Sermon: Stewardship of God's Temple (Part Six): Sunshine, Fresh Air, Cleanliness

#1634
David F. Maas
Given 15-Jan-22; 63 minutes

listen:

playlist:
Go to the Stewardship of God's Temple (sermon series) playlist

download:

description: (hide)

I Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

I Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price: therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

In this sixth and what appears to be the penultimate installment of “The Stewardship of God’s Temple (namely the tending and keeping of our physical bodies—which are indeed the temples of God’s Holy Spirit), I will focus on the topic of the benefits of sunshine, fresh air, and cleanliness in keeping God’s physical health laws as well as the deadly perils of neglecting or rejecting these intertwined physical and spiritual principles, drawing striking, salient, and insightful parallels or grounds of comparison between the visible physical and the yet unseen spiritual dimensions.

I will again argue that our faithful adherence to the visible physical principles will predict and determine how much we will transfer these principles to a higher spiritual understanding. God Almighty has ordained that the vital lessons we learn from tending our physical bodies, ensuring that they receive proper sunshine and fresh air, keeping them clean through regular bathing and proper hygiene, as well as keeping our personal property clean and tidy, will provide valuable insights as to how we may achieve spiritual purity, developing godly character and the very mind of Christ (referencing Romans 1:20 and I Corinthians 2:16).

I John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him [that is Our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ] and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Let us go to Genesis 1.

Genesis 1:3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So, the evening and morning were the first day.

Atheists and evolutionists try to mock this passage, asking “How can there possibly be light before the creation of the sun, moon, and stars, which appear on the fourth day?” (referring to Genesis 1:14-19). Several Jewish commentaries explain the light described in verse 3 as a primordial light, different in nature from (and far brighter than) that associated with the sun. What these commentators refer to as primordial light points to the self-contained luminescence of Almighty God, described in Revelation.

Revelation 21:23 The city [namely, the Holy City—the New Jerusalem—our future headquarters] had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

The Amplified renders this same passage as follows: “And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the glory (splendor, radiance) of God has illumined it, and the Lamb [namely Jesus Christ] is its lamp and light.”

Revelation 22:5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

The Amplified Bible renders this passage: “And there will no longer be night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they [the called-out glorified saints] will reign [as kings] forever and ever.”

According to an October 15, 2021 document, In Depth / Sun - NASA Solar System Exploration, scientists love to point out that our sun is a yellow dwarf star—a hot glowing ball of hydrogen and helium—at the center of our solar system, located about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from earth and it is our solar system’s only star. Without the sun’s energy, life, as we know, could not exist on our home planet.

Dr. Roderick C. Meredith, in his booklet, “The Seven Laws of Radiant Health,” (available in PDF form from sources on the Internet), proclaims:

Occasionally, exposing a portion of the body to the sun’s rays is beneficial. The sun’s rays which provide the greatest benefit to health are the ultraviolet rays. These rays activate the body’s natural sterols (messenger cells carrying signals from outside the body to the inner recesses of the body) to produce the needed the needed calciferol (vitamin D2) and related coenzymes which aid in the utilization of phosphorous and calcium, preventing softening of bones normally associated with vitamin D deficiency.

Rod encourages us to “try to spend as much time out of doors in the open air and sunshine as we can,” remembering, of course, to proceed cautiously, avoiding sunburn through careless overexposure.

In her informative November 3, 2020 article, “What to Know about the Health Benefits of Sunlight,” published in Medical News Today, Danielle Dresden reveals that,

of all the health benefits of sunlight, initiating the process of producing vitamin D in the body may be the best known. When UVB rays (that is ultraviolet rays at medium wavelength) hit human skin, they interact with the 7-DHC (Dehydrocholesterol) protein to produce vitamin D3.

Dresden, who acknowledges that people can possibly get vitamin D from their diet and food supplements, nevertheless maintains that sunlight is perhaps the most important source of this essential nutrient. Vitamin D is absolutely necessary for key biological processes to take place in the body, including the following benefits: supporting healthy bones, managing calcium levels, reducing inflammation, and supporting the immune system and glucose metabolism.

Researchers also have noted a link between regular exposure to the sun and lower death rates from cardiovascular issues. Additionally, exposure to sunlight triggers the skin to release stores of nitrogen oxides, which cause arteries to dilate, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the impact of metabolic syndrome.

In his May 2008 article, “Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health,” appearing in Environ Health Perspective, Nathaniel Mead reports that in higher latitudes, away from the sun-drenched equator, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and a malady known as SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) are far more prevalent than closer to the equator. Some studies have demonstrated in these higher latitudes that a high prevalence of low vitamin D levels occurs in people with Type 2 diabetes, indicative of both low levels of sunlight and lack of outdoor activity.

My sister-in-law in Minnesota, from fall to spring annually, suffers from SAD, relieved only through massive doses of vitamin D, staring daily into an ultraviolet lamp, and taking increased doses of serotonin reuptake inhibitors. According to Gerard Krause, who currently heads the Heliotherapy Research Group at the Medical University of Berlin, states that “regular exposure to ultraviolet rays offer protection not only against hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but also cancers of the prostate and colon.”

Danielle Dresden points to other research which indicates that increased sun exposure has shown promise in protecting people from: Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), several forms of cancer, including colon, breast, and prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Other studies have demonstrated that sunlight also supports better sleep and sets people’s circadian rhythms by regulating the levels of serotonin and melatonin.

Additionally, Dresden asserts that being in the sun makes people feel good, pointing to many scientific reasons for this effect. Exposure to ultraviolet rays (medium wavelength) causes human skin to produce beta-endorphins, hormones that reduce pain. Their other benefits include:

promoting a sensation of well-being and improving mood, boosting the immune system, relieving pain, promoting relaxation, helping wounds heal, helping people feel more alert, increasing job satisfaction when a person’s workplace has access to sunlight, and finally reducing depression.

In his informative article on “Seven Benefits of Sunlight,” Kary Chamberlain asserts that “sunshine is the most natural and most effective antiseptic available to us. Sunshine is also one of the most effective healing agents known.” Chamberlain maintains that “sunlight kills many germs and enhances the immune system by increasing gamma globulin, raising the number and effectiveness of the white blood cells which destroy germs.” Additionally, “sunlight enhances waste elimination by improving liver function; it is an effective treatment for jaundice. It also relieves the kidneys of some of their burden by eliminating wastes through the skin when we sweat. Chamberlain insists that “moderate work or exercise outdoors every day will secure these benefits and more. We receive the sun’s rays on cloudy days; however ordinary window glass filters out 95% of the useful ultraviolet light.”

In view of these insights, the draconian lockdowns proposed by the Australian and British governments, and the reprobate minds in all three branches of the current American government (described last Sabbath by Martin Collins as hopelessly corrupt, bereft of any meaningful checks and balances) are depriving the offspring of Jacob these providential God-ordained health benefits of sunlight.

Additionally, a March 26, 2021 Popular Mechanics article revealed that Bill Gates, who in my humble opinion, seems to be a fairly bright, but not a very smart man, has tried to persuade scientists to seed the stratosphere with aerosols to dim the sun, allegedly to prevent “global warming” or “climate change.” This is the same Bill Gates, incidentally, who in an August 2021 CNN interview with Anderson Cooper stated that he totally agreed with the proposal that Americans who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID should not receive their Social Security checks, adding that he agreed with Joe Biden’s and Anthony Fauci’s proposal that the government enforce a vaccine mandate on Americans in order to work or fly domestically on a plane.

Deuteronomy 4:19 And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the heaven as a heritage.

Sadly, whatever God tells the offspring of Jacob to do, they feel an overwhelming compulsion to do the opposite. The lion’s share of mainstream, nominal Christianity has embraced Sunday as its so-called Sabbath or day of rest and moreover observe, like the ancient priests of Baal, an annual Easter Sunrise service—which our Lord considers an abomination.

Ezekiel 8:16 So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the east, and they were worshipping the sun toward the east.

We are to appreciate the wonderful health benefits of sunshine, but we are forbidden to worship anything inferior to our Creator (Romans 1:23) as well as to worship anything inferior to what we are to become as glorified saints, the very offspring of God Almighty.

As I mentioned in my October 21, 2016 Feast sermon, “From Pilgrims to Pillars (Part 2),” as God’s called-out ones, we can be assured that no matter what happens to this decaying clay vessel, the treasure inside, the electronic data infused with godly character—our spiritual schematic diagrams—will be safeguarded by our Creator until our resurrection or transformation. And then, as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ promises us in Matthew 13:43, “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Scriptures are indeed replete with metaphors comparing sunlight to the radiance and glory of God. Consider Habakkuk 3:4: “His [God’s] brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden.”

Additionally, the sun has alternately served as metaphors of righteousness, judgment, justice, happiness or the end of mourning, mercy, and healing. Psalm 37:6 teaches us that “He [the LORD] shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” Proverbs 4:18 describes the path [or way] of the just or righteous as like “the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” Isaiah 58:8 teaches that our “light shall break forth like the morning, our healing will spring forth speedily. And our righteousness will go before us; the glory of the LORD shall be our rear guard.” Malachi 4:2 assures those who fear God’s name, that “the Sun [spelled S U N] of Righteousness [symbolizing Jesus Christ] shall arise with healing in His wings; and they shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.” In each of these verses, a far inferior created entity, namely our yellow dwarf-star, serves to symbolize the self-contained luminescence of Almighty God.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

The Amplified renders this passage as: “Then the LORD God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [ an individual complete in body and spirit].” God is responsible for the life sustaining oxygen we all require for a healthy life.

Job 12:7-10 But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; and the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind? [In God’s hand is the breath of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.]

Job 33:4 [Elihu proclaims to Job] “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

Ecclesiastes 3, remember, is the chapter Solomon observes that God has put eternity into the heart of every living human being.

Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 I said in my heart, “Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.” For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to the dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?

The NASB renders verse 21: “Who knows that the spirit of the of the sons of mankind ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth?” But in Ecclesiastes 12:7, Solomon has become somewhat more resolute in his conclusions:

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

Whether we talk about God’s Holy Spirit, the spirit in man, or the life of animals, the interlocking metaphor or image is that of oxygen, breath, air, or wind—the physical image connecting the physical and the spiritual dimensions.

The Hebrew word translated breath or wind is ruach, which is in the feminine grammatical case, while its counterpart in Greek is pneuma which is in the neuter grammatical case. Likewise, the word for Holy Spirit in Hebrew is transliterated ruach ha kodesh in the feminine case, while in the Greek would be pneuma hagion in the neuter case, while the word for Comforter, Advocate, or Helper “paracletes” (John 14:26) is masculine.

If Trinitarians were aware of these grammatical distinctions (most exclusively English-speaking peoples are totally oblivious to the concept of grammatical gender), they would be tearing their hair like the woke leftist LGBTQ activists with their bizarre, confusing, gender pronoun preferences. Is the Holy Spirit feminine (ruach ha kodesh), neuter (pneuma hagion), or masculine (parakletos)? Or perhaps they are all three simultaneously: trinary, binary, unitary, or none at all? Both ruach and pneuma refer metaphorically to the power of the wind, a force that cannot be seen, but can be felt, providing a grounds of comparison between the spirit in man (referencing Job 32:8) and God’s Holy Spirit (referencing Psalm 33:6 and Luke 24: 49).

Herbert W. Armstrong, at the Feast of Tabernacles in 1965, made it abundantly clear that the spirit in man was not a synonym for an immortal, sentient soul assumed by Protestant, Evangelical, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Rather, metaphorically, the spirit in man could be envisioned as stored, inert, electro-magnetic data to be reactivated at a later physical or spiritual resurrection. My 2013 Last Great Day sermonette, “Classical and Modern Metaphors of the Resurrection” goes into that subject in greater detail.

Please turn over to Ezekiel 37 to the prophecy of the Dry Bones (a purely physical resurrection), in which the previously collected electro-magnetic data is re-infused back into flesh and blood bodies.

Ezekiel 37:5-10 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath [the Hebrew feminine word ruach] to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath [ruach] in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them and there was no breath [ruach] in them. And He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath [ruach], prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath [ruach], ‘Thus says the LORD GOD: “Come from the four winds [ruach] O breath [ruach], and breathe on these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath [ruach—again the Hebrew feminine noun) came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.

This will constitute our clientele in God’s coming Kingdom. As we prepare to serve these hapless constituents in the Valley of Dry Bones, we must soberly reflect how the satanically inspired governments currently in control of Jacob’s offspring are treating its confused and terrified constituents.

Ironically, when Anthony Fauci was doubling down on the mask mandates and the draconian lockdowns, an article appeared on May 28, 2020, sponsored by the Long Island Weight Loss Institute titled Surprising Health Benefits of Fresh Air, answering the question, “What is fresh air good for?” Acknowledging that it feels good to get outside for a breath of fresh air (now an unaffordable luxury for those intimidated by government mandates), true science has revealed that breathing pure fresh air does far more good than just helping us feel good; there are striking, significant medical or health benefits of breathing fresh air.

Roderick Meredith, in his booklet “The Seven Laws of Radiant Health,” encourages us “At every opportunity, step outside and take a deep breath of pure, fresh air. After all, breath is the stuff life itself is made of. We breathe to get oxygen into our systems, for without oxygen we would quickly die. Every vital process in the body depends on oxygen for its performance. The more we breathe pure, fresh air, the more pep we will have, the brighter will be our color, the more alert we will be, and the better posture we will have.” Rod laments, “Most of us take in enough air to sustain life, but not enough to live it vigorously.”

In the article, “Surprising Health Benefits of Getting Fresh Air,” the contributors maintain that besides feeling good, going outside to breathe pure, fresh air has definite health benefits, citing five significant reasons we should spend more time in the fresh open air.

1. It helps us clear our lungs: Indoor air often has a suboptimal balance (such as the balance or lack of balance Bill Onisick referred to last week) of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, especially in enclosed rooms with poor ventilation. While having indoor plants and air purifiers can help, absolutely nothing beats stepping outside for fresh air. Fresh air generally has higher levels of oxygen (not to mention lower levels of pollution than indoor air.) Exposure to more oxygen causes the blood vessels in our lungs to dilate, which improves cleansing and tissue repair within them, and helps them exchange gasses more easily. We clean up our lungs and help our body get rid of things it does not need.

2. Fresh air can give us more energy and mental focus: As our lungs take in fresh air, the oxygen levels in our blood go up. Higher oxygen levels mean more of it circulates in our brain, which helps us feel energized and improves our ability to concentrate and remember information. One study conducted at the Human Cognitive Unit at the Northumbria University in the UK discovered that subjects given oxygen versus regular air performed up to 20% better on a memory test. Fresh air (containing higher levels of oxygen) can also help the production of serotonin, allowing us to feel happier and less anxious. We will get a clearer, sharper, calmer mind, and all it takes are a few breaths of fresh air.

3. Fresh air lowers blood pressure and heart rate: Every cell in our body needs oxygen to function. When there is not enough to go around, our heart needs to work harder to make sure that what is available gets to where it needs to go. Fresh air has plenty of oxygen, so a few deep breaths help to bring in more of this vital gas to our body. This means our heart can relax, because it takes less effort to deliver what our body needs. The end result? Our heart rate slows down, and our blood pressure lowers.

4. Fresh air helps us heal faster: Healing from illness and injuries is pretty taxing on the body. Because every cell requires oxygen, it makes sense that replacing damaged cells increases our body’s demand for air. While oxygen therapy has shown to help improve recovery time for athletes, fresh air can help us feel better and heal faster, too.

In a March 2015 study conducted by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, reported in The Journal of Hospital Infection, scientists attempted to discover how long the air would remain dangerously contaminated if a biological weapon with pathogenic bacteria were exploded over London. Researchers anchored E.coli microorganisms to threads of spider silk, exposing them to open air. Having already established that sunlight kills the organisms instantly, the scientists performed these experiments during the darkness of night. Within two hours, nearly all the bacteria were dead, that is, except for bacteria kept in a closed box at the same temperature and humidity which managed to live past the two-hour mark. Evidently, they discovered something about being in the open-air kills germs, leading these scientists to speculate about a compound that occurs naturally in open air that “acts as a natural disinfectant against pathogens or germs that lurk in the atmosphere.”

The Journal of Hospital Infection concludes that “the majority of microbes that cause airborne infections cannot tolerate sunlight and fresh air.” American physician, Dr. Edward Trudeau, who developed the concept of the TB Sanitorium, never intended to crowd infected patients together in huge stone barns such as Waverly Hills near Louisville, Kentucky or Nopeming near Duluth, Minnesota—reported by some sensationalists as the most haunted locations on earth. Instead, when he became infected with TB, Trudeau isolated himself in an isolated, remote cottage in the Adirondacks, availing himself of sunshine, fresh air, moderate exercise, and a healthy diet, ridding himself of his lung infection long before the advent of antibiotics.

5. Fresh air can improve our digestion: Sometimes it is not just oxygen that helps our bodies—the simple act of stepping away and getting outside does, too. When we are stuck eating at our desks, or grabbing a bite here and there between tasks, the body has to divert blood flow from our digestive systems to our brains, causing sluggishness or drowsiness. Going outside to relax and enjoy some fresh air does not just supply our cells with much needed oxygen, it also tells our bodies that is okay to digest and supplies our stomachs and intestines with blood flow. Fresh air and sunlight dramatically improve our well-being in multiple ways, making us feel happier and more relaxed as well as having a significant measurable effect on our circulatory systems, improving our recovery time from disease, and improving our overall health. If we find ourselves feeling stressed, tired, sluggish, or even bloated, we should step outside for a few good, deep breaths of fresh air. Our bodies and our minds will profusely thank us.

John 20:19-22 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled [to keep the Lord’s Day?—No!] for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you,” And when He had said this, He breathed [transliterated emphusao (meaning to blow on, to puff at)] on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

When Jesus explained to Nicodemus the process of being born again, born from above, or born of the Holy Spirit, He used the image of wind, as we read in John 3:8. “The wind [transliterated pneuma meaning breath] blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit (also transliterated pneuma).”

Acts 2:1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound of a rushing mighty wind [transliterated pnoe-meaning respiration, breath, breath, wind], and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues of fire and one sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit [hagios pneuma, a current of air, figuratively spirit] and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit [transliterated pneuma meaning current of air, breeze, or wind, serving as an analogy for Spirit] gave them utterance.

In II Timothy 3:16, Paul instructs Timothy that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God [transliterated theopneustos, meaning divinely breathed], for instruction in righteousness.

The Amplified renders this passage: “All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error] and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately, behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage].”

In order to guard against quenching the Spirit (referencing I Thessalonians 5:19-22), we need to be metaphorically breathing deeply in the God-breathed Scriptures continuously every day.

Rod Meredith, in his booklet, “The Seven Laws of Radiant Health,” reflecting on the oft-quoted maxim that “cleanliness is next to godliness,” stated that,

[w]hile this saying did not come directly from the Bible, the principle is certainly correct. In order to teach ancient Israel the habit of cleanliness, God, through Moses, instituted many regulations commanding the people to bathe or wash their clothes after coming in contact with likely disease carriers. We should certainly keep our physical bodies clean.

Regular care of the skin, hair, nails, and teeth and maintaining freedom from perspiration odor are essential to cleanliness and contribute to health. Waste products are eliminated through the pores of the skin, making regular bathing continually important. Rod concludes that, “keeping our person, our clothes, and our living quarters clean will not only aid in promoting vigorous health but will also tend to keep our thoughts on a higher level of productivity and accomplishment.”

In her September 1, 2020, article, “Does the Bible Actually Say, ‘Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness?” Mary Fairchild concurs with Roderick Meredith that “while the exact phrase is not found in the Bible, the concept is clearly expressed.” Fairchild explains,

[a]ctual spiritual purification, ablutions, and washings featured prominently in Old Testament ceremonial rituals. For the Hebrew people cleanliness wasn’t next to godliness, but it was absolutely part of it. The standards God established concerning cleanliness for the Israelites touched on every aspect of their lives.

Personal hygiene and spiritual purity are intricately linked in the Bible.

Cleanliness, both ritual and actual, was fundamental to establishing and preserving holiness in the Israelite community. Circumcision, handwashing, foot washing, and baptism are some of the purification practices found in Scripture. Careful attention to personal hygiene is essential in the climate of the Near East, particularly as a safeguard against leprosy. Leviticus 14:8-9 provides detailed instructions on becoming both ceremonially and physically clean from leprosy.

Leviticus 17:15-16 describes the process of becoming cleansed from eating defiled flesh—an animal that had died naturally or was torn up by wild animals.

In Exodus 30:17-21 and 38:8, God instructed Moses to make a large bronze laver, holding water for the priests to wash their hands before approaching the altar to make offerings.

In Genesis 18:1-15, our father Abraham washed the feet of his heavenly visitors, practicing not only a purification ritual, but also one of the primary duties of hospitality, usually performed by a humble servant, as Christ was later to wash the feet of the disciples (John 13:1-17).

Tony Wick, in his August 2019 article, “Five Reasons why Cleanliness is Godliness” provides the following insights:

1. Cleanliness promotes a positive mindset: Cleaning, he maintains, encourages optimism. As we keep our house (or place of residence) clean and organized, it promotes a sense of achievement and relaxation bringing us peace and release from stress.

2. Cleanliness improves our spiritual health: Wick maintains that we unduly stress ourselves when we deal with clutter, suggesting that when we see clutter, the stress releases cortisol, the anxiety-creating memory-destroying hormone. Cleaning, in fighting anxiety and stress, improves our spiritual health.

3. Cleanliness promotes physical health: Wick asserts that while cleanliness promotes spiritual health, it also improves our physical health. Staying clean helps our mind stay positive, as maintaining cleanliness helps to kill germs, boost mental health, fights off the chances of getting sick or attracting vermin, and promotes a positive perception.

4. Cleanliness fosters a sense of beauty: Wick, maintaining that few things are more beautiful than a clean house with a tidy, well-manicured garden, argues that the same is also true for the human body. We can only help our inner beauty shine through when we take care of our hygiene, improving the condition of our skin and hair, giving us a more positive attitude, helping us draw the line between good and bad.

5. Cleanliness produces motivation: Wick concludes that a clean body and home leads to a mind free of unfiltered thoughts, bringing joy to our life as we take action to get rid of something wrong, making the world a better place for ourselves and others, bringing a profound sense of satisfaction.

Please turn over to David’s classic prayer of repentance, Psalm 51, which provides a both a nexus and partial bifurcation between the Old Covenant (with its ceremonial physical symbols) and the New Covenant (with its transcendent spiritual reality).

Psalm 51:1-2 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sins.

Washing with water is metaphorically associated with cleansing from sin, foreshadowing the Holy Spirit or the blood of Christ.

Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Hyssop is a plant used in purificatory sprinkling rites by the ancient Hebrews. In the Old Testament, hyssop was used to sprinkle blood as part of the Passover (Exodus 12:22). Hyssop was also mentioned in the Bible for its cleansing effect in connection with plague, leprosy, and chest ailments, and symbolically in cleansing the soul.

Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Again, washing the defiled heart with water is emblematic or symbolic of God’s Holy Spirit.

Psalm 51:16-17 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise.

Even though the New Covenant is prefigured in these verses, David nevertheless acknowledges the symbolic importance of animal sacrifices.

Psalm 51:19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

Matthew 15:1-10 Then the scribe and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of Your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

We cannot jump to the opposite conclusion, claiming that physical hygiene was not important, or perhaps “done away” completely like the Sabbath. As the late Rush Limbaugh used to accuse our reprobate legislators, these hard-hearted Pharisees continually exalted symbolism over substance, failing to comprehend the more important spiritual understanding. That is why Lady MacBeth could not rid herself from the elusive blood on her hands. In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul explains that washing is used figuratively for the believer’s cleansing through the Word of God.

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Hebrews 10:22 Let us 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.

For our concluding Scripture, please turn to the antitype which symbolizes this thorough washing and cleansing process in I Peter 3, namely our baptism and sanctification toward glorification as Spirit beings, the offspring of God Almighty in His Kingdom:

I Peter 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

While God supplies us with our daily breath of life, illuminating us with His glory and radiance, and washing us with His Word, we must reciprocate by obeying His physical health laws, breathing in fresh pure air, absorbing the healing rays of sunlight daily, and assiduously keeping our bodies and possessions clean and immaculate.

Sunlight metaphorically displays the splendor and glory of God, a foretaste of our future luminescence. Fresh air, emblematic of the breath of life, prefiguring the Holy Spirit, constitutes the DNA of our future glorified bodies. Cleanliness is emblematic of the purity of God’s character which Almighty God is creating in us through the sanctification process, the rigorous, deep scrub we are experiencing now on our lifelong spiritual journey.

DFM/jjm/drm