Lesson 20

Question 1

• Explain the significance of the regulations of Leviticus 11-16 in their original historical context

Question 2

• Explain the significance of the regulations of Leviticus 11-16 for the modern day

Question 3

1. What regulations are given in Leviticus 11-16?

Answer 3

I. Holy People Must Live Holy Lives before a Holy God (Lev 11-16)
A. Good activities that can lead to uncleanness
1. Holy
2. Clean
3. Unclean
B. Maintaining purity in the camp (Lev 16)

II. Structure
Instructions Length of Uncleanness
Food Regulations (Lev 11) Hours
Childbirth (Lev 12) Months
Infectious Disease (Lev 13-14) Years
Bodily Discharge (Lev 15) Hours/Weeks/Years

Question 4

2. How does the New Testament deals with the regulations in Leviticus 11-16? What do they mean for God’s people today?

Answer 4

B. NT application of food regulations
1. Food regulations produced social barriers between Jews and Gentiles
2. Christ sends disciples into the world to preach the gospel
3. The problem: How can you present the gospel to people with whom you cannot associate?
4. The NT declares all foods clean
a. Mark 7:19
b. Acts 10
c. Galatians 2

3. The NT’s appropriation of Lev 12-15
a. We cannot separate our physical bodies from our relationship with the Lord (1 Cor 6)
b. Physical uncleanness has a spiritual or moral application
i. Unclean means impure (Eph 4:19)
ii. We are cleansed because of the word Jesus has spoken (John 15:3)
iii. An unclean garment (Jude 23; Lev 13:47)
c. Isolation from the community is related to church discipline
d. Public health concerns and ministry
i. Plagues and the importance of isolation
ii. Isolation leading to abandonment
iii. Jesus’ ministry to physical needs
 Woman with a discharge (Mark 5:25)
 Jesus touches the leper (Matt 8:3)
4. “Mercy mixed with fear,” and “hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 22-23)

Question 5

3. What are the different approaches to these regulations? What do these regulations primarily teach?

Answer 5

A. Reasons for the regulations
1. The laws were given for hygiene purposes (to keep the Israelites healthy)
a. Unclean animals, like the pig, do carry more diseases
b. The discharge in Lev 12 and 15 may have been infectious
c. Not a total rationale
2. Symbolic interpretation
a. Allegorical: the behavior and habits of the clean animals are living illustrations of how the righteous Israelites ought to behave, while the unclean animals represent sinful men
b. Anthropological approach (Mary Douglas—See Appendix for views)
i. Based on sociological analysis
ii. Holiness is defined as completeness, and animals conform to their class
3. To keep the people from idolatry by avoiding pagan sacrificial rites
a. Natural human activities rendered a person unclean, such as sexual intercourse, childbirth, and burial
b. Kept natural human activities from entering the worship of God
4. To teach the people that holiness involved making crucial distinctions (Lev 11:44-46)
a. One could not prepare a meal without thinking about holiness
b. Food regulations set Israel apart as a nation from the other nations