Today's Favorite Verse: Leviticus 15:10-11, 31

Today's Favorite Verse: Leviticus 15:10-11, 31

"And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even:and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them."

This chapter covers people with a discharge and other types of uncleanness. I couldn't help it, as I read that they would become unclean by simply sitting on or touching something someone unclean contacted, I hear myself as a child saying "Mom, he's touching me!"  When I didn't want to sit by or touch my brother because he had boy germs. I remember with my friends thinking someone had cooties and you would catch it simply by touching something they touched. Totally, totally childish. Is it possible the Lord was treating them as children because they were being childish?

I could see merit in staying clean and washing yourself. I thought of the advancement in surgery and the survival rates from it simply by using clean instruments. I knew there was more to this so I read the chapter again and then read all the footnotes. I found this:

"Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time." (Moses 6:57)

This made me ponder on the words of the Savior after his resurrection and appearance to the Nephites.

"And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not."  (3 Nephi 9:19-20)

So this law was the outward acts to be determined clean or unclean. Then making sacrifice or thanks when you were clean. Being unclean is how I am in the inside. What I offer the Lord is a broken heart and contrite spirit and I am made clean. I believe the law of Moses was preparing them to live this.

Day 680