And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:
This verse closes the law of leprosy by naming a rising, a scab, and a bright spot among the conditions it addresses, a law given for cleansing a house from leprosy that is the same as for cleansing a leper. The law required visible uncleanness to be removed first by taking out affected stones and scraping and repairing the house, and then cleansing to be completed with blood by which atonement was made and the house was pronounced clean. Leprosy in this law is a fitting outward picture of sin as a terrible moral disease that is universal, infectious, and incurable by human means, working inwardly in the heart and bringing outward pollution and destruction. Like all the sacrifices and detailed laws it is a type of Christ, with the slain offerings pointing forward to the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world in the heavenly sanctuary. Cleansing from sin comes through Christ's blood for those who repent and believe, requiring pride to die and faith to be shown by obedience before the evidence appears.
Law of Leprosy Cleansing
The verse closes the law of leprosy by naming a rising, a scab, and a bright spot among the skin conditions and signs it addresses. That law is given in Leviticus 14:33-57 for cleansing a house from leprosy, and it is the same as for cleansing a leper. It belongs to the instructions for Jewish purification in Leviticus 12-15, covering the purification of people with leprosy and of their houses.
The law required physical uncleanness to be removed first so the object would be made visibly clean and thus prepared, but not yet clean. Affected stones were removed and the house was scraped within round about and repaired with new material. Cleansing was then completed with blood, for two birds were taken and the house was cleansed with the blood of a bird, atonement was made for it, and then it was clean. Atone, cleanse, reconcile, purify, purge, pardon, sanctify, hallow, forgive, justify, redeem, and blot out signify the same work of bringing into favor with God, in all cases by blood.
The law required a person cured of leprosy to go show himself to the priests and make an offering, after which he was officially pronounced clean. Jesus so sent the ten lepers, who understood the command as an answer to prayer and were healed only after they started to obey in faith while the evidence of leprosy was still upon them. The verse belongs to admirable sanitary instructions for leprosy and other contagious or infectious conditions, including diseases that leave germs in buildings. These give exceptionally sound guidance for preventing the spread of disease and show that though God heals His people He still demands proper sanitary precaution. The hyssop used in these rites represents the thorough cleansing of the heart.
Sin, Christ, and Healing
Leviticus 14:56 lists a rising, a scab, and a bright spot among the skin conditions addressed by the laws on uncleanness and leprosy. That leprosy is a fitting type and outward picture of sin as a terrible moral disease. Those laws were mighty object-lessons given to emphasize the exceeding sinfulness of sin.
Like the disease, sin is universal, infectious, and incurable by human means. It works inwardly in the heart and brings outward pollution, shame, and destruction. Sin is not only wrongful acts but the motives, purposes, and desires that produce them. What leprosy does to the body sin does to the soul, leprosy being primarily a result of sin and an outward picture of sin's work in the inner man.
The details of the law find fuller meaning in the sacrifice, life, and work of Jesus Christ. Like all the sacrifices and detailed laws it is a type of Christ, with the slain offerings pointing forward to the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, so that when He is seen in it the dry details are invested with new life and made a blessing to the reader. It belongs to the complete round of service performed every year in the sanctuary built by Moses in the wilderness, later giving way to the temple, whose building, appointments, priesthood, and service typify Christ and His priesthood in the heavenly sanctuary begun when Jesus ascended on high, each year's service typifying Christ's service which was once for all.
Cleansing from sin comes through Christ's blood for those who repent and believe. Being made whole is more than having disease removed. Receiving that healing requires pride to die and the old self to be put off. Faith is shown by obedience before the evidence appears, as with the ten lepers who were told to go show themselves to the priests in obedience to the law for a person cured of leprosy to go show himself to the priests and make an offering, after which he is officially pronounced clean, and who understood the command as an answer to their prayer for healing, the same as a direct declaration to be clean, their healing not appearing until they started to obey by going while the evidence of leprosy was still upon them. These cleansing regulations remain cleansing truths that Christians should not abandon, the law having been given to ancient Israel as part of a cleansing work.
This verse closes the law of leprosy by naming a rising, a scab, and a bright spot among the conditions it addresses, a law given for cleansing a house from leprosy that is the same as for cleansing a leper. The law required visible uncleanness to be removed first by taking out affected stones and scraping and repairing the house, and then cleansing to be completed with blood by which atonement was made and the house was pronounced clean. Leprosy in this law is a fitting outward picture of sin as a terrible moral disease that is universal, infectious, and incurable by human means, working inwardly in the heart and bringing outward pollution and destruction. Like all the sacrifices and detailed laws it is a type of Christ, with the slain offerings pointing forward to the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world in the heavenly sanctuary. Cleansing from sin comes through Christ's blood for those who repent and believe, requiring pride to die and faith to be shown by obedience before the evidence appears.
Law of Leprosy Cleansing
The verse closes the law of leprosy by naming a rising, a scab, and a bright spot among the skin conditions and signs it addresses. That law is given in Leviticus 14:33-57 for cleansing a house from leprosy, and it is the same as for cleansing a leper. It belongs to the instructions for Jewish purification in Leviticus 12-15, covering the purification of people with leprosy and of their houses.
The law required physical uncleanness to be removed first so the object would be made visibly clean and thus prepared, but not yet clean. Affected stones were removed and the house was scraped within round about and repaired with new material. Cleansing was then completed with blood, for two birds were taken and the house was cleansed with the blood of a bird, atonement was made for it, and then it was clean. Atone, cleanse, reconcile, purify, purge, pardon, sanctify, hallow, forgive, justify, redeem, and blot out signify the same work of bringing into favor with God, in all cases by blood.
The law required a person cured of leprosy to go show himself to the priests and make an offering, after which he was officially pronounced clean. Jesus so sent the ten lepers, who understood the command as an answer to prayer and were healed only after they started to obey in faith while the evidence of leprosy was still upon them. The verse belongs to admirable sanitary instructions for leprosy and other contagious or infectious conditions, including diseases that leave germs in buildings. These give exceptionally sound guidance for preventing the spread of disease and show that though God heals His people He still demands proper sanitary precaution. The hyssop used in these rites represents the thorough cleansing of the heart.
Sin, Christ, and Healing
Leviticus 14:56 lists a rising, a scab, and a bright spot among the skin conditions addressed by the laws on uncleanness and leprosy. That leprosy is a fitting type and outward picture of sin as a terrible moral disease. Those laws were mighty object-lessons given to emphasize the exceeding sinfulness of sin.
Like the disease, sin is universal, infectious, and incurable by human means. It works inwardly in the heart and brings outward pollution, shame, and destruction. Sin is not only wrongful acts but the motives, purposes, and desires that produce them. What leprosy does to the body sin does to the soul, leprosy being primarily a result of sin and an outward picture of sin's work in the inner man.
The details of the law find fuller meaning in the sacrifice, life, and work of Jesus Christ. Like all the sacrifices and detailed laws it is a type of Christ, with the slain offerings pointing forward to the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, so that when He is seen in it the dry details are invested with new life and made a blessing to the reader. It belongs to the complete round of service performed every year in the sanctuary built by Moses in the wilderness, later giving way to the temple, whose building, appointments, priesthood, and service typify Christ and His priesthood in the heavenly sanctuary begun when Jesus ascended on high, each year's service typifying Christ's service which was once for all.
Cleansing from sin comes through Christ's blood for those who repent and believe. Being made whole is more than having disease removed. Receiving that healing requires pride to die and the old self to be put off. Faith is shown by obedience before the evidence appears, as with the ten lepers who were told to go show themselves to the priests in obedience to the law for a person cured of leprosy to go show himself to the priests and make an offering, after which he is officially pronounced clean, and who understood the command as an answer to their prayer for healing, the same as a direct declaration to be clean, their healing not appearing until they started to obey by going while the evidence of leprosy was still upon them. These cleansing regulations remain cleansing truths that Christians should not abandon, the law having been given to ancient Israel as part of a cleansing work.