Defilement
But the directions in this chapter, not only defined what was suited for an Israelite's table, they also taught him in what light he was to view the creature when dead. If a clean beast died of itself, contact with its carcass communicated defilement, and the one who had touched it had to wash his clothes, and to be unclean until the evening, i.e., until the close of that period of time. For death is an unclean thing, being for man the fruit of sin, and Israel were always to remember that. Hence any man who eat of such a carcass was thereby rendered unclean, as well as the man who might have carried it, and both of them had to wash their clothes in water, and to wait till eventide to be clean (verses 39, 40). How easily defilement was contracted. Unwittingly, the Israelite might have touched the carcass, or perhaps necessity may have required it, yet, no matter from what cause, the effect was the same, the man was thereby rendered unclean.
Suppose a festive occasion, on which the family and household were about to partake of their portion of a peace offering, any one among them who had touched the carcass of a clean beast that had died of itself, would on that account be shut out from having fellowship with the others. All the rest would be feasting on the peace offering, but he would be excluded from any part of it. Necessity might have brought him into contact with the carcass; nevertheless he was rendered unclean, and as such, shut out from the feast. How hard on him some might have thought, but that was not the real question. Jehovah his God was holy, and He could not allow anyone in uncleanness to have fellowship with Him.
If such was the inexorable law regarding the carcass of a clean beast, which had died of itself, little wonder would be expressed, as a man heard of the regulations concerning the carcass of an unclean beast. Of course the person who touched such a carcass would be unclean till the evening (31). But more, " Upon whatsoever any of them when they are dead doth fall, it shall be unclean, whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water; and it shall be unclean until the even, so shall it be cleansed. And every earthen vessel where into any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it. Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which any such water cometh shall be unclean, and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean, and everything whereon any part of their carcass falleth shall be unclean. whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down, for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you" (32-35). Such were the rigorous directions of this law touching the carcass of any creeping thing. A man, his meat, his drink, his garment, or vessels for household work, all would be rendered unclean; and the ranges for pots, or fire hearths, had to be broken down, if a dead mouse, or lizard, or other creeping thing had fallen on any of them. Uncleanness was easily communicated, and the carcass of an unclean creeping thing defiled everything that came into contact with it, except it were a fountain or pit wherein there was plenty of water, or sowing seed intended to be sown, and on which no water had previously come (36-38).
To an Israelite these exceptions might have appeared simply as positive precepts, the reasons of which were not communicated to him. To Christians they appear in the light of moral precepts, the reasons for which are apparent. For in the midst of this scene of moral uncleanness from the presence of sin, there is One who cannot be defiled, viz., the Holy Ghost, who is figuratively spoken of in the Word under the emblem of water (John 4:77There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (John 4:7)). Undefiled was that water the Israelite learned. Undefiled, we gladly own, is the Holy Ghost, whether we think of Him as the Spirit of God coming from above, or as dwelling on earth in the assembly, and in the saint. There was something, then, which the carcass of the creeping thing could not make unclean. There is One who, though on earth, is absolutely pure, whilst the whole world lieth in the wicked one, and sin dwells in those in whom He also dwells. But He cannot be defiled, though man, alas, and even the saint can. And never does God allow this distinction to sink into oblivion. Even this chapter teaches it, as we read that, though the water in the fountain or pit was not defiled, the one who touched the carcass of the creeping thing which had fallen into that water, was thereby rendered unclean. What is man? A touch of the carcass defiled him. For but one man was there who could touch what defiled without becoming unclean, for in Him is no sin (1 John 3:55And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. (1 John 3:5)). With us, as with Israel, the case is different, for if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us " (1 John 1:66If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (1 John 1:6)). Will this state of things then always last? It will whilst we are upon earth, but, thank God, a day is coming when sin shall no longer be found in the believer. By death, if he passes through it, or by the change that he will experience when the Lord comes, should he live to see that, sin, the flesh, the old man will forever be purged out of him. This deliverance our chapter also in measure teaches.
"If any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed, which is to be sown, it shall be clean. But if any water be put upon that seed, and any part of their carcass fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.' Definite surely are these directions. But why give them? The holy people had to keep themselves from uncleanness, and to separate between clean and unclean, for the Lord their God was holy. Again and again were they reminded that on such matters man's opinion could have no weight. God's character, with whom as His redeemed people they had to do, formed the groundwork for these requirements (verse 45). Any and every human standard must therefore fall short of that which God would set before them. Hence the Lord had to reveal what was requisite. Seed about to be sown was not made unclean, if the carcass of any creeping thing fell upon it. But, if water had already fallen on that seed, contact with the carcass would defile it. The moistened seed beginning to germinate could not die again. But the dry seed when sown would die, so it was not to be reckoned unclean. This to the Christian should be intelligible, for it is by death, if he dies, that he gets free from the presence of sin within, him. Nothing short of death can affect his deliverance from that defiling thing, the old man, the flesh, which we derive from Adam by the fall. When death comes in, then freedom from it will be effected. Till then, unless caught up alive to meet the Lord, that cannot be enjoyed. In this sense death acts as a purger from what defiled.
Hence the distinction made between dry seed about to be sown, and that already moistened with water, is to us intelligible and consistent; and we cannot rightly read this chapter without being carried on in thought to the future. Now we contract defilement, though the Spirit of God in us, and on earth never can be defiled. But freedom from the presence of sin we await, and by death, if we die, it will be at once and forever effected. Thus, as far as we have gone in this book, we can trace out an orderly arrangement of teaching. Commencing with the Lord Jesus who came to die, and to be made the offering for siu, we next witnessed the introduction and establishment of priesthood, and now are reminded of the presence of the Holy Ghost on earth, and that freedom from the presence of sin which the saint is taught to expect.