Yesterday we read about which land animals, sea creatures, birds, and flying insects the Israelites were to consider clean or unclean. Today we continue with creatures that crawl on the ground.

Leviticus 11

29 The following creatures that move along the ground are unclean for you: the mole, the mouse, any kind of great lizard, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the skink, and the chameleon.

31 These animals are unclean for you among all the crawling creatures. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. 32 When one of them dies and falls on something, that article becomes unclean; any article of wood, clothing, leather, sackcloth, or any implement used for work must be rinsed with water and will remain unclean until evening; then it will be clean. 33 If any of them falls into a clay pot, everything in it will be unclean; you must break the pot. 34 Any food coming into contact with water from that pot will be unclean, and any drink in such a container will be unclean.

35 Anything upon which one of their carcasses falls will be unclean. If it is an oven or cooking pot, it must be smashed; it is unclean and will remain unclean for you. 36 Nevertheless, a spring or cistern containing water will remain clean, but one who touches a carcass in it will be unclean. 37 If a carcass falls on any seed for sowing, the seed is clean; 38 but if water has been put on the seed and a carcass falls on it, it is unclean for you.

39 If an animal that you may eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean until evening. 40 Whoever eats from the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening, and anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes and will be unclean until evening.

41 Every creature that moves along the ground is detestable; it must not be eaten. 42 Do not eat any creature that moves along the ground, whether it crawls on its belly or walks on four or more feet; for such creatures are detestable.

43 Do not defile yourselves by any crawling creature; do not become unclean or defiled by them. 44 For I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy.[E] You must not defile yourselves by any creature that crawls along the ground. 45 For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

46 This is the law regarding animals, birds, all living creatures that move in the water, and all creatures that crawl along the ground. 47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between animals that may be eaten and those that may not.’”

Leviticus 12

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites, ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be unclean for seven days, as she is during the days of her menstruation. 3 And on the eighth day the flesh of the boy’s foreskin is to be circumcised.

4 The woman shall continue in purification from her bleeding for thirty-three days. She must not touch anything sacred or go into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are complete.

5 If, however, she gives birth to a daughter, the woman will be unclean for two weeks as she is during her menstruation. Then she must continue in purification from her bleeding for sixty-six days.

6 When the days of her purification are complete, whether for a son or for a daughter, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. 7 And the priest will present them before the LORD and make atonement for her; and she shall be ceremonially cleansed from her flow of blood. This is the law for a woman giving birth, whether to a male or to a female.

8 But if she cannot afford a lamb, she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. Then the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”

REFLECTIONS

There are plenty of mysteries in these rules. For example, no one knows why the time of purification after giving birth to a girl is twice as long as for a boy baby. But isn’t it great that none of these rules apply anymore anyway, because Jesus has come! They were a way of showing how hard it is for people to consecrate themselves to God and be holy (11:44). But Jesus declared that all foods are now clean (Mark 7:19) – because he has come to bring true and permanent cleansing from sin to all who trust in him (John 15:3).