Unclean does not ALWAYS mean Sin

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Unclean

 

 

Wednesday 07/18/18 

Message – Unclean does not ALWAYS mean Sin

Series: Thru the Bible

Podcast: Download (145.5MB)

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***Video is HERE***

 

The reasons for these rules are more than likely both practical and spiritual

Leviticus 14:

One thing that stood out in this study was that the priest was the OVERSEER of the congregation. They saw too their well-being and was the final word regarding their status as clean or unclean. This is MUCH like a New Testament Elder/Shepherd. It is the job of the shepherd to examine the sheep and to speak to, concerning and over them in regard to their spiritual condition.

IF cured (by any means)

    • Priest goes OUTSIDE the camp to examines the one cleansed of their skin disease
    • If confirmed the priest needs:
      • 2 CLEAN birds – As representative of “heavenly beings” in that the heaven above the earth is their registered domain.
      • Cedar wood –  is a very durable wood that is naturally resistant to disease, rot, decay and insect attacks.

 

  • Scarlet – This word actually has TWO Hebrew words associated with it and actually could be said to represent 3 colors in total. Kind of like when we say that something is a brownish-orange or a yellowish-green.

 

The first word is saniy and describes a bright red with a slight orange-ish hue. It was often the color of yarn or ribbons in the ancient world.

 

The second word is tole ah and Crimson (which is a deep red – leaning towards purple. It is said to refer to the color of one’s sins in that it stands out in a shocking way, and draws attention to its intensity. It also has a secondary meaning of a “worm” – a maggot like creature which were the very ones that would infest the mana on the second day. This word is also used metaphorically for yarn or string.

 

  • Hyssop – this of course has meaning going back to the night of the Passover in Egypt and was the means by which blood was applied to the door frame. It is also the means by which Jesus was offered sour wine on the cross. David uses the hyssop plant as the METHOD by which he is made clean in Ps. 51:7, “Purge me with Hyssop and I will be cleansed, wash me and I will be made whiter than snow.”  

 

    • These are provided by the one needing cleansing, a friend or family member or even the officiating priest himself.
  • One bird killed in an clay pot over running water
  • The other bird to be dipped with the cedar and the scarlet & hyssop into the blood of the sacrificed bird
  • Then take the hyssop and sprinkle the blood on the one healed of the skin disease 7x’s and then pronounce him as clean.
  • That person (whether man or woman) is to:
    • Wash their clothes
    • shave off all body hair
    • Bathe completely in water
  • They could then return to the general camp – but NOT go INSIDE their home until 7 additional days had passed.
  • Then they had to shave again and wash their clothes again and completely bathe again in water before being able to re-join their home.
  • On the 8th day they were to offer sacrifice…

 

The 8th day sacrifice:

  • Two unblemished male lambs
  • An unblemished female lamb.
    • These female lambs were valuable and were only used for certain sacrifices like following the curing of skin disease or at the consummation of  a Nazarite vow.
  • A grain offering of 3 quarts fine flour mixed with Olive Oil and 1/3rd quart of olive oil in addition.
  • The person and all of these things were placed together before the Lord at the door of the tent of meeting.
    • One lamb is offered as a trespass offering along with the extra oil and waves it before the Lord.
    • Priest takes some of the blood and places it on the tip of the right ear, his right thumb and his right big toe. (Like the inauguration of the priest with oil).
    • Then he takes some of the additional oil and pours it into his left hand and then dip a right finger in the oil and sprinkle it 7x’s before the Lord AND repeat the ear-thumb & big toe as with the blood.
    • The rest in his hand is to be put on the cleansed person’s head.
  • Now another lamb is to be offered as a sin offering to make a covering for the one to be ceremonially cleansed from his uncleanness.
  • Then the priest kills the burnt offering.
    • The burnt offering and the grain offering are offered at the same time.

Offerings adjusted if one is poor:

NOW – if the person being cleansed is poor and cannot afford all of this, then they are to take:

  • one male lamb as a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him
  • 2 quarts of fine flour mixed with olive oil (instead of 3) for a grain offering and an additional 1/3rd quart of oil.
  • Then whatever he can afford for a sin and burnt offering…
    • Two turtledoves or two young pigeons…etc.

Cleansing a house

  • 1st – if it happens, it appears to be the Lord Who does it.
  • You must go tell the priest
  • Empty your house of EVERYTHING
  • The priest is to examine the house.
    • If it is IN the walls – beneath its surface and is either green or red the priest is to quarantine the house for 7 days.
    • If it has spread – it that section must be dismantled and thrown outside the city in an unclean place.
    • The remaining plaster and stones are to be scrapped and the scrapings to be carried out of the city as well to an unclean place.
    • Then repair the walls
  • IF IT REAPPEARS – Then it is dangerous and the whole house has to be dismantled and thrown outside the city in an unclean place.
    • WHOEVER enters the house that is quarantined will be unclean until evening.
    • If they eat or lie down in that house – their clothes must be cleaned.
  • IF IT DOES NOT REAPPEAR – Then it pronounced as clean.

The offerings:

  • 2 CLEAN birds
  • Cedar wood
  • Scarlet
  • Hyssop
    • One bird killed in an clay pot over running water
    • The other bird to be dipped with the cedar and the scarlet & hyssop into the blood of the sacrificed bird
    • Then take the hyssop and sprinkle the blood on the house 7x’s and then pronounce it as clean.
    • Then he is to release the live bird OUTSIDE of the city

Chapter 15:

  • Because this first group of body fluids are something one is cured from, these “fluids” are evidently discharges from the sexual organs which are abnormal.
  • If anyone touches their cloths, bed, chair…anything they have touched or if they spit on them or touches them without first washing their hands – they will need to wash their clothes, bath in water and will be unclean until evening.
  • Any clay pot they touch must be broken and any wooden utensil must be rinsed with water.
  • AFTER being cured…
    • After 7 days – wash their clothes, bath in fresh water
    • On the 8th day – Take 2 turtledoves or two young pigeons and give them to the priest.
    • The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.

 

Sexual & Menstrual discharges

  • Semen –
    • If just naturally occurring then he is to bath completely in water and remain unclean until evening
    • If through sex they both do the above.
  • Menstrual blood
    • She was to be separated for 7 days DURING her customary impurity.
    • If her husband has sex with her during this time he becomes unclean and anything he touches will be unclean and he must remain unclean for 7 days following it.
    • If anyone touches her they will be unclean until evening.
    • If anyone touches anything she sat or laid down upon must wash their clothes, their body and be unclean until evening.
  • If the flow lasts longer than normal or is separate from her normal flow – the same rules apply.

Afterwards she is to…

  • Count 7 days – wash their clothes, bath in fresh water
  • On the 8th day – Take 2 turtledoves or two young pigeons and give them to the priest.
  • The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering.

That’s it!

Next week I will teach on a subject from the ‘by Request’ suggestion box.

There is more information in the audio/video of the actual message. I hope you listen, learn and enjoy!

…Blessings! 

 

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will be mentioned.

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Blessings!

 

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!