The Law pronounced strict separation for uncleanness. We read about one such occasion in v.25. This woman was a virtual leper as she nobody could touch her, or indirectly touch anything that she had touched. If they did, they would become unclean (26,27). How great a faith was displayed by the woman of Matt 9:20,21 as she knowingly disobeyed the Law to be healed by one greater than the Law. 
 
V.29 turtles in the KJV, of course, mean turtledoves.
 
V.31 Uncleanness = sin = death under the Law because it defiled God's house.  Unless we have had our uncleanness washed away through baptism in the saving Name of Christ, we will die.  Furthermore, unless we keep God's house clean, we shall also die (1Cor 3:16,17).

15:5-12 The repeated point that touching anything that has been touched by an unclean person indicates that uncleanness can be conveyed to others by contact. Hag 2:12-14 highlights the truth of this statement. It has a spiritual counterpart for us. The company we keep can defile us 1Cor 15:33.

Lev 15:11,12,13,14,15,19,28,29. V11 - Perhaps this echos baptism (burial with Christ which washes away sin) and/or a washing with the Word (God's Word is contained in the Bible which is written by men inspired by God for our learning and instruction so we might have guidance and hope of eternal life) so that on the day of judgment we might be among the saints (faithful true believers both living and dead) who will be clothed in righteousness. V12 - Might the clay pot be an echo of the body of Christ which is symbolized in the bread of remembrance which is broken and shared each first day of the week by believers (along with wine symbolic of Christ's shed blood)? Perhaps the wood to be washed with water refers to the wood of the sacrifice of Christ and his burial which water baptism symbolizes in the putting on of Christ and symbolic (usually) picking up of the cross and following him. V13,14 - It will take 7 millenial days (7000 years) for sin and death to be totally cleansed/eradicated. At that time Christ will turn the kingdom on earth over to God, his Father and there will be a new beginning (perhaps symbolized in the 8 saved by water in Noah's wooden ark along with the cutting away of the flesh on the 8th day in the circumcision ritual). Again, those in the kingdom will be clothed in righteousness and bathe in the pure water of the word. True doctrine will be proclaimed boldly in the kingdom age (1Cor 14:33; Isa 2:3; Isa 11:9); we also have 2 animals sacrificed perhaps suggesting the need for Christ's flesh to be sacrificed (Christ was tempted as he had our nature) and also his sacrifice offered as an atonement for the sins of others; the entrance to the tent of meeting may echo Christ being the way or the door to eternal life and the entrance to the kingdom of God on earth. V19 - Perhaps this relates to the sin of Eve and echos the 7 millenial days there will be sin (sin will be totally cleansed at the end of the millenium when Christ turns the kingdom over to God his Father). V29 - Perhaps this priest at the entrance echos Christ who will judge and decide who is admitted into his Father's kingdom on earth. In the Lord's prayer we pray, "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:10). This is the hope of all true believers - it will soon come to pass and at that time the meek "shall inherit the earth" (Matt 5:5).

15:34 The woman’s menstrual cycle, if itself, is not wrong. Actually it is part of God’s creation. Whilst all sorts of taboos have grown up around this perfectly normal function Israel were simply to realise that unregenerate flesh was unclean in His sight and this cycle is just one element in that teaching.

Lev 15:11;Deut 4:5-6 - Ignaz Semmelweiss (1818 - 1865) was a Hungarian doctor who by simple handwashing reduced infant mortality rates from 10 - 35% to 1%. Doctors of the day would work on cadavers and then assist in the birth of children without washing hands. Only after his death were his methods taken seriously upon discovery of Louis Pasteur's germ theory.

The above was gleaned from a public address by Paul Spechler.

15:19-29 Notice the priest does nothing to resolve the problem that the man has, all he can do is offer the relevant offerings. Not so Jesus who actually stopped an issue –Matt 9:20-22

Notice that the laws in this chapter will, in effect, keep bacteria within the household. And also how family members were, in practice, always unclean along with their household. v11 is the important verse here. Every other verse can be related to being within the house environment, where presumably whoever was "unclean" would stay. However, v11 shows us that contact to the outside world through the hands was dealt with by simple hand washing. Here we have a marvelous example of where modern medicine has lagged 3000 years behind God's word. Only recently in the UK have hospital wards introduced hand washing at the door of the wards. What's important is that the hands are washed immediatly, before they're used to touch the face, or wiped on the clothes. The latter part of the verse covers his.

Psalm 117 This short Psalm gives us the reason why we should worship God - He is kind towards us

Psalm 118 On five occasions (v1,2,,3,4,29) the exhortation is to recognise the continuing mercy of God. This mercy is finally seen in the way he sent his son who was rejected by the leaders of his day. This is spoken of in this Psalm (:10-11,22)

Psalm 118 - We know that this Psalm speaks of the events in the last week of Jesus' life because :25 'save now' is quoted Mark 11:9 and :26 'blessed is he …' is quoted Mark 11:9 and Matthew 23:39 amongst other places. It is suggested, therefore that :10-12 speak of the trials of Jesus before the Jewish authorities on the third day before the passover when they tried to fault Jesus by asking him about tribute to Caesar, the matter of who would have the woman to wife in the resurrection and the question of why was the greatest commandment in the law.

117:2 So the Jews recognise that God, in His mercy, has called the gentiles and so recognises that God has also been gracious towards them. This must be in the kingdom because at this time the call of the gentiles is designed to cause them to be jealous Deuteronomy 32:21

118:6 This verse, also quoted in Hebrews 13:6, shows the confidence that Jesus had during his life - right up to his death. So, like the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews we should have the same confidence.

117:2 The ‘merciful kindness’ of which David speaks is something which Solomon recognised about the way that God dealt with his father (1Kin 3:6)

118:25 The ‘save now’ is the ‘Hosanna’ of Matt 21:9 etc:

117:2   Truth that ‘endureth for ever’ is the truth that is for all generations – Psa 100:5 – Our God does not change!

118:1,3,5,17,18,21,22,24,25,26,27,29 - Much of chapter 118 would seem to have a messianic application. v1 God's mercy endureth forever in that we have a hope of eternal salvation through Christ's sacrifice and God's grace; v3 a once for all enduring merciful sacrifice unlike the many sacrifices of the Levitical priesthood which pointed toward that of Christ; v5 Christ in distress/anguish called upon the Lord who didn't actually forsake him on the cross but answered him by allowing his resurrection and setting free/in a large place which was/is in heaven at his Father's right hand; v17 I will not die but live and proclaim what the Lord has done could refer to the sleep that didn't corrupt and Christ showing himself to others after his resurrection from his brief death to eternal life; v18 God chastens all those he loves and none were chastened more than his son who was not allowed to see corruption as he rose after the third day; v21 you have become my salvation is a song of the redeemed perhaps referring to Christ by God and also points to the future redemption of those in Christ (Exo 15:2; Isa 12:1-6; Heb 5:9); v22 Christ was the capstone or head stone of the corner of the temple that the builders rejected (John 2:19; Matt 21:23,42,43,44; Luke 20:9-19;Eph 2:20; 1Pet 2:4-8; Acts 4:10-12); v24 the day that the Lord hath made refers to the passover resurrection or when Christ will sit on David's throne at his second coming; v25  perhaps refers to the "Hosanna" or "Hallelujah" or "praise" when Christ made his triumphal entry (John 12:13) and may point toward a future triumphal entry upon Christ's return (Psa 117:1; Rev 7:9-10; 19:1); v26 coming in the name of (not as) the Lord indicates God manifestation (Matt 21:9;23:39;Luke 13:34-35;Luke 19:37-38;John 12:12-13) as Christ is a representative of God; v27 the sacrifice of God's son is the basis of man's redemption and the mode by which the light shines (John 1:7; 1Pet 2:9); v29 the chapter begins with, and after explaining why, ends with God's mercy enduring forever.

According to independent research, the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible contains 1189 chapters; Psalm 117 is the 595th; there are 594 chapters before Psalm 117 and 594 after it. Thus, Psalm 117 is the center chapter of the Bible.

118:7 The idea of blessings upon those that help and punishment upon those who do not help Israel echoes the promises to Abraham – Gen 12:3

IT IS GOOD TO TRUST IN THE LORD
As we live in days of uncertainty, it is good to trust the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul, knowing that - "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."Psa 34:7

Sometimes it is only in the depths of despair, that the Lord can finally reach us and "speak to our hearts". As David struggled with the circumstances around him, he trusted that "God's mercy endureth for ever".Psa 118:3-4
Do we allow God to speak to our hearts in this busy age we live in?

In Hos 2:14, God allured Isreal into the wilderness so He could speak to her heart.Perhaps time to time, we also need to remove ourselves from all the distractions of life, in order that God may speak to our hearts.
David learned to trust the Lord his God, and because of this, he became a "man after God's own heart"

May we allow God to reach our hearts, that we may learn to trust in the LORD

Another use of 'comfort'
10:1 Beseech
Maybe 'beseech' seems to be a strange translation for a word usually translated 'comfort' or related words. However a little thought will show why Paul used this word. Paul is seeking to encourage the brethren and sisters at Corinth so he appeals to the 'meekness and gentleness of Christ; so that he does not have to be 'bold' (:2) when he sees them.

Developing what we saw last year notice the two quotations from Genesis
11:3 serpent Genesis 3:1
subtilty Genesis 3:1

Now we know that the corruption brought about by the serpent was not sexual but mental. Eve's and then Adams mind was corrupted by the words of the serpent. In like manner our 'virginity' will be lost is we are deceived by the thinking of the flesh.

10:17 We saw in 1 Corinthians in particular that there were some in Corinth who were 'puffed up' with their own self importance. This issue surfaces again with the quotation from Jeremiah 9:24 - any glorying has to be in what God has done for us, not what we have done, as we see it, for Him.

11:11 It would appear that there were enemies of Paul in Corinth who wanted to teach that Paul had no care for the ecclesia at Corinth. Hence the question ''Wherefore? Because I love you not?' Again character assassination is seen because his critics cannot fault the teaching of Paul.

11:14 is quoted by some to show that Satan (a.k.a. the Devil) is a fallen angel who is responsible for tempting people to sin.

Paul is talking about false apostles of Christ who were trying to undermine his work (v.12,13). 

These people had a leader (v.14).  (satan means adversary and is not the proper name for anyone or anything).  This adversarial man was chief amongst his followers who are described in v.15.  He claimed to be a messenger (angel) of the Truth (light) but in fact was a leader of falsehood. Paul’s thorn in the flesh could well have been this messenger of Satan, a leading false apostle, who dogged Paul’s every move trying to bring him down (2Cor 12:7).

2Cor 10:10 In saying that some said his speech was 'contemptible' we have some indication of the ill will that some in Corinth had towards Paul.

2Cor 11:6 Paul takes their comment that his speech is 'contemptible' and presents it as 'rude' - which means 'unlearned' see Acts 4:13 where the same word is sued.  Of course he was far from 'unlearned' though his focus is upon knowledge but, as he has done so often already, he appeals to them to think about what they know of the way he has been among them.

10:2 Paul hopes to spend time with the brethren and sisters in Corinth. He has already said (1Cor 4:21) that he does not want to have to deal with problems when he comes. Now he makes the same point again

11:6 It would appear that whilst Paul knew Scripture and could expound it well he was not an orator. This allowed some to denigrate his message because his peaking was not as appealing as that of some others. How critical are we of a brothers delivery? Does delivery cloud our judgment upon the quality of the content? Do we dismiss content because the delivery is below the standard we want to hear?

It’s a lovely thought in 2Cor 11:1-5 that Paul has spiritually “arranged a marriage” between the Corinthian members and Jesus Christ. Because of their problems, Paul is now worried that when the date of the marriage arrives they will be found wanting. They might, rather like the Galatians, sadly have espoused another gospel. The same principle applies to us. We are promised to Jesus Christ. We must therefore ensure that we keep ourselves pure, chaste, and ready for the marriage of the Lamb (Rev 19:7). While we wait, as that verse in Revelation says, we must “make ourselves ready.”

10:11 As there were those in Corinth who questioned Paul’s motives he ensured that he was not financially dependent upon them though he was willing to accept financial help from others – Macedonia for example – 11:9. In so doing he avoided appearance of evil – 1Thess 5:22

10:1 The ‘gentleness and meekness of Christ’ would contrast with those who sought a following. Such people tend to use ‘bully boy’ tactics to keep their following in line. Paul highlights the principles that should govern all teachers in the church.

The keyword for a life in Christ is simplicity (sincerity and singleness of purpose).  Paul warns of dangers from without and dangers from within (11:3,4). Those dangers are very much alive today, and we must be on guard against them.  We must be on guard against the subtle ideas of the world which can creep in and compromise the Truth.  We must also be on guard from within against overbearing rules and regulations which tend to stultify the plain tenets of the Truth.  And most of all we must be on guard against our own tendencies to lose focus in the Truth.

10:18 ‘approved’ <1384> is a term which speaks of the integrity of the money merchant. This type of merchant only dealt with true and unadulterated coins.