18. Uncleanness due to skin/covering abnormalities (Lev 13:1-17)

The priests were supposed to check their skin diseases.

πŸ‘‰ Read Leviticus 13:1-17

Who is to examine their skin disease?


Three guidelines can be applied in deciding unclean skin disease. If the spot of a symptom is (             ) than the skin, (                  ) on the spot turned white or different color than black, and it (              ) over the skin after seven days, then it would be a diseased infection and unclean.


He is clean if the disease covers one’s whole body, from head to feet, and (               ) doesn’t appear.


Answers and Meditation

The priest

He is not to heal the disease but to check the uncleanness before the Holy God.

 

deeper, the hair, has spread

Why did God concern about skin disease rather than other serious sicknesses? Their medical knowledge was not like ours these days. Only sicknesses with visible symptoms were considered. Therefore, when the priest diagnoses a man clean, he has no visible (or known) sickness. He is not perfectly clean, but ritually clean and allowed to worship the Lord.

Scab (or rash) doesn't make that person unclean. But it spreads, he is unclean.

raw flesh

Interestingly, if the disease has made his skin all white, he is clean. Only the condition of the raw flesh makes him unclean, which indicates the disease is still developing and contagious.

 

This passage alludes to how God deals with our sinfulness. 

  • God doesn’t require us to be ‘perfect clean’ but humble when our sin is exposed, and we are guilty.
  • God again calls us righteous and allows us to stand before Him when we have overcome the sin in Jesus Christ, even though we still have footprints of sins. Overcoming the sin: confining the sinful nature by the power of the Holy Spirit so that it doesn’t develop nor infect others.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

25: ‘Tell us plainly’ vs ‘The Father and I are one.’ (John 10:22 – 42)

As Jesus announced the Father and Jesus were one, the Jewish leaders tried to stone him. πŸ‘‰ Read John 10:22 - 42 Q1. Why did the Jewish leaders not believe in Jesus? Answers πŸ‘‰ They refused to believe in Jesus, for they were not Jesus’ sheep. ‘you refused to believe.’ This tells their willing refusal.  Note that Jesus Himself doesn’t call Himself the Messiah. Instead, He called Himself the One sent from God. He focused on doing the Father’s works and proclaiming His words. From Jesus’ works, they could have concluded that He was the Messiah sent from God. But they refused to admit it. Instead, they asked Jesus to admit His identity as the Messiah plainly, which Jesus wouldn’t do. Q2. They asked Jesus if He were the (           ). But Jesus claimed that the (          ) and He are one. Because of this, they condemned Him of (             ) and tried to stone Him. Answer πŸ‘‰ They asked Jesus if He were the ( Christ ). But Jesus claimed that the ( Father  ) and He are one
Read more

26: Other Laws concerning human life (#6 no murder) (Deut 21:1 – 22:8)

The command ‘do not murder’ should be extended to its full measure and completeness. They needed to remove the guilt of unresolved murder, keep the dignity of the female slave, respect the patrilineal inheritance, and preserve various lives. πŸ‘‰ Read Deuteronomy 21:1 - 22:8 When a homicide victim is found, and no one knows the murderer, the elders of the nearest town must do a ritual of atonement through the death of a heifer. What is the purpose of doing so? (7-9) If you had made your female slave your wife, you can divorce her but not (             ) her. For a man with two wives, if his less-loved wife’s son is the firstborn, let him inherit the (            ) portion. He should not show favoritism according to his affection for one of his wives. When a son doesn’t listen to his parent, he is like a glutton and (             ). Why should they not leave the corpse on the tree of execution overnight? When you see someone’s lost possession, do not (           ) it. You must not re
Read more

35: I am the True Vine. You are the Branches (John 15:1 – 17)

Image
The vine tree analogy so vividly illustrates our relationship with Jesus. As the branches of a vine share the life of the vine, we share and live from Jesus’ life. πŸ‘‰ Read John 15:1 - 17 Q1. Why do we need to remain in Jesus? (2, 4) Answers πŸ‘‰ To bear fruit. God takes away any branch that doesn’t bear fruit. We might debate the security of salvation: do we lose our salvation if we bear no fruit? However, it is better to focus on how to bear fruit rather than how to get salvation.  “You are clean already.” It would refer to a born-again status, a rightful relationship with the Father, one who bathed (13:10). John uses the imagery of cleanness for salvation. In the OT bible, one should be ritually clean to stand before God.  When we believe Jesus’ gospel, we are reconciled with the Father. Though sinners, we can approach God by Jesus’ blood. The pruning (lit. cleaning) (2) of our life is to make us bear more fruit. “Remain”: You should stay, not stop by. No plant produces fruit
Read more