Lev. 11:44, 45
And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.
For I am YHWH your Mighty One, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your Mighty One. Therefore, you are to be set apart, for I am set apart.”
The reason why we were commanded to make a distinction between clean and unclean animals is given in this passage. It is also given in Leviticus 20:24-26.
I am YHWH your Mighty One, who has separated you from other people. You shall therefore put a difference between clean beasts and unclean…which I have separated from you as unclean.
And you shall be set apart unto me: for I, YHWH, am set apart…”
The connection between consecrating oneself to YHWH and what one eats is again repeated to the next generation. Deu. 14:2, 3.
For you are a set apart people unto YHWH your Mighty One, and YHWH has chosen you to be His treasured people…
You shall not eat any detestable thing.”
So, by choosing only to eat certain animals a person is choosing to set themselves apart for YHWH. And when many people make this choice, they collectively choose to become a nation set apart for Him.
There are other examples of how we can choose to set ourselves apart for YHWH. We are making this choice when we obey all His instructions. Num. 15:40; Lev. 19:2ff. This is especially the case when these instructions are contrary to the ways of the secular world. Lev. 18:3, 24; Deu. 12:30; 18:9; Jer. 10:2.
Some ancient examples of the “way of the nations” include:
- Child sacrifice. Lev. 18:21; 20:2; Deu. 12:31; 18:10
- Necromancy and black magic. Lev. 20:6; Deu. 18:10-11
- Incest. Lev. 18:6-18; 20:11-12, 14, 17, 19-21
- Intercourse during the menstrual cycle. Lev. 18:19; 20:18
- Adultery. Lev. 18:20; 20:10
- Homosexuality. Lev. 18:22; 20:13
- Bestiality. Lev. 18:23; 20:15, 16
Other examples include:
- Lusts (1 Pe. 4:3)
- Drunkenness (ibid)
- Drinking parties (ibid)
- Illegal and immoral acts (ibid)
Some more modern examples may include:
- Injustice
- Dishonesty
- Complacency
The point is that YHWH calls His people out of this kind of behavior. See also Joh. 15:19; 17:14; Exo. 33:16; Lev. 20:24, 26; Num. 23:9; Deu. 7:6; 26:19; 1 Pe. 1:15-16; 2:9; Eph. 1:4; 5:27. See also Rom. 12:2; 2 Co. 6:14-17; Ja. 1:27b; 4:4; 2 Ti. 2:4; Tit. 2:12; 1 Jo. 2:15-17.
1 Pe. 1:15-19
Quoting from the book of Leviticus, he implored the chosen of the diaspora (1 Pe. 1:1) to be set apart from this world in all their deeds.
He then affirmed the same thing Shaul, and the rest of Scripture taught—without partiality, YHWH judges everyone according to what they do.
Surely, we have inherited lies from our fathers. The way we lived was out of line with His Word. We were in captivity to our evil thoughts and actions.
No amount of money could purchase our souls from this bondage. Only the blood of the spotless Lamb is sufficient payment for our redemption.
This story of Passover is a story of our liberation—not only from Egyptian bondage but from our bondage to sin.
Yeshua taught those of His people who were believing in Him to remain in His teaching. “If you do this,” He said, “you will be My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Joh. 8:31-32).
They asked Him: “We have never been slaves. What do you mean, you will be set free?”
Yeshua then answered: “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who is doing sin is a slave to the sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever—only the son. If then, the son makes you free, truly, you will be free” (8:33-36).
The “son” He was talking about was Himself. He said that if they remained in His teaching, He would free them from their slavery to sin.
While this wording (i.e. slavery to sin) is only elsewhere used by the apostle Shaul in Romans 6-8, the concept of being freed from our former way of life by His blood is evident in such passages as 2 Co. 5:15, 1 Pe. 2:24, 4:1-2, Tit. 2:14, Eph. 2:2-3, 10, 1 Co. 6:20, & Heb. 9:14.
Moreover, the idea that His blood purchases His people finds itself in such passages as Acts 20:28 & Revelation 5:9. This compares with the Scriptures that refer to the Passover/Exodus account. Exo. 15:13,16; 1 Ch. 17:21; Psa. 74:2. This would not have been the case without the blood of the Passover lamb.
Exo. 12:13 “And the blood will be to you for a sign…when I see the blood, I will Passover”