is the symbolic reality of the curse upon the world that results in 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:30.440 visible defilement or I should say contamination that leads to symbolic 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:35.080 defilement all right so in all these cases you can see on the back of your 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:42.480 sheet what does it all mean and number one the meaning of this is this that in 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:48.280 every one of these instances and in the whole tour of there's this spectrum that 00:15:48.280 --> 00:15:54.440 takes place in symbols and the spectrum goes from the order of life life and 00:15:54.440 --> 00:15:58.200 order life and organization right what's the difference in a garden in the 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:03.440 wilderness you can have the same exact plants right in the wilderness in the 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:08.320 garden but the difference is in the in the garden they're organized so gardens 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:11.759 are just organized wildernesses which makes them not wildernesses anymore 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:18.480 there's life in order life in order are signs of the presence of God and then 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:22.000 there's this spectrum that goes all the way to the other end of death and chaos 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:26.800 life away from the presence of the Lord and so in the Old Testament the 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:35.319 wilderness is the visible sign in terms of place of death and chaos right so if 00:16:35.319 --> 00:16:40.599 you're at the mountain of God Sinai the Garden of Eden you're near the presence 00:16:40.599 --> 00:16:45.240 of God you're near life in your near order but if you worship an idol where 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:51.240 do you go you go to the wilderness for 40 years you wonder where's the wilderness 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:55.120 the wilderness is the land of death it's the land of chaos it's the land of 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:59.639 danger another symbol that plays this out in the Old Testament is seas right so 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:03.799 the land is the place of life the seas are the place of death quite often 00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:08.599 symbolically in the Old Testament and so you've got this playing out exactly in 00:17:08.599 --> 00:17:15.359 the cleanliness and defilement codes here the unclean is both symbolic and 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:21.039 simultaneously a real expression of the curse on creation right so it's never 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:26.159 sinful for a woman to give birth but it is a sign of the curse at the same time 00:17:26.159 --> 00:17:36.639 why because in Genesis 3 childbirth was cursed and so it's a public announcement 00:17:36.639 --> 00:17:45.720 from God that this event is good and not what it should be full of pain right so 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:49.839 there's something wrong with this while in the midst of its greatness in the 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:55.359 midst of its beauty right so these are not sinful acts that no not at all none of 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:59.399 it being a leper no but at the same time you look at leprosy and you say that 00:17:59.399 --> 00:18:04.199 shouldn't exist it's a product of defilement and curse right so what we 00:18:04.199 --> 00:18:09.359 have in the cleanliness codes is a symbolic presentation of all the visible 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:14.599 conditions of the curse being manifest used through symbol to represent death 00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:20.119 chaos and defilement right in other words when God says you're unclean what do 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:24.799 you have to do you have to stay outside the camp of God's people and the way 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.439 the camp was structured is the tabernacle is right at the center and then in 00:18:28.439 --> 00:18:33.039 concentric circles the people camp around it right but if you're unclean you 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:39.759 have to live outside the boundary of the camp meaning what death chaos and the 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:45.359 symbols of death and chaos do not belong in the city of God they don't belong in 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:49.640 the presence of God and so what that means to take it to bring it all 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:56.879 together is that the camp of Israel in the Torah is a representation of the 00:18:56.879 --> 00:19:02.879 city of God that would one day come in the book of Revelation it's never to be 00:19:02.879 --> 00:19:07.519 repeated we should never organize ourselves in the way they did we should 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:13.119 not follow it as a pattern for how to do church no not at all never because this 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:19.079 is a once in a in a in a whole in a whole of history moment in redemptive 00:19:19.079 --> 00:19:24.680 history of a presentation of the symbol of the city of God that is to come right 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:30.559 it's showing that what one day we will have a life without the curse that's 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:34.440 the pronouncement of the cleanliness law so we can't reiterate probably how 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:39.320 strange these laws are to us as modern people and yet when you read them in the 00:19:39.320 --> 00:19:44.600 light of the whole of redemptive history they make every sense as symbols now the 00:19:44.600 --> 00:19:47.360 other thing I wanted to mention of that is in every one of these sections they 00:19:47.360 --> 00:19:51.160 give you a reason for them and one of the reasons that gets put they get 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:58.000 repeated is to say that I brought you out of Egypt so don't do that and that 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:01.120 means that there there's something here there's aspects of these laws here that 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:04.959 we just don't understand as modern people that weren't in the context with 00:20:04.959 --> 00:20:09.959 them and one of those aspects is very probably that a lot of the things are 00:20:09.959 --> 00:20:15.959 being spoken against here are things that were happening in Egypt so God says 00:20:15.959 --> 00:20:21.959 later in Leviticus don't drink blood and it's very probably because the 00:20:21.959 --> 00:20:27.679 Egyptians drank blood and so he's over and over again he says I brought you out 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:32.360 of Egypt stop behaving like an Egyptian you should look different you should be 00:20:32.360 --> 00:20:36.039 a sign of the world to come a better world and so that's one of the things 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:41.120 that's going on throughout these passages all right how does it matter to 00:20:41.120 --> 00:20:45.680 us before I mentioned that let me just wrap up a couple of threads that I've 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:50.799 mentioned earlier never wrapped up one is why why in the world would a woman be 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:57.360 unclean for seven days with a boy 14 days with a daughter and it is because in 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:02.000 Leviticus the boy is circumcised on the eighth day and the act of circumcision 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:06.919 that takes place in Levitical code is an act of sacrifice meaning it is the 00:21:06.919 --> 00:21:11.639 natoning act the cutting is an atoning act and so it shortens the 00:21:11.639 --> 00:21:16.559 uncleanliness it's all symbol right we know in Hebrews the blood of bulls and 00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:21.839 goats or the act of circumcision any of it is not salvific in the slightest right 00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:26.919 it's sign and symbol right and so in the Old Testament when the covenants are 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:32.240 made the verb that gets used every time is that the covenants are not made the 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:37.279 verb is actually they're cut so when you read something like and he made a 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:41.880 covenant with Abraham it says in Hebrew he cut the covenant with Abraham and 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:47.000 that's why circumcision was the associated sign the cutting as hard as 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:50.640 it is for us to talk about maybe here that's exactly what was going on and 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:53.840 why the language was used right and so that's the difference in the seven and 00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:57.199 fourteen days so let's a little threads like that in Leviticus you pick up on 00:21:57.199 --> 00:22:01.480 and say but why was this why that and there usually are very helpful answers 00:22:01.480 --> 00:22:05.119 on things like that and sometimes they just have to be hunted for a little bit 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:11.679 how does this matter to us I wanted to just mention one or two things and we'll 00:22:11.679 --> 00:22:20.759 close and that's this I'm quoting here from I've printed a piece of this in 00:22:20.759 --> 00:22:27.559 your in your handout Sinclair Ferguson tells the story of a friend of his who 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:34.599 had been converted to Christ out of a lifestyle of drug abuse and all sorts of 00:22:34.599 --> 00:22:41.200 trouble and addiction and in recounting the story Ferguson said that his friend 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:48.559 would often say to him for something dirty to become clean for something dirty 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:54.039 to be cleaned something else has to become dirty and so for you to clean 00:22:54.039 --> 00:22:57.720 something that's dirty the thing you use to clean it with has to become dirty 00:22:57.720 --> 00:23:01.879 right and then his friend would say that's what happened to me that's the 00:23:01.879 --> 00:23:11.319 gospel and somebody would have to become unclean so that we might become clean 00:23:11.319 --> 00:23:17.480 and when you come to the gospels what do we have what scenes do we have I've 00:23:17.480 --> 00:23:21.880 listed I haven't listed them actually what what scenes did the uncleanness 00:23:21.880 --> 00:23:27.000 laws remind you of or what what in the gospels comes up I'll give it's okay if 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:31.839 nobody wants to say anything but but I'll just maybe give an option to ask can 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:37.160 you can you think of moments in the gospels where Leviticus 11 to 15 are 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:46.039 directly raised in the narrative in the story with Jesus it will in Leviticus 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:55.639 17 to 19 so come come back to that one in a few weeks yes when Jesus heals the 00:23:55.639 --> 00:24:04.240 leper and when Jesus heals the leper the leper says if you will touch me I could 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:09.399 be clean I could be healed right and the disciples were there the scribes saw 00:24:09.399 --> 00:24:13.399 this now if you were a scribe if you're a disciple of the first century Jewish 00:24:13.400 --> 00:24:17.800 you know your Leviticus backwards and forwards right what are you saying to 00:24:17.800 --> 00:24:25.840 Jesus in that moment what are you thinking do not touch him you you can't 00:24:25.840 --> 00:24:32.320 come to the temple you can't be in the presence of God you can't come to Sabbath 00:24:32.320 --> 00:24:40.960 and Jesus says I will be clean and he touches him right what else any others 00:24:40.960 --> 00:24:47.319 there's a few the woman that we're told is bleeding has a has had a discharge of 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:51.279 blood whatever it is we don't know for years right and what happens in that 00:24:51.279 --> 00:25:00.360 story she touches him and he doesn't become unclean she becomes clean right 00:25:00.360 --> 00:25:03.799 and so we have all these moments in the gospels there's more than just that where 00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:10.039 Jesus is coming and not only not not subverting the cleanliness laws no 00:25:10.039 --> 00:25:15.000 that's a temptation for us to think that but what is he doing he's fulfilling 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:21.159 the cleanliness laws he is showing that he is the object of the sign and symbol 00:25:21.159 --> 00:25:27.440 the shadows of the cleanness laws are finding their fulfillment in him and so 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:31.839 just like Sinclair's friend said something for something dirty to become 00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:37.639 clean something must become dirty and that's the gospel so in the same way a 00:25:37.640 --> 00:25:43.520 guy I know in the States named Nick Badsig he says at the cross Jesus was 00:25:43.520 --> 00:25:50.320 treated as a spiritual leper on the cross he took the unstoppable flow of 00:25:50.320 --> 00:25:57.560 blood he subjected himself to death on the tree he was made sin for us that we 00:25:57.560 --> 00:26:03.320 might become the righteousness of God in him now when Jesus touched the leper a 00:26:03.319 --> 00:26:09.799 Jesus touch or the woman touched him he did not become unclean in himself he 00:26:09.799 --> 00:26:16.839 did not become a sinner but he did become unclean in a different distinct way so 00:26:16.839 --> 00:26:21.679 you see what's happening there it's not that he became a sinner like her but he 00:26:21.679 --> 00:26:26.399 became ceremonially unclean and that's exactly what gets picked up on in 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:35.880 2nd Corinthians 521 when it says he who knew no sin became sin in every way now 00:26:35.880 --> 00:26:40.680 what does the word became mean some of you are in st class today and we talked 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:45.519 about this what does it mean that he became thin it does not mean that he 00:26:45.519 --> 00:26:53.200 became a sinner no no no if he became a sinner the gospel is lost forever he 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:59.400 never became a sinner yet Jean yet the uncleanliness was reckoned to him 00:26:59.400 --> 00:27:06.200 accounted to him placed upon him by the judge of the courtroom the father in a 00:27:06.200 --> 00:27:12.279 way that was never true of him that's the gospel he became dirty by reckoning 00:27:12.279 --> 00:27:21.120 legally unclean by covenantal union with us never truly therefore he could be the 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:27.559 perfect righteousness who died in unjust death in our place right the gospel 00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:32.519 depends on the fact that Jesus became unclean but was never unclean 00:27:32.519 --> 00:27:39.399 simultaneously he was never a sinner but he became sin so all these cleanliness 00:27:39.399 --> 00:27:44.599 laws are pointing to a symbol a reality in us chaos death destruction disaster 00:27:44.599 --> 00:27:51.199 disease that was placed on him in the gospel but was never true of him and 00:27:51.199 --> 00:27:59.559 that's the reason he can be our salvation lastly chapter 10 of Acts verse 3 we 00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:05.399 learn that Cornelius Cornelius goes and get this this Gentile goes and gets 00:28:05.399 --> 00:28:12.079 Peter the apostle and Peter has this vision and he sees this sheet descending 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:17.679 and in it the Lord says verse 12 all the animals the reptiles the birds of the 00:28:17.679 --> 00:28:23.960 air rise Peter kill and eat and Peter says no way I've never eaten anything 00:28:23.960 --> 00:28:31.000 common or unclean and then the Lord says what God has made clean you never call 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:38.000 common now for us because of Jesus the ceremonial laws of Leviticus 11 15 are 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:43.160 fulfilled and abrogated done away with right and we have that pronouncement 00:28:43.160 --> 00:28:46.680 here in Acts chapter 10 and so I just want to finish with this on your sheet 00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:52.319 because Jesus became the ceremonial leper because he blood because he became 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:58.519 the curse these ceremonies are fulfilled in him therefore 1st Timothy 4 4 to 5 is 00:28:58.519 --> 00:29:05.759 there a reality to these ideas of common and sacred in our life yes there is how 00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:11.680 well now the way it works clean and unclean you can treat something as common 00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:16.279 or sacred or in other words the common can become sacred that's what this was 00:29:16.279 --> 00:29:20.720 all about these cleanliness laws what common things like people or animals 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:23.599 can come to the presence of the Lord how can they become sacred well we have 00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:29.119 that in the New Covenant too how does something become sacred holy in the New 00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:34.799 Covenant era 1st Timothy 4 4 to 5 everything created by God is good and 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:40.440 nothing is to be rejected if it's received with Thanksgiving for it is 00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:46.240 made holy by the word of God and prayer in other words everything in the 00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:52.680 Christian life is made good if it is pronounced good by the word of God and 00:29:52.680 --> 00:30:01.039 then a prayer of Thanksgiving so how do you make the table at your house sacred 00:30:01.039 --> 00:30:08.000 you you pray you give thanks and say the Lord gave us this food and I dedicate 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:12.480 it I give it back to God in Thanksgiving and it has now been made holy we're 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:16.839 told so all the things the furniture the instruments in the Old Covenant to 00:30:16.839 --> 00:30:21.119 enter into the temple they got to be holy but now in the New Covenant what 00:30:21.119 --> 00:30:26.559 makes something holy just recognizing God made this it's not for me I'm just a 00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:31.279 steward and praying a prayer of Thanksgiving and now you have taken 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:35.839 in this world and made it holy unto God you can do that with your work your 00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:43.879 vocation you say I want my work life to be for the Lord you've taken something 00:30:43.879 --> 00:30:50.639 that God said is good work but was cursed in Genesis 3 and reconstituted it 00:30:50.639 --> 00:30:53.960 for the Lord in the light of the gospel and it's been set apart it's been 00:30:53.960 --> 00:30:58.880 consecrated it's been made holy right all right let's pray Father we thank you 00:30:58.880 --> 00:31:04.920 for the Old Covenant and the New Covenant for Leviticus and all that you 00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:09.960 teach us there about Jesus through cleanliness and uncleanness laws defile 00:31:09.960 --> 00:31:15.720 mental or we know we are people defiled by our sin and yet cleaned by Christ and 00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:21.400 so I just ask Father that you would make these images and symbols powerful unto 00:31:21.400 --> 00:31:26.280 us that we would not merely approach them as strange but in their strangeness to 00:31:26.280 --> 00:31:31.280 us as modern people that would be because Jesus has come and so we ask that 00:31:31.280 --> 00:31:35.960 you would teach us how to receive it in a new covenant order how we would think 00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:42.080 about all the ways our lives can become holy unto the Lord all the things we do 00:31:42.080 --> 00:31:48.720 the practices we take up Lord forgive us for the ways we continue to act in ways 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:55.559 that make us unclean through sin and we ask that you would habituate us away 00:31:55.559 --> 00:32:01.600 from our sinful patterns mortify our sins and bring us closer and closer to 00:32:01.600 --> 00:32:07.360 the undefiled life not because it earns us your favor but because we've already 00:32:07.359 --> 00:32:23.279 got it and so we we asked for these hearts in Jesus name amen