Well, this was fun reading today, wasn’t it? How about no?

I’m not going to go into any detail in my comments today. Not because I don’t think there is anything of value here, but because I personally find the find the details on how to deal with leprosy and bodily discharges somewhat distasteful for discussion on this podcast. It’s  not that I can’t handle this kind of subject matter. I have a degree in biology, and I worked in three different emergency medical fields for some time many years ago. I’ve seen a lot of gross stuff. I just don’t want to discuss the details here.

I will say, though, that the Hebrew word that is translated as “leprosy” in our Bibles today that could include a variety of different skin diseases, such as psoriasis or ringworm, including what is known  today as “Hansen’s disease”, commonly called leprosy. In addition, there are some diseases that at first manifest themselves on the skin, but are not strictly skin diseases, such as smallpox and measles.

Something else I will comment on in a general sense is in regards to quarantine. Note that even though true leprosy is a horrible disease that ultimately causes death, quarantine was reserved for the person with the disease. The healthy population was not quarantined. Only the person suspected of having the disease was locked down. 

I would like to share a bit with you from Leviticus 14:1-7 because it sounds a bit strange upon first blush. 

Let’s read it again:

1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, 3and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, 4the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. 5And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. 6He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. 7And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field.

Leviticus 14:1-7 ESV

Now you might wonder what this ritual has to do with anything. It sort of seems a bit random, doesn’t it?

But it’s not. 

Leprosy is thought by many to be a representation of sin. It begins with almost no visible symptoms and is painless in the early stages. It grows slowly. Sometimes it seems to go away, then comes back. The affected area becomes numb. It causes decay and deforms the person, to the point where they become repulsive. Eventually, the victim dies.

So, this ritual has to do with the cleansing of the leper. Listen to this:

In summarizing the ritual here is what happens:

• It happens outside of the camp
• A being from the heavens is sacrificed in an earthen vessel
• As the being is killed, it is cleansed by the fresh water
• The death, which is associated with blood and water, is applied to the leper seven times (the number of perfection, or completeness) in connection with a living bird
• The sacrificial blood is also applied to scarlet yarn and a piece of wood, along with hyssop
• With the mark of the sacrifice, the living bird flies away, ascending to the heavens and out of sight.

Are you getting the illustration, yet? Listen:

• Jesus was sacrificed outside the camp (Hebrews 13:11-13)
• He was the Man from heaven (John 3:13, 6:38)
• He remained cleansed and holy (Acts 2:27) even in death, and He became sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) without becoming a sinner
• He came to the world by water and blood (1 John 5:6) and water and blood was at his death (John 19:34-35)
• He was given a scarlet robe while they mocked Him before the crucifixion (Matthew 27:28)
• He was hung on a wooden cross (John 19:17-18)
• He was offered a sponge dipped in vinegar and raised on a hyssop branch while He hung on the cross   
• When He was resurrected, He bore the marks of His death (John 20:27)
• He ascended to heaven, out of sight (Acts 1:9)

So when we look at the parallels, it’s not random, as it first appears, is it?