Lev 14:4 | KingComments | STEP | Leprosy is a picture of sin that becomes active in the believer, not as a temporary effect, but as a part of life. The picture of leprosy also focuses on the defiling effect of sin. We all can be caught in any trespass ( ; ). That is something else than living in sin and that is what it is about with leprosy as a picture of sin. Leprosy is the sin that defiles a person permanently. Its characteristic is perseverance in one’s own will. Such a person must be removed and dwell outside the camp ( ). For the church this means: “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves” ( ). The removal of the leper is with a view to self-preservation for the people, but also with a view to healing and restoration of the leper, because restoration is possible. This chapter describes how to deal in case of restoration. The LORD speaks here only to Moses (cf. ), because he is a picture of the Lord Jesus as Mediator, as the One Who makes it all right between God and the member of God’s people who has lived in sin. When the priest hears of the healing of a leper, he goes to the leper. In this we see a characteristic of a spiritual believer: he will pay attention to indications that there is a change for the better in someone who has been removed from among the believers because of perseverance in sin. The priest does not do anything about healing, nor can he. He can only determine whether the infection of leprosy has healed. Then the cleansing can begin. The leprosy in the spiritual sense is disappeared when the believer “confesses and forsakes” sin ( ). Then there will be complete humiliation noted. If someone is healed, he cannot return to the camp immediately. Cleansing must happen first. The cleansing represents in picture that the Lord Jesus and His work in various aspects are placed before the attention, so that such a person may again take the right foundation before God. He has lost sight of this through his sin. Something has disappeared – the infection, the sin – and instead something, or rather: Someone, another Person: the Lord Jesus, must come. Confession is not enough. We must also become aware that the Lord Jesus had to suffer and die for that sin. Two clean birds should be taken on the first day. They are a picture of the Lord Jesus. Actually this is not an offering. Nothing is brought on the altar and no blood is offered to God. The offerings will only come on the eighth day (from ). The two birds together must depict that the Lord Jesus is the Man Who came from heaven, Who died, but rose again. One bird is slain. The other is identified with it and is let go free over the open field. This shows that the Lord Jesus is both “delivered over because of our transgressions” and “raised because of our justification” ( ). After living in sin for a period, we must become aware of this again. The blood of the slain bird is in an “earthenware vessel” in which is “running water”. That too refers to the Lord Jesus and His work. The earthenware vessel indicates that He became Man ( ). Running water is water that rises from the earth. It is not stagnant water, but there is life in it. It refers to the Word of God that is made alive by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Lord Jesus we see the Holy Spirit at work; the Word of God is in Him; He is the Word and is eternal. In addition, there is the blood as a result of His death. When the Lord Jesus died and one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, “immediately blood and water came out” ( ). Blood and water are both needed for cleansing. Blood is for atonement, “for without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” ( ). The blood is more in connection with God. The water has more to do with confession and is more connected to the sinner. If he confesses his sins, he may know that God is “faithful” to His Word “and righteous” in view of the work of Christ, “to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” ( ). There are other things: cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop. Cedarwood comes from Lebanon. It speaks of impressive, natural grandeur. Hyssop is a small, little plant that does not impress. Solomon speaks of both as extremes ( ). Crimson or scarlet is a picture of royal, earthly glory. All this is present with the Lord Jesus. We see that in the Gospels. It is all gone in the death, His death. But He has risen and because of that these things regain their meaning. All previous actions are then applied to the leper. In this picture we see that cleansing is not removing the wrong thing, but getting a view of the Lord Jesus and His work again. Then he who has been cleansed must wash his clothes, which speaks of bringing his conduct under the control of God’s Word ( ). He must also shave off all his hair, which says that he renounces all natural honor ( ). Then he must bathe himself in water, which means that he places his whole life under the Word of God, so that there is no more room for sin. He is allowed to come back to the camp, but has to stay outside his tent for seven days. He has been taken up again in the people of God, but has not yet taken his own familiar place again. Someone who has a gift can be restored to God’s people after a sinful way, but cannot immediately exercise that gift again. That too takes time. After a fullness of time, seven days, he has to shave off all his hair again and wash his clothes and body and then he is clean.

‏ Leviticus 14:4

Introduction

Leprosy is a picture of sin that becomes active in the believer, not as a temporary effect, but as a part of life. The picture of leprosy also focuses on the defiling effect of sin. We all can be caught in any trespass (Gal 6:1; Jam 3:2). That is something else than living in sin and that is what it is about with leprosy as a picture of sin.

Leprosy is the sin that defiles a person permanently. Its characteristic is perseverance in one’s own will. Such a person must be removed and dwell outside the camp (Lev 13:46). For the church this means: “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves” (1Cor 5:13b). The removal of the leper is with a view to self-preservation for the people, but also with a view to healing and restoration of the leper, because restoration is possible. This chapter describes how to deal in case of restoration.

Cleansing of the Leper

The LORD speaks here only to Moses (cf. Lev 13:1 ; Lev 14:33), because he is a picture of the Lord Jesus as Mediator, as the One Who makes it all right between God and the member of God’s people who has lived in sin.

When the priest hears of the healing of a leper, he goes to the leper. In this we see a characteristic of a spiritual believer: he will pay attention to indications that there is a change for the better in someone who has been removed from among the believers because of perseverance in sin.

The priest does not do anything about healing, nor can he. He can only determine whether the infection of leprosy has healed. Then the cleansing can begin. The leprosy in the spiritual sense is disappeared when the believer “confesses and forsakes” sin (Pro 28:13). Then there will be complete humiliation noted.

If someone is healed, he cannot return to the camp immediately. Cleansing must happen first. The cleansing represents in picture that the Lord Jesus and His work in various aspects are placed before the attention, so that such a person may again take the right foundation before God. He has lost sight of this through his sin. Something has disappeared – the infection, the sin – and instead something, or rather: Someone, another Person: the Lord Jesus, must come. Confession is not enough. We must also become aware that the Lord Jesus had to suffer and die for that sin.

Two clean birds should be taken on the first day. They are a picture of the Lord Jesus. Actually this is not an offering. Nothing is brought on the altar and no blood is offered to God. The offerings will only come on the eighth day (from Lev 14:10). The two birds together must depict that the Lord Jesus is the Man Who came from heaven, Who died, but rose again. One bird is slain. The other is identified with it and is let go free over the open field. This shows that the Lord Jesus is both “delivered over because of our transgressions” and “raised because of our justification” (Rom 4:25). After living in sin for a period, we must become aware of this again.

The blood of the slain bird is in an “earthenware vessel” in which is “running water”. That too refers to the Lord Jesus and His work. The earthenware vessel indicates that He became Man (Heb 2:14a). Running water is water that rises from the earth. It is not stagnant water, but there is life in it. It refers to the Word of God that is made alive by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Lord Jesus we see the Holy Spirit at work; the Word of God is in Him; He is the Word and is eternal. In addition, there is the blood as a result of His death.

When the Lord Jesus died and one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, “immediately blood and water came out” (Jn 19:34). Blood and water are both needed for cleansing. Blood is for atonement, “for without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb 9:22b). The blood is more in connection with God. The water has more to do with confession and is more connected to the sinner. If he confesses his sins, he may know that God is “faithful” to His Word “and righteous” in view of the work of Christ, “to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1:9).

There are other things: cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop. Cedarwood comes from Lebanon. It speaks of impressive, natural grandeur. Hyssop is a small, little plant that does not impress. Solomon speaks of both as extremes (1Kgs 4:33a). Crimson or scarlet is a picture of royal, earthly glory. All this is present with the Lord Jesus. We see that in the Gospels. It is all gone in the death, His death. But He has risen and because of that these things regain their meaning.

All previous actions are then applied to the leper. In this picture we see that cleansing is not removing the wrong thing, but getting a view of the Lord Jesus and His work again. Then he who has been cleansed must wash his clothes, which speaks of bringing his conduct under the control of God’s Word (Eph 5:26). He must also shave off all his hair, which says that he renounces all natural honor (1Cor 11:15). Then he must bathe himself in water, which means that he places his whole life under the Word of God, so that there is no more room for sin.

He is allowed to come back to the camp, but has to stay outside his tent for seven days. He has been taken up again in the people of God, but has not yet taken his own familiar place again. Someone who has a gift can be restored to God’s people after a sinful way, but cannot immediately exercise that gift again. That too takes time. After a fullness of time, seven days, he has to shave off all his hair again and wash his clothes and body and then he is clean.