Leviticus 11

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Clean and Unclean Animals

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. God had reasons for His laws which differentiated between the clean and the unclean.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Begin with the positive!

QUESTIONS

  1. Explain one of the reasons given for the clean\unclean laws.

  2. By obeying these laws, the Children of Israel were responding to God’s call to mirror His ________ in their lives.

  3. Give another reason mentioned for the clean\unclean laws.

  4. Are these dietary laws binding for the believer today?

ANSWERS

  1. Practicing the clean\unclean laws, along with all the other laws of Leviticus that governed the Israelites’ lifestyle, would reflect God’s holy character to the surrounding nations.

  2. Holiness

  3. For physical hygiene and sanitation. Without refrigeration and the knowledge of disease which we have today, the Hebrews would have needed many of these dietary laws just to stay healthy.

  4. No, we know from the New Testament that all these dietary laws were set aside as the Lord said in Mark 7:18-19.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. These laws of the clean and the unclean emphasize God’s demand for holiness in the details of our lives. While the actual practice of these ceremonial laws has ceased with the coming of Christ, what spiritual application can you draw?

  2. Discuss the lesson here to trust and obey. God graciously incorporated sanitation measures into the Levitical laws and expected His people to obey, without giving them a lot of explanation. He did this for their good. Can you think of a time when you did not understand why God was asking you to obey Him and later you saw it was for your good?

CHALLENGE

  1. In this chapter of detailed dietary laws God begins with what the Children of Israel may eat and not what they may not eat. God began with the positive before He went to the negative. Beginning with a positive approach is a good pattern to follow when you are in charge or in the place of authority.

KEY VERSES

  • “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth.’” Leviticus 11:2

  • “For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:45

Leviticus, Old Testament, TalksRon ReidLEVITICUS 11