Day 38 Leviticus Chapter 27 & Numbers 1-2 Supplemental Notes

Leviticus Chapter 27
Offerings to The Lord were based upon ability. While the wealthy were not in effect punished (as some governments do to their most prosperous citizens with "progressive" taxation rates) for being financially successful (i.e. tithing was a flat 10 percent), special vows were made equal according to one's productive capability, the reason that Jesus Christ said that a poor widow gave more than the rich did i.e. "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty" (Mark 12:43-44 RSV)

"The Lord said to Moses [see also The Trysting Tent], "Say to the people of Israel, When a man makes a special vow of persons to The Lord at your valuation, then your valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels [see Biblical Weights and Measures] of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. If the person is a female, your valuation shall be thirty shekels. If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels, and for a female ten shekels. If the person is from a month old up to five years old, your valuation shall be for a male five shekels of silver, and for a female your valuation shall be three shekels of silver. And if the person is sixty years old and upward, then your valuation for a male shall be fifteen shekels, and for a female ten shekels. And if a man is too poor to pay your valuation, then he shall bring the person before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to the ability of him who vowed the priest shall value him." (Leviticus 27:1-8 RSV) "All the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is The Lord's; it is holy to The Lord. If a man wishes to redeem any of his tithe, he shall add a fifth to it. And all the tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman's staff, shall be holy to The Lord. A man shall not inquire whether it is good or bad, neither shall he exchange it; and if he exchanges it, then both it and that for which it is exchanged shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed."
These are the commandments which The Lord commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai." (Leviticus 27:30-34 RSV)

Numbers Chapter 1
Bible History also provides practical information such as census counts because The Lord instructed the Israelites to do so. Part of the counting was to determine the number of military age males, "from twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go forth to war."

"The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai [see also The Wilderness of Sin], in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, "Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by families, by fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head; from twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go forth to war, you and Aaron shall number them, company by company. And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers." (Numbers 1:1-4 RSV)

The exception were the Levites whose duties were entirely to The Lord (although the Levites had frequently demonstrated their ability and willingness as deadly warriors). Only specific Levites were permitted to touch the Holy things; anyone else would be put to death by The Lord i.e. "the Levites shall set it up. And if any one else comes near, he shall be put to death" (see also Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

"Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel; but appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony [see also The Lines Of Eleazar and Ithamar], and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it; they are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall tend it, and shall encamp around the tabernacle. When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any one else comes near, he shall be put to death." (Numbers 1:49-51 RSV) Numbers Chapter 2
The order of the camp around the Tabernacle was also specified by The Lord:

"The Lord said to Moses [see The Education Of Moses] and Aaron, "The people of Israel shall encamp each by his own standard, with the Ensigns of their fathers' houses; they shall encamp facing the tent of meeting on every side." (Numbers 2:1-2 RSV)

Prior to the Exodus, the Israelites had been feared by the Egyptians because of their great number. The census confirms why the Pharaoh would have been concerned about such a large force of foreign military-age males within his borders i.e. "all in the camps who were numbered by their companies were 603,550"

"These are the people of Israel as numbered by their fathers' houses; all in the camps who were numbered by their companies were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. But the Levites were not numbered among the people of Israel, as The Lord commanded Moses. Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that The Lord commanded Moses, so they encamped by their standards, and so they set out, every one in his family, according to his fathers' house." (Numbers 2:32-34 RSV)

Day 37 Leviticus Chapter 24-26 Supplemental Notes

Leviticus Chapter 24 The Tabernacle lamps were to be kept alight at all times; as with everything else, they too represented Christ (see The Light Of Life, God Is Light and People Of The Light; also Lightening, Not Lightning):

"The Lord [see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD] said to Moses [see also The Education Of Moses], "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning continually. Outside the veil of the testimony [see also Why Was It Torn?], in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before The Lord continually; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations. He shall keep the lamps in order upon the lampstand of pure gold before The Lord continually." (Leviticus 24:1-4 RSV)

Also there was the bread, which also provided the symbolism of the Christ (see the Fact Finder question below).

"And you shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. And you shall set them in two rows, six in a row, upon the table of pure gold. And you shall put pure Frankincense with each row, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion to be offered by fire to The Lord. Every Sabbath day Aaron shall set it in order before The Lord continually on behalf of the people of Israel as a covenant for ever." (Leviticus 24:5-8 RSV)

Blasphemy was among the offenses to which Stoning was the penalty, as decreed by The Lord (see also Why Did Christ Put Moses To Death?).

"Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel; and the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel quarreled in the camp, and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. And they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody, till the will of The Lord should be declared to them. And The Lord said to Moses, "Bring out of the camp him who cursed; and let all who heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him." (Leviticus 24:10-14 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 25
Good soil management was not the invention of modern science (see also The First Scientist). The Lord long ago instructed people in how to properly care for the land.

"The Lord said to Moses on Mount Sinai [see also Why Did Paul Say That Sinai Was In Arabia?], "Say to the people of Israel, When you come into the land which I give you, the land shall keep a sabbath to The Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruits; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to The Lord; you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. What grows of itself in your harvest you shall not reap, and the grapes of your undressed vine you shall not gather; it shall be a year of solemn rest for the land." (Leviticus 25:1-5 RSV)

The year of Jubilee was the name of the joyous festival held every fifty years. During the jubilee year the land remained fallow, property returned to the original (tribal) owner, slaves were set free and all debts were reprieved (read the entire chapter for details). Jesus Christ spoke of it in its ultimate fulfillment, that He will bring about e.g. "The Spirit of The Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of The Lord." (Luke 4:18-19 RSV)

"And you shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall send abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall send abroad the trumpet throughout all your land. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his family. A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be to you; in it you shall neither sow, nor reap what grows of itself, nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat what it yields out of the field. "In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property." (Leviticus 25:8-13 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 26
Salvation is a choice. Those who obey will be granted eternal life, while those who refuse to repent will be cast into the lake of fire and obliterated. That principle was and is the basis of the physical choice of life or death that all are given as well.

"If you walk in My statutes and observe My Commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall last to the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last to the time for sowing; and you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land securely." (Leviticus 26:3-5 RSV) "But if you will not hearken to Me, and will not do all these Commandments, if you spurn My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances, so that you will not do all My Commandments, but break My covenant, I will do this to you: I will appoint over you sudden terror, consumption, and fever that waste the eyes and cause life to pine away." (Leviticus 26:14-16 RSV)

Day 36 Leviticus Chapter 21-23 Supplemental Notes

Leviticus Chapter 21
The high priest was a living symbol of the coming Messiah (see What Is Jesus Christ Doing Right Now?); the subservient priests were the earliest "ministers" (see Minister). As such, although no better (and preferable no worse) than any other human, the priests (see Levites) had physical and marriage rules specifically for them, within their responsibilities to The Lord. Examples:

"And The Lord [see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD] said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them that none of them shall defile himself for the dead among his people, except for his nearest of kin, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, or his virgin sister" (Leviticus 21:1-3 RSV) They shall not marry a harlot or a woman who has been defiled; neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband; for the priest is holy to his God." (Leviticus 21:7 RSV)
"And he shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a harlot, these he shall not marry; but he shall take to wife a virgin of his own people, that he may not profane his children among his people; for I am The Lord who sanctify him." (Leviticus 21:13-15 RSV)
"Say to Aaron, None of your descendants throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God. For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles; no man of the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer The Lord's offerings by fire; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God." (Leviticus 21:17-21 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 22
As Nadab and Abihu learned, at the cost of their lives, The Lord's instructions about how He wanted things done were to be followed without taking it upon one's self to serve The Lord in a way of one's choosing (see the Fact Finder question below).

"And The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron and his sons to keep away from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so that they may not profane My Holy Name; I am The Lord. Say to them, 'If any one of all your descendants throughout your generations approaches the holy things, which the people of Israel dedicate to The Lord, while he has an uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from my presence: I am The Lord." (Leviticus 22:1-3 RSV)
"They shall therefore keep My charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby when they profane it: I am The Lord who sanctify them." (Leviticus 22:9 RSV)
"So you shall keep My Commandments and do them: I am The Lord. And you shall not profane My Holy Name, but I will be hallowed among the people of Israel; I am The Lord who sanctify you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am The Lord." (Leviticus 22:31-33 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 23
All of the "Old Testament" Holy Days were instituted by Christ, and were about Christianity. They are The Lord's Holy Days, not the creation or property of any humans (see also The Holy Day Calendar and our Sermons Page for specific Holy Day sermons) .

"The Lord said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, The appointed feasts of The Lord which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, My appointed feasts, are these." (Leviticus 23:1-2 RSV)

The only true Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, that Jesus Christ Himself always observed (see Sunday Is Not The Sabbath), is proof of the Creator, who was Christ (see Christ The Creator):

"Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no work; it is a Sabbath to The Lord in all your dwellings." (Leviticus 23:3 RSV) (see also The Ten Commandments Before Sinai?)

Christ's Passover and Christ's Feast of Unleavened Bread:

"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is The Lord's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to The Lord; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread." (Leviticus 23:5-6 RSV)

Christ's Pentecost:

"Say to the people of Israel, When you come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest; and he shall wave the sheaf before The Lord, that you may find acceptance; on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it." (Leviticus 23:10-11 RSV) "And you shall count from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full weeks shall they be, counting fifty days to the morrow after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a cereal offering of new grain to The Lord." (Leviticus 23:15-16 RSV)

Christ's Feast of Trumpets:

"Say to the people of Israel, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation." (Leviticus 23:24 RSV)

Christ's Day Of Atonement:

"On the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present an offering by fire to The Lord. And you shall do no work on this same day; for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before The Lord your God." (Leviticus 23:27-28 RSV)

Christ's Feast of Tabernacles and Christ's Eighth Day:

"Say to the people of Israel, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the feast of booths to The Lord. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. Seven days you shall present offerings by fire to The Lord; on the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to The Lord; it is a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work." (Leviticus 23:34-36 RSV)

Day 35 Leviticus Chapter 17-20 Supplemental Notes

Leviticus Chapter 17
Humans began as vegetarians, but also became meat eaters after The Flood. But that did not include any sort of unclean meat (see Clean and Unclean), or the blood: "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it and of man; of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image." (Genesis 9:4-6 RSV)
The prohibition against consuming blood was repeated in Leviticus, long after it had been given to all humans in the time of Noah.

"If any man of the house of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood. Any man also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust. "For the life of every creature is the blood of it [see the Fact Finder question below]; therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off." (Leviticus 17:10-14 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 18
Marriage was created when humans were: "Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." (Genesis 2:23-24 RSV). After humans became more populous (see Cain's Wife), the rules for who could "become one flesh" were expanded accordingly. Examples:

"None of you shall approach any one near of kin to him to uncover nakedness. I am The Lord.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or born abroad.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or of your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, begotten by your father, since she is your sister.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is your father's near kinswoman.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's near kinswoman.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother, that is, you shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife, you shall not uncover her nakedness.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; she is your brother's nakedness.
You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are your near kinswomen; it is wickedness." (Leviticus 18:6-17 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 19
Any truly good law, ancient or modern, is based upon The Ten Commandments (see The Decalogue). Can you tell which Commandment each of these examples are based upon?

"Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep My Sabbaths: I am The Lord your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods: I am The Lord your God." (Leviticus 19:3-4 RSV)
"You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.
And you shall not swear by My Name falsely, and so profane The Name of your God: I am The Lord." (Leviticus 19:11-12 RSV)
"You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.
You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand forth against the life of your neighbor: I am The Lord.
You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbor, lest you bear sin because of him.
You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am The Lord." (Leviticus 19:15-18 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 20
With legal rights come legal responsibilities. Capital punishment was commanded by The Lord for a number of immoral offenses, as well as murder. Murderers were not, ironically, sentenced to life.

"For every one who curses his father or his mother shall be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother, his blood is upon him. If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.
The man who lies with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.
If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be put to death; they have committed incest, their blood is upon them.
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.
If a man takes a wife and her mother also, it is wickedness; they shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you.
If a man lies with a beast, he shall be put to death; and you shall kill the beast.
If a woman approaches any beast and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the beast; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them." (Leviticus 20:9-16 RSV)

Day 34 Leviticus Chapter 14-16 Supplemental Notes

Leviticus Chapter 14
Although many simply look at them as rituals, the Levitical laws of health and hygiene were based upon natural and scientific principles that are still in use today. People with an infectious disease were kept separate during the time, however long, that they were capable of infecting others. The result was that the strictly-enforced health laws prevented epidemics (note that the term "leprosy" was used to describe various infectious diseases, as well as the disease itself that is commonly known by that name).

"The Lord said to Moses, "This shall be the law of the leper for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest; and the priest shall go out of The Camp, and the priest shall make an examination." (Leviticus 14:1-3 RSV) "And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean [see also The Origin of Baptism]; and after that he shall come into the camp, but shall dwell outside his tent seven days." (Leviticus 14:8 RSV)

That same principle was applied to mildew (note that the laws were looking forward as well; they didn't even have houses or cities yet - they were living in tents).

"If the disease breaks out again in the house, after he has taken out the stones and scraped the house and plastered it, then the priest shall go and look; and if the disease has spread in the house, it is a malignant leprosy in the house; it is unclean. And he shall break down the house, its stones and timber and all the plaster of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city to an unclean place." (Leviticus 14:43-45 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 15
Some historians are of the belief that plumbers have saved more lives than doctors, simply by providing clean water and effective waste disposal. At any rate, clean water and proper disposal were well-known to the people of Bible History - those who obeyed The Lord's Laws, that is.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Say to the people of Israel, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. And this is the law of his uncleanness for a discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is stopped from discharge, it is uncleanness in him. Every bed on which he who has the discharge lies shall be unclean; and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. And any one who touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. And whoever sits on anything on which he who has the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
And whoever touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
And if he who has the discharge spits on one who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
And any saddle on which he who has the discharge rides shall be unclean. And whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening; and he who carries such a thing shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
Any one whom he that has the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening." (Leviticus 15:1-11 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 16
The Levitical high priest was a foreshadow, a living symbol, of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. Once per year, on the Day of Atonement, a ceremony involving two goats was done (see the Fact Finder question below).
The sacrificed goat, that represented the coming Messiah, whose blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant (see Christ's Mercy Seat):

"Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood within the veil, and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat; thus he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel, and because of their transgressions, all their sins; and so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which abides with them in the midst of their uncleannesses." (Leviticus 16:15-16 RSV)

The "scapegoat" which was put away into the wilderness (see The Devil Goat):

"And when he has made an end of atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat; and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities upon him to a solitary land; and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness." (Leviticus 26:20-22 RSV)

Day 33 Leviticus Chapter 11-13 Supplemental Notes

Leviticus Chapter 11
Humans began as vegetarians ("And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food," Genesis 1:29 RSV) but also became meat eaters after the flood ("Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything," Genesis 9:3 RSV). Everything clean could be used as food (see the Fact Finder question below).
Examples of unclean (for food) birds and animals:

"Nevertheless among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel [see Camels], because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the rock badger [see Conies], because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the swine, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you [see also Abomination of Desolation - Where?]. Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:4-8 RSV) "And these you shall have in abomination among the birds, they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle [see Eagles], the vulture, the osprey, the kite, the falcon according to its kind, every raven according to its kind, the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk according to its kind, the owl, the cormorant, the ibis, the water hen, the pelican, the carrion vulture, The Stork, the heron according to its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat." (Leviticus 11:13-19 RSV)
"And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm upon the earth: the weasel, the mouse, the great lizard according to its kind, the gecko, the land crocodile [see also Dragons], the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon." (Leviticus 11:29-30 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 12
The natural recovery time for childbirth was also protected within a specified time of "purification," a rite still observed centuries later at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ ("And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to The Lord as it is written in the law of The Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to The Lord," and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of The Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons," Luke 2:22-24 RSV).

"The Lord said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, If a woman conceives, and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying; she shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed. But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days. And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the door of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, and he shall offer it before The Lord, and make atonement for her; then she shall be clean from the flow of her blood.
This is the law for her who bears a child, either male or female. And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean." (Leviticus 12:1-8 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 13
As with all of the Laws of God, they always had a practical purpose, whether immediate, or prophetic. The laws of hygiene were intended to protect health; they are as relevant and true today as at any time in the past. Examples (note that the translated word "leprous" applies to infectious diseases in general, or even to spreading mildew in a building):

"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, and the priest shall examine the diseased spot on the skin of his body; and if the hair in the diseased spot has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous disease" (Leviticus 13:1-3 RSV) When there is a leprous disease in a garment, whether a woolen or a linen garment, in warp or woof of linen or wool, or in a skin or in anything made of skin, if the disease shows greenish or reddish in the garment, whether in warp or woof or in skin or in anything made of skin, it is a leprous disease and shall be shown to the priest. And the priest shall examine the disease, and shut up that which has the disease for seven days; then he shall examine the disease on the seventh day. If the disease has spread in the garment, in warp or woof, or in the skin, whatever be the use of the skin, the disease is a malignant leprosy; it is unclean. And he shall burn the garment, whether diseased in warp or woof, woolen or linen, or anything of skin, for it is a malignant leprosy; it shall be burned in the fire." (Leviticus 13:47-52 RSV)

Day 32 Leviticus Chapter 8-10 Supplemental Notes

Leviticus Chapter 8
With all preparations for the Tabernacle completed, Aaron and his sons were formally anointed to serve as priests. Aaron, and those who would succeed him as high priest (see the Fact Finder question below), all symbolized the coming ultimate Anointed One, Jesus Christ; in Greek, "Christ" means anointed one (see The Anointed One and What Is Jesus Christ Doing Right Now?).

"The Lord said to Moses [see also The Trysting Tent], "Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread; and assemble all the congregation at the door of the tent of meeting." And Moses did as The Lord commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the tent of meeting. And Moses said to the congregation, "This is the thing which The Lord has commanded to be done." And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water [see also The Origin of Baptism]. And he put on him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and girded him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod, binding it to him therewith. And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim [see Urim And Thummim]. And he set the turban upon his head, and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as The Lord commanded Moses [see Aaron's Turban].
Then Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them." (Leviticus 8:1-10 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 9
And so the operation of The Tabernacle In The Wilderness (see also The Camp) and the Levitical priesthood began.

"On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel [see also The Senate]; and he said to Aaron, "Take a bull calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before The Lord. And say to the people of Israel, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before The Lord, and a cereal offering mixed with oil; for today The Lord will appear to you.'" (Leviticus 9:1-4 RSV) "Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings.
And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting; and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of The Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came forth from before The Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces." (Leviticus 9:22-24 RSV)

Leviticus Chapter 10
The Lord (see YHVH, Adonai, Jehovah, LORD) had provided the Levites with a precise code of conduct - and a warning about what would happen if it were violated. The priests were symbols of Christ, and as such could not take it upon themselves to do something on their own, thereby making themselves "false Christs" (see False Christs Of The Old Testament). Unfortunately for two of Aaron's sons, they disregarded their instructions and warnings.

"Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered unholy fire before The Lord, such as He had not commanded them. And fire came forth from the presence of The Lord and devoured them, and they died before The Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what The Lord has said, 'I will show Myself Holy among those who are near Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" And Aaron held his peace." (Leviticus 10:1-3 RSV) "And The Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, "Drink no wine nor strong drink, you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations. You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes which The Lord has spoken to them by Moses."
And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left, "Take the cereal offering that remains of the offerings by fire to The Lord, and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy; you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your due and your sons' due, from the offerings by fire to The Lord; for so I am commanded." (Leviticus 10:8-13 RSV)