The Cleansing Of The Leper

Leviticus 13; 14:1.

Leprosy, as a type, brings out the terrible nature of sin. Its seat is deep down, not only in the head where it appears, but in the hidden man of the heart. Making the whole life barren and unfruitful, like the spring at Jericho (2 Kings 2:19). Sin, like leprosy, afflicts the person himself, the garments he wears, and the house where he lives. These aptly suggest spirit, soul, and body-- 

1. The inner PERSON, of the heart.
2. The outer GARMENTS, of the life.
3. The common HOUSE, of our daily associations. Let us look at the disease and the cure--

1. The character of the disease. "It is a plague of leprosy." It--

1. MAKES UNCLEAN.. He is a leprous man, he is unclean (chap. 13:44). One spot was enough to make him utterly unclean. Sin is such an awful thing that to offend in one point is to be guilty of all. If we have not continued in all things we are under the curse (Gal. 3:10). If the disease was only skin deep it was not reckoned uncleanness. Infirmities are not sins.
2. BRINGS JUDGMENT. "The priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean" (chap. 13:44). Condemnation came by the Word of God's representative. He that believeth not is condemned already. From the judgment of the priest there was no appeal. God's pronouncement is always associated with sin. No man can alter it.
3. BRINGS SEPARATION. "He shall dwell alone without the camp" (chap. 13:46). Outside the camp meant outside the sphere of Divine fellowship. As long as he is a leper he can have no communion with God or His people (Eph. 2:12). Uncleanness of heart unfits for the enjoyment of His presence. The pure in heart shall see God. What a picture of one dead in sin, dead while he lives, dead to God, dead to the enjoyment of holy things, dead to a life of usefulness!

2. It must be confessed. There were four things by which a leper was known, and which reveal the true condition of a sinner before God. His--

1. CLOTHES WERE RENT. This indicated misery and nakedness.
2. HEAD WAS BARE. He was defenseless and exposed. No covering from the vengeance of a burning sun.
3. LIP WAS COVERED. Indicating that his breath was polluted, and that his mouth was stopped as far as self-justification was concerned.
4. CRY WAS "UNCLEAN." The priest pronounced him unclean. He believed him, and confessed that it was true. He accepted his condemnation and took his proper place. Go thou and do likewise.

3. The manner of restoration. As the leprosy shows the sin, so the way of restoration reveals the Divine method of salvation. Note the various acts. The--

1. OUT-GOING OF THE PRIEST. "The priest shall go forth" (chap. 14:3). The leper cannot come in, so the mediator goes out. The sinner cannot of himself find his way back into the presence of God, but Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, went forth to seek and to save. The Shepherd goes out to seek the lost sheep.
2. OFFERING MADE. "Then shall the priest command to take for him two birds" (chap. 14:4-6). The priest goes forth, then the sacrifice is made. Christ came out from the presence of the Father, then gave Himself a ransom for all. The killing of the one bird, and the dipping of the other in its blood, and letting it fly to the heavens is sublimely typical of Christ's death and resurrection, and of His ascending into Heaven by His own Blood. A new and living way.
3. SPRINKLING OF THE BLOOD. "He shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times" (chap. 14:7). The leper must come into personal contact with the sacrifice made for him. The blood denotes the value of the life offered; this being sprinkled by the priest signifies that the application of Christ's death to the sinner is God's work. I will sprinkle you, and ye shall be clean. He who imputed our sins to Christ can alone impute righteousness to us.
4. WORD OF THE PRIEST. "The priest shall pronounce him clean." He alone who pronounced the leper unclean can pronounce him clean. He who condemns the unbeliever, justifies the believer in Jesus. It is God that justifieth. When the poor leper had the justifying word of the priest, it mattered nothing to him what the opinions of others or his own feelings were.
5. PERSONAL CLEANSING. "He that is cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off his hair," &c. (chap. 14:8). The cleansing through the Blood of Jesus should lead us to put away all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Those justified before God by faith should justify themselves by their works.
6. RESTORATION. "After that he shall come into the camp" (chap. 14:8). After what? After the sprinkling, the washing, and the shaving. It is our uncleanness that keeps us out of the camp of communion. What fellowship hath light with darkness? When cleansed from sin there is nothing to hinder our drawing nigh unto God.
7. CONSECRATION (vs. 14-18). The blood and the oil put upon the ear, hand, and foot betoken redemption and consecration. After the blood of atonement (the work of Christ) comes the oil of anointing, the work of the Holy Spirit. That which was bought by the blood is claimed by the Holy Spirit. The rest of the oil was put upon his head (v. 29). Indicating that the cleansed one should also have the poured out Spirit upon him. The tongues of fire sat upon each of them (Acts 2:3).
   --Handfuls on Purpose

Passages