What does the phrase "wash the entrails and legs with water" symbolize spiritually? Setting the Scene: Leviticus and the Burnt Offering • Leviticus 1:9: “The entrails and the legs must be washed with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.” • God prescribed that everything placed on the altar be clean, inside and out, before the flames consumed it. The Literal Act Described • Entrails: inner organs removed, thoroughly rinsed. • Legs: lower limbs washed to remove any filth picked up during slaughter. • Result: a spotless sacrifice rising wholly to God in the fire. Inner Life (Entrails) and Outer Walk (Legs) • Entrails picture the unseen life—thoughts, motives, desires (cf. Psalm 51:6). • Legs represent the visible walk—actions, behavior, daily choices (cf. Micah 6:8). • Washing both parts teaches that God wants: – Purity of heart and mind. – Integrity of conduct and lifestyle. – No compartment left untouched by His holiness. Water: God’s Means of Cleansing • Symbolizes the Word and Spirit: – “Christ loved the church… cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26). – “He saved us… through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). • Signifies complete purification before fellowship with God (Hebrews 10:22). Foreshadowing Christ • Jesus, the flawless burnt offering, was pure within and without (1 Peter 1:19). • His sinlessness fulfilled the picture: no cleansing needed in Him, yet He was “numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). Application for Today’s Believer • Present yourself “a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) by: – Allowing the Spirit to search and wash hidden motives (Psalm 139:23-24). – Aligning outward actions with inward devotion (James 1:22). • Regular exposure to Scripture keeps both heart and walk clean. • Genuine worship flows from a life continually washed, entirely set apart for God—inside and out. |
    |