Leviticus 11

 

 

Rules for Approaching God’s Holiness (Leviticus 11:39-47 )

 

 

V. 44. “I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean

by any creature that moves about on the ground.”

 

 

Humans, created in the image of God, are beings who live by holding onto God’s covenant, just as fish live in water.

All people fell into destruction together with Adam, who was deceived by the lie that he would become like God

and broke the covenant of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Nevertheless, God, who loves us,

established the covenant of Christ, the way to salvation. The descendants of Abraham who held onto the covenant of Christ

became slaves in Egypt, and God, who saved them, established the way for them to live as a people who were distinguished

from the world and held onto only the covenant of Christ, through Leviticus.

Leviticus, which deals with the sacrificial regulations in chapters 1-7,

teaches in detail the duties of the priests in chapters 8-10,

and teaches the laws of purity in chapters 11-15.

Today’s passage, chapter 11, gives regulations on food.

 

 

1. What Israel can eat and cannot eat

1) Today’s passage divides clean animals and unclean animals that cannot be eaten.

2) Of all animals, those that have split hooves and are cleft-footed and chew the cud can be eaten.

3) The reason for this distinction is the same as the reason He gave the covenant of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.

4) The ultimate principle of God who established the regulations related to food is in verses 44-45.                 

 

2. You must be holy, for I am holy.

1) God's purpose is to evangelize the world through Israel.

2) Eating and drinking are also important aspects of life with the Lord.

3) Eating is also a practice and training to resemble God's holiness.

4) Now, following only Christ is the path to holiness.

 

3. Originally, human food was plant-based (Gen. 1:29).

1) After the flood of Noah, God permitted meat consumption in Gen. 9:3.

2) It was only allowed to be eaten if it was killed for sacrifice.

3) The death of a living being is connected to something unclean.

4) God created this world beautifully.

 

Conclusion: Jesus Christ who completed the food laws and the law of purity

1) God wanted Israel to become a holy people before God.

2) Christ completed all the Old Testament (John 19:30).

3) In Christ, the distinction between Jews and Gentiles disappeared (Ephesians 2:14-15).

4) Those who are Christ's people live as in Romans 12:1.

 

 

Sunday worship most powerfully reveals the fact that the church has been called by God and has been set apart from the world. Also, not only in Sunday worship, but also in our daily lives, we can prove that we are a holy people who resemble the Lord

when we live according to the Word. People in the world live according to their own desires. Before we were born again,

we also lived according to our own desires like people in the world. God has made us new people.

He has made us precious people chosen by God. He made us not of the world, but of God.

Therefore, unlike the world, we must live only by holding on to the Word given in Christ.

Our holy life comes from living while enjoying the three things of today. Our holiness comes from God, who is the Word,

so we must become those who hold on to today’s Word.

Hold on to the three things of today and enjoy a blessed life of becoming one with the Lord even more.