In the readings for February 18, we find purity a uniting theme in all three sections. It was required of the Levitical priesthood (Exo. 29), highlighted in the Psalms (Psa. 85, 86) and condensed by Jesus (Mark 14).
In Exodus 29, purity is seen in that the rams were to be without blemish; bread, cakes and wafers were to be unleavened; Aaron and his sons were to be washed with water; the altar was to be cleansed, etc. The highlights of the Psalms are forgiveness of sins and the exaltation of truth and righteousness which underscore the purity of life God desires. In Mark 14, a sharp contrast is presented between the purity of Christ’s behavior and the vile scheming’s of the priests. Fittingly, this chapter begins in the house of Simon the leper, a physically defiling disease, but Simon’s warm hospitality indicated inner purity.
Purity in our lives
The vital quality of purity permeates our lives. We accepted the pure word, not doctrine adulterated by tradition, superstition or deliberate inattention to the inspired record. The believers are people of “a true heart …sprinkled from an evil conscience …[having] bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:17-22). Our baptism was the “answer of a good conscience toward God.”
The lesson of pure metals
Since many things require the purest of metals, great care is taken to separate out the dross during the extraction process. There is nothing new about this: “Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer” (Prov. 25:4).
Since we are begotten with the pure word, we should take the greatest care during our probationary sojourn to remove the drossy impurities from our lives. Just as stubborn dross tarnished the true metal and robbed it of its value — “Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross” (Prov. 26:23) — so failure on our part to keep pure can bring disaster.
Remember Aaron’s sons who were consecrated for God’s service? The “strange” fire they offered, which the Lord had not commanded, was their last! Many in the world today are doing things in the name of religion which the Lord has not commanded.
Warning in the epistles
Paul lists such things that we see still current around us: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats” (I Tim. 4:1-3). To this list we could add infant sprinkling and the attempt to work miracles. We must make sure our religious practices conform to scriptural teaching.
There is an important definition of “pure” religion in James 1:27: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Looking around us we see many who saw to the sprinkling of their children but then left their families, creating virtual widows and fatherless children.
One can affect many
The dross from David’s one impure deed tarnished his whole life and affected his offspring. Even today some find in David excuse for their own indiscretions, forgetting that such conduct cries out for retribution.
Far better that we take from this incident the great lessons not to be idle (as king David was when the temptation occurred – II Sam. 11:1) and to make a covenant with our eyes that we will not provide the essential starting point for sin (Job 31:1).
One can affect many for good
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (I John 3:1-3).
Of the 12, John was the only one at the foot of the cross as the purity of the Lord’s character was manifest to all. And now that same Lord “shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the Sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness” (Mal. 3:3).
Even now, he is purifying us that we might each day be more acceptable living sacrifices unto him, which is our reasonable service.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One