We have read about the cleanness and uncleanness related to food and animals, and now Leviticus moves on to the human body.

When we think about ‘unclean’, we might tend to think of ‘sinful’. If we think this, then chapter 12 is very confusing. What is sinful about childbirth?

Nothing! Unclean really just means impure. It can be caused by sinful behaviour, or it can be a type of ceremonial uncleanness which is nothing to do with an individual’s sin. This is sometimes called ritual impurity.

The choice of things described as ritually unclean in the Bible may seem strange to us today, and difficult to explain. There were so many opportunities to become ritually unclean, directly or indirectly, that every Israelite must have been in a state of ritual uncleanness many times through their lives, and need to cleanse themselves or bring offerings as a result.

What a powerful reminder to them of humankind’s basic condition with God after the fall. Impurity is our default state. Yet we see through Jesus that, just as impurity can be contagious, so can God’s holiness. Jesus dealt with all the forms of ritual impurity mentioned in Leviticus – he healed those with skin diseases, healed the woman with the issue of blood, and raised the dead to life.

Both our own sin, and the wider impact of the fall on all mankind are dealt with in Jesus Christ. Let us draw closer and closer to him – he will not become impure, but instead we will become more holy!

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH