Purity is a deep, biblical concept that oftentimes can be misunderstood in the light of our current culture. We are far removed from ancient times when the Israelite worship centered on the Tabernacle, when all of life was given meaning through Torah. Even the mundane was elevated to having purpose before God. Has this distance widened the gulf between what the Bible teaches and our understanding? What does the symbolism of purity in the Bible teach us about God and teach us about ourselves? Most importantly, what does the Messiah teach us regarding purity and how one is to be purified and cleansed?
In the beginning, man was created and given the breath of life. Adam and Eve were in the Garden and in God’s presence, but sin entered into
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When the time was right, God chose another man and separated him out from the pagan nations. Abraham was considered righteous as he believed in the Lord and the promises given to him. Through Abraham’s descendants, God took to Himself a nation that would be light shining in a darkened world. Not only would laws given to the nation of Israel show God’s righteousness, additionally, He gave the Temple to instruct man regarding His holiness and how an earthly people could approach His presence. The God who dwells in unapproachable light could only be approached by one who has clean hands and a pure heart, and this lesson is taught over and over again through the illustration of the Temple and purity laws found in the Torah. Not only did these pictures teach how to cleanse the outside of man, but also the necessity of having inner cleansing and a circumcised heart. Circumcision, water, and blood are additional symbols guiding our understanding of purity, impurity, and how unclean things are cleansed. The cleansing of man - his redemption - is the pinnacle teaching of the Scriptures. Man, created from the earth, is the vessel most in need of cleansing, so he can once again bear the proper image of his Creator, reflect His glory, and walk anew in the Presence of the