Leviticus 15

Updated
2001-05-26; 14:31:59utc

Sexual Impurity 15:1-33.

In this chapter we find the fourth of the series of commandments regarding sanctification of life. The others were in connection with food, birth and leprosy. This portion deals with conditions that are brought about by man's sin and other that are not his fault.

Vs. 1-15 refer to a man with gonorrhea, or some venereal disease. This condition would have been the result of an illicit sexual relationship.

Vs. 16-18 speak about an ejaculation of semen that is either spontaneous or purposely brought about.

Vs. 19-24 deal with the normal menstrual period of a woman and vs. 25-31 are about an abnormal flow of blood caused by a sickness.

We have to realize that the point of these commandments is not the moral issue, but the ceremonial cleanness. The protective measures prescribed are a mixture of hygienic and ritual nature. When a man has gonorrhea it is logical that the objects he has touched be cleaned in order to prevent spreading of the sickness, but this would not make sense in the case of a woman who has her monthly period. We conclude, therefore, that hygiene is, probably, of little or no importance in the context of this chapter.

As in chapter 12, in connection with the birth of a baby, the impurity in this chapter emphasizes the fact that the origin of human life has been polluted by sin. A child that is born makes the mother unclean. Also the man who begets and the woman who are impregnated is impure.

This does not imply that sexuality or sexual intercourse are unholy in themselves; they are some of the most holy facets of human life. But the fall affected, first of all, the sexuality of man. The feeling of shame Adam and Eve demonstrated were symbolic of the totality of a broken relationship. In the same way the covering God provided for them was an image of total healing and reconciliation in Jesus Christ.[ 1 ]

The first example of impurity given is the result of an illicit sexual behavior. Nothing seems to be more typical of the fallen condition of man than the wrong use he makes of his sexuality. The sickness described is a result of this behavior. In the case in which a man has gonorrhea, we can say that he is responsible for his condition. Also, a woman was held responsible for an abnormal flow of blood. This is not so with the other cases mentioned.

In the case of personal guilt, a sacrifice had to be brought, as is described in vs. 14,15, and vs. 29,30. Before this sacrifice could be brought, the man or woman had to be clean for seven days. Then he had to wash his clothes in a stream. The NIV says "in fresh water," other translations say: "in running water." Undoubtedly, we may see in this an image of regeneration. Both the body and the body covering have to be washed.

The sacrifices to be brought are the sin offering and the burnt offering. The sin offering accentuates the sinful nature, not the guilt of sin, which is expressed in the guilt offering. The burnt offering is an expression of our love for the Lord.

Vs. 16 and 17 deal with a condition which comes from the normal functioning of the male human body. I am convinced that this condition is good and holy in itself. The devil tries to tell us that the functioning of a gland that God has created, makes us impure. Sin makes a man impure, not the ejaculation of his semen. The ejaculation only symbolizes a sinful condition. In the same way, normal sexual intercourse between husband and wife, as mentioned in vs. 18, is not impure. Obviously, the regulations do not deal with an extra-marital affair or fornication. It would be hard to imagine that God would wash away this kind of immorality with some water and declare the delinquents pure after twenty-four hours. It was, after all, God who created man and woman so that they could have a love relationship and He commanded them to procreate children. In these verses, however, the Holy Spirit makes clear to us how deeply the corruption has penetrated, to the point where a female egg cell and male sperm have become unclean. Sin has affected the normal functions of the human body, both for the man and the woman.

Since we have been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, this pollution caused by the fall no longer hinders our fellowship with God. This chapter issues a warning, however, that we should not put any trust in that what comes out of us. Outside the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we would be as impure as anybody else.

Vs. 25-31 deal with abnormalities by women, just as vs. 1-15 did in regard to men. These abnormalities are treated as sinful and contagious. The discharge by the woman could be the result of illicit sexual activity, just as the discharge by the man, but this is not always the case. A double sacrifice had to be brought.

The Bible indicates that the sexual aspect of our lives has become representative of the sin into which man has fallen. As we mentioned above, Adam's and Eve's awareness of sin was demonstrated in this feeling of shame; the first effort man made was to cover his sexual organs. Some primitive people, such as the Mountain Papuas in Irian Jaya, consider sexual sins to be more sinful than any other. We, too, have a tendency to use the word "immoral" exclusively for sexual sin. When we ask question why this is so, we understand that our sexual relations, more than anything else, are an expression of our spiritual relationship with God. Speaking about marriage relationships, the apostle Paul says: "This is a profound mystery-- but I am talking about Christ and the church."[ 2 ] Adam and Eve felt shame before God because their spirit, the organ that enabled them to have fellowship with God, had died when they sinned. Their sexual life no longer had a spiritual counterpart, and, consequently, it had become polluted and meaningless. The balance is restored through the bringing of the sin offering and burnt offering, the latter being the image of supreme surrender in love.

When we read the story of the woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve years in the Gospel of Mark against the background of this chapter in Leviticus, it comes very much alive. There healing takes place when the woman touches Jesus. We read: "She thought, 'If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.' Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, 'Who touched my clothes?' " [ 3 ] There is nothing vulgar in this touch. It had nothing to do with a desire for physical intimacy, but what the woman did becomes symbolic of the spiritual reality of fellowship between man and God of which sexual contact is an image. In our touching Jesus, our intimacy with God is restored in the deepest sense of the word. Jesus did not become impure when the woman touched Him, although this is what the law said would happen. Another person would have become impure, but in this case the unholy becomes holy through this touch. The woman actually broke the law when she touched the man Jesus. "Anyone the man with a discharge touches without rinsing his hands with water must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening."[ 4 ] The implication is that the same would happen when a clean person was touched by an unclean woman. The faith of this woman bridges the gap. For us it is Jesus Who bridges the gap. The fellowship of our spirit with the Spirit of God is restored in Him. By His death and resurrection, our impurity has been cleansed. We no longer have to feel ashamed before God.

[ 1 ] See Gen.2:24; 3:7-11,21.

[ 2 ] Eph. 5:32

[ 3 ] Mark 5:28-30

[ 4 ] Vs.11