How does Leviticus 22:6 connect to New Testament teachings on purity? The original directive: Leviticus 22:6 “The one who touches any of these things will be unclean until evening and must not eat of the holy gifts unless he has bathed his body with water.” • Context: Priests handling holy offerings had to remain ceremonially clean. • Requirement: Physical washing plus a waiting period before participating in sacred service. • Purpose: Protect the sanctity of God’s dwelling and the worship that took place there. The heart behind the rule: holiness and access • God’s holiness is uncompromising (Leviticus 11:44–45). • Access to His presence demands purity—first outward, then ultimately inward. • The washing pointed to an inner reality God intended to accomplish in His people (cf. Psalm 24:3-4). Pattern fulfilled in Christ • Jesus, the perfect High Priest, never became defiled by contact with sinners; instead, His purity overcomes impurity (Mark 1:41-42). • His sacrificial blood accomplishes the cleansing that ritual water only symbolized (Hebrews 9:13-14). • Because of Christ, believers are now “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) who still need cleansing—but now from the inside out. New Testament echoes of cleansing • Inner Washing: “He saved us… through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5) • Ongoing Cleansing: “If we walk in the light… the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) • Approaching God: “Let us draw near… having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22) • Practical Sanctification: “Cleanse yourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1) • Marital imagery of the Church: Christ “cleansed her by the washing with water through the word.” (Ephesians 5:26) Practical implications for believers today • Value purity: Leviticus 22:6 reminds us God still expects His people to treat His presence and service with reverence. • Confess quickly: Keep short accounts with God, relying on 1 John 1:9 for forgiveness and restoration. • Guard contact: While we must engage the world, we remain vigilant so its defilement does not cling to heart or habit. • Embrace identity: As priests in Christ, we approach God confidently but never casually. • Live distinctively: The same Lord who said “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16) empowers us by His Spirit to pursue practical holiness daily. Leviticus 22:6 calls for washing before partaking in holy things; the New Testament reveals the deeper cleansing Christ provides so every believer can serve, worship, and walk in genuine purity. |
    |