Leviticus 15:12-18: a reflection

12“‘The earthen vessel, which he who has the discharge touches, shall be broken; and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water. 13“‘When he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes; and he shall bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean. 14“‘On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest. 15The priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. The priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD for his discharge. 16“‘If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the evening. 17Every garment and every skin which the semen is on shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the evening. 18If a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening.

Among the laws of Leviticus are careful provisions about bodily conditions that rendered a person ceremonially unclean, and about the cleansing required to be made clean again, including washing, waiting, and a sacrifice of atonement. However strange these laws seem to us, they served to impress on God's people a deep truth: that uncleanness kept them from drawing near to a holy God, and that to come near, they needed to be made clean. The washings and the offering pointed beyond the body to a deeper need, the need to be made clean before God. And this deeper need is met not finally by ritual washing but by Christ, who cleanses us truly, making us clean before God in a way no outward washing could. The laws of cleansing taught the need to be made clean to draw near to God; and that need is fully met in Christ, who makes us truly clean.

Notice what these cleansing laws impressed on God's people: that to draw near to a holy God, they needed to be made clean. The point was not the bodily conditions in themselves, but the deeper lesson they carried: uncleanness kept one from God's presence, and cleansing was needed to draw near. The washings and the offering were outward pictures of an inward need, the need to be made clean before a holy God. Yet outward washing could only picture the need, not finally meet it; the deeper cleansing our hearts require is given by Christ, who makes us truly clean, fit to draw near to God. The whole system of cleansing pointed forward to him. What the washings could only picture, Christ accomplishes: he cleanses us truly, meeting the need to be made clean that the laws impressed. The need was real; the true cleansing is in Christ.

That is worth resting in, for the need to be made clean before God, taught by these laws, is fully met in Christ. We can feel our uncleanness before a holy God, our need to be made clean to draw near; the cleansing laws impressed exactly this, that uncleanness keeps us from God and cleansing is needed to approach him. But outward washing could only picture the need, not finally meet it. The true cleansing our hearts require is given by Christ, who makes us truly clean, fit to draw near to God. When you feel your uncleanness before God, look not to your own washing but to Christ, who makes you truly clean. Rest in Christ, who fully meets the need to be made clean before God that the cleansing laws impressed, making us truly clean and fit to draw near, as the washings and offerings pictured a cleansing they could not finally accomplish; for the deeper need our hearts have, to be made clean before a holy God, is met not by any outward washing but by Christ, who cleanses us truly and brings us near.

Lord, among the laws of Leviticus are careful provisions about bodily conditions that rendered a person ceremonially unclean, and about the cleansing required to be made clean again, including washing, waiting, and a sacrifice of atonement. However strange these laws seem to us, they served to impress on your people a deep truth: that uncleanness kept them from drawing near to you, and that to come near, they needed to be made clean. The washings and the offering pointed beyond the body to a deeper need, the need to be made clean before you. And this deeper need is met not finally by ritual washing but by Christ, who cleanses us truly. Show me what these cleansing laws impressed on your people: that to draw near to a holy God, they needed to be made clean. The point was not the bodily conditions in themselves, but the deeper lesson they carried: uncleanness kept one from your presence, and cleansing was needed to draw near. The washings and the offering were outward pictures of an inward need. Yet outward washing could only picture the need, not finally meet it; the deeper cleansing our hearts require is given by Christ, who makes us truly clean. The whole system pointed forward to him. Let me rest in that, for the need to be made clean before you, taught by these laws, is fully met in Christ. I can feel my uncleanness before you, my need to be made clean to draw near; the cleansing laws impressed exactly this. But outward washing could only picture the need. The true cleansing my heart requires is given by Christ. When I feel my uncleanness before you, help me look not to my own washing but to Christ, Lord, who makes me truly clean and brings me near, fully meeting the need the cleansing laws impressed.