Sun.’s Devo - Purification

Read: Leviticus 11:1-12:8; Mark 5:21-43; Psalm 38:1-22; Proverbs 10:8-9 God gave the laws for that day that would speak of spiritual things in our day. In Romans 7:14 it says, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” So the law is spiritual for us. Knowing this we can look at God’s law for the food they could eat and learn what he is telling us to eat spiritually. We are to eat things that are spiritually balanced (split hoofs). We are also suppose to mull over a doctrine until we understand it which would be like chewing the cud. Animals from the water were to have both fins and scaled for them to be able to eat. To us that means that we need to be balanced (fins) and have a spiritual covering (scales). They were not to eat birds of prey. We are not to spiritually consume things that are bought at others expense. Insects with wings to fly but walk on the ground were prohibited unless they had jointed legs and could jump. I think of this as spiritual laws that are not given power to implement. The scribes and the Pharisees were like these. They had the law but no understanding to teach them so others could benefit. If they touched the dead carcasses of the animals that were forbidden, it would make them unclean also. If they did touch one they had to wash their clothes and be unclean until evening which started the new day. If any of these small unclean animals fell into a clay pot, everything in the pot would be defiled. The pot had to be smashed and anything it touched would be defiled. People are the clay pots and if a demon is in a person, they have to be broken, repent and be cleansed. Their whole surroundings have to be cleansed whether that means changing friends or circumstances. The animals with many feet that scurry around or crawl on their bellies were unclean because they moved like Satan does. He is always running from being identified and everything he does is earthly instead of spiritually freeing. When a woman gave birth to a son, she was unclean for 33 days and if she gave birth to a daughter, she was unclean for 66 days. My guess is that the male represented God so he got the number of God doubled. The daughter represented the church so she go the number of a man doubled. At the end of her time, she would bring a sacrifice of two turtledoves or two young pigeons and one would be for a burnt offering and the other for a purification offering. Then she would be clean. In Mark, Jesus left the country of the Gadarenes and went back across the water to the Jewish side. When he got there he was met by Jairus, the leader of the local synagogue. He fell at Jesus feet begging him to come and pray for her and heal her. On his way to Jairus’ house, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, touched his hem and was healed. Jesus felt the healing virtue leave him and turned around and asked who had touched his robe. The woman admitted with fear and trembling. Jesus told her that her faith had made her whole and she was to go in peace and be made whole. Why did Jesus single this woman out? I think it was because she was a well-known outcast because of her bleeding. Jesus wanted to let everyone know that this woman was now healed and could now enter the sanctuary and be accepted back into society. While Jesus was talking to this woman, news came that the daughter was dead. Jesus told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid, just have faith.” Jairus had just witnessed what this woman’s faith had done for her, so that had to help him with his. Jesus took Peter, James and John with him to the house. He arrived amidst the mourners. When he told them to leave because she wasn’t dead, only sleeping, they laughed at him. Jesus took the girl’s parents and his three disciples into the room where she was lying. He took her hand and raised her up. She was twelve years old, the same number of years that the woman had been bleeding. Twelve is the number of government which was saying that God’s government was coming to earth and it had power over sickness and death. Lord, thank you that your power is greater than death. You are the resurrection and the life.