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Mercy red with Truth and awe: Arrival of the ‘fittest’ for the Kingdom of God (Leviticus 11)
In this study
Arbitrary ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ foods; Heaven’s ‘arbitrary’ mercyHoly: Set apart to join Heaven’s rescue mission to EarthBeware when diving in to save drowning humanity‘Survival of the fittest’ or ‘fit’ to be at rest?Choose and remain on the path that leads to life
In Leviticus 1–8, the focus primarily on instructions for offerings brought by the people and the priests. Now in the Torah reading שמיני Shemini (“eighth,” Leviticus 9–11) we learn that we need to be on our guard for the things that Heaven says makes one “fit” or “unfit” to enter the Kingdom of God.
The principle that is reinforced here is that just as one prepares physically to come closer to the presence of God as it was in the Tabernacle, so too we should be constantly preparing our spirit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, which is our lifetime goal. God is delivering us from where we were before (“house of bondage“) and preparing us to be with Him in the Kingdom.
So basically, we’re to focus on the things that are in our control. If a loved one dies in bed next to you and you become “unclean” for a period of time, that is outside your control. But there are things that are within our control, and God calls on His people to be mindful of those things and avoid them. Don’t go out seeking the detestable things.
Heaven is taking all of humanity from bondage to a way of life that leads to the second death to eternal life and rest.
Before the Flood, we are told in the Torah that the people’s thoughts were evil and inclined toward violence continually (Gen. 6:5). Think about the damage that people can do to a culture or a civilization in just a few decades. Well, just imagine a few centuries of damage that people can do if they divert away from the path of God. They have a lot of time to invent new ways of going into evil.
Arbitrary ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ foods; Heaven’s ‘arbitrary’ mercy
When we read through the list (Leviticus 11) of what animals are “clean” (טָהֵר taher, H2891, “fit”) for human consumption and those things that are “unclean” (טָמֵא tameʾ, H2931, “not fit”), some of the carve-outs are arbitrary. For example, locusts and grasshoppers are “fit” for food, but other swarming insects aren’t.
Similarly, “arbitrary” grace of God that lifted the Gentiles from being unclean to clean. However, those of us who are Gentiles do not present ourselves to God in a “foreign” way, with “foreign” fire as Nadab and Abihu did (Lev. 10:1–2).
The reason that God called certain foods “clean” and certain foods unclean is the sovereign decision of God. He made the distinction between the fit and unfit and we are called to obey His instructions regarding what is food and what is not food even if we don’t fully understand the distincti...
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By Hallel FellowshipIn this study
Arbitrary ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ foods; Heaven’s ‘arbitrary’ mercyHoly: Set apart to join Heaven’s rescue mission to EarthBeware when diving in to save drowning humanity‘Survival of the fittest’ or ‘fit’ to be at rest?Choose and remain on the path that leads to life
In Leviticus 1–8, the focus primarily on instructions for offerings brought by the people and the priests. Now in the Torah reading שמיני Shemini (“eighth,” Leviticus 9–11) we learn that we need to be on our guard for the things that Heaven says makes one “fit” or “unfit” to enter the Kingdom of God.
The principle that is reinforced here is that just as one prepares physically to come closer to the presence of God as it was in the Tabernacle, so too we should be constantly preparing our spirit to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, which is our lifetime goal. God is delivering us from where we were before (“house of bondage“) and preparing us to be with Him in the Kingdom.
So basically, we’re to focus on the things that are in our control. If a loved one dies in bed next to you and you become “unclean” for a period of time, that is outside your control. But there are things that are within our control, and God calls on His people to be mindful of those things and avoid them. Don’t go out seeking the detestable things.
Heaven is taking all of humanity from bondage to a way of life that leads to the second death to eternal life and rest.
Before the Flood, we are told in the Torah that the people’s thoughts were evil and inclined toward violence continually (Gen. 6:5). Think about the damage that people can do to a culture or a civilization in just a few decades. Well, just imagine a few centuries of damage that people can do if they divert away from the path of God. They have a lot of time to invent new ways of going into evil.
Arbitrary ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’ foods; Heaven’s ‘arbitrary’ mercy
When we read through the list (Leviticus 11) of what animals are “clean” (טָהֵר taher, H2891, “fit”) for human consumption and those things that are “unclean” (טָמֵא tameʾ, H2931, “not fit”), some of the carve-outs are arbitrary. For example, locusts and grasshoppers are “fit” for food, but other swarming insects aren’t.
Similarly, “arbitrary” grace of God that lifted the Gentiles from being unclean to clean. However, those of us who are Gentiles do not present ourselves to God in a “foreign” way, with “foreign” fire as Nadab and Abihu did (Lev. 10:1–2).
The reason that God called certain foods “clean” and certain foods unclean is the sovereign decision of God. He made the distinction between the fit and unfit and we are called to obey His instructions regarding what is food and what is not food even if we don’t fully understand the distincti...