Commentary - Leviticus 15:16-18

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Leviticus, we find ourselves in the heart of what is often called the holiness code. These are the laws that governed the ritual purity of the people of Israel, determining who was fit to approach the tabernacle, the dwelling place of a holy God. Modern readers often find these passages perplexing, if not altogether strange. Bodily functions, skin diseases, and mold on the walls are all treated with a kind of solemn gravity that seems foreign to us. But we must remember that these laws were never arbitrary. They were a series of profound, living object lessons given by God to His people. They were, in effect, audio-visual aids designed to teach Israel about the vast difference between the holy and the profane, the clean and the unclean. The particular laws in our text deal with seminal emissions, both involuntary and within the context of marital relations. The key is to understand that this "uncleanness" is not inherently sinful. Rather, it is a ceremonial uncleanness, a symbolic state that temporarily rendered a person unfit for the sanctuary. These laws were constant reminders that everything in our fallen world, even the most natural and God-given processes of life, is touched by the curse of sin and death, and therefore requires cleansing before we can draw near to the Author of Life.

The structure is straightforward. First, the case of an individual man is addressed (vv. 16-17). Second, the case of a husband and wife together is addressed (v. 18). In both instances, the result is the same: a state of ritual uncleanness that lasts "until evening" and requires washing with water. This points beyond the simple act of bathing to a deeper spiritual reality. The water and the waiting period were types, shadows pointing forward to the true cleansing from sin and death that would be accomplished by Jesus Christ. In Him, the barrier between a holy God and an unclean people is removed once and for all. These laws, therefore, are not embarrassing relics of a primitive religion; they are part of the inspired foundation that helps us understand the magnitude of the grace we have received in the gospel.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

Leviticus 15 is the culmination of a section (chapters 11-15) dealing with various forms of ritual uncleanness. Chapter 11 dealt with unclean animals. Chapter 12 addressed the uncleanness associated with childbirth. Chapters 13 and 14 detailed the laws concerning leprosy in people and mildew in houses. Now, chapter 15 turns to the uncleanness that results from bodily discharges. This all serves as a necessary prelude to the Day of Atonement described in chapter 16, where the high priest makes atonement for all the uncleannesses of the people of Israel. The placement is crucial. Before we can understand the solution (atonement), we must first be thoroughly instructed about the problem (uncleanness). God is holy, and His dwelling place is holy. Therefore, the people who come near to Him must be holy, or at least, they must have a provision for their constant state of unholiness. These laws were a gracious provision, teaching the people how to live in the presence of a holy God without being consumed.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 16 ‘Now if a man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe all his body in water and be unclean until evening.

The text begins with the case of a man who has a seminal emission. The language is general and covers any such occurrence. The first thing to notice is what is not said. There is no condemnation here. There is no accusation of sin. This is a normal, natural, biological function. Yet, it results in a state of ceremonial uncleanness. Why? Because in the symbolic world of the Old Covenant, anything that was a reminder of our creatureliness, our flesh, and the cycle of life and death, placed one in a state that was incongruous with the immediate presence of the eternal God. Life is passed on through seed, but this process is now bound up in a fallen world. This emission, a potent symbol of life, also serves as a reminder that our life is a dying life. So, the man is declared "unclean." This does not mean he is morally defiled, but rather that he is temporarily disqualified from entering the holy space of the tabernacle. The remedy is twofold: he must bathe his whole body in water, and he must wait until evening. The washing is a picture of purification, and the waiting signifies that the cleansing is not instantaneous and is not in his own power. Evening marks the end of a day, a mini-cycle of time, pointing to the need for God's appointed time of cleansing.

v. 17 As for any garment or any leather on which there is seminal emission, it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening.

The principle of uncleanness extends beyond the person to the things he touches. Any garment or piece of leather that comes into contact with the emission is also rendered unclean. This is a crucial part of the object lesson. Uncleanness is "contagious." It spreads. This is a picture of how sin operates. It doesn't remain contained within the individual but affects everything around him. The world is not neutral; it is a fallen world, and the effects of that fall are pervasive. Just as the man had to wash his body, so the affected items must be washed. The same remedy applies: water and time. This reinforces the lesson. Nothing unclean can be brought into the presence of God, and the cleansing He requires must be applied thoroughly. Every detail matters to God. He is not a God of broad strokes only; He is the Lord over every square inch, every thread of our lives.

v. 18 If there is a woman with whom a man lies so that there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening.

Now the law addresses the same biological event within the context of the marital union. This is the "one flesh" union ordained by God in the garden, a good and holy institution. And yet, even here, in the context of a lawful, God-glorifying act of marriage, the result is the same ceremonial uncleanness. This is perhaps the most striking part of this passage for us. It demonstrates powerfully that the issue is not the morality of the act itself. Marital intimacy is not sinful; it is commanded and blessed by God. The uncleanness arises from the same principle as before. It is tied to the flesh, to the processes of a fallen world. Both the man and the woman are made unclean. They are in it together, just as they are together in their one-flesh union. And the remedy is the same for both: they must both bathe, and they both remain unclean until evening. This law served to put a hedge around the sanctuary. It taught the Israelites that even the best and most beautiful parts of this earthly life are not, in themselves, fit for the immediate presence of God. Something more is needed. A greater cleansing is required. This law, like all the ceremonial laws, was a signpost pointing to Christ. In Him, we are washed once and for all. We are cleansed not by water that only purifies the flesh, but by His blood which purifies the conscience. Because of His work, we can now "draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb. 10:22). The evening has come on the Old Covenant, and the morning of the New has dawned. The shadows have fled away.

Application

So what does a twenty-first-century Christian do with a passage like this? First, we must thank God for the clarity it brings to the work of Christ. These laws function like a backdrop of black velvet, making the diamond of the gospel shine all the more brightly. They teach us that God's holiness is no small thing, and our uncleanness is a pervasive problem that touches every part of our lives. We are not just sinners in our overt acts of rebellion, but we are creatures of the dust living in a fallen world, and nothing from this world can enter the New Jerusalem on its own merits.

Second, this passage should cultivate in us a profound sense of gratitude for the cleansing we have in Christ. The Israelite had to wash and wait, and this was a constant, repetitive cycle. But we who are in Christ have been washed, sanctified, and justified (1 Cor. 6:11). The cleansing is definitive and final. We no longer live under a system of ceremonial approach, but have bold access to the throne of grace through our High Priest. We are not kept at a distance by our creatureliness, but are invited to draw near.

Finally, while the ceremonial aspect of this law is fulfilled and abrogated in Christ, the moral principle it illustrates remains. That principle is that we must not treat holy things in a profane or casual manner. We are called to holiness, to cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7:1). We do this not to gain access, but because we have been granted access. We live as a clean people because we have been declared clean by the blood of the Lamb. These ancient laws, therefore, are not dead letters, but are part of the living Word that trains us in righteousness, reminding us of the gravity of our condition and the glory of our salvation.