Leviticus Chapter 14
This chapter includes the instructions for the ritual cleansing of a person cured of an infectious skin disease, diseases that fell under the label of leprosy. The last part of the chapter will include instructions of how to cleanse a house from a “disease” such as mildew or mold. Of course, the people of Israel are not yet living in houses at this point in history, so God gave these instructions for when they reached the promised land.
As you read through these instructions of purification you may find that they are somewhat like the purification steps that the priests took during their week of purification. What we will find very different is that God knew that these individuals who may have been sick for a very long time, were probably some of the poorest of the Israelites and He made allowances for the types of animals that they could bring for their sacrifices.
It is as if in a sense that the healed person will “make up for lost time” as they will be required to bring offerings for all four types of sacrifices. There will be mandatory offerings for guilt sacrifice, sin, burnt and grain offerings. Up until this this time the person had been quarantined and not allowed to come to the tabernacle. And just like every other person in the population, they too needed forgiveness of sin.
Let's Reflect
1. Who was asked to examine and determine if the skin of a “leprous” person had cleared up so they could be declared cured?
2. There was a two-bird ceremony along with a piece of scarlet yarn and some cedarwood. What other plant was required in this ceremony? This is the same plant that was used to paint the door posts of the Israelites when the angel of death passed over their homes upon seeing the painted blood. See Exodus 12:22.
3. One bird was sacrificed. What did they do with the second bird when the person was declared healed?
4. To make sure that the person was free from the disease they were required to live outside their tent for seven days. He also needed to do what on the first day and on the last day of that week?
5. At the end of the week, he would then bring a lamb to be sacrificed for the guilt offering. It was not necessarily that the person was guilty of sin that had caused his sickness; but it was most likely a recognition that the person being outside the camp in sickness had deprived God of worship due Him. What special things were done with the blood of the sacrificed lamb to show the purification of the person?
6. What animals could be substituted for the sacrifice if the person could not afford to bring a lamb? See verse 22
7. There was also oil poured out on the person who was declared healed of his disease. This again resembles what the priests experienced in their week of consecration. The purpose of all these instructions is given in verse 32, what was the purpose?
8. In verses 33 through the end of the chapter what type of cleansing is discussed for a future time?
Devotionals
