Leviticus 11:44-45

The appointed priests were to discharge their duty on the behalf of the whole community, but that entire tribe of Levi was the representative of the rest of the nation before God to help them grow in their special relationship with God. In other words, the entire tribe of Levi was appointed, commissioned by God, to serve Him in helping to make the rest of Israel holy so that they could become a nation, a kingdom of priests. The principle of sacrifice plays a major role in one becoming holy, because human nature must be sacrificed and put to death.

This is spoken not just to the Levites, but to everybody, because this is their aim in life. If you are beginning to get the picture, because we are to be a kingdom of priests, we, brethren, have to, above all things, become holy because we cannot help people to become holy unless we are holy. That is what God is showing us here. Brethren, this becomes the main focus of our life if we are ever going to be a priest.

The focus of this command, each place it appears, is that likeness to God in character and purpose is essential to those who would serve Him regardless of where they might be in the overall picture, but most especially in the priesthood, as we shall continue to see as the subject is developed.

Leviticus 11:44-45

The subject here is maintaining the holiness that God gave us as a result of His calling.

What we eat has very much to do with holiness.

What is the danger here? It is lest we become unholy—that we make ourselves, render ourselves defiled, abominable, by what we eat.