I don’t know about the rest of you, but after reading today’s scripture one thing is stuck in my mind: dead bodies. I don’t mean to be so macabre, but we as human beings have a clear aversion to death. We have fight or flight reflexes that save us from danger and subconscious aversion to corpses. Again, forgive me if I have ruined your morning cup of coffee with discussions of death. Even though this topic is somewhat taboo or sensitive in our culture, the Jews knew that it would have to be addressed, and like with many other circumstances, there was a list of rules one needed to follow when it came to handling the remains of the deceased.

In a completely practical sense, it was reasonable to have strict rules because ultimately they kept the Jews safe. If someone was handling a dead body, it was obvious that that person passed away fromsomething– natural or otherwise. So, it only made sense to cleanse yourself in order to ensure any germs that may have been collected were washed away. The Jews may not have been aware of this, but our modern understanding of germs and bacteria make it clear this was a wise practice to integrate into their procedures of dealing with bodies.

On a more spiritual plane, death was treated with such solemn respect because it was a physical representation of the Jews’ separation from God: “The wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. This “death” was not just a physical death. It was also a spiritual one. Yes, even modern believers pass away, but we have the redemption of Christ that links us directly to the Father. Our bodies may pass away, but we live on: “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” 1 John 2:17