The Holiness of God and the Uncleanness of Humanity

The Holiness of God and the Uncleanness of Humanity.
Leviticus 11-15
“For I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves, and be holy, for I am holy.”

How do you teach people without books or written material for instruction?  You teach by using analogies and lessons that are connected to their world.  You teach by symbols and equivalences so that they can understand and communicate the lessons to others through these illustrations. The theme of Leviticus is the holiness of God.  God is intrinsically holy and pure and cannot be associated with sin and corruption.  Yet, when we look at our world, we see that everything and everyone is tainted by sin.  Sin and its stain are so extensive that there is not a single aspect of our lives, our character, or our actions that is untouched by its corruptive effect.  The point of the law was not just to point people to the requirements of a holy God; it was to be a tutor to reveal to humanity how sin has corrupted our whole life and existence. Paul writes in Galatians 3:24, “Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”  In writing to the church in Rome, Paul pointed out that the law was given to reveal our sin and the effects of sin in our life (Romans 7:7-25) so that it might lead us to Christ.  

As we read through the various laws regarding the clean and unclean, we discover several underlying purposes.  First, the clean and unclean had a medical/hygienic purpose.  Modern medical research has demonstrated that blood and bodily fluids are pathogens that spread disease. One of the reasons for the requirements for cleansing was to help prevent the spread of diseases. Second, some of the laws (such as those related to birth and sexual contact) served to separate Israel from becoming linked to the fertility rituals of the pagan religions that surrounded them.   However, the most important lesson that the various regulations served to teach was that God is holy, and humanity is contaminated by sin and is unfit to approach a God.  The designation of clean and unclean reminded the people that sin is present in our lives and its corruptive effect is unavoidable. It reminded the people that a holy God can only be approached by a holy people.  Yet, we are tainted by sin and unfit to approach a Him.

Holiness had the idea of “wholeness,” which is a life that was entirely dedicated to God and for His service. To be unclean, either through illness or through contact with that which was unclean, was an object lesson that we can only approach a holy God when we are perfect.  When a person was unclean, the only solution was through the sacrifice of an animal.  The death of the animal served to symbolize that sin and uncleanness could only be atoned by the vicarious death of another.  The animal paid the penalty so that a person was no longer under judgment and was considered clean before God.  This visual object lesson would point us to Christ and His death.  The regulations had a spiritual lesson and purpose.  The physical uncleanness of the people served as a lesson that they were spiritually unclean and needed to be cleansed of sin.  

Just like Israel, we must recognize our sinfulness and need for Christ.  We face the same predicament.  No matter how good we are, we are still tainted by sin.  Therefore, we cannot have access to a holy God.  However, just as God provided a way for the Jews to be made clean, so He provided a way for us through the death of Christ. When we read through the various clean/unclean ceremonial laws, it is a reminder to us that sin has affected everything in our lives, and we can only approach God through the death of Christ.  We will never be good enough in ourselves, but in Christ, we are cleansed of our sins and given access to the Father.  The first step towards having a relationship with God is to recognize that we cannot have a relationship because of sin, and only through Christ can we gain access to the Father.