Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Leviticus 11:24-27.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2011&version=NASB1995

“‘By these, moreover, you will be made unclean:  whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, and whoever picks up any of their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.  …  Also whatever walks on its paws, among all the creatures that walk on all fours, are unclean to you;  whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, and the one who picks up their carcasses shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening;  they are unclean to you.

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‘Also if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its carcass becomes unclean until evening.  He too, who eats some of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening.

‘Now every swarming thing that swarms on the earth is detestable, not to be eaten.  …  Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm;  and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean.  For I am the LORD your God.  Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.  And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.  For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God;  thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

This is the law regarding the animal and the bird, and every living thing that moves in the waters and everything that swarms on the earth, to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the edible creature and the creature which is not to be eaten.”  Leviticus 11:24-25 and 27-28 and 39-41 and 43-47.

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As we read through these Scriptures in the book of Leviticus, we continue to see the theme:  “to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean”.  

In today’s Scripture, we generally meditate on how strict the LORD’S provisions were in avoiding and dealing with exposure to the unclean.  We specifically meditate on avoiding and dealing with exposure to carcasses which are dead bodies.   

Through God’s grace, we recognize that we ourselves, so to speak, were carcasses, dead bodies by being dead in sin.  “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”  Ephesians 2:1-3. 

But, there is hope!

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”  Ephesians 2:4-7.

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”  2 Peter 1:2-4. 

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely;  and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.