How does Leviticus 15:6 connect with New Testament teachings on purity? “Whoever sits on anything that the one with the discharge has sat on must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean until evening.” The immediate picture: • God draws a bright line between the holy and the common. • Physical contact with impurity demands washing, symbolizing the need for cleansing before re-entering fellowship with Him. • The uncleanness lasts “until evening,” reminding Israel daily that purity is never to be taken lightly. How the New Testament picks up the theme 1. From external washing to internal cleansing • Hebrews 9:13-14—animal blood purified “the flesh,” but “how much more will the blood of Christ… cleanse our consciences.” • Hebrews 10:22—“having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” • The ritual in Leviticus foreshadows the deeper work of Christ, who removes the root problem—sin—not just its symbol. 2. Jesus redefines defilement • Mark 7:18-23—“Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him… What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him.” • The Lord does not abolish the concept of purity; He exposes its true arena—the heart. • Leviticus 15:6 dealt with contagion by contact; Jesus addresses contagion that flows from within. 3. Ongoing call to holiness • 2 Corinthians 7:1—“let us purify ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit.” • 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4—“this is the will of God, your sanctification… that each of you learn to control his own body in holiness and honor.” • The New Covenant does not relax God’s standard; it empowers believers to meet it by the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4). 4. The body as God’s dwelling place • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20—“your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit… therefore glorify God in your body.” • Just as an impure Israelite had to leave the camp’s holy space until cleansed, so believers guard their bodies from sin to preserve the Spirit’s manifested fellowship. Links between the two Testaments • Physical impurity → spiritual impurity • Water for cleansing → blood of Christ and the Word (Ephesians 5:26) • Temporary uncleanness “until evening” → permanent cleansing through Christ (1 John 1:7) • Exclusion from camp → restored access to God’s presence (Hebrews 4:16) Practical takeaways • Treat sin as seriously as ancient Israel treated bodily discharge—avoid, confess, and cleanse quickly. • Remember that purity begins in the heart but expresses itself through the body. • Lean on Christ’s finished work, yet actively “wash your clothes and bathe” by daily repentance and obedience (James 4:8). Key passages for further study Leviticus 15:1-33; Psalm 24:3-4; Isaiah 1:16-18; John 13:5-10; Romans 12:1; Titus 2:11-14; Revelation 7:14 |
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