Made Clean
Numbers 19:11-22 – New International Version (NIV)
11 “Whoever touches a human
corpse will be unclean for seven days. 12 They must purify themselves
with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then they will be
clean. But if they do not purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they
will not be clean. 13 If they fail to purify
themselves after touching a human corpse, they defile the Lord’s tabernacle. They must be cut off from
Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on them,
they are unclean; their uncleanness remains on them.
14 “This is the law that applies
when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in
it will be unclean for seven days, 15 and every open
container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.
16 “Anyone out in the open who
touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a
natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a
grave, will be unclean for seven days.
17 “For the unclean person, put
some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh
water over them. 18 Then a man who is
ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and
sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there.
He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or
anyone who has been killed or anyone who has died a natural death. 19 The man who is clean is to
sprinkle those who are unclean on the third and seventh days, and on the
seventh day he is to purify them. Those who are being cleansed must wash
their clothes and bathe with water, and that evening they will be clean. 20 But if those who are unclean
do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they
have defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled
on them, and they are unclean. 21 This is a lasting
ordinance for them.
“The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his
clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till
evening. 22 Anything that an
unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes
unclean till evening.”
How long is someone who touches a human corpse unclean (verse 11)?
When must they “purify themselves with water” (verse 12)?
What happens if they “fail to purify themselves” (verse 13)?
How long is a tent unclean if someone dies in it (verse 14)?
What is supposed to be sprinkled on the unclean person (verse 17)?
Who is to “sprinkle those who are unclean” (verse 19)?
What is to happen to those who do not purify themselves (verse 20)?
What happens to a clean person who touches something that an
unclean person touches (verse 22)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this
passage?
In your opinion, what does this
passage teach us about how the unclean can be made clean?
Matthew 9:14-25 - New International
Version (NIV)
14 Then
John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees
fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
15 Jesus
answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with
them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then
they will fast.
16 “No one
sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away
from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do
people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the
wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into
new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
18 While he
was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said,
“My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she
will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did
his disciples.
20 Just
then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind
him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to
herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
22 Jesus
turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your
faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
23 When
Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people
playing pipes, 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not
dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. 25 After
the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and
she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that
region.
What did John’s
disciples and the Pharisees do often that Jesus’s disciples didn’t do (verse 14)?
Why does
no one sew “a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment” (verse 16)?
Why do people not “pour new wine into old wineskins” (verse 17)?
What did the synagogue leader want Jesus to do (verse 18)?
Why did the “woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years”
want to touch Jesus’s cloak (verses 20 and 21)?
What did Jesus tell the woman (verse 22)?
What did Jesus tell “the noisy crowd and people playing pipes” (verses
23 and 24)?
How did the girl react to Jesus taking her by the hand (verse 25)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how the unclean
can be made clean?
In your opinion, what does Jesus do in Matthew 9:14-25 that transcends
the limitations Numbers 19:11-22 put on interactions with unclean people?
Acts 11:1-18 - New International Version (NIV)
1 The apostles and the believers throughout
Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So
when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized
him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised
men and ate with them.”
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole
story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a
trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down
from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I
looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles
and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get
up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean
has ever entered my mouth.’
9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not
call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This
happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from
Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The
Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six
brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He
told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to
Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you
a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as
he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered
what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will
be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave
them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and
praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that
leads to life.”
Who had heard that “the Gentiles also had received the word of
God” (verse 1)?
Why did the “circumcised believers” criticize Peter (verses
2 and 3)?
Where did Peter start the story (verse 4)?
What did the voice tell Peter to do (verse 7)?
Why did Peter say, “Surely not, Lord” (verse 8)?
What did the “voice from heaven” say (verse 9)?
How many times did this happen (verse 10)?
Who stopped at the house (verse 11?
What did the Spirit tell Peter (verse 12)?
What had the angel told the man that Peter would bring
(verse 14)?
How did the Holy Spirit come on them (verse 15)?
What did Peter remember the Lord had said (verse 16)?
What question did Peter ask himself (verse 17)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about how the unclean
can be made clean?
In your opinion, what does Numbers 19:11-22 help us
understand about Peter’s reaction to the the command to “kill and eat”
in Acts 11:1-18?
In
your opinion, how are Jesus’s interactions with the woman who had been bleeding
and the dead girl in Matthew 9:14-25 and Peter’s interaction with the Gentiles
in Acts 11:1-18 similar?
Colossians 3:5-17 - New International Version (NIV)
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever
belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust,
evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because
of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to
walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now
you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage,
malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do
not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with
its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which
is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here
there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian,
Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people,
holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each
other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against
someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all
these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in
your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to
peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of
Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with
all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing
to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you
do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
What should Christians do with anything that “belongs to your
earthly nature” (verse 5)?
What is coming (verse 6)?
Why should Christians “not lie to each other” (verse
9)?
What should Christians “put on” (verse 10)?
Why is there “no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or
uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free” (verse 11)?
How should “God’s chosen people” cloth themselves (verse
12)?
How should forgiveness be given (verse 13)?
What binds the virtues together (verse 14)?
Why should the “peace of Christ” rule in our hearts
(verse 15)?
How should “you teach and admonish one another”
(verse 16)?
How should we do everything, “in word or deed” (verse
17?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion,
what does this passage teach us about how the unclean can be made clean?
In your opinion, how
are the effects of the “water of cleansing” in Numbers 19:11-22 and the transformation caused by “message
of Christ” in Colossians 3:5-17 similar?
In your opinion, how
are “God’s chosen people” in Colossians 3:5-17 like the “new wine in
new wineskins” of Matthew 9:14-25?
In your opinion, what
does Colossians 3:5-17 reveal about what happened to the circumcised and the
uncircumcised believers in Acts 11:1-18?
In your opinion, what do these Scriptures from Numbers, Matthew,
Acts, and Colossians reveal about why Jesus’s discussion of “new wine into
new wineskins” is an appropriate way to think about the change that He
brought to becoming clean?
In your
opinion, how can we who are cleansed by Christ effect the unclean world we
live in today?
(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)
