Leviticus 14:1-57


Hope is a vital part of every man’s life.  Without hope we would all have a very hard time living and joy would certainly be most illusive.  A person who had leprosy was required to live apart from the fellowship of the congregation and to warn all people who came near him that he had leprosy.  It would have been a terrible way to live and in many ways it would seem utterly hopeless.  However, there was hope.  This chapter describes how a person with leprosy could be cleansed if the disease cleared up.  This teaching provided a source of hope for all who were inflicted by this disease.  In reading these last two chapters I have been struck with the similarity between leprosy and sin.  Both are absolutely devastating, dangerous, isolating, contagious and can be fatal.  However, there is hope for both the leper and the sinner.  The leper can hope for physical healing and restoration.  The sinner can hope for forgiveness and redemption through the sacrifice of Christ.

A PERSON WITH LEPROSY COULD BE CLEANSED: If the leprosy on a person’s skin healed, that person could call the priest, be examined and if the healing was confirmed; the person could be cleansed and restored.  The priest would offers sacrifices and offerings to the Lord on behalf of the person and then would anoint the leper with oil and the person would be cleansed.  What a glorious feeling it must have been to be restored to the fellowship of the family and the rest of the congregation.  We all take many things for granted in our lives and we do not appreciate them as we should until they are gone or we lose them.  Our health is certainly one of those things.  We are rarely grateful to God for our good health until after we recover from an illness.  Those who are healthy should be grateful but rarely are.  Those who have been healed tend to be far more grateful and live with a new perspective in life.  God is even able to use disease in the lives of His children to bring about something that is good.

A HOUSE WITH LEPROSY MUST BE CLEANED OR DESTROYED: Apparently leprosy could infect a home and easily pass to the inhabitants of that home.  If this was suspected, once again the priest was called to observe the house and determine if it was leprosy or not.  If it was, the infected portion of the house was to be broken out and replaced with new materials.  If after taking this step the leprosy returned, the entire house was to be destroyed.  People are always to have priority over things.  If some thing is causing danger or damage to a person, that things should be discarded.  We have a tendency to love things and use people, but we really must recognize that God would have us love people and use things. 

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