UNCLEAN SPIRITS
The most frequent mention of unclean spirits in the Bible is in relation to the ministry of Jesus. Elsewhere in the Bible evil spirits are called demons (see DEMONS). Satan is their leader, and he used them in an exceptional way to oppose Jesus’ ministry (Mark 1:21-27; 3:11; 5:2,7; 6:7; 7:25). Jesus’ victory over evil spirits was a sign that the kingdom of God had come and Satan was being conquered (Matt 4:23-24; 12:28; see KINGDOM OF GOD; SATAN). When people were possessed by evil spirits, their speech and behaviour changed.
Evil spirits could enable them to have supernatural knowledge or strength, which could be used in an orderly way, but could also produce behaviour similar to hysteria or epilepsy. This may have resulted in temporary blindness, deafness or dumbness (Matt 12:22; Mark 1:24-26; 5:2-5; 9:17-25; Acts 16:16-18). Jesus and his disciples healed many who were possessed by evil spirits, but the Bible usually makes a distinction between such people and those who suffered from normal sicknesses and diseases (Matt 10:8; Mark 1:34; 6:13; Acts 5:16; 8:7; 16:16-18; see DISEASE). Those possessed by unclean spirits were not necessarily morally evil, and were not excluded from the synagogue. In fact, they were usually so tormented by the evil spirits that they showed great relief and gratitude when freed from them (Mark 1:21-26; 5:18-20; Luke 8:1-2). Those whom Jesus cleansed from evil spirits had to beware of becoming self-satisfied. It was therefore important for them to be committed to Jesus as true followers, allowing God’s Spirit to come into their lives and rule where previously Satan had ruled (Matt 12:43-45).
UNCLEANNESS
Since Israel’s God was holy, Israel as a nation had to be holy (Lev 11:44-45). (For the biblical meaning of ‘holy’ see HOLINESS.) Laws of cleanliness applied this holiness to every part of the people’s lives, including their daily food and bodily cleanliness. A person who broke one of these laws was considered defiled, or unclean, and had to be ceremonially cleansed before joining again in the religious activities of God’s covenant people (Exod 19:10-15; Num 19:20-22; John 11:55). One duty of the priests was to teach the people to distinguish between the holy and the common, the clean and the unclean (Lev 10:10; Ezek 44:23). The system of ritual defilement reminded the people that the results of sin were widespread and could not be ignored (Lev 20:22-26). It also helped to keep the people physically healthy, by preventing them from eating harmful foods, encouraging personal hygiene and limiting the spread of disease.
Uncleanness of animals and things
Israel’s laws concerning animals suitable for food were particularly useful in an age of little scientific knowledge. A few simple rules enabled people to recognize forbidden animals, even though they may not have known that meat from those animals could be harmful (Lev 11:1-23,46-47). The laws were not intended to govern the lives of people in other countries and eras (Acts 10:13-15; Rom 14:14,20; 1 Cor 10:31; 1 Tim 4:4). Articles could become defiled through misuse or accidents. If washing could guarantee cleansing, as in the case of clothing, the articles were to be washed. If washing could not guarantee cleansing, as in the case of earthenware pots, the articles had to be destroyed (Lev 11:29-40; 15:8-11).
Uncleanness of persons
Contact with a dead body made people unclean and required them to stay outside the community till they had bathed themselves and washed their clothes. The isolation period was one day for handling the carcass of an animal, but a week for handling a human corpse. In the latter case, ritual sprinkling was also required (Lev 11:24-25; Num 19:11-19). There was a special cleansing ritual for restored lepers (Lev 14:1-57; see LEPROSY). If people unknowingly ate meat from which the blood had not been properly drained, they had to carry out a cleansing ritual (Exod 22:31; Lev 17:14-16).
Ceremonial cleansing, including the offering of sacrifices, was necessary for a woman after childbirth. The ceremony was carried out forty days after the birth of a male child and eighty days after the birth of a female child (Lev 12:1-8; cf. Luke 2:21-24). There were strict laws concerning any infection or abnormality relating to sexual organs, whether male or female (Lev 15:1-15). Ceremonial uncleanness lasted one day after sexual intercourse, and seven days after normal menstruation. It was normally removed by bathing. Where a woman suffered lengthy or otherwise abnormal discharge, sacrifices also were required (Lev 15:16-33). A serious defilement was that which resulted from the unlawful shedding of blood. Murder made the land unclean, and the uncleanness could be removed only by the death of the murderer; or, if the murderer could not be found, by the ritual slaughter of an animal instead (Deut 21:1-9). Worship of idols also made the land unclean, and the uncleanness could be removed only by the removal of the people themselves from the land (Ezra 9:10-14; Jer 2:7; 16:18; Ezek 14:11; cf. 2 Kings 17:16-18; 21:11-15).
Practices of New Testament times
By the time of Jesus, the Jews had developed a far more detailed system of ritual cleansing. The hand-washing ritual of the Pharisees, for instance, required the pouring of water over their hands to cleanse them from the defilement of people and things they had touched in the Gentile world (Mark 7:1-4; John 2:6; 3:25; 18:28). Jesus pointed out that such traditions caused misunderstandings of the law and prevented people from doing the more important things that the law required (Mark 7:5-9; see TRADITION). The laws of ceremonial cleansing pointed to a much deeper problem, the problem of sin, which affects every part of people’s lives. Real defilement comes not from what people eat or how they eat it, but from sinful thoughts, words and actions. People are made unclean in God’s sight by the evil that comes out of them, not by the food that goes into them (Mark 7:14-23; Titus 1:15; James 4:8). This uncleanness can be removed only through the blood of Jesus Christ. His sacrificial death, by dealing with the root problem of sin, does what all the Israelite rituals were unable to do (Heb 9:13-14; 10:22; see BLOOD; SACRIFICE).
UR
The ancient city of Ur was in the land of Chaldea, which was part of a larger territory commonly known as Babylon. Though it is mentioned in the Bible only as the place from which Abraham originally came (Gen 11:27-31; 15:7; Neh 9:7), it was an important city in the ancient world. A powerful Sumerian dynasty had been centred th
URIM AND THUMMIM
It seems that the Urim and Thummim were small objects that the Israelite high priest kept in the flat pouch (or breastpiece) that he wore on the front of his clothing. They were used to find out God’s will in matters requiring a clear-cut decision. In seeking God’s will through the Urim and Thummim, the priest put a question to God in a form that required an answer of either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. He then took the Urim and Thummim out of the breastpiece to find out the answer. God may have said ‘yes’, ‘no’, or nothing at all (Exod 28:15-30; Num 27:21; 1 Sam 14:41; 23:9-12; 28:6; 30:7-8; Ezra 2:63; Neh 7:65). (Compare, for example, the drawing of two identical coins out of a pouch. Two ‘heads’ means ‘yes’; two ‘tails’ means ‘no’; a ‘head’ and a ‘tail’ means ‘no answer’.)
UZZIAH
Much of the information about the period of Uzziah (or Azariah) comes from the prophets of the time, Amos and Hosea (Amos 1:1; Hosea 1:1). Uzziah was king of Judah for 52 years (791-739 BC; 2 Kings 15:1-2; 2 Chron 26:1), and for much of that time Judah was untroubled by foreign neighbours. Under Uzziah’s leadership the nation prospered. The favourable political conditions of the time enabled Uzziah to expand Judah’s power in every direction.
To the south and west he overran Arab and Philistine territory (2 Chron 26:6-7), spreading his influence to the borders of Egypt and taking control of Edom’s Red Sea port of Ezion-geber (or Elath) (2 Chron 26:2,8). To the east he overpowered Ammon (2 Chron 26:8), and to the north he enjoyed peace with the similarly prosperous Israelite kingdom of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:23-25; see JEROBOAM). He fortified Jerusalem, built up the armed forces, and equipped his troops with the most modern weapons (2 Chron 26:9,11-15). Uzziah’s conquests gave him control over land and sea trade routes, and his concern for agricultural development increased farm productivity (2 Chron 26:10).
Unfortunately, the prosperity brought with it greed and corruption. Those who profited most from the economic growth were the powerful city people, such as government officials, merchants and judges. Ordinary people, the majority of whom were poor farmers, suffered much from the corruption and oppression of the rich. This injustice was fiercely condemned by the prophets of the time, Amos and Hosea (Amos 5:10-12; 6:1; 8:4-6; Hosea 12:7-9; see also AMOS; HOSEA). Early in his reign Uzziah ruled well, because he followed the godly instruction of his chief adviser (2 Chron 26:5). Later in his reign his power led to pride, which in turn led to his downfall. Despite opposition from the priests, he insisted on taking over the high priest’s position, so that he could become the religious head of the nation as well as the political head. God punished him with leprosy, and his son Jotham had to act as joint ruler till Uzziah’s death (2 Chron 26:16-23). In the year of Uzziah’s death the prophet Isaiah, following Amos and Hosea, began to bring his messages of judgment to the corrupt nation (Isa 1:1; 6:1).