SEPARATED FROM UNCLEANLINESS

 ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE for FRIDAY, 2ND DECEMBER, 2022.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer

Topic: SEPARATED FROM UNCLEANLINESS 

MEMORIZE: "Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation: and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation" (Leviticus 15:26).

SCRIPTURE READING: Leviticus 15:19-33 NKJV.

"¹⁹ 'If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. ²⁰ Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. ²¹ Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. ²² And whoever touches anything that she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. ²³ If anything is on her bed or on anything on which she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. ²⁴ And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. ²⁵ 'If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. ²⁶ Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. ²⁷ Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. ²⁸ 'But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. ²⁹ And on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ³⁰ Then the priest shall offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before the Lord for the discharge of her uncleanness. ³¹ 'Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them. ³² This is the law for one who has a discharge, and for him who emits semen and is unclean thereby, ³³ and for her who is indisposed because of her customary impurity, and for one who has a discharge, either man or woman, and for him who lies with her who is unclean.'"

EXPOSITION:

"We are not to be isolated but insulated," said Vance Havner, "moving in the midst of evil but untouched by it." Jesus was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners; yet He was "a friend of tax collectors and sinners."

Chapter 17 of Leviticus deals with the subject of separation of a man or woman for a period of time due to some natural uncleanness. During this period of separation, he or she is disallowed from socializing closely with friends and from going to the house of God or touching any of the holy things. A mandatory ceremony and offering for cleansing is then required before a reunion with people and the house of God can be possible. This comprises two doves and two young pigeons, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

Some people have taken the matter of Old Testament separation of women for reasons of uncleanness beyond boundary. It is important to highlight that these Old Testament laws affected both men and women and no mention is made about separating women from the house of God on account of natural uncleanness in the New Testament.

We are to be separate enough from immorality and ungodliness that it does not influence us. The Bible makes it clear that we should "come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." But whilst we steer clear from the world's pollutions, we are expected to be close enough so that we can minister to those who are trapped in all forms of uncleanness.

THOUGHTFORTHEDAY: The heaven-bound believer is only in the world but not of the world.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Galatians 4-6.