As we struggle through the reading of the laws and regulations, imagine what a struggle it was for the people to keep the law.
Romans 7:6-7a
But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Let it not be said! But I did not know sin except through the law. 

The prophet Amos wrote about a plumb line.

“Look, I am setting up a plumb line among my people…”

What a great visual He has given us. His Word is our plumb line that helps us to be aware of our sin. It shows us how far off we are.  It is with this plumb line that we can compare our lives, our actions, our motives, our thoughts. It is through the law that we know what actions and motives and thoughts are sinful. 

“You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean…”
Romans 7:7 spells it out very clearly.  How would the Israelites know what things were unclean if they did not have the law? We hear many sermons and can read many books about God's love, mercy, and grace but we hear few sermons or read few books about God's law.

In all the rituals concerning people with infectious diseases, leprosy, boils, burns, etc. there is no mention of a cure. They were simply separated from the general population. Jesus came with cures, not just for the physical but for the spiritual as well.

2 Corinthians 7:1
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
If only we would keep ourselves separate from things that contaminate us.
Praise God, He sees us as "clean" through the blood of Jesus!