Daily Devotions
Sanctifying the Body
Title: Sanctifying the Body
Reading for February 1: Leviticus 14-15
"The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot."
Leviticus 14:14
Chapter 14 deals with the purification of lepers. Once the leper was declared clean by the priest, he was to follow several rituals of cleansing over seven days (14:1-9) and then on the eighth day he was to offer two lambs as offerings, the blood of the guilt offering being applied to his right ear, thumb, and big toe. A ritual, identical to this one was done to consecrate the priests. Blood was to be applied to the ear, thumb, and big toe (Lev 8:23-24).
So, why was this unusual practice done for lepers and priests to be made clean? Perhaps it is because these members of our bodies are the cause of so much sin in our lives. Philo (1st century) commented on this practice saying, "The fully consecrated must be pure in words and actions and in life; for words are judged by hearing, the hand is the symbol of action, and the foot of the pilgrimage of life."
Perhaps what we learn from this is that God wants us to be completely pure. Every member of our bodies must be sanctified for his use (Rom 12:1-2).
Father, purify our hands, our feet, and all our members that our whole body might be committed to your service.
