DBG - February 7 - Leviticus 14-15

In this chapter we see the directions for the ceremonial cleansing of a leper who has been healed.

vs. 1-3 – The priest goes to the leper outside the camp to verify that he has been cleansed.

vs. 4-7 – Since the leper cannot come to the Tabernacle, the sacrifice must begin where he has been exiled outside the camp.  Two birds are used.  The first is killed in a vessel to catch its blood while held above running water.  The living bird and the bundled wood, scarlet, and hyssop are dipped in the blood of the slain bird.  The former leper is sprinkled seven times with the bundle, and the living bird is set free.

vs. 8-9 – The former leper cleanses himself by washing his clothes and himself.  He shaves the hair from his body.  He stays outside the camp for 7 days and then repeats the cleansing and shaving.

vs. 10 – The leper is now able to reenter society.  He takes two males lambs, one ewe lamb, 3 omers (6 quarts) of flour mingled with oil, and one log (½ pint) of oil.  J. Vernon McGee notes: “There are all the offerings which the average Israelite would normally make in his lifetime.  It indicated the full acceptance of the cleansed leper.”

vs. 11-20 – The male lambs are offered as a trespass offering and a sin offering.  The female lamb is offered as a burnt offering.  The blood of the trespass offering is put on the right ear, thumb, and big toe.  The oil is sprinkled seven times before the Lord.  The oil is also placed on the ear, thumb, and big toe and the remainder poured on the man’s head.

vs. 21-32 – An alternative offering is allowed in the case of poverty.  Two turtledoves are substituted for lambs in the sin offering and burnt offering and only 1 omer (5 pints) of meal is used.

vs. 33-38 – Here begins instructions for dealing with a house that has become tainted with leprosy.  Leprosy is caused by bacteria, which was unknown at this time.  The prescription here sounds to me like it would cover things like bacteria or mold.  The first thing that is done is the house is cleared out and examined.  The house is shut up for seven days and then reevaluated.

vs. 39-42 – If it is determined to be leprosy, the tainted materials are removed and rebuilt.  The plaster in the house is removed and new plaster applied.

vs. 43-45 – If the leprosy returns, the house is to be destroyed.

vs. 46-47 – Various directions made for those that enter the unclean house.

vs. 48-53 – The sacrifice made for a cleansed house is the same as for a cleansed leper. One bird is slain, another dipped in its blood and released, and the blood is sprinkled seven times on the house.

vs. 54 – The closing emphasizes the importance of these regulations.

In this chapter we deal with some issues regarding bodily emissions.  The Bible is franker on such subjects than many Christians are comfortable.  If you want a bit more information on the contents of this chapter, I recommend starting with https://www.gotquestions.org/bodily-discharge.html

vs. 2-12 – Here is dealt with the case of man with an infection that is either sexually transmitted or of the urinary tract.  This infection causes him to emit bodily fluids.  Many precautions are taken to stop its spread, much of which is washing or waiting.

vs. 13-15 – In the case above, the man waits a week, bathes himself, washes his clothes, and offers two birds as offerings.

vs. 16-18 – Here is dealt with the case of a man’s sexual discharge.  It is not dealt with as a bad thing but requires bathing and being unclean until the evening.  Some try to make this only about such cases involving sexually transmitted diseases, but the language does not seem to allow it.

vs. 19-24 – Here is dealt with the case of a woman’s menstrual discharge.

vs. 25-30 – Here is dealt with the case of a woman with abnormal discharge.  There is a prescribed sacrifice to be made once the woman is made well.  We are reminded of the woman Christ healed in Luke 8:43-48).

vs. 31-33 – The closing emphasizes the importance of these regulations.

I will close with a quote from James M. Gray concerning these chapters:

“Of course, one reason for the enunciation of these laws concerned the health and the morals of the people, and to this day, notwithstanding their imperfect obedience thereto, the Hebrews remain the healthiest and most moral of all races. But a broader reason points to the design of God to keep the nation separate from every other (20:25, 26). This applies to all the laws of this book, and has a bearing on what was said in an earlier lesson as to God's purposes in calling Israel to be His special people. They were to be peculiar for the world's sake, as a source of blessing to the whole earth. Nor should it be overlooked that there is a deep spiritual and special significance to many, if not all, of these distinctions and prohibitions. Of those concerning leprosy is this particularly so. It is a striking representation of sin, and will well repay a careful study as the basis of a Bible reading on that subject.

“Amid so many things to be specifically noticed, it is difficult to distinguish. But notice the allusion to these laws in Acts 10:11-16, and see how God raises the thoughts of the apostle, and through him the whole church, far above their Levitical application. See how he teaches that the true cleanness these things typified, was that accomplished through being washed in the blood of the Lamb.”

Our hymn today is another one that was difficult to pick out because there just are not many (if any…)  hymns written on these two chapters.  I am not saying that is a bad thing.  So, I have chosen another hymn celebrating the cleansing of the leper and linking it to salvation in Christ.  It comes from a Lutheran songbook from the early 1800’s.

The leper in his painful case
Trusts to the Saviour's pow'r and grace;
He soon was made to feel, and know
What Jesus by his word could do.

The pain and anguish he did feel,
Which none on all the earth could heal;
Was soon remov'd, and done away:
Soon as to Jesus he did pray.

When my whole state of mind I view,
I find I am a Leper too;
A Leper of the vilest kind,
And no relief or cure I find.

I am defil'd in ev'ry part,
And pain and anguish fills my heart:
My very soul is fill'd with sin
And I must cry, unclean, unclean.

But as my Saviour passes by,
Then like the Leper I will cry:
Lord! thou can'st cure me if thou wilt!
O! cleanse my soul from sin and guilt.

My great Physician Christ shall be
To cleanse my soul, and set me free,
And I shall know his love and pow'r,
And praise and thank him ever more.