December 19, 2023

Passage Read: Leviticus 15-18
Meditation Verse: 16:16

Thought

Our sin and our uncleanness disgust God and defile His sanctuary. Even if all the unclean people are kept away from the sanctuary, still once a year it would need to be cleansed and atoned for by blood sacrifice. The nearness of sinful people and unclean people corrupt God's sanctuary. In Ezekiel's vision of the new Israel, God puts a gap between His sanctuary and the people, to keep their uncleanness from defiling His tabernacle. Though today we don't need to worry about sacrifices and cleansing from uncleanness, yet we forget that these are real concerns for God that have been taken care of by the blood of Christ. We don't have the same regular reminder of sacrifices that the Israelites had, and perhaps that makes us inconsiderate of how our sin and our carelessness affect the Lord.

Application

I do not want to repel the Lord by my behavior. There may be things beyond my control that cause me to be physically unclean, but I should be sensitive to the things that defile the Lord's tabernacle, which is now my body. So Paul even reminds believers that we are not free to do whatever we like with our bodies, because the Spirit of God dwells in us. I need to remain conscious of that as I go through my day, what things I touch, what things I do, do they gross God out or not. I need to avoid those things that God dislikes, be considerate of His presence in me, and do only those things He delights in.