RPG Adults
UNCLEANNESS – A SIN?
LORD’S DAY, MAY 12
Leviticus 12
2 Peter 3:11
“…and she shall be clean.”
UNCLEANNESS – A SIN?
To be unclean could be caused by a sinful act. For example, when a person stole from his neighbour, he had sinned and was declared unclean in the sight of God. He needed to bring his sacrificial offerings to be cleansed, and to restore his fellowship with God. However, when it came to uncleanness from giving birth, what sin did the woman commit that rendered her unclean? This was a form of uncleanness that was directly related to God whereby God just declared it to be so.
The woman did not commit any sin by giving birth, and yet the purifying process was required and had to be concluded with the offering of a burnt offering and a sin offering. These were two offerings that emphasised cleansing from sin. The burnt offering always meant atonement for sin; the sin offering was for cleansing from sin, but more often than not it meant purification, which was the case here. The offering of these two offerings was important. For a poor family, when a combination of a lamb of the first year and a turtledove or pigeon was too costly, then two turtledoves or two young pigeons could be offered instead. The new mother had to offer them for her to be considered cleansed. In the state of uncleanness, the person would be barred from participating in any religious activities or holy feasts. That was why it was important that the people of God remembered their holy state in relation to the LORD and their duty to be a holy people unto the LORD.
The lesson on holy living in order to remain in a holy relationship with the LORD is not emphasised in many churches and for God’s people today. The emphasis today is too man-centred, and not God-centred. The result is a lackadaisical testimony for Christ, where the distinction between carnality and true spirituality is lost. Believers do not mind being unclean at all because everyone else seems all right with it and so does the church!
MEMORISATION: Leviticus 11:44
PRAYER: Father, help me to be clean and to hold on to Thy standard of holiness for Jesus’ sake. Amen.