Clean or Unclean

Definition of unclean:

1: morally or spiritually impure 

2: infected with a harmful contagion 

3: prohibited by ritual law for use or contact

The Book of Leviticus is not an easy read.

Chapter 5 teaches about incurring guilt through sin, either intentionally or unknowingly, according to the Teachings of Yahweh; and provides the appropriate action to be taken to remedy oneself.

In regards to coming in contact with anything 'unclean', when one realizes his guilt, he acknowledges his wrongdoing and provides the required offering to the priest who makes expiation on his behalf, and all is forgiven. (It is the feeling of 'guilt' that creeps in after we have done something wrong. It's as if wearing 'filthy rags' instead of 'fine linen')

Leviticus 5:5 teaches when he realizes his guilt in any of these matters, he shall confess the circumstance of the sin which he is guilty of and bring his penalty (sin offering) to Yahweh (via the priest). If we transgress any of His Laws = His Instructions in Righteousness = this is considered as sin.

Unintentional sin is forgivable once we realize what we have done and pray for forgiveness. Y'shua is our high priest who intercedes on our behalf and we are forgiven. The Instructions still apply to us today but the remedy has been changed from bringing offerings to the temple and priest, to accepting the death of the Son as our covering and salvation from eternal death.

Hebrews 10 (lightly paraphrased)

We choose to accept Y'shua as our High Priest who offered a one time sacrifice for sins, who sits forever at the right hand of Elohim where he waits until his foes are placed as a footstool under his feet. For, by one offering (himself), he has perfected forever them who are sanctified (set apart) by him. And the Ruach haKodesh also testifies to us by saying: This is the covenant which I will give them after those days, says Master YHWH: I will put my Torah into their minds and inscribe it on their hearts and their iniquity and their sins I will not remember against them. Now, where there is a forgiveness of sins there is no offering for sin demanded. We have therefore my Brothers assurance of entering into the sanctuary by the blood of Y'shua and by a path of life.

Another misunderstanding about clean and unclean shows up when folks point out that God told Peter all food was acceptable to eat, Acts Chapter 10, but they don't read the entire chapter.  Peter's vision is clarified when we read beyond the part about the food vision and take into consideration his standard of not meeting with people who were not of the House of Israel (tribal descendants). Cornelius the Centurion was a believer in Elohim who saw a vision and was told to send some men to go get Simon Peter and bring him to his house. The next day Peter was in prayer and was feeling hungry. He saw a vision of what looked like a linen cloth coming down from heaven full of all creatures and creeping things and birds. He heard a voice say Slaughter and Eat! But he did not because he had never eaten anything defiled or unclean. The second time this happens a voice said "That which Elohim has cleansed, you should not consider defiled." This vision happened a third time.... Peter was standing there marveling at this when the 'three' men from Cornelius showed up at this house. The Spirit tells Peter to go with those three men without being indecisive because it was The Spirit who sent them. Peter goes with them men to Caesarea. Acts 10:28 explains the unclean food vision - "... it is not Lawful for a Yehudean man to associate with a foreign man who is not a son of his tribe, but Elohim showed to me concerning a man not to say that he is unclean or defiled. So I came to you...."  (food was used as a visual metaphor; this vision was about Gentile believers).

Click here to go to my study: Substitutes