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Day 33 – Thru the Bible
Today we continue through Leviticus and Psalms.
Leviticus 11 – Since the holy Lord was now dwelling in the Israelites’ midst, they had to make sure they did not defile His holy place with their ritual impurities. These chapters describe how to deal with impurities properly. Significantly, the language of ritual purity and impurity is often used to describe the moral purity the Israelites are to have and the moral impurity they are to avoid. The laws of these chapters would serve as a constant reminder: just as you seek ritual purity in all of life, so do likewise in terms of moral purity.
The reason for such obedience is given near the end of chapter 11: “For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
Under the new covenant in Jesus, are the concepts of ritual purity and impurity still in force? Hint: Mark 7:19; Acts 15; Romans14:14; Hebrews 8–10.
Does the New Testament still emphasizes that believers seek moral purity, and avoid moral impurity, in every aspect of life, as a response of reverential worship to their redeeming Lord, and as a means of reflecting the Lord’s holiness to a watching world? Hint: Romans 12:1; Ephesians 1:3–4; 1 Peter 1:3–16; 2 Corinthians 6:16–7:1.
In Christ are we “made holy” under the New Covenant? Hint: Look who Paul addresses his letters to in the New Testament (“saints” is another term for “holy ones”)
Leviticus 12 – Losing large amounts of blood was considered to be ritually defiling in ancient Israel. This explains why childbirth resulted in the mother becoming ritually impure. Significantly, the Lord does not leave her in this state, but mercifully provides directions on how to become ritually pure so she can once again participate fully in Israel’s covenant worship.
This is always the Lord’s desire for his people: the ability to worship Him and to enjoy fellowship with their covenant brothers and sisters. To engage in both activities is to acknowledge that this is what we have been created and redeemed to do.
How does Jesus bring us into connection with the Father so that we may fellowship and worship together? Hint: John 14:2–7; 17:20–21.
Leviticus 13 – Here God explains how to address ritually defiling skin diseases on people, and ritually defiling infestations in garments or in houses. The Lord mercifully provides instructions on how to address the impurity so that the Israelites could maintain covenant fellowship with Him.
When Jesus came, how did He address this ritual impurity? Hint: Mark 1:40–42.
How does this point to the much deeper cleansing Jesus would accomplish for our sins? Hint: 1 John 1:7-9.
What is the authentic response for those of us who have experienced His cleansing of our soul? Hint: Luke 17:15–16.
Psalms 33 – What caught your attention in today’s Psalm?
Some of these notes are from the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible study notes. We highly recommend this study Bible.
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