LEVITICUS 29


     We will begin this lesson in Leviticus 11:37 "And if [any part]
of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it
[shall be] clean."

     We know that when a seed falls into the ground, it dies. and the
new plant which comes from the seed, can produce beautiful fresh
products. It is amazing to me, that a seed can be planted in a place
covered with fertilizer, and the fruit the plant brings forth is clean
and sweet. There is a process of death and life here that mortal man
does not understand. The reason the seed above is not unclean, is that
it will never be eaten in it's present form. The new seed that comes
from this dead seed will be perfectly clean.

     Leviticus 11:38 "But if [any] water be put upon the seed, and
[any part] of their carcase fall thereon, it [shall be] unclean unto
you."

     If water got on the seed, it would probably cause it to sprout,
and the contamination would be soaked into the seed.

     Leviticus 11:39 "And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he
that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even."
Leviticus 11:40 "And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash
his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the
carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even."

     Even clean animals have a possibility of carrying diseases when
they die, and in that case, the people would not be permitted to eat
them. This, then, has to be an animal that was killed on purpose for
some reason or other. It would, also, be an animal where someone
quickly cut its throat, so the blood would drain. Hebrews were
forbidden to eat blood. Even if all these things were done, the person
who was preparing the meat would get very nasty in the process. They
would need to wash themselves and their clothes to get rid of the dirt
they had gotten preparing it.

     Leviticus 11:41 "And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the
earth [shall be] an abomination; it shall not be eaten."

     This would include snakes, lizards, in fact, all reptiles. These
are such an abomination to God, that the devil was in the form of a
snake in the garden of Eden. We will see in the next few verses from
Genesis that God cursed the serpent above all other animals. Genesis
3:14 "And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done
this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the
field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the
days of thy life:"  Satan {symbolized by the serpent} is the enemy of
mankind and will be always. Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it
shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."  We realize
that the spiritual meaning of that Scripture is speaking of the
followers of Jesus being the enemy of the devil and his crowd.

     Leviticus 11:42 "Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever
goeth upon [all] four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping
things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they
[are] an abomination."

     As I said, this includes all vermin that crawl on their belly. It
seems, to crawl on the belly, was part of the curse God put on the
serpent.

     Leviticus 11:43 "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any
creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean
with them, that ye should be defiled thereby."

     This is just a broader statement about not eating, or coming into
contact with abominable things. Sometimes by association, they could
become abominable themselves. It is broad enough to cover all the
things in detail that were possibly not mentioned above.

     Leviticus 11:44 "For I [am] the LORD your God: ye shall therefore
sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I [am] holy: neither
shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that
creepeth upon the earth."

     God repeats, in no uncertain terms, who He is, and that the
people will conform to His wishes. We have said numerous times, that
sanctify means to set aside for God's purpose. They should be glad to
do these things, that they might be called His. God expected no more
from them, than He did of Himself. He said, I AM HOLY. He shows them
the way they can be holy, and then tells them they must be holy. These
people were being taught to be clean. It is important for the body to
be clean, but the real cleanliness God was trying to teach them and
us, is cleanliness of the spirit. Cleanliness of the inner man, was
the real message. Man was made in the image of God, that He might
fellowship with man. These Hebrews, here, were descended from Abraham
in the flesh. Christians are descendents of Abraham through faith.
Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise."  This is their Father, and our
Father, giving instructions on how to live pleasing unto Him. Defile,
in the verse above, means to pollute or make unclean. God wants His
family to be a separated people, not caught up in the things of the
world. There is a message in this for Christians, as well. We are to
separate ourselves from the world. Let's take a look at what the
Christians must be like for our Saviour to come back for us. Ephesians
5:27 "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not
having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy
and without blemish."

     Leviticus 11:45 "For I [am] the LORD that bringeth you up out of
the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I
[am] holy."

     This statement, here, could be because in Egypt, nearly every
animal was worshipped. My own thoughts on this, however, is that God
has brought them out of the world, that they might serve Him. Egypt is
a type of the world. He took them out of the world, that He might take
them to the promised land. The very same thing is true with believers
today. When we decide to follow Jesus, we are no longer of this world.
We have no permanent dwelling place on this earth. To head for the
promised land with God, we, too, must leave Egypt. Abraham was looking
for a city made by God. We, too, must look for that city that cometh
down from God out of heaven {New Jerusalem}. Have you left Egypt {the
world} yet? When you do, God will lead you to the promised land.

     Leviticus 11:46 "This [is] the law of the beasts, and of the
fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of
every creature that creepeth upon the earth:"  Leviticus 11:47 "To
make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the
beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten."

     The one thing we must see in these laws of the diet, God had the
welfare of His people in mind when He gave these restrictions.
Sometimes it seems as if the restrictions God has made are unfair;
don't you believe it. God loves you. He loved you so much, He sent His
son to save you. Every restriction is for our benefit.

     GOD LOVES YOU-----HE WANTS TO SAVE YOU------LET HIM.






























                             Questions 29

1.  Why was the sowing seed clean, even though something unclean
    touched it?
2.  What happens to a seed when it falls into the ground?
3.  What did the author find amazing about plants, and where they
    grow?
4.  There is a process of what here, that mortal man does not
    understand?
5.  Why did the seed become unclean, if it got water on it?
6.  What must immediately be drained from an animal, for it to be
    allowable for food?
7.  Why is this so?
8.  Verse 41 tells us that what is an abomination?
9.  What are included in these creeping things?
10. What was cursed above all the animals?
11. What was the devil in the form of in the garden of Eden?
12. Quote Genesis chapter 3 verse 15.
13. When God cursed the serpent to crawl on it's belly, what else felt
    the same curse?
14. What are these Israelites cautioned of in Leviticus chapter 11
    verse 43?
15. What does the word, sanctify, mean?
16. "Be ye ____, for I am ____."
17. What is the real cleanliness God is trying to teach here.
18. If ye are Christ's, then are ye __________ seed.
19. What does defile mean?
20. We are to present ourselves a glorious church without what?
21. What was worshipped in Egypt?
22. God has brought them out of the world that they might _____ Him.
23. What must we believers do, before we can head for the promised
    land?
24. What is the one message we must see loud and clear in these
    dietary laws?
25. Every restriction is for whose benefit?