Lev 14:33-53 | KingComments | STEP | The third case of leprosy is that on a house. That is only now being discussed because it is a special case. This case cannot happen in the wilderness, where the Israelites have no houses. They only have them in the land. God points to that time ( ). The house can be applied to the house of Israel, which will ultimately be leprous and must be torn down. God will have to set aside the house of Israel, His people, when it appears that they forget Him, and serve the idols, and reject their Messiah. It is also applicable to professing Christianity as a whole. Another application is that to a local church as an expression of the house of God. If sin is found there, it must be judged. It can be limited to the mark of leprosy on one or a few stones, on one person or a few persons. Just as stones can be broken away, those who live in sin must be removed from the local church. Stones represent believers ( ). Believers who live in sin must be removed from among the believers of the local church ( ). It is God Who puts the mark of leprosy on a house ( ). That is, if sin is given a place in a local church, we must acknowledge that God has allowed it. He allows this to reveal who is for Him ( ). The owner of the house refers to those who bear responsibility, that in the church everything goes as God wills. This thought is represented in “the angel of the church” ( ). They can be addressed as people who recognize evil. They go with it to the priest. He is expected to do something about it, for he is supposed to be spiritual-minded and to know God’s thoughts. He, in practice, lives in God’s presence. The priest investigates. He knows what the stones should look like. He can determine whether stones have a different color. He is not hasty. First the house is cleared, so that evil does not spread any further. The house is then closed for seven days. When after that it turns out that there are stones with the mark of leprosy, those stones must be torn out. When the leprous stones have been removed, the whole house must be scraped. The local church must cleanse itself of the influence of sin. The members must humble themselves, acknowledge their share and prove themselves clean ( ). Then other stones are put in their place. The Lord gives blessing when discipline is exercised in the right mind and thus compensates for the loss.

‏ Leviticus 14:33-53

A Mark of Leprosy on a House

The third case of leprosy is that on a house. That is only now being discussed because it is a special case. This case cannot happen in the wilderness, where the Israelites have no houses. They only have them in the land. God points to that time (Lev 14:34).

The house can be applied to the house of Israel, which will ultimately be leprous and must be torn down. God will have to set aside the house of Israel, His people, when it appears that they forget Him, and serve the idols, and reject their Messiah. It is also applicable to professing Christianity as a whole.

Another application is that to a local church as an expression of the house of God. If sin is found there, it must be judged. It can be limited to the mark of leprosy on one or a few stones, on one person or a few persons. Just as stones can be broken away, those who live in sin must be removed from the local church. Stones represent believers (1Pet 2:5). Believers who live in sin must be removed from among the believers of the local church (1Cor 5:13b).

It is God Who puts the mark of leprosy on a house (Lev 14:34). That is, if sin is given a place in a local church, we must acknowledge that God has allowed it. He allows this to reveal who is for Him (1Cor 11:19).

The owner of the house refers to those who bear responsibility, that in the church everything goes as God wills. This thought is represented in “the angel of the church” (Rev 2:1 ; 8 ; 12 ; 18 ; Rev 3:1 ; 7 ; 14). They can be addressed as people who recognize evil. They go with it to the priest. He is expected to do something about it, for he is supposed to be spiritual-minded and to know God’s thoughts. He, in practice, lives in God’s presence.

The priest investigates. He knows what the stones should look like. He can determine whether stones have a different color. He is not hasty. First the house is cleared, so that evil does not spread any further. The house is then closed for seven days. When after that it turns out that there are stones with the mark of leprosy, those stones must be torn out.

When the leprous stones have been removed, the whole house must be scraped. The local church must cleanse itself of the influence of sin. The members must humble themselves, acknowledge their share and prove themselves clean (2Cor 7:11). Then other stones are put in their place. The Lord gives blessing when discipline is exercised in the right mind and thus compensates for the loss.

The Mark Breaks Out Again in the House

The mark can break out again in the house. This happens when the previous case of leprosy has not been thoroughly purified. The whole house must then be torn down and taken out of town. It is the picture of a local church that does not judge sin in its midst. Such a local church can then no longer be recognized as such by the Lord. If sin is not judged, He cannot be in the midst.

A church where the evil has penetrated so much that there is no longer any cleansing can no longer be recognized as a church. It is removed from the circle of houses that make up the city and is taken out of the city. In the practice of the interconnectedness that exists between local churches it will mean that such a church will no longer be visited and other local churches will not receive anyone from such a church. This is related to the fact that the Lord Jesus can no longer be there because of not removing the evil from the midst. Every spiritually-minded church will see this and act in accordance with it.

Anyone who somehow still has something to do with the house, even briefly, before it is torn down, is unclean. By reading God’s Word, the defilement is removed. By reading God’s Word, inverted influences gained through the stay are discovered and condemned and the thoughts are focused on the Lord Jesus.

Cleansing of the House

Pronouncing a house clean, as with a person, happens by putting the Person of Christ before the attention, as He is represented in the various offerings (Lev 14:4-9).