CLEANSING FROM DISEASE. Leviticus 14 After witnessing leprosy being confirmed as real and not only contaminating but also contagious, one might lose hope and have to lament their condition aloud. Day after day, they would cover their mouth and call out “Unclean, unclean” until the disease overtook them entirely. When the disease had run its course, a public ritual was necessary to inform the community. The cleansing ritual did not cure the disease, unlike some magical exorcisms common in pagan societies. Instead, it was a declaration that the individual was cured. They could not hide their condition from others and had to face themselves as they truly were.
How often do people try to excuse themselves by saying of their sin, "It is only a habit." Until a person truly faces their own sin, there can be no hope for cleansing. Others may recognize our problem before we do and seek to bring us to confront our sin before God, much like bringing a leper to the priest who declares the leper unclean. There is a sense of hopelessness tied to sin that some people refuse to face. They may hope it isn’t too serious and can be overlooked. Just as leprosy on the forehead cannot be hidden, neither can the true nature of sin within a person. The issue of indwelling sin impacts not only me personally but also what I influence and do. What I do affects those around me.
One day, when an observer saw the leper outside the camp, there was not just a small spot on the forehead or another part of the leper's body; it was obvious he was completely covered with signs of leprosy. The disease had advanced fully. It had affected every part of him until he realized that nothing was hidden from anyone, let alone from God.
When a person realizes that from the "sole of the foot to the head," there is nothing in us that qualifies us for God's presence, that person is close to the kingdom of God. They are not just saying words like the leper, who said, "Unclean, unclean"; now there is nothing at all to hide behind. When one reaches the point of saying and meaning it, "God be merciful to me, a sinner," that person is at the point where spiritual cleansing can occur.
A friend or family member would bring the priest, who would go outside the camp to where the leper, totally covered in leprosy, was. The priest would carefully examine him to determine if it was a complete illness. The priest went out of the camp to meet the leper, just as "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." The leper, who no longer tried to hide anything, was in a place where miraculous cleansing could happen. The priest, seeing the leper completely covered, could then show him the way to cleansing.
When people face their great need for salvation, they are willing to listen to anyone who can show them how to come to the Lord Jesus Christ for cleansing from sin. Someone might feel they are beyond hope, but the caring soul-winner will assure them that "him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out" are the words of the welcoming Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ willingly came into the world "to seek and to save that which was lost."
Healing the soul or body is the work of God. As a result of God's healing power, a cleansing must occur to prove what has already taken place. Any shortcuts the leper might attempt would undo the entire cleansing. When a person is ready and willing to turn solely to God for salvation, there is cleansing power in the blood. "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents."
The priest carefully examined the leper, who was completely covered with leprosy, to see if he had been healed. The cleansing can now take place after God's healing power has done its work. The priest was responsible for making the correct diagnosis. He also carried out the cleansing rituals, including sacrifices and other procedures. Whether the disease was internal, flowing through the blood, or an outward skin condition, they both symbolize inward and outward sin that requires the cleansing power of Christ’s blood.
The diagnosis of our condition is that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Our Lord Jesus Christ is the One who administered the cleansing we so greatly needed. “He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes we are healed.” When our Lord was here, He healed the sick but cleansed the lepers.
It is only the work of Christ that saves sinners. When someone is declared by God to have eternal life and is saved, that work is entirely God's. In healing the leper, another person provides what the leper needs. The spiritual mind can recognize evidence of salvation in a repentant sinner. The sinner understands who Christ is, in His majestic dignity as the Son of God from heaven, sent by the Father to save us.
Cedar and hyssop would be tied together with a scarlet thread to create a brush for the cleansing ritual. Cedar is strong and resistant to decay; hyssop is an aromatic herb used for flavor, fragrance, and medicine. The scarlet thread binding them serves as a reminder of Christ's blood, which purifies from sin and brings restored life and health. The leper would see the cedar, recognize its durability and pleasant scent, and the lofty tree it was taken from, to symbolize his cleansing. The scarlet, originally derived from a worm, would remind us of the humble dignity of our Lord Jesus, who appeared in human form and sacrificed Himself, giving His blood as a ransom for us. The hyssop, which grows on the ground, teaches us about Christ’s humility—who took the lowest place, "even the death of the cross," so that we might be cleansed of our sins and accepted through Him.
The two living birds form a complete picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, although He is eternal in His deity, gave Himself for us as a man in His humanity. The word of God and the Spirit of God are symbolized by the bird that was slain over flowing (living) water, with its blood collected in a clay vessel. The flowing water represents “living water”—eternal life—that our Lord Jesus Christ offers to those who believe in Him.
Dipping the cedar and hyssop brush, tied with the scarlet line, into the mixture of water and blood with one hand while holding the living bird in the other, the priest would sprinkle some of the mixture over the person being cleansed. The living bird would then be dipped in the mixture, symbolizing a substitute for the person, and afterward released. Cleansing from sin was never a neat and beautiful process. Christ died on the cross and shed His blood to free us from our sins. Though it was not a sight pleasing to the eyes, the outcome is what truly matters.
The blood was sprinkled seven times over that leprous, ravaged body, and the leper was pronounced clean, not because of what was seen but because of what was said. There is power in the Word of God because of the Person from whom that word comes. The priest had the authority to make that declaration, even though the bystander who brought what the leper needed would not have seen it with their own eyes. The leper was clean, not because he felt different, but because the priest gave his word.
Evidence of purity follows the truth. It is not the right of a preacher or someone responding to Christ's work on their behalf to claim they are cleansed. It is God's Word that assures us of salvation. Our duty to those we lead to Christ is to give them the Word of God and let God confirm their cleansing from sin in His way—through the scriptures of truth. God sees what man cannot see outwardly when He examines the heart.
The man who had blood applied to his body seven times was declared a clean man. The blood had atoned for him. When the leper, the one who brought the leper, and the priest came together, the priest stepped away from the stream of running water into the open field, and the blood-covered bird was released into the air and set free. When the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, there was evidence of the cross-death on His body, but it in no way limited Him. He bears the marks of His suffering and death, which have blessed us. Even though the leper may have looked the same to those who knew him, he knew he was cleansed because the priest had given his word, had experienced the blood applied to him, and had seen the evidence on the bird that flew upward from the earth.
The first thing the cleansed leper had to do was wash his dirty garments that showed evidence of living alone outside the place of blessing. This washing would be visibly different. His hair had to be cut. Some people are proud of that, but anything that had covered any uncleanness on his body had to be cut off. Perhaps those who brought him to the priest did that for him. Then, he had to wash completely, showing his personal responsibility to rid himself of all uncleanness. His baldness, the shame associated with it, and the visible change would prove that something fundamental had happened. He could enter the camp but not his tent. There was clear evidence seen by all that the leper had been cured.
When someone becomes a new creation in Christ, that cannot be hidden. The evidence is there, and a person finds themselves in a position of public testimony where they can be asked about what has happened in their life. The habits and activities of a newly saved individual provide the first proof of genuine conversion to God. Then, things become personal to them. Just as the witness and the priest did for the leper, others may help us understand what is right and wrong when we are saved.
Seven days later, the cleansed leper shaved again, removing all of his hair. His beard, eyebrows, head—anything that reflected his old life—was gone. Once more, he shaved, and his clothes and body were thoroughly washed. The evidence of leaving behind past efforts was clear when his clothes were washed again as a symbol of renewal. Shaving again signified that he was finished with the works of the flesh. The shaved head shows that he no longer sees things naturally, but spiritually. The shaved beard represents our rejection of what we thought we knew from experience and our embrace of our identity as "newborn babes who desire the sincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby." Shaving off the eyebrows indicates that we are done with past observations. This new person is completely different—intellectually, experientially, and by observation—from who they were before.
Eight days after the cleansing, the sacrifices of the sin offering and the burnt offering were made. This is like life starting over—being born again by God's grace shown to us. There were provisions to accommodate people of all social backgrounds. The poor could bring birds for sacrifice; some who could only offer one lamb could bring fine flour, and those who could afford it would bring two lambs. The priest brought the cleansed leper to stand before the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle, just as a new believer is now "accepted in the Beloved." The evidence was clear for all to see—that this leper, this cleansed person, could approach God and enter into the ongoing blessings of new life filled with hope and joy.
Now, we can enjoy our position in Christ, "Seated with Christ in heavenly places." With three lambs—two males and a female—he presents himself before the altar with the trespass, meat, and burnt offerings. Now "no longer far from Him, but now by precious blood brought nigh." The priest presented the cleansed leper before the Lord. The priest, in every way, made him accepted. The priest who pronounced him clean is now the mediator and intercessor, just as our Lord Jesus Christ is for us. The rejected one is now presented; we will be presented faultlessly before God.
Nine times, this person appears before the Lord because of the priest. Blood on the ear, thumb, and toe testify that the trespass offering has been made, and the cleansed leper has been changed in his understanding, abilities, and walk. The oil was sprinkled before the Lord seven times and applied on the ear, thumb, and toe, then on top of the blood of the trespass offering, with the remaining oil poured on the head of the cleansed leper. This teaches us that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live for God, serve God, and enjoy fellowship with God, which was previously impossible. The cleansed leper placed his hand on the trespass offering and killed it to be free from guilt. Through the burnt offering, blessings come to him because of the value of the offering, and fellowship with God can be restored. He is back to where he and God want him to be in worship, thanksgiving, and praise.
Mold, fungus, and mildew cause rot in buildings that must be addressed before they spread. Otherwise, the entire structure will need to be torn down. Any form of life that causes disease and decay must be investigated, diagnosed, and handled. Without doing so, an entire community of people and property would become contaminated and continue to spread.
The cleansing of the house shows us that sin should not be ignored in the house of God. The consequences of sin in a home or congregation are serious and widespread. God's people must address sin whenever it appears. We really need the value and virtues of our Lord Jesus Christ in every part of life, both personal and public. Sin is before the Lord, and cleansing from sin is also done before the Lord.