Leviticus 11:2
“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.'”
If we go back to the call of Abraham, we realize Israel was a nation chosen and established by God. Abraham was told that through his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Later, we read God’s purpose in choosing Israel was for them to be a light to the rest of the world. God’s idea was for the world to know who He was, through the witness of His people. One factor that would make their light shine more brightly was living by a higher standard than the world around them. This is part of the reason for the dietary laws.
There may be some health reasons behind the food restrictions God placed upon His people, but this is certainly not the main reason for adopting them. There are many foods they were allowed to eat that are as unhealthy as what was forbidden. Instead, the laws were designed to cause Israel to stand out, and be a witness to the world. This principle is highlighted in the story of Daniel. You recall how he was offered all of the king’s delicacies, but chose to eat only vegetables (Daniel 1:8). This was, no doubt, driven by two factors. First, the dietary restrictions of the Law, and second was the fact that much of the food of Babylon was offered to idols. When Daniel chose to stand up for the Word of God and live accordingly, he became a powerful witness to his generation. We find others joined him in his stand for the Lord, and many were drawn into relationship with God.
Jesus explained that the Christian is called to be a light to the world. The more we commit ourselves to the ways of God, the brighter that light will shine. When we refuse to bow to the standards of our culture, and instead, live according to the Word of God, we will see others drawn to Christ. While we do not have a list of movies, television shows, or a playlist of songs, that we are to avoid, it is clear from content, there are many things on which Christians have no business spending their money, or filling their minds. Remember, our first priority is to glorify God, and be a light to the world in which we live.
Pastor Jim
Perhaps, the clearest message from the Book of Leviticus is, God is Holy and requires holiness from His people. Rather than leaving it to us to determine what is holy and what is not, God has given us His Word. In the pages of Scripture, we will learn how to “distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.” Holiness was first achieved through the Old Testament sacrifices. God established a system by which sin could be forgiven through the shedding of blood. These sacrifices are no longer required because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, paid the penalty for all sin, when He died on the cross. We are made holy when we receive Christ, and our sins are forever washed away. Those who have been made holy are required to live holy. Holiness carries the idea of being set apart. A person who is holy is a person who has set themselves apart from others, by determining that he/she wants to live to please the Lord. It is the holy person who is looking into the pages of their Bible to determine the meaning of life and how to live. It is the holy person who, when faced with a decision, will seek answers from the Word of God, or when facing conflict will seek to solve it through the Wisdom of the Word. Holiness is achieved when we set ourselves apart to the Lord, and live out His Word.
Worship is important in the life of the believer, and in the function of the church. When we gather, we should have an atmosphere where people can encounter the Lord. While there are a variety of worship styles, the heart of worship is to encounter the Lord, offering praise, and surrendering all. I think there are a few things we can learn about corporate worship from Israel’s example, on the day of a dedication.
The Lord went to great detail to explain the garments that the High Priest would wear. He referred to them as holy garments, designed for glory and for beauty. In other words, they were designed to both look beautiful and to reveal some aspect of the Lord’s glory. These garments included a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. The most highly skilled artisans in all Israel were commissioned to create them. Once the day of consecration arrived, Aaron and his sons were dressed in the most beautiful and highly technical attire the world had ever seen, but as they approached the altar, something quite striking took place. An innocent ram was killed, it’s flesh offered upon the altar, it’s blood mixed with anointing oil, and this mixture placed upon the Priest. Imagine how shocking to see the High Priest all dressed up, then have blood splattered upon his garments. No longer would our attention be drawn to his beautiful turban, breastplate or sash, now all we would notice was the stain.
Since ancient times, precious metals have been purified using intense heat. The process involved a craftsman stirring a crucible filled with molten gold. Flames, reaching an excess of one thousand degrees, would liquify the gold and send the impurities to the top. The craftsman would then skim off the impurities, thus purifying the gold. The tradition remains largely untouched today, with the exception of a few advancements for safety and precision. For smaller amounts of gold, a second method of refining is often used today, involing the use of strong chemicals to dissolve the impurities. The purified gold becomes a powder when dried, then it is heated into useable gold. Whatever the process, it is clear, for purity to take place, intense heat is involved.
Jim Gallagher 