The word Shemini means "eight". This is a good example of the difference between English or Greek and Hebrew. In English or Greek, eight means eight, as in that which comes after seven but before nine. Hebrew is a bit more complex.
In Hebrew, seven represents a complete cycle: there are seven days to a complete week. The eighth day represents a new beginning. The word "tish-ah" , which means nine, carries the idea of turning a corner.
This presents in the minds of many Jewish scholars that Leviticus chapters 1-8 compose a complete idea. Chapter 9 begins something new, or at least, a new beginning in the continuity of thought.
It is this idea of starting over or starting fresh that we seem to get so frustrated with, while Adonai is continually wiping the slate clean and starting over with our lives. The image of the potter at the wheel is so vivid at this. While the on-looker sees him fashion a pot, then collapse it time after time, we think as though his previous efforts were wasted; but each time the vessel becomes more pliable with less impurity, fewer and smaller pockets of air. The experienced potter would never consider "getting it right" on the first try. What fun could that be?
The repetitive nature of
, the revisiting of similar ideas if often burdensome to the immature. The idea of leaving off something undone, knowing we will be visiting it again is often cumbersome. Yet, there are layers of growth and understanding that we have not yet attained to; and while we, as the pot on the wheel, consider ourselves ready to be fired for use, the Master Potter has a better plan for us, one that we are not yet prepared to invision… so we spin and collapse, and renew , over and over again. Shemini becomes altogether familiar to us.
It may be our perspective that causes our grief and frustration. Our sights are on a destination for which we are not prepared. We find ourselves waiting, wandering around familiar paths of this garden of God’s Word. Yet, we arrogantly look over the beauty as trivial and routine. To begin the text with Shemini is to see these places with a sense of newness, of re-beginning, as though it were someplace fascinating we have never before encountered, seeing the same things again for the first time, observing and experiencing new levels of understanding and relationship. There is something yet here that Adonai would have us see. Look closer. Find the newness and the beauty in Shemini. It is there, again, for the first time.
And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; (Leviticus 9:1 KJV)
And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. (Leviticus 9:2 KJV)
This is on the heels of seven days of consecration (Leviticus 8:33 corresponding with Exodus 29:35) They have already offered a young bull every day for the past seven days; and yet, today, on the eighth day, they offer another. The idea of offering seven (completeness) then still needing to offer another establishes the understanding declared in Hebrews 10:1, that our total sacrifice is still yet not enough: the requirement of atonement for our sin is beyond what we are able to bring.
And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering; (Leviticus 9:3 KJV)
The necessity that the people participate with the offering of their own declares that it is not possible for the priesthood to carry their burden nor maintain their relationship- each one is independently responsible for his own relationship with God. The familiar Lutherian doctrine called "the priesthood of the believer" is a Hebraic, Jewish doctrine.
Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meat offering mingled with oil: for today the LORD will appear unto you. (Leviticus 9:4 KJV)
And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. (Leviticus 9:5 KJV)
And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you. (Leviticus 9:6 KJV)
And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded. (Leviticus 9:7 KJV)
Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. (Leviticus 9:8 KJV)
And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar: (Leviticus 9:9 KJV)
But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar; as the LORD commanded Moses. (Leviticus 9:10 KJV)
And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp. (Leviticus 9:11 KJV)
And he slew the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar. (Leviticus 9:12 KJV)
And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar. (Leviticus 9:13 KJV)
And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar. (Leviticus 9:14 KJV)
And he brought the people's offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first. (Leviticus 9:15 KJV)
And he brought the burnt offering, and offered it according to the manner. (Leviticus 9:16 KJV)
And he brought the meat offering, and took a handful thereof, and burnt it upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning. (Leviticus 9:17 KJV)
He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about, (Leviticus 9:18 KJV)
And the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver: (Leviticus 9:19 KJV)
And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar: (Leviticus 9:20 KJV)
And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded. (Leviticus 9:21 KJV)
And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. (Leviticus 9:22 KJV)
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. (Leviticus 9:23 KJV)
Speculations abound as to what manner in which the glory of Adonai must have appeared to the people. Many Christian theologians are inspired to believe this the pre-incarnate Messiah, the form of a man. Jewish speculations include such an interpretation (a human form) but are in no ways limited to it. Most suggest this manifestation was, at least, somehow different from the pillar of cloud and of fire that had been present with them to this point.
And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. (Leviticus 9:24 KJV)
The fire of Adonai, itself, became a sacred artifact and would be tended, transferred and carried for years. It is worth noting that the fire of the Lord, in this case, burned only the sacrifice, while in 1st Kings 18:38 it consumed the stones, the wood, the dust and the water surrounding it. Adonai’s power is proportioned to the specific need.
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. (Leviticus 10:1 KJV)
And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. (Leviticus 10:2 KJV)
So often, when discussing the commands of
and the measure of worship inour daily lives, the Christian answer is tired, "It doesn’t matter." Tell that to Nadab and Abihu. "But, that was in the Old Covenant…" they retort. Tell that to Annanias and Saphira (context Acts 5:1-11). We just don’t get it that God expects us to do what we say that we are going to do- and if we are put in the position of representing Him before the world; we need to be aware of what it is that we are doing, and the potential consequences.
Yet, we don’t typically see such dramatic responses in our religious communities today… at least not so obviously as it is pointed out to us in Scripture. Paul alludes to the reality of it in 1st Corinthians 11:30:
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
(1 Corinthians 11:29-32 KJV)
It ought to cause us to pause for a moment and consider why it is that we don’t see Adonai’s purging, chastening and directing us toward obedience as His representation to the world.
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
(Hebrews 12:6-8 KJV)
Maybe we’re not who we think we are or who we claim to be. It isn’t the warm fuzzy feeling of everyone getting along that identifies the Church of the Living God. It is His presence and His power and His direction, His love and thus by definition, His Law.
The idea of "strange fire" may be more properly represented as "estranged". The Hebrew word "zoor" doesn’t simply mean different; but distinctively different or caused to be different. It carries the idea of unfaithfulness or disdain for that which is common or familiar. The "stranger" is different from "alien" (a distinction that many English translations do not recognize) is that the alien (or gair in Hebrew) is an invited guest; while the "zoor" is one who chooses to be distinct from the people.
There is a lot of speculation as to what this fire was to be. In Leviticus 16:12 we will see that the censers were to be lit from the coals of the Altar, from the fire that came from God. It could simply have been that these brothers kindled their own fires, indifferent to the distinction. After all, fire is fire, right?
Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. (Leviticus 10:3 KJV)
The Hebrew word "kabad" is translated "glorified". It is the same word that commands us to "fear the Lord our God" and to "honor our father and mother." It means to make weighty or hold in highest esteem. Aaron’s response (or apparent lack) is terribly under emphasized by our English rendering. He was actively silent. The word "daw-mam" means to be silent, to be mute as though to die inside oneself: that there are no words for such an expression of grief.
And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. (Leviticus 10:4 KJV)
The names of these two cousins of Aaron and Moses mean "Who is God?" and "God of treasure." By itself, this speaks to the struggle that we find ourselves faced with our disapproval of how the loving, gracious and merciful God who we think we know responds to trivial inequities and marginal offenses. We thought we knew Him; but now we must ask "Who is God?" We wrestle through the question and evaluate what we have come to understand of God and what we have experienced of Him: His passion versus His compassion. We rage at Him, "How could You do such a thing?" and then consider that by His very nature His is the definition of good and love and right. It is our understanding, our presumption, our ignorance and childishness that has misunderstood. We bow our heads in absolute abandoned surrender and say, "You are God. You are the God of treasure. You are right and good… but just between You and me, this really sucks."
So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said. (Leviticus 10:5 KJV)
And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled. (Leviticus 10:6 KJV)
Moses is essentially saying to Aaron, "You have a duty to perform. Let us carry this burden for you." In our ministry, we often find ourselves in this place. We were committed to follow through and perform the duty that God has called us to… until "this" happened. We are reeling inside. We have no strength. We know that what we had set out to do is of God; but our humanity has lost all strength. It is the people of God who lift up the weakened knees of the minister. I wish that you could see. In the service of our Lord and King, we are dealt body-blows in spiritual realms that leave us weakened as though we had no bones left unbroken to hold us up. Then, when we just know we are dead, and lay there waiting for the final strike that will put us out of our misery, some little kid, or quiet widow or struggling believer comes up and says just the right thing, offers the perfect encouragement. Moses realized, probably more than Aaron knew he realized exactly what he was going through. He said to his brother, let us carry you through this. You do your job.
And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses. (Leviticus 10:7 KJV)
And the LORD spoke unto Aaron, saying, (Leviticus 10:8 KJV)
Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations: (Leviticus 10:9 KJV)
And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; (Leviticus 10:10 KJV)
And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. (Leviticus 10:11 KJV)
There are three times that Adonai speaks to Aaron alone. This is the first. It is suggested by some that the reason that Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire was because they had been drinking. Generally it is understood that this command is much more generic: keep your head clear. The duties which the priest is to perform, the manner in which he is to lead the people is so important.
We cannot trivialize this command in that we are called to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. It is through us, through our relationship with God and through our obedience to His commands that the world may come to know Him as their own personal Lord and Savior.
And Moses spoke unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy: (Leviticus 10:12 KJV)
And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded. (Leviticus 10:13 KJV)
And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel. (Leviticus 10:14 KJV)
The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, by a statute forever; as the LORD hath commanded. (Leviticus 10:15 KJV)
And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, (Leviticus 10:16 KJV)
Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? (Leviticus 10:17 KJV)
Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded. (Leviticus 10:18 KJV)
And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering today, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? (Leviticus 10:19 KJV)
And when Moses heard that, he was content. (Leviticus 10:20 KJV)
God honors sincerity even when it means things don’t go necessarily according to plan. Aaron was not disobedient to the commandment; though to Moses it may have first seemed so. The Sacrifice was handled all according to the command; just not proportioned as directed. The "remainder" that happened to be burned was all of it.
It is our inclination to get on with the appearances of things and act as though nothing had ever happened. Aaron represents a truer sincerity in worship that we ought to learn from. We don’t ignore the unpleasant realities in our worship: we acknowledge and worship through them.
In counseling the bereaved or grief-stricken, I share with them that this is an important process to go through. Don’t rob yourself of it. While today you wish there were any other place in the world you could be, in future days you will find solace, even to cherish this experience. Aaron was right to acknowledge his grief and loss before God, to say, "God, I’ll worship You as You have commanded; but I just can’t eat right now." It could be that in this decision, he was closer to God than at any other moment in his entire life.
And the LORD spoke unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, (Leviticus 11:1 KJV)
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. (Leviticus 11:2 KJV)
Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. (Leviticus 11:3 KJV)
Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. (Leviticus 11:4 KJV)
And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. (Leviticus 11:5 KJV)
And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. (Leviticus 11:6 KJV)
And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. (Leviticus 11:7 KJV)
Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you. (Leviticus 11:8 KJV)
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. (Leviticus 11:9 KJV)
And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: (Leviticus 11:10 KJV)
In Leviticus 11, Adonai uses the Hebrew word "shekets" which is translated "abomination". In English parlance it means, "that’s nasty." When the list of unclean animals is repeated in Deuteronomy 14, the word "tow-aybah" is used. The closest thing we have in English is, "Eww yuck!"
In the document I wrote some years ago called "The Whole Truth or What’s a Nice Baptist Kid Like You Doing In A Messianic Synagogue" I describe the understanding of unclean animals as "park brownies." Kids love them! They are sometimes soft and pliable, sometimes hard and crunchy. You can write with them, mold them, and get all kinds of attention by big people when they see you playing with them. If you were wondering, you typically find park brownies in the leash area and they follow the latter end of a dog. I know what you are thinking. In Hebrew it’s "Shekets!" or "Tow-aybah!"
Kids don’t know that park brownies are bad until someone who is wiser than they, who they love and respect, communicates to them that it is not something to be played with. Gentiles don’t often understand, nor appreciate, the relevance of this description as it relates to their diet. Pork and shellfish, in God’s eyes are not food items. They are nasty. How ironic that the "Sunday ham" has taken such a prominent role in Christian festivities. They celebrate the resurrection of the Messiah and often His birth with the table centerpiece a substance that Adonai declares should make Him ralph!
The typical interpretation of Acts 10, in the gentile Christian understanding, is from a perspective that doesn’t understand "shekets." When Peter saw the unclean animals and the common animals (common animals are clean animals which have been rendered unfit to eat by their association with the unclean), it wasn’t a religious obligation that prevented him from eating, nor did he see all the animals on the sheet a potential food item. He saw animals that may be considered meat, soiled along with other animals that simply were not food items. When Adonai declares to him, "Arise, Peter, kill and eat," He would not need to specify which animals. Only those common were considered at all to be food items. Adonai never suggests that the unclean are to be killed and eaten. He says, "What I have cleansed, call not thou common." It was only the common animals on the sheet that were edible. The unclean were there to demonstrate that the common had suffered defilement from which they must be cleansed.
Shekets is only used in reference to animals, however, tow-abah has several things that God describes as such: the pagan sacrifices of the Egyptians (Exodus 8:26), homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22), human sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12:31), a maim or blemished sacrifice (Deuteronomy 17:1), men and women switching roles (Deuteronomy 22:5), prostitution (Deuteronomy 23:18), wife-swapping (Deuteronomy 24:4), cheating in business (Deuteronomy 25:15-16). How interesting that we read such a list and find some of these things utterly deplorable but others muse to ourselves, "that’s not that bad." The rebellion is that we still consider our own valuation of things as higher than God’s. We define sin and righteousness by our own standards instead of submitting to Him.
They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination. (Leviticus 11:11 KJV)
Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you. (Leviticus 11:12 KJV)
And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey, (Leviticus 11:13 KJV)
And the vulture, and the kite after his kind; (Leviticus 11:14 KJV)
Every raven after his kind; (Leviticus 11:15 KJV)
And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind, (Leviticus 11:16 KJV)
And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl, (Leviticus 11:17 KJV)
And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier-eagle, (Leviticus 11:18 KJV)
And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat. (Leviticus 11:19 KJV)
All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. (Leviticus 11:20 KJV)
Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; (Leviticus 11:21 KJV)
Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. (Leviticus 11:22 KJV)
But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you. (Leviticus 11:23 KJV)
And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcass of them shall be unclean until the even. (Leviticus 11:24 KJV)
And whosoever beareth aught of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. (Leviticus 11:25 KJV)
The carcasses of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not cloven-footed, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean. (Leviticus 11:26 KJV)
And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the even. (Leviticus 11:27 KJV)
And he that beareth the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you. (Leviticus 11:28 KJV)
These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind, (Leviticus 11:29 KJV)
And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole. (Leviticus 11:30 KJV)
These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even. (Leviticus 11:31 KJV)
And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed. (Leviticus 11:32 KJV)
And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it. (Leviticus 11:33 KJV)
Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean. (Leviticus 11:34 KJV)
And every thing whereupon any part of their carcass falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you. (Leviticus 11:35 KJV)
Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean. (Leviticus 11:36 KJV)
And if any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean. (Leviticus 11:37 KJV)
But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcass fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you. (Leviticus 11:38 KJV)
And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the even. (Leviticus 11:39 KJV)
And he that eateth of the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. (Leviticus 11:40 KJV)
And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. (Leviticus 11:41 KJV)
Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination. (Leviticus 11:42 KJV)
Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby. (Leviticus 11:43 KJV)
For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Leviticus 11:44 KJV)
For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:45 KJV)
This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth: (Leviticus 11:46 KJV)
To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten. (Leviticus 11:47 KJV)
I’ve often heard within the Messianic circles that we ought to obey the laws of clean and unclean because it is the healthy answer, that God knows these things are bad for us and so we should trust Him, so that we will live more healthy lives. I had a friend who came to me very excited because he had purchased a book that demonstrated how unclean meats was physically destructive and dangerous for us to eat. He was shocked that I was less than impressed that this doctor’s research was the catalyst to cause him to change direction (he trusts the words of a doctor whom he has never met more than he trusts the Word of God).
In Leviticus 11, God gives the reason why He doesn’t want us eating pork chops or shrimp cocktail… and it’s not because of potential allergens or toxins the meat may contain. He says, "Be holy because I am holy."
It’s
and sometimes frustrating to hear folks declare, "I live for Jesus!" "I’ve given my life to the Lord!" "He is my Master and everything in my life is submitted to His will." Except for my food. You’re never going to get me to give up my pork chops. One dear lady said to me, "I know it’s unclean; but it’s sure good!" I shared with her Genesis 3:6, that Eve saw the forbidden fruit was "good for food." It’ll only kill you, that’s all.
For me, the whole diet thing was a fairly academic decision. I can’t control my thoughts. I sin moment by moment. I can’t truly keep the Sabbath day holy, fitting my own agendas in there every opportunity I get. I lie, I kill, I lust, uncontrollably because sin is anesthetized throughout my being. I can control my diet. I can control what goes into my mouth. Of all the things I can’t do, this I can. Yet, so many, walking in their liberty must declare, "I’ll give over to God everything sinful and wrong and deplorable in my life… except the one thing I can control."
God wants us to be holy. I’m not. Yet, one area where I can pursue holiness, I’m all over it. May every other area of worship grow easier as I grow closer to Him, truly handing over to Him my all.
reading found in Leviticus 9:1-11:47....
and sometimes frustrating to hear folks declare, "I live for Jesus!" "I’ve given my life to the Lord!" "He is my Master and everything in my life is submitted to His will." Except for my food. You’re never going to get me to give up my pork chops. One dear lady said to me, "I know it’s unclean; but it’s sure good!" I shared with her Genesis 3:6, that Eve saw the forbidden fruit was "good for food." It’ll only kill you, that’s all.
