Identification and Cleansing of Leprosy, DCLM Adults STS
Lesson 70
MEMORY VERSE: “And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scrab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean” (Leviticus 13:6).
TEXT: Leviticus Chapters 13 to 15
This lesson focuses on laws on the diagnosis of leprosy. These laws show the high premium that God places on the health and cleanliness of His people, hence He commanded that a leper be quarantined until he was cured of his disease. Leprosy is a disease that affects skin texture, color and sensitivity. It symbolizes sin and how it works in man. Though the effect of leprosy is seen on the skin, the power resides deeply in the body. Even so, sin affects the human soul; causing unwholesome change in character and behavior. While its effects are seen outside, its power is deeply rooted within the soul of man. Like leprosy, sin separates man from God and has no human remedy. Leprosy must be cured just as sin must be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb for restoration of fellowship-with God (Romans 6:12-14;1 John 1:8,John 1:29).
1. LAWS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND QUARANTINE OF LEPERS
Leviticus 13:1-3,5,6,8;Deuteronomy 24:8; Numbers 12:10; 2 Chronicles 26:19,20; Micah 3:8; Zechariah 13:1; Matthew 11:4,5; Luke 7:22
The priests were given details to ensure accurate diagnosis. It was to prevent error in judgment. There are lessons for Christian leaders and believers from the way the priests were expected to handle cases of leprosy.
One, Christian leaders have a great responsibility to keep the congregation pure and preserved from any pollution of sin.
Two, they must be impartial in exercising their duty. Sin must never be excused among members in the church.
Three, all believers are priests in the New Testament (1 Peter 2:9). We need to therefore, examine our lives and make sure we are free from the leprosy of sin and afterwards watch over our fellow believers. Symptoms of leprosy include bright spot on the skin, a boil or hot ulcer rising out of a boil, inflammation or burns on the skin, inflammation on the head or beard resulting in the hairs falling off, plagues in the garments and in dwelling places. Leprosy was diagnosed if the spot on the skin was depressed and the hair turned white. Israelites have dark hair; therefore, a change of color to white was an evidence of leprosy. If there was doubt on the suspected case, the victim was kept isolation for seven days and re-examined. If need be, he was shut up for another seven days before the final judgment was made. During isolation, genuine cases of leprosy would become obvious and the victim declared unclean and shut out from the community. However, if the priests confirmed that the victim was not infected with leprosy, they would instruct him to wash himself and return to the congregation. The following lessons on how leprosy appears on a person are noteworthy.
One, it could arise spontaneously on the skin. We should therefore, watch out lest sin arises in our hearts (Hebrews 3:12; 12:15,16).
Two, leprosy could appear on the skirt where a boil or burn had been healed. We should be careful to avoid the danger of nursing past offences or minor misunderstanding which may provide a fertile breeding ground for sin in the church. Also, we should forgive and forget whatever way we might have been wronged (Matthew 18:35). “And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean” (Leviticus 13:12,13). How do we explain a situation where mere spots of visible leprosy rendered a man unclean; whereas, a person whose entire skin was covered from head to foot with leprosy was pronounced clean? The explanation is that when the leprosy had turned white all over, the disease was no longer active and infectious. In that case, the priest would declare the leper clean. The basic lesson for us here is that sins, which have been confessed, repented of and forgiven, pose no danger to the church. It means then that there would be cases that looked like leprosy but after the priests had examined very well, they would simply pronounce them clean and allow them to remain in the society.
This underlines the need for caution, by not rushing into condemnation or hastily imposing sanction without thorough investigation even in cases where there is a popular perception of offence (John 7:51). Once the priests had confirmed a case of leprosy, lepers would promptly be quarantined (Leviticus 13:4546,52-59; Numbers 5:1-4;12:10-15;Deuteronomy 24:8). The leper was required to rend his clothes, shave his head and put a covering upon his upper lip- signs of deep mourning or a great calamity among the leper could live in company of other lepers; but not in the community of healthy people. Any time the leper would come into the city, he should cry ‘unclean!’ severally as he approached the city so people could avoid contact with him. What a terrible picture of sin and the sinner’s condition (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1). There are several similarities between leprosy and sin.
First, leprosy is loathsome. Lepers were unclean and so are sinners before God (Isaiah 64:6).
Second, leprosy begins in an insignificant way but later, its effect is so disastrous. In the same way, sin may seem little but it is the little foxes that spoil the vines; and our (spiritual) have tender grapes (Song of Solomon 2:15). Third, leprosy is progressive and diffusive. Though it begins in a very small way, it spreads until it consumes the entire body, like “a little leaven [that) leaveneth the whole lump”.
Fourth, leprosy causes loss of sensitivity. Lepers do not feel pain, cold, heat, etc., because the skin, being the sense organ for detecting these stimuli, has already become numb. Similarly, sin deadens the conscience and leads to loss of spiritual sensitivity. The sinner, unless awakened by grace, can neither hear the alarm nor perceive any danger to his soul. Fifth, leprosy separated its victim from the congregation of Israel (Numbers 12:10-16). Sin also separates man from God both now and in eternity.
Looking at how leprosy disfigures and disgraces its victims before eventually killing them, we should dread sin as it has a more devastating effect than leprosy which only affects and disfigures the physical body. We must ensure that we are genuinely saved from sin and truly sanctified. The garments that had leprosy in it were to be burned no matter how precious or costly they were (Leviticus 13:47-59). In the same way, we must hate the garments or gains spotted with sin (Jude 23).
2. LAWS FOR THE CLEANSING OF LEPERS AND LEPROSY IN HOUSES
Leviticus 14:1-32; Matthew 8:4; Luke 5:14;17:14
God did not stop at the laws for the diagnosis of leprosy by the priests, He also instructed the children of Israel on the purification rites for cleansing the confirmed leper. God wanted them to understand that though leprosy was incurable by human efforts and that the leper was as good as dead, there was still hope for the leper in Israel. God directed Moses on what to do when ‘a leper’s leprosy had disappeared’. The priest should go out of the camp to meet and examine him in order to confirm that he was truly healed. The man could not go to the priest because he remained unclean and barred from the community until the priest declared otherwise. Once the priest confirmed that the leprosy had been truly healed, he would proceed with the purification rites. This consisted of two ceremonies; one outside the camp and the other at the court of the tabernacle, with an interval of seven days between them. The procedure was designed to achieve different ends. The ceremony outside the gate was designed to restore the cleansed man to the civil society, while the ceremony at the tabernacle was for his restoration to religious fellowship and worship in-the sanctuary. The purification rites of a healed leper are very significant.
The law pictures our salvation from sin. The shedding of the blood of birds and of lambs during the cleansing ceremony symbolized the blood of Jesus shed on behalf of sinners as atonement for sin and reconciliation with God. Although the purification of the cleansed leper was done in the congregation of Israel, it took the second ceremony to restore him to fellowship in the tabernacle. For the first ceremony, two clean birds were used. One bird was slain, the other let loose. The slain bird symbolized the previous condition of the cleansed leper. He was as good as dead. But the living bird set free symbolized his new condition of freedom. Our salvation from sin follows the same pattern as in the
Purification ceremony. Jesus “..was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification”(Romans 4:25). As Christ died and rose again, so the believer is identified with Him in death and resurrection to a new life. We must not only stop at the initial experience of justification by faith, we must press forward to be sanctified and baptized in the Holy Ghost. Sanctification removes the sin (disease) within. God also gave the law concerning leprosy in houses to the children of Israel anticipating when they would settle in Canaan (Leviticus 14:33-57; Exodus 32:26,27; Numbers 14:20-30,37,38). This law could not be enforced in the wilderness since they dwelt in tents and not houses. Lessons from the law of leprosy in the house include:
One, the owner of the house should report and invite the priest to investigate what seemed to be leprosy in his house. This teaches us not to cover up sin in our lives and homes as individuals.
Two, the house must be examine it otherwise, if the priest confirmed that there was leprosy in the house, the house and everything in it would be rendered unclean. From this, we learn the need for discretion to prevent the influence and consequence of sin on the innocent.
Three, the priest must do a thorough investigation before declaring the house unclean. If there was growth of leprosy on the wall of the house, he should order that the affected stone or portion of the wall be removed and dumped in a place outside the camp. Then, the wall of the house would be scraped thoroughly, the removed stones replaced with other ones and the house re-plastered. After this renovation, if the plague reappeared, then the house would be declared unclean and it would be utterly demolished; and its debris carried out to unclean place.
Four, if leprosy did not appear after the house had been renovated, the priest would declare the house clean and carry out purification rites. The purification ceremony for a house cleansed from leprosy was similar to that of a Cleansed leper.
3. LAWS FOR CLEANSING FROM OTHER FORMS OF DEFILEMENTS
Leviticus 14:33-57; Exodus 32:26,27; Numbers 14:20-30,37,38; Leviticus 15:1-33;2 Corinthians 7:1;1 John 3:3;1:9;Hebrews 9:22-26; Ephesians 5:25,26
In our text, God also pointed out to the Israelites that defilement could arise from secretions that issued from human body. This may be a diseased flux or a normal discharge that is associated with the reproductive system. According to this law, a person could be defiled by reason of a running issue, emission of semen, the normal menstrual flow in women, intercourse between man and woman or an unusual flow of blood in a woman. In every such case, the individual was required to wash himself or herself at the end of their period uncleanness. Anyone who had contact with the defiled person or any of his objects became defiled and in need of purification. The law of purification from bodily issues shows the need for holiness of character in order to maintain our fellowship with God. Though these defilements were less serious than leprosy, they nevertheless needed cleansing. This reminded the children of Israel that God was not only against the very obvious and serious defilements such as leprosy, but also frowns against those evil things that people might consider trivial or natural tendencies. “For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy...” (Leviticus 11:44). The law shows God’s concern for the physical wellbeing of His people. He did not overlook even seemingly small things such as mildew or mold on the walls of their houses, once they could bring infection to His people. This is another clear proof of God’s love and care for His children. The nations that surrounded the Israelites were ignorant of the laws of hygiene and how to prevent infection.
These nations might have considered the detailed laws of God to Israel, a burden and a strange thing. But by compliance with these laws, Israel proved that they loved and honored God and were distinct from their neighbors. As a result, Moses was able to say to the children of Israel: “For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” (Deuteronomy 4:7,8). Finally, we need to remember that under the New Testament dispensation, we are no longer subject to ceremonial laws. Jesus has set us free by fulfilling for us the demands of these laws. However, we can still benefit from the principles of righteousness, holiness and hygiene which they set forth.
QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW
- Why did God command that leprosy should be drastically dealt with?
- Compare the roles of priests in identifying leprosy with that of Christian leaders.
- Point out the similarities between leprosy and sin.
- What lesson was the law of purification from leprosy intended to teach?
- Explain the two ceremonies that constituted the purification of lepers in Israel and their purposes.
- Point out the significance of the law of cleansing of the leper.
- What is our position in the New Testament dispensation concerning ceremonial laws?