Leviticus 13

Leviticus 13:1-59

Leviticus 13:1-593. Uncleanness from Disease-Leprosy (Leviticus 13:1-59) Leprosy is chosen as a representative disease for hygienic reasons, of course, but primarily for religious reasons. Leprosy is a type of sin: hateful, loathsome, foul, and ending in death. It, more than any other disease, is a picture of death working in life (1 Timothy 5:6). Being most visible and manifest, it is in itself a parable of death, which is the wages of sin. The law required the same sacrifice for the cleansing of leprosy as for sin, thus showing the close likeness between them. Two birds were to be offered, one to be killed, the other to fly away (Leviticus 14:4-7). So David in confessing his sin and pleading for it to be put away, says, “ Purge me with hyssop,” words used only of the cleansing of leprosy. So it comes to pass that leprosy, this disease above all other diseases, is chosen by the Holy Spirit as a type of sin as sin appears in the eyes of God. It is for this reason that the leper had to go to the priest, not to the doctor, for cleansing. Leprosy like Sin Leprosy is like sin in that in its beginning it is small and insignificant and even unalarming. It also has a bright appearance or starts in a bright place (Leviticus 13:2). So sin ofttimes has small beginnings and appears to be bright and pleasing, but death lurks there. Then again, leprosy is in the blood. It is a part of the nature. It is not what the leper did, but what he was that separated him from fellowship and communion, just as it is not so much what a man does as what he is as a sinner that separates him from God. No personal act brought on leprosy; it was in the blood. So we are sinners by nature. What a great truth to recognize, for there can be no thorough sense or treatment of sin unless we recognize the necessity of treating it at its source and as a nature. Leprosy is like sin in that it is progressive. It grows; it does not stand still. No man can remain in the innocency of childhood, nor can he maintain that innocency. It would be easier to find a man who had never sinned than to find one who had sinned but once. It is characteristic of iniquity that it shall wax worse and worse (cf. 2 Timothy 3:13). Leprosy separates from home and loved ones as well as from communion and fellowship with the people. So does sin separate from God here and also from God and our loved ones eternally in the future. Leprosy finally ends in death, just as does sin (cf. John 8:21; John 8:24; 1 John 5:16). These laws regarding leprosy have much to teach us in a moral way. The bad man is a moral leper. We should separate ourselves from the lusts of the flesh just as we would from the leper (cf. Proverbs 4:14-15; Proverbs 5:3-13; Proverbs 7:25-27). Leprosy may be intellectual (Leviticus 13:42-44) and thus indicate mental immorality. A pure faith and pure thoughts will keep one pure in life (cf. Philippians 4:6-8). It has been said that Satan is intellect without God. Leprosy may reside on the person (Leviticus 13:1-46); in the clothes (Leviticus 13:47-59); in the home (Leviticus 14:35-52); and in the community. One cannot read this chapter carefully without noting certain cautions in connection with the diagnosis of leprosy. There is great danger that surface indications may be mistaken for deep-seated disease. We should, therefore, be on our guard lest we be too suspicious and take for real evil that which only resembles evil, or designate sin that which appears like sin (Leviticus 13:5-6). Of course, whatever has the appearance of evil needs suspicious treatment, but we need to be careful even in this (cf. Romans 14:22). We should not be overzealous to condemn ourselves when God does not condemn us (Leviticus 13:21-23). Some people make a god of conscience. Leviticus 23:26-324. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-34, cf. Leviticus 23:26-32) This chapter should probably follow Leviticus 10:1-20 in order. The Day of Atonement was the greatest day of all the Levitical system. It was the crown and climax. Even after all the elaborate ceremonies and sacrifices for sins of commission and omission, it was evident that some sins would, in the very nature of the case, be overlooked, so the Day of Atonement gathered up the sins of the whole year and presented them to God for forgiveness. The Meaning and Significance of the Day of Atonement It showed the incompleteness of the sacrificial ceremonies. It was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should finally and completely take away sin (cf. Hebrews 9:8-9). The ceremonies of that day took place primarily in the holy of holies. This was an indication that the true end of all spiritual worship is not attained until the worshipper has free access into the very presence of God. Herein lies the superiority of Christianity over Judaism. Christianity affords such access (cf. Romans 5:2; Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 9:1-24). The Ceremonies of the Day of Atonement Great simplicity characterized the dress of Aaron and the priests on this day as compared with other days (Leviticus 16:4). Purity, and not display, was characteristic of the priest as he appeared before God that day. The high priest himself may not have been spotless in his life, but his dress was. That dress typified the perfect righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, the righteousness which He has procured for us. The high priest was kept in seclusion or privacy for seven days before the Day of Atonement, lest he should defile himself. It is said by some that the high priest sat up the entire night before the Day of Atonement, praying. If this be true, how much is wrapped up in the saying of our Savior, the great High Priest, who, in the garden of Gethsemane, before the great atonement, said to His disciples, “ Could ye not watch with me one hour?” The priests had to offer sacrifices for themselves. Even the priests, supposed to be holy, had to offer for themselves and for the sanctuary, which, by their holy ministrations, had been defiled. Is it possible that these ministrations, which had been ostensibly for the purpose of purification and worship, had in fact polluted the Tabernacle? Then what a tremendous lesson in holiness is here taught! Every priest fails in his office, and so bids the worshipper look forward to the great High Priest who needed not to atone for His own sins. The offering in behalf of the people consisted of two goats for a sin offering, thereby indicating that sin had been pardoned and put away; and a ram for a burnt offering, thus intimating that their sacrifice had found acceptance with God. Two goats were necessary, probably, because one could not fulfill the two parts of the whole truth which set forth the sacrifice for sin and the effect of that sacrifice. There can be no forgiveness unless there has been sacrifice. Confession is not enough; pardon rests on atonement. The whole question as to whether my sins are forgiven or not turns on this question, Has God laid His hand upon Christ and accepted Him as my substitute? Faith is the attitude and condition which lays hold of this fact.

The scapegoat indicates that sin had been carried away and was remembered no more by God forever. The daily sacrifice dealt with daily sins. The Day of Atonement dealt with sins as a whole and showed the people that God had not only forgiven and pardoned their sin, but had removed it entirely from His remembrance. The atonement was made within the veil. Christ, our great High Priest, has presented the blood of atonement within the veil, in the very presence of God Himself (Hebrews 9:24-26).