Daily Bible Reflection 10/6

Continuing a plan to get through the entire Bible in a year, follow as I journal through the reading. I have chosen a straightforward approach that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. This will not be an in-depth study or a comprehensive commentary. There are plenty of sources for such material. This is stage one Bible reading, taking the text at face value and sharing impressions.

Today’s reading comes from the book of Leviticus, chapters 11 through 13, in which God details His laws regarding cleanliness and leprosy. Some impressions from the text:

• “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” With all his laws for distinguishing between clean and unclean animals, and handling incidents of uncleanliness, God was setting his people apart so that He could commune with them. Holiness remains a priority for the believer today, a goal never fully achieved in this life, but necessary to grow closer to God.
• At first glance, the rationale behind a woman’s purification after childbirth is unclear. In particular, it’s not clear why the period of uncleanliness was doubled when the woman gave birth to a girl. That said, these laws likely made even less sense to the Israelites, who likely held no concept of hygiene as we know it today.
• We recognize the wisdom behind the laws for the treatment of lepers. It’s essentially the same type of quarantine procedure still used by medical professionals today. Of course, back then, this was a revolutionary idea. There was nothing even remotely comparable to modern medicine. The most technologically advanced empires of this day were treating disease with spells and mystic rituals. The sound medicine behind God’s laws on leprosy underscores His credibility. This was the one true God, and He knew what He was talking about.

Return soon as we continue our year-long journey through the text of the Bible.

Catch up on the previous entries:

Archived Genesis posts (scroll down in link).

Archived Exodus posts (scroll down in link) .

Laws for sacrificial offerings, and their relevance today. – Leviticus 1-4

Feeling sorry for sin does not absolve you of it. – Leviticus 5-7

God will not be trifled with. – Leviticus 8-10