Daily Manna 31 May
KEY VERSE: “And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even” (Numbers 19:22).
TEXT: NUMBERS 19:11-22
11 ‘He who touches the dead [a]body of anyone shall be unclean seven days. 12 He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean. 13 Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; his uncleanness is still on him.
14 ‘This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days; 15 and every open vessel, which has no cover fastened on it, is unclean. 16 Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
17 ‘And for an unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin, and [b]running water shall be put on them in a vessel. 18 A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave. 19 The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, wash his clothes, and bathe in water; and at evening he shall be clean.
20 ‘But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean. 21 It shall be a perpetual statute for them. He who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water of purification shall be unclean until evening. 22 Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the person who touches it shall be unclean until evening.’ ”
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
During the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic that ravaged the world, a number of protocols were listed to be observed in an attempt to contain the spread. Among the measures were “social distancing”, “isolation” and “quarantine”. These became popular words in many societies whilst the scourge lasted. People, including members of family of a Covid-19 victim were not allowed to come close to their loved ones even at death.
The reason for this was to prevent contact with anybody that had tested positive for the virus. So, in many countries, government took the responsibility of burying those who died of the virus infection. There were many in the camp of Israel who were unclean because they came into contact with those who died from a plague.
Though people could become unclean for other reasons, the primary reason in this context was the necessity to be cleansed because of their contact with the victims. There is need for the people of God to cleanse themselves of defiled hearts and rebellion against His law. They must also be people who possess a contrite heart before God. The passage also indicates that there is a connection between physical cleanliness and spiritual cleanliness.
The physical cleanliness is an outward manifestation of one’s inner self, according to God’s law. If citizens of a country could do everything to avoid contact with anybody or anything that could lead them to contracting the Covid-19, believers must be wary of any contact with anything that is capable of staining their garment of righteousness which could lead to eternal death. God’s forgiveness was conditioned on the willingness of the individual to submit to the will of God. There is no grace without obedience to the will of God.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God’s grace will not save a willful sinner.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 SAMUEL 21 – 22
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Isolate Yourself -Singers – by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 31 May 2021
