Jesus and Leviticus
Pastor Mike Signorelli preached a series on holiness where he aimed to demystify the Book of Leviticus for Christians in this day and age. While some of the ancient rules are not binding on modern Christians, there is still a lot to learn from the underlying principle of them as they also show forth God's deep care for both the physical and spiritual aspects of life.
Ancient dietary and purity rules in Leviticus were given directly by God to Moses and Aaron. They served to protect the Israelites' health before scientific understanding of germs. These Old Testament laws were given to Israel as guidance on how to live distinctly differently in every aspect of life, as they were surrounded by pagans and all of these polytheistic religions. The laws provided order and served as boundaries, similar to how parents set rules for their children.
Breaking Down Leviticus
In Leviticus 11, the laws were focused on the clean and unclean animals that were and were not permitted in the Israelites’ diet. God outlines which land animals are permissible to eat (those with divided hooves that chew the cud) and which are forbidden (e.g., camel, hyrax, rabbit, pig). Consumption or touching the carcasses of unclean animals results in ceremonial uncleanness until evening (Leviticus 11:4–8, 24).
Leviticus 12 describes the regulations for women after childbirth. Likewise, in Leviticus 13 and 14 God instructs Moses and Aaron on how to handle individuals with potential defiling skin diseases and contaminated houses. God wanted to govern His people and give order to their lives. There's an entire chapter in Leviticus 15 about bodily discharge which does point to the level of God’s intentionally and how intimately He cares.
The chapter shows an aspect of God and His leaders that we don't see today. The role of Priests/Levites (Aaron and his sons were Levites), they served as mediators between God and the people. As the leaders, they examined conditions of uncleanness (skin diseases, discharges) and oversaw the purification processes and offerings. The way the people connected with their leaders was special and God showed His care and provision for the people's well-being within the community through His appointed leaders.
People often believe God cares only about the spiritual aspect of His followers' lives but in Leviticus we see, He also cared deeply about the physical aspect as well. If you observe closely what God was doing at the time, He was giving wisdom on how to preserve life in an age where there was no such thing as quarantining or modern medicine.
While reading through the ancient law, it is important to note that there is a distinction between sin and being unclean. They are two different things and just because someone was considered ceremonially unclean at the time, that does not mean they were sinning. A woman on her menstrual cycle was not sinning, she was, however considered unclean.
Jesus Came to Fulfill the Law
The sermon then transitioned to the New Testament, highlighting that Jesus' teachings in Mark and Peter's vision in Acts reveal a shift from external regulations to an internal transformation through faith in Christ. It was that transition that broke the barriers between God and His people.
In Mark 7:14–23 Jesus says: "Nothing outside of a person can defile them by going into them; rather it's what comes out of a person that defiles them." Jesus challenged the prevailing understanding in Jewish culture of defilement. He now stated that what comes from within the heart (evil thoughts, actions) is what makes someone unclean. This contrasts with the emphasis on external purity in the Levitical laws as a shift in focus from external regulations to the internal state of the heart.
Jesus knew that the legalistic application of the Levitical law had become more important to the people than knowing the God who gave them. He came to restore the understanding that true defilement comes from within. His death on the cross washed away sins through His blood, and set the stage for the new covenant between God and His people.
The early church continued in Jesus’ teaching. In Acts 10:9, the Apostle Peter has a vision of a sheet with all kinds of animals and God commanded Him not to "call anything impure that God has made clean." It is interpreted as a revelation that the distinctions between clean and unclean in the Levitical law were being abolished to pave the way for the inclusion of Gentiles into God's covenant. Peter initially resists because of how established the law was in his tradition; however, a three-fold repetition of the vision highlighted the importance in the shift.
Peter is then visited by men sent by the Roman centurion, Cornelius, and the Holy Spirit instructs Peter to go with them without hesitation. He then recognizes the meaning of the vision as God's opening up salvation to non-Jewish people who were considered unclean under the Levitical law.
The sermon concludes by cautioning against modern-day legalism and judgment based on external factors. "Even as Christians we have categories, even as Christians we think we know who's in and who's out who's really saved and who's not saved... and I feel like what God wants to say is look at yourself it's what's inside that's defiling you," Pastor Mike concluded.
The Apostolic leader used Communion to illustrate a means of internal transformation, where partaking in the elements that represent Christ's body and blood, served as a form of cleansing from the inside out, contrasting with the external cleansing rituals of the Old Covenant.
About the Author
Jeannie Ortega Law is a chart-topping singer, evangelist, media personality and author from New York City. She can be reached on social media: @JeannieOrtega or emailed at Info@JeannieO.com
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