Leviticus
14 – Ceremonial Cleansing of the Leper
The
ceremonial cleansing alludes to the redemption of the sinner. The leper would not come among the people,
for he was not allowed to. He was shut
out. Therefore, the priest had to go to
him. God goes all the way to the sinner to heal his plague of sin. God has declared that the heart of man is
vile and so it is God who must pronounce a man clean. He alone can cleanse..”and the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin.” I John 1:7. The cross of Christ had to
be down here on earth. He had to come down here to meet us where we are.
There
were two live, clean birds used in this sacrifice. One was killed to represent the death of
Christ. The other was living to
represent the resurrection of Christ. They used cedar wood, a symbol of the
perfect humanity of Christ. The wood was
incorruptible. The scarlet is the sign of faith in the blood. Hyssop is a plant that grows upon rocks in
damp places. It represents the faith of
the individual. It is the application of
the death of Christ and the blood of Christ to sin in the believer’s life. The
earthen vessel is the body which we have.
The emphasis is upon the weakness and infirmity of humanity. Running
water speaks of both the Word of God and the Spirit of God. The live bird was dipped in the blood of the
slain bird to identify him with the bird that was slain. Then the live bird was
given its freedom, permitting it to fly away.
Christ was delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification
to give us freedom to stand steadfast in Christ. The believer is as free as the
birds of the heavens and is delivered from religion, rituals, and law. He is
subject to Christ’s will and way. The
ceremony has now completed, and the leper has been cleansed and accepted. There
is a newness of life. The shaving off all the hair of his body emphasizes the
radical change that is taking place in his life. He must take his place with the other Israelites
and present the offerings that every member of the congregation brought before
the Lord. Th cleansed leper stands before the door of the tabernacle. The blood
upon the tip of his right ear means he can now hear the voice of the Son of God
saying, “thy faith has made thee whole.” The blood on the right thumb means
that with clean hands he can now serve God. The blood on his right toe means
that the cleansed leper can now walk in the way of God. The oil poured on his head means he is now
totally dedicated to God.
There
will be a time when God will demolish this earth that is tainted with sin. He is going to make it clean. There will be a
new heaven and a new earth, and they will be free from sin.
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