Leviticus Study Notes - Ritual For Cleansing Healed Lepers (Chapter 14)

Comparison of leprosy and sin: Horrible, painful and unsightly as it numbs, cripples, deadens and destroys the soul of man

In chapter 14 it's interesting that we don't see the healing of the leprosy. We see the cleansing of the leper and the restoration of that person to the company of God's people

Why is that important? Restoration requires more than outward change. It requires a cleansing which only obedience to God's law can bring.

God's law for man then and now provides the way back for those who have been separated from Him

Verses 1-3: Outside the camp (We must go out among the unclean!)

Verses 4-7: This ritual has some things in common with other rituals used to remove sin or impurity

Two living and clean birds - pigeons or turtledoves. In common with the two goats on the Day of Atonement (Chapter 16)
Cedar - perhaps juniper. Known to have medicinal value
Scarlet - in KJV and NKJV, RSV added "stuff," NIV, "yarn," NAS "string," others have "material" or "thread"
Origin: coccus ilicus - A crimson or scarlet worm, looks like a grub. Female lays eggs on a tree, attaches herself to the tree over the eggs for protection. As larvae consume her body, blood runs down the tree, staining it. Harvested at the right time, the blood is used to dye fabric

The Hebrew word is pronounced as "shaw-nee," meaning crimson, the insect of its color or material dyed with it. Same word is used in Psalm 22:6, "But I am a worm and not a man..."

Scarlet thread: Genesis 38:27-30 - sons of Judah and Tamar were being born. Midwife tied thread to Zerah then Perez was born first. Jesus came from the lineage of Perez (Matthew 1:3)

Scarlet was part of the tabernacle curtains (Exodus 26:1) and the High Priest's ephod (Exodus 28:6)
Rahab the Harlot (Joshua 2:18) "Tie this cord of scarlet in the window"
Blood of Christ (Hebrews 9:22) "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness"

Hyssop - Note that in Numbers 19 a red heifer is sacrificed. Cedar, hyssop and scarlet were tied together and thrown on the burning cow. When it was all burned to ash, the ash was used to purify water
Used as an antiseptic (Psalm 51) and also as a cough reliever

The process - One bird was killed over running (living) water. Bird's blood was mixed with the water and collected in the vessel. The other bird, cedar, scarlet and hyssop were dipped in that blood. Blood was then sprinkled on the person being cleansed

Meaning? No inspired explanation is given. Sprinkling of the dead bird's blood may represent the cleansing of the diseased person just as sprinkled blood was used in seeking atonement for sin

Freed bird may symbolize the person was no longer imprisoned by the disease but was free to go where he wanted. May also represent freedom from possible death they faced

Or, placing the dead bird's blood on the person and the living bird, "the ritual impurity was transferred from the person to the living bird, via the blood of the slain bird and the living bird carried the impurity away."

Verse 10: Healed person was allowed in the camp on the 8th day. Special significance in this book, marking a new beginning and is generally associated with rest and celebration (verse 23; 9:1, 3; 12:3; 15:14, 29; 22:27; 23:36, 39)

Verses 11-13: A trespass offering was given. Why?
The afflicted person had been absent from the community and was separated from God by not being allowed in the Holy Place

Verses 18-20: Sin offering and burnt offering given. Making atonement
Third time in three verses it's stated these sacrifices made atonement. "He shall be clean."

Verses 21-32: Provisions for the poor are made. Birds are substituted for lambs

Verses 33-53: Deal with homes
Note the promise in 34, "When you have come into the land of Canaan"

Verses 43-47: An incurable case

Verses 48-53: Cleansing rituals

Ted Thrasher in The Cleansing of Leprosy wrote, "Surely we can see God's great provision for our cleansing, restoration and fellowship with Him and the faithful in the comparisons of His dealing with leprosy. God has provided the cleansing blood of His only Son. We can all have fellowship with Him and the righteous when we are cleansed of our sins, put on the clean garments of righteousness and remain faithful."

Leviticus Study Notes - Chapter 13

Hebrew word for leprosy tsara'at: An attack, from the word meaning "to scourge." Related to the word hornet. Exodus 23:28, Deuteronomy 7:20, Joshua 24:12

"A traditional, general term covering a wide variety of maladies. Leprosy was a dreaded skin disease which destroyed the human flesh." Possible skin disorders covered here: leprosy, Hansen's Disease, different kinds of skin disorders which appeared like leprosy but disappeared; herpes, ringworm, ezema, psoriasis

Sometimes a mark of Divine displeasure as seen in Exodus 4:6, Numbers 12:10, 2 Samuel 3:29, 2 Kings 5:27

NOTE: Items cannot get true leprosy, only flesh can. 13:47 and 14:34 clearly discuss clothing and houses. Therefore, that can't be specific leprosy

Verse 2: Also shows the theme of the chapter; one who has something on his skin, swelling, a scab, bright spot

Verses 3-8: Two different problems described here - Minor because the disorder wasn't severe and isolation was short. Major in verse 7, "spread at all" indicates seriousness

Ritual period of 7 days is common in Leviticus: 8:33; 12:2; 14:8; 15:13, 28; 23:6, 25:4. "7" appears 176 times in this book!

Isolation example - See King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26:21

Verses 9, 11, 15: "unclean" Seven times in this one chapter a person is declared unclean. Verses 11, 15, 36, 44, 46, 51, 55

Case 1 in verses 9-17 A swelling of the skin
Case 2 in verses 18-23 A boil on the skin
Case 3 in verses 24-28 A burn on the skin
Case 4 in verses 29-37 Infections on the head
Case 5 in verses 38-39 Bright spots
Case 6 in verses 40-44 Infection on a bald head

Verses 45-46: Consequences of the disease
The rules to this point have stated that people were to be classified as leprous and pronounced unclean but until now we're not told what was to happen to them

Tear their clothes, uncover the hair on the head (disheveled?), cover mustache, cry "unclean, unclean," live outside the camp

See the 10 diseased men with Jesus in Luke 17:11-14
Other examples of Israelites excluded due to disease: Miriam in Numbers 12 and Four Lepers of Samaria in 2 Kings 7

Verses 47-59: Clothing and Garments
Dealing with mold, mildew and fungus

Verse 55: "warp or in the woof"
Only place this is found in the Bible. NIV says, "woven" or knitted. Knitting wasn't invented until the Middle Ages.
A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament says, "Set of threads drawn lengthwise in the loom through which the shuttle bearing the wool is woven."
Meaning...any part of the garment!

Application: A person's uncleanness belonged to that person and only that person
Purge it out! "If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out." Matthew 18:9; Mark 9:47
Not every diseased person was sinful but the analogy still holds

Sin contaminates and ultimately destroys those who practice it
Can a person "catch" sin? A sinful environment doesn't make one a sinner. (Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon)
We need to be among sinners (Jesus was), to teach them
Yet it can be contagious. Why did Paul write 1 Corinthians 15:33? "Bad company corrupts good morals
Sin isn't contagious because it can't be inherited (Ezekiel 18)
Sin is contagious if we allow others to influence us