There was a time I didn't like Naomi. I was Just immature in my faith. But then I realized, were it not for Naomi, Naomi brought a tornado into the life of Ruth. Ruth never met anybody like her before. A virtuous woman.
and Ruth would not live without her after that. says a lot for Naomi. And it also says a lot about the distinction and dissimilar behavior of the Jewish people in the world they lived in. This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.
Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Leviticus. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
Now, here's Pastor Rick in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 14. He'll begin there and then continue teaching in Leviticus chapters 11 and 12 on this edition of Cross Reference Radio. According to Deuteronomy 14, 21, I mentioned there was a problematic verse, and this is it, verses 39 and 40. Uh If the Jew Came across a dead animal, they're not supposed to eat it. If the animal died of natural causes, they weren't supposed to eat it.
It wasn't bled properly.
Well, then, why does it say here in verse 40, he who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening? Seems like a easy pass.
Well, the key is probably Deuteronomy 14, 21, where there's a stipulation attached that would Make this make sense. Deuteronomy 14:21. You shall not eat anything that dies of itself. You may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it. Or you may sell it to a foreigner, for you are a holy people to Yahweh your God.
You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk. I mentioned to you there were some cooking restrictions, and there's one of them, so I continued to read it. But it says, Within your gates, So The idea is that when they were in the wilderness, there was an exception here. But once they were in the land, the exception went away. And that's there was other things.
The manna, for example the first day they stepped foot in the promised land before they stepped foot in the promised land, the manna stopped.
So that is The way I'm treating versus 39 and 40. If there is that challenge that, wait a minute, they're not supposed to eat these things.
Well, there may have been an exception in the wilderness. Almost none of the commentators want to comment on that. Verse. The unbeliever wants to find an era in the scripture, and we want to find Answers to their supposed errors. And I have learned that almost all of them are pretty easy to answer in time.
And the list, when you first come to the Bible, is a 10-foot-tall list of apparent discrepancies and contradictions. But as you become a student of the Scripture, you find that list goes way down. And then you begin to say, well, at this pace, they're all going to get answered. I don't have to remember, I'm not a Christian based on what I don't understand, it is based on what I do understand. Um I don't understand why that truck's going to run over me.
But you do understand that it will run over you if you don't move. Maybe you don't get that. Maybe I didn't say it right. Anyway, Verse 43, you shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creeps. Nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, lest you be defiled by them.
Now, here's a metaphor for this verse. There's a literal meaning. For the Jews, but in the church it becomes A metaphor. Creepy church goers creep into churches and defile the unprepared. happens quite a bit.
You get some new guy in the church or new woman, and they make friends, and in time, they begin to corrupt. People against the church that that person loved before this one creeps in. and they go undetected. Ere go the creep. Jude, four, for certain men have crept in unnoticed who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men who turn the grace of God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God And our Lord Jesus Christ.
And so Jude was warning about those creeping into the church unnoticed.
So the idolatrous nations. They didn't have all of these restrictions as the Jews did. And that, again, is true today with the world and us. There are just some things we're better off without. There are some programs that just over you know, it just um Over the limit of tolerance, and you just can't.
Verse 44, and you have to find those out for yourselves. For I am Yahweh your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy, for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. I am Yahweh your God, shows up more in Leviticus, that phrase, than any other book.
The focus of holiness will dominate the rest of Leviticus. It's been present throughout, but it will become more pronounced. The reason for their distinctiveness As the people of God, is that God Himself is distinct? Be you perfect, for your Father in heaven is perfect. That's New Testament theology.
It's the pursuit of perfection. You're not going to get there in this life, but the pursuit of it will be way better for everybody.
So I am the Lord your God. He says, and Deuteronomy fourteen again. the parallel section. We read about the people of God. That they are a peculiar people in the old King James, a special treasure in the new, above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth, by calling as a people.
No nation has. Had the same opportunities. and blessings as a nation as Israel. And of course, the Jew now is judged and always has been individually, anyway. 1 Peter chapter 2, speaking to us.
And we are a royal priesthood. And Peter applies Deuteronomy 14 to the New Testament church. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. Not a Levitical one. We belong to a king who is a priest, the king, of course, the priest Jesus, as with Melchizedek, a holy nation.
His own special people. There it is again. That you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Well, your flesh is going to see about that, is it not? You know, he mentions here. To be holy. In verse 44, you shall be holy, for I am holy. Be perfect, for I am perfect.
That's where that is tied into. 21 times in Leviticus, be holy shows up. And uh it is a dominant theme. It doesn't have show up in that Form anywhere else like this. God is separate from sinners.
And the Jews were to reflect this and demonstrate it in their religion? Hebrews 7:26, for such a high priest was fitting for us who is holy. harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. And yet Isaiah fifty three twelve tells us he's numbered with sinners. And we'll come to that.
Verse forty five For I am Yahweh who brings you out of the land of Egypt, To be your God, you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Tell that to many of the Jews today, especially those who like to party in Tel Aviv, that you came out of Egypt. That's how you got here. If that part of your Bible is true, then maybe everything else is true too. How can you just think, I'm a Jew?
What does that mean without your Bible? It has no meaning without Scripture. But you do have the Scripture. Verse 46, This is the law of the animals. And the birds, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, verse 47, to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.
Between the animal that may be eaten in the animal. They may not be eaten.
Well, to again heighten their sensitivity to what's clean and what is not clean, and using the menu to do so. Isaiah five twenty, Ezekiel forty four twenty three And Malachi 3.18, all Come back to this. Malachi, the last of the writers of the Old Testament, and it's sort of like God is saying, see, it's still happening. Everything I told you way in the beginning of this nation's history is relevant. And has something to do with them right now.
For the church, We have the water baptism, we have the communion table, we have the Christian life, Christ-likeness.
Now, verse. One, Leviticus twelve, before we Get to verse 1. This deals with the beginning of life. and the purification of sin Connected. with procreation because of the fall in the Garden of Eden, separation of the woman from the congregation for a time recognizing that the human race, the race of the Jews, Uh as shrouded with sin.
So it uh let's cover that. Thus the blood of Jesus Christ said cleanses us. From that which covers us. Verse 1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a woman has conceived and Born a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days as in the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean.
Verse 3, and on the eighth day The flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
Now, again, this is one of those sections where it's difficult to know when to make comment to keep from being. you know, to keep your head in the game. Uh being born an Israelite. did not automatically include the life in the covenant. Not until the baby was circumcised.
There's teachings in this. Natural birth does not bring us into a right relationship with God. You must be born again. In the Old Testament, the first step in that direction of theology was the circumcision. The natural birth separates man from God, and God owes us nothing.
And yet, Because he is gracious and merciful. It is available. Problem is, the flesh wants God to be gracious and merciful in every category of our lives.
So that it sweeps away doubt and frustration and loss and heartache and whatever else is bothering us. But that's not how it is. The main thing is the soul of the individual. The life of the animal, eternal life. Mary was a sinner.
Even though she brought, was used by God to bring the sinless Savior into the world, she was still a sinner. She even sings about. her Saviour. His birth did not save her. is death brought the next step for her, that new birth, by accepting his lordship And owning him as her her Saviour, her only Saviour.
So that's New Testament, a New Testament understanding. Otherwise, this chapter has no value for us. But it does have great value for us. If we understand our New Testament. In verse 4, She shall then continue in the blood of her purification.
33 days She shall not touch any hollowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of a purification are fulfilled.
Well, back to the restrictions, and this would impact. The entire household. The mother has brought an unclean sinner into the world, just like her parents did for her. Hey. and the father, too.
But she is the target right here. And we'll come back to why she is I shouldn't say target. That makes it sound like a malicious act against her. But she's the center of attention right here. And you know, part of a thing can't be greater than the thing itself.
So if you're going to be born in this life, you're going to come from a sinner.
So she brings another sinner. Another sinner is born in sin by a sinner. in need of purification and Obedience. Which is again what these chapters are all about. even the sinless Messiah, was numbered with transgressors, as I mentioned Isaiah fifty three verse twelve.
Briefly, disfellowshipped. but called to obedience none the less. Is this important because you can just fellowship a Christian from the church. And they won't be obedient. Or you can disfellowship them and they will become obedient.
and end up coming back into fellowship.
So she is this fellowship not because she has done a particular act, but because this is the law, and much like the menu. A lot of explanations not given, it's law. And she has a chance to obey or to disobey. And of course, The record shows the women were very compliant with the law of God.
So if she gave birth to a boy, the initial waiting period was seven days. For seven days she was to be treated as ceremonially ceremonially Unclean. By her husband and those around her. She couldn't go to the temple and she had to, you know, couldn't sit where she sat. There were a little restrictions.
We'll get to some of that. We get to chapter 15 and the laws of the discharge and stuff. The boy was circumcised on the eighth day, and then he would officially receive his name, which is why the name of Christ would have been on record at the temple. And if you wanted to find out his lineage, There it was. But they would not dare avail themselves.
Now, when we it says, so then there was a second waiting.
So he'd go down on the eighth day, be circumcised. Then another thirty-three days she would have to Be sequestered. She was unclean. totaling forty days.
Now, we're not given the specifics, they would have known it's probably 40 days from the day of birth. Could be 41 if you count the eighth day, but you why? It won't do anything for your Christianity. Suffice it to know, they knew what it was, and again, it is likely from the day of birth. Then she could come to the tabernacle after that 40-day period.
First, offer a purification offering and then a burnt offering.
So then you have the sin dealt with and you have death. dedication. Which she Was stellar, and you know, I did my time standing up. I served my time like a woman. She did her 40 days.
If she gave birth to a girl, the initial waiting period was 14 days, not 7. And for fourteen days she was to be treated unclean by her husband and those around her. And then a second wave of waiting was upon her, sixty-six days. Totaling 80 days, almost three months. Hats off to them.
You know, you don't hear Naomi complaining about this or Ruth complaining about this. Two dynamos of faith. There was a time I didn't like Naomi. Have this. Just immature in my faith.
But then I realized: were it not for Naomi. Naomi brought a tornado into the life of Ruth. Ruth never met anybody like her before. A virtuous woman, and Ruth would not live without her after that. says a lot for Naomi.
And it also says a lot about the distinction and dissimilar behavior of the Jewish people in the world they lived in. They embraced it. The righteous Jews embraced their law. Instead of Whining and Complaining about it, the righteous Jews. And when we get to Numbers, we're going to find those who did whine and complain and what happened to them.
So we're going to continue, though, with her, because there's more to be said. Verse 5. But if she bears a female child, Then she shall be unclean two weeks and in her customary impurity. As in her customary impurity, that would be her cycle, her monthly cycle, as she shall continue in. The blood of her purification 66 days.
Twice the separation time given to the woman without stated reason. God does not say here's why. He says, do it. And now, this is Old Testament, so for New Testament, we're not under these restrictions, but we're paying attention. to see what God wants us to come away with from such lessons.
Yeah.
So after the fall. God refused to let women think they should rule over their husbands. There wasn't really a problem before then. There was peace between Adam and Eve and God, but after the fall, everything went south. Everything.
And it was Eve that was deceived. And God says to the church, I don't want you to forget these lessons. Adam, disobey. Don't you forget that, man. Eve was deceived.
Ladies, don't you forget that. And both the other way. And I have. no problem saying I have found In Christianity, women are faster to be deceived than men. Men are faster to be violent than women.
There are other. like categories. You're not going to get away from it.
So you try to make it work for the Lord. You don't have to like it. You're not fact exempt. And here's a New Testament that gives us this mandate. 1 Timothy 2.14.
And 15. This is concerning the prohibition of women pastors. I wouldn't ever go to a church with a woman pastor because I would find them non-compliant on a simple verse. I could understand if it was difficult, not. It's very simple.
They're just in the flesh. And Adam was not deceived. But the woman, being deceived, fell into transgression. This is New Testament. This is 1400 years later, 1500 years later.
And Paul is still from the law of Moses pointing back to Adam and Eve. Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing. if they continue in faith, love, holiness, self-control. And Paul is saying, yeah, the women led us into sin through deception. Adam caved, just as Eve, sinful.
But She's still saved. And there's nothing wrong with childbearing. But she's not saved if she doesn't continue in the faith. love and holiness and self-control, which are all bundled into one thing. Paul didn't care about your theology.
He cared about God's theology. And I don't know how you make that mean anything else when he says, if they continue, they'll be saved. I'm not afraid of that. I will continue to not have my hair stand up on my head if I don't jam a screwdriver into a hot outlet. I don't walk around worrying about that.
Boy, I sure hope I don't stick a screwdriver in that outlet over there. And I don't think any Christian should worry about their salvation. They just love on the Lord and seek Him. Unless, of course, you're beginning to fall away from the faith. then you need to talk about that with some body.
So refusal to maintain a strict difference between male and female is outside of God's will, but is a gem for Satan. And you and I are watching this globally in our lifetime unlike ever before. The feminist movement is not only an appalling failure, but it undermines civilization. And we're watching it. It is satanic.
God has said, I want the women to do this, and I want the men to do that. And I don't want any crossover here. And we're living again at a time where we see this Law of God trampled and the insanity that comes out of it. We were better off without this generation pulling these moves. Gender distinction is clearly stated by God and it is upheld by God.
And no Christian woman should feel slighted. Any more than any man should feel slight. No man should say, boy, I wish I could give birth. Yeah, you ladies know, right?
So if you're a man and you had that feeling, Come see us. We have a all right. Yeah, come see us 'cause you there's a problem.
Well, I've always identified as what? Go ahead, say it. Say it.
Okay. Hmm.
So the problem is nobody shut them down early. If you shut people down early, it won't grow. It just gets stronger when you let them go. What happens if the law, when law doesn't enforce? Small laws.
You get bigger laws broken.
So you can't tell you live in a place like Seattle. Anyway. Verse 6. When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring a priest. to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering.
and a young pigeon. or turtle dove as a sin offering to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Verse seven. then he shall offer it before Yahweh. and make atonement for her, and she shall be clean from the flow of her blood, This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female.
and everybody was fine with it. Uh the only thing that We really bring into this world are sinners. The husband and the wife bring a little child into the world that's so cute, looks innocent. Just watch them grow. And we find out they're not so innocent after all.
My mom would say, You must have picked that up in the street. Actually, mom, I have picked up a lot of things in the street, but some of it is of my own creation. I have copyrights, you know. Anyway. We don't always need somebody to teach us to do evil.
We can discover it. all by ourselves.
So we are on guard. The only thing we can take out of this world is a testimony and converts. Yeah, I know. Of course, Christ is the one that saved them, but he uses us. One man plants, another waters, but God causes the increase.
But He uses us to plant and to water, and that's part of our testimony. The world needs to hear these things. Because without them, they start filling in the blanks with crazy answers and end up with what we have. Verse 8: And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtle doves. or two young pigeons One as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering, so the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
Well, I read that verse because. The poor are not excused from making their offerings for purification and dedication. And there was another level for the. Impoverished. They could just bring, again, the flour, the grain offering, if they could not afford the doves.
Joseph and Mary, they brought this offering mentioned here in verse 8 at the birth of Christ. It's recorded in Luke 24. And Luke knew what he was doing when he mentions it in its details. He's linking it to the Old Testament, saying his parents were compliant with the law. And he was born under the law.
There are those that go to churches that they're not happy with. Jesus grew up with synagogues that he was not happy with. And the righteous, you know, that's part, you know, in the dark ages, there were no options. You had to if you were gonna go to church. Almost all of them were infected.
And the righteous ones remained righteous and compliant. Not an endorsement to go to churches that are broken, but it is hopefully helpful when we start... Yeah, but I wish they had chandeliers. And because they don't... You know, something like that.
Yeah Thanks for tuning in to today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. Pastor Rick Gaston is currently going through the book of Leviticus. We're glad you joined us. We trust that you're gaining some valuable insights into God's Word as we go through this Old Testament book. Cross-Reference Radio comes to you from Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia.
If you'd like to subscribe to our podcast, you can do so by going to your favorite app store and downloading from there. For any additional information about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website, crossreference radio.com. Make sure to come back again for the upcoming edition in the book of Leviticus, as Pastor Rick has much more to share. We thank you for being with us right here on Cross Reference Radio.
