Lev 13:45 | KingComments | STEP | The leper must indicate by his appearance and by his confession that he is unclean. He must also be removed from the daily contact with his fellow citizens, as happened with Uzziah ( ). Everything is a protection for God’s people, but above all a duty to the holiness of God Who dwells with His people. He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. The leper is excluded and may not enter the sanctuary. In the church too, the evil must be removed from the midst ( ). The leper is forced to acknowledge his uncleanness. In a spiritual sense, this is not a confession that can be seen as a beginning of restoration. Restoration only comes when there is repentance of sin. This restoration begins by crying “unclean!, unclean!”, followed by “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”, as the ten leprous men do who meet the Lord Jesus ( ). Torn clothes indicate that there is no covering before God. The uncovered hair of the head symbolizes the acknowledgment of the head exposed to God’s wrath. To cover the moustache was a sign of mourning ( ). This was generally done by throwing the skirt of the garment over the lower part of the chin. To cover the moustache or upper lip means that nothing can be said that is to the glory of God. The only thing that such a person can proclaim is his own uncleanness.

‏ Leviticus 13:45

Acknowledgment of Uncleanness

The leper must indicate by his appearance and by his confession that he is unclean. He must also be removed from the daily contact with his fellow citizens, as happened with Uzziah (2Chr 26:21a). Everything is a protection for God’s people, but above all a duty to the holiness of God Who dwells with His people. He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. The leper is excluded and may not enter the sanctuary. In the church too, the evil must be removed from the midst (1Cor 5:13b).

The leper is forced to acknowledge his uncleanness. In a spiritual sense, this is not a confession that can be seen as a beginning of restoration. Restoration only comes when there is repentance of sin. This restoration begins by crying “unclean!, unclean!”, followed by “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”, as the ten leprous men do who meet the Lord Jesus (Lk 17:12-13).

Torn clothes indicate that there is no covering before God. The uncovered hair of the head symbolizes the acknowledgment of the head exposed to God’s wrath. To cover the moustache was a sign of mourning (Eze 24:17 ; 22). This was generally done by throwing the skirt of the garment over the lower part of the chin. To cover the moustache or upper lip means that nothing can be said that is to the glory of God. The only thing that such a person can proclaim is his own uncleanness.