In 1943 Louis Jordan recorded this song, which draws a clear line between two possibilities, with no middle ground. That can be a challenge, because we usually like finding a spot for ourselves in the middle ground.

But the rules for eating the meat offered in sacrifice are specific. The thanksgiving sacrifice of shalom must all be eaten on the day it is offered; none may be kept as leftovers for the next day (Leviticus 7:15). But if the shalom sacrifice is a votive or freewill offering, it can be eaten on the day the offering is made, and the leftovers can be eaten the next day. But not the third day: “If any of the flesh of your sacrifice of well-being is eaten on the third day, it shall not be acceptable, nor shall it be credited to the one who offers it; it shall be an abomination, and the one who eats of it shall incur guilt” (7:18). Is you is, or is you ain’t, going to follow these rules?

And there’s more: “those who eat flesh from the Lord’s sacrifice of well-being while in a state of uncleanness shall be cut off from their people. When any one of you touches any unclean thing—human uncleanness or an unclean animal or any unclean creature—and then eats flesh from the Lord’s sacrifice of well-being, you shall be cut off from your people” (7:20-21). “If any one of you eats the fat from an animal of which an offering by fire may be made to the Lord, you who eat it shall be cut off from your people.  You must not eat any blood whatever, either of bird or of animal, in any of your settlements.  Any one of you who eats any blood shall be cut off from your people” (7:25-27). You cannot eat the meat from the sacrifice if you have touched anything unclean; you cannot eat any of the fat; you cannot eat any blood: for any of these offenses, you are cut off: you are no longer a member of the people of God. So as you get ready to eat you must ask yourself, is you is, or is you ain’t, part of God’s people?

Where is the forgiveness for our inadvertent sins, like we read about yesterday? That’s still there, but not in this chapter. Here we find harsh insistence that everyone must decide that we will do things God’s way, just because that’s what God says. We today have come to understand that the food laws of ancient Israel have been set aside by God’s inclusion of the gentiles (Acts 10:1-48). But the seriousness and completeness of God’s call remains: Is you is, or is you ain’t?

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Help us, Lord, to set our hearts to follow you, just because you are the one who calls us and commands us. We always want to find a way to modify your word with our own opinions: yet give us the grace to recognize that you are the Lord, and we are not, and so we should learn to do as you say.

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