How does Leviticus 7:20 connect to New Testament teachings on purity? Leviticus 7:20 in Context “ ‘But the person who eats the meat of the sacrifice of peace offerings that belong to the LORD, while that person is unclean, shall be cut off from his people.’ ” What the Verse Meant for Israel • Peace offerings were covenant meals shared with God. • Participation required ceremonial cleanness; uncleanness made the worshiper unfit for fellowship. • The penalty—being “cut off”—underscored the seriousness of approaching God in a defiled state. New Testament Echoes of Purity • The Lord’s Supper mirrors the peace offering as a shared meal of fellowship (1 Corinthians 10:16–21). • Paul warns, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 11:27). The call to self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:28) parallels Leviticus’ demand for cleanness. • Hebrews 10:19-22 invites believers to “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.” Purity remains prerequisite for entering God’s presence. • Jesus teaches that defilement springs from the heart (Mark 7:20-23), showing that the moral dimension of cleanness is fulfilled inwardly, not merely ceremonially. Continuity and Fulfillment • Leviticus stresses external ritual purity; the New Covenant internalizes that standard through regeneration (Titus 3:5). • The exclusion of the unclean in Leviticus foreshadows final separation for those who reject holiness (Revelation 21:27). • Christ’s atonement provides the cleansing Leviticus required (Hebrews 9:13-14). Practical Takeaways for Believers Today • Approach the Lord’s Table with repentance and faith, mindful of hidden sin. • Guard both body and heart, recognizing they are God’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). • Pursue holiness daily, relying on the finished work of Christ for cleansing (1 John 1:7, 9). Key New Testament Parallels • 1 Corinthians 5:7-8—celebrating the feast with sincerity and truth. • 2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1—“Let us purify ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit.” • Ephesians 5:25-27—Christ sanctifies the church, presenting her “without stain or wrinkle.” Leviticus 7:20 thus finds its New Testament counterpart in the call to inward purity, reverent worship, and disciplined self-examination—truths that remain vital for every follower of Christ. |
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