"The Lord tells Moses and Aaron what is to be done in order to cleanse someone from a skin disease. The Lord also tells Aaron and Moses what to do with contaminated objects such as a house with mildew or clothes with mildew. This chapter gives the law for any skin disease or mildew, for a scaly outbreak, for mildew in clothing or on a house, and for a swelling, scab, or spot, to determine when something is unclean or clean."
Leviticus 14 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Law of Cleansing a Leper
14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “This shall be the law of the leper on the day of his [ceremonial] cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest [at a meeting place outside the camp]; 3 the priest shall go out of the camp [to meet him]; and the priest shall examine him, and if the leper has been healed of the infection of leprosy, 4 then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet string and [a]hyssop for the one to be cleansed. 5 Next the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed [as a sacrifice] in an earthenware container over [fresh] [b]running water. 6 As for the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood and the scarlet string and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird sacrificed over the running water. 7 He shall sprinkle [the blood] seven times on the one to be cleansed from the leprosy and shall pronounce him [ceremonially] clean. Then he shall let the live bird go free over the open field. 8 The one to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe in water; and he shall be clean. After that he may come into the camp, but he shall stay outside of his tent for seven days. 9 On the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair [on his body]. Then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and be clean.Law of Cleansing a Leper
- HEALING AND CLEANSING. Leprosy can be healed. Perhaps, by a miracle from God-- coupled with good hygiene, healthy lifestyle, a strong immune system, and proper compliance with the quarantine. Or maybe, it was not 'leprosy' that the person has, after all. Either way, God has prepared a law for the 'cleansing' of the leper. I guess, this is to welcome the leper back to the community, and let everyone know that the person is ready and/or clean already to be interacted with.
- 7 SPRINKLES OF BLOOD, 7 DAYS. There is a sacrifice and offerings that should happen, and the blood shall be sprinkled to the leper 7 times. Again, we encounter the number of God that suggests completion. The leper shall follow another 7 days protocol too.
10 “Now on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and a yearling ewe lamb without blemish, and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with [olive] oil as a grain offering, and one log (about a pint) of oil; 11 and the priest who cleanses him shall present the man to be cleansed and his offerings before the Lord at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. 12 Then the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, with the log of oil, and present them as a wave offering before the Lord. 13 He shall kill the male lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the sacred place [the courtyard of the tabernacle]; for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14 The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 15 The priest shall also take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand; 16 and the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord. 17 Of the rest of the oil which is in his palm, the priest shall put some on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 18 The remaining oil that is in the priest’s palm shall be put on the head of the one to be cleansed. The priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord. 19 Next the priest shall offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness, and afterward kill the burnt offering. 20 The priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
21 “But if the cleansed leper is poor and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, and one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and a log of oil, 22 and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he can afford, one shall be a sin offering, the other a burnt offering. 23 He shall bring them on the eighth day for his [ceremonial] cleansing to the priest at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting, before the Lord. 24 The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering, and the log of oil, and shall present them as a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Next he shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering; and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 26 The priest shall pour some of the oil into his left palm, 27 and with his right finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the Lord. 28 The priest shall put some of the oil in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the places where he has put the blood of the guilt offering. 29 The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s palm shall be put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the Lord. 30 Then he shall offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means. 31 He shall offer what he can afford, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. The priest shall make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one to be cleansed. 32 This is the law for the one in whom there is an infection of leprosy, [c]whose means are limited for his [ceremonial] cleansing.”
- OIL FOR 7 TIMES. A grain offering shall be done too, perhaps as an act of thanksgiving to God for healing the leper.
33 The Lord further spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
34 “When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put [d]a mark of leprosy on a house in your land, 35 then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘I have seen something that looks like a mark of leprosy in my house.’ 36 The priest shall order that they empty the house before he goes in to examine the mark, so that everything in the house will not have to be declared unclean; afterward he shall go in to see the house. 37 He shall examine the mark, and if the mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and appears deeper than the surface, 38 the priest shall go out of the house, to the doorway, and [e]quarantine the house for seven days. 39 The priest shall return on the seventh day and look; and if the mark has spread on the walls of the house, 40 he shall order them to tear out the contaminated stones and throw them into an unclean place outside the city. 41 He shall have the entire inside area of the house scraped, and the plaster that is scraped off shall be dumped in an unclean place outside the city. 42 Then they shall take new stones and replace the [contaminated] stones, and he shall take plaster and replaster the house.
43 “If, however, the mark breaks out again in the house after he has removed the stones and has scraped and replastered the house, 44 then the priest shall come and look again, and if the mark has spread in the house, it is a malignant leprosy in the house; it is [ceremonially] unclean. 45 He shall tear down the house—its stones and its timber and all the plaster of the house—and shall take everything outside the city to an unclean place. 46 Moreover, whoever goes into the house during the time that it is quarantined becomes unclean until evening. 47 And whoever lies down in the house [to rest] shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes.
48 “But if the priest comes in and inspects it and the mark has not spread in the house after the house has been replastered, he shall pronounce the house clean because the mark has not reappeared. 49 To cleanse the house then, he shall take two birds and cedar wood and scarlet string and hyssop; 50 and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthenware container over running water, 51 and he shall take the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet string, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird as well as in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times. 52 So he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the running water, along with the live bird and the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet string. 53 But he shall let the live bird go free outside the city into the open field. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”
54 This is the law for any mark of leprosy—even for a scale, 55 and for the leprous garment or house, 56 and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot on the skin— 57 to teach when they are unclean and when they are clean. This is the law of leprosy [in regard to both persons and property].
Footnotes: Leviticus 14:4 I.e. an aromatic plant.
Leviticus 14:5 Lit living, an ancient concept probably based on motion as an indicator of life.
Leviticus 14:32 Lit whose hand does not reach.
Leviticus 14:34 Possibly mildew or mold, and so throughout the chapter. See 13:47-59 for similar instructions regarding fabric, leather, and other articles.
Leviticus 14:38 Lit isolate.
- HOUSE ON QUARANTINE. God is truly setting apart the Israelites, from the other nations. He cares for their health and even the sanitation of the houses. Leprosy or rashes (or molds) can also infect the house. Spiritually, this could symbolize that a house is being filled with sin, dark spirits or unrighteousness, perhaps because of the sins of the people inside.
- INSPECTION. Here, the priests had to do work of inspecting the house, and they're like maintenance men. The priests shall carefully take into consideration everything in God's commandments before making a 'diagnosis' to the house.
- PERFECT ATONEMENT. The only one who can make us and our dwelling places "clean" is the atonement and finished work of Lord Jesus Christ. When we believe in Him, we are reconciled back to the Heavenly Father, and He will gift us the power of the Holy Spirit. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”Acts 16:31
After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!):
a. Then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds: In this cleansing ceremony, one bird was killed in an earthen vessel over running water, and its blood was applied to a living bird, to some cedar wood, to some scarlet fabric, and to some hyssop. Then, using these things, the blood was sprinkled on the one who was cleansed from leprosy. Then, the living bird was let go.
i. This seems to be a picture of Jesus' death and its spiritual application; a "heavenly" being (as a bird is "of the heavens") dies in an earthen vessel, while remaining clean (because of the running water). The death of the bird is associated with blood and water; the blood is connected with life (applied to the living bird), and then applied to the one cleansed.
ii. Cedar wood: Cedar is extremely resistant to disease and rot, and these qualities may be the reason for including it here - as well as a symbolic reference to the wood of the cross. Some even think the cross Jesus was crucified on was made of cedar.
iii. The connection with hyssop is also important. Jesus was offered drink from a hyssop branch on the cross (Matthew 27:48), and when David said purge me with hyssop in Psalm 51:7, he was admitted that he was as bad as a leper.
b. He shall shave all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows: After the sacrificial ceremony with the birds, the cleansed leper had to wash their clothes and shave off all of their hair. They started all over again, as if they were a brand new baby.
i. Again, this seems to be an illustration of being "born again" - a completely new start.
b. And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest shall put some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed: On the eighth day, oil was also applied to the cleansed leper. It was both sprinkled on his body in general and then applied to the ear, thumb, and toe just as the blood was. Each of these places on the body was meant to be anointed with oil.
i. Therefore, a cleansed leper had a special calling and a special anointing. One could not go through such a ritual as this and not be changed.
ii. Since leprosy is a picture of sin, we see how this ritual has spiritual application to ever sinner set free by Jesus.
iii. Since leprosy had no natural cure, it was certain that this ritual was rarely performed - and when it was performed at the command of Jesus (Luke 5:12-14), it must have been a great testimony to the priests at the temple.
a. It seems to me that there is some plague in the house: Just as with the instructions regarding leprosy in garments in Leviticus 13, this uses a broad defining of leprosy that can include fungus and mold infestations. These instructions helped promote hygienic dwellings in Israel.
Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Lev/Lev-14.cfm © 2004 David Guzik
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