The instructions for the people given in chapter 11 of Leviticus are all regarding what they can and cannot eat. If they were to touch certain carcasses then they would be ceremonial unclean and unable to worship in the temple until the proper cleansing rituals. This is just yet another lesson to these people of the holiness of God.
Leviticus 11:44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy.
I've read or heard somewhere that some of the guidelines for what was considered clean to eat and what was considered unclean had health benefits to the nation and prevented disease. I don't know how true that is. But what is obvious, is that God wanted his people to be unique amongst all the nations surrounding them. He wanted them set apart, consecrated and holy.
It challenges me to think about the state of my heart when coming to worship before a holy God. Have I lived so casually throughout the week, that Sunday morning worship is just my routine, or have I truly tried to be his child, set apart from the rest of the world...loving...giving...being kind...gentle...humble to others around me.
The rules surrounding these animals went so far as to not allow people to touch them, or in some cases to break any dishes or throw away seeds a carcass might touch. It makes me wonder how close I allow my self to get to sin, without "technically" sinning. Do I make excuses to toy with things when I KNOW that God wants me to completely avoid it.
I Peter 1:15 repeats the command to be holy as God is holy. Let's face it, there are things in this life that we need to avoid. If not, just an association can make us unclean. It can affect our minds, our hearts, and our attitudes. Am I clean, truly clean when I come to worship before my holy God? Are you? Is he still so awe inspiring that you get butterflies in your stomach before you pray? I don't and that bothers me a little, it really does. I think I've made my God too small in my eyes.
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