Leprosy

Leviticus xiii.

Symptoms. Various outwardly. But always:

(1) Deeper than the skin (ver. 3; Isa. i. 5, 6)

(2) Spreading (ver. 7). Compare white hair (Hos. vii. 9.)

(3) Infectious.
Effects of leprosy:

(1) Isolation (ver. 45).

(2) Exclusion from the camp (ver. 46; Rev. xxi. 27).

(3) No cure but by the direct hand of God (Num. xii. 10, 13).

(4) Progressing unto death. (” Grew worse,” Mark v. 26; 2 Tim. ii. 13; Matt. xii. 45.)

1. Not some, but all, have sin (Rom. iii. 23).

2. Feeling makes no difference; sin is a fad (Ps. Ii. 5).”

3. In leprosy the priest first looked (Ps. cxix. 132; Heb. iv. 13; John ii. 25), then pronounced the leper unclean (John v. 22).

4. Priests could neither cure nor cleanse; Jesus does both. Compare Hos. v. 13 and vi. 1. Compare Matt. viii. 3, Exod. xv. 26.

5. How Jesus heals. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed” (Isa. liii. 5).

A devoted minister going to dwell in the leper island of Molokai, voluntarily leaving his home and his country, exposing himself to contagion, disease, and death, out of love to the souls of the poor outcast lepers dwelling there, is the nearest illustration. Still he could not take the leprosy instead of the lepers. But the Lord Jesus was “made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. v. 21). Took sin upon Him, off us.

6. Only one case in which the leper was pronounced clean (Lev. xiii. 12, 13), if all covered. So “only acknowledge” (1 John i. 9; Isa. lxiv. 6; Rom. vii. 18), and turned white (Isa. i. iS; Ps. li. 7).

7. Christ always healed leprosy without delay or means (Matt viii. 3. Contrast Matt. xv. 23 and John ix. 7). “The Same” now, immediate cleansing in His blood.

8. Nothing to hinder except not coming. “Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life” (John v. 40).

9. Claim this by faith. Healing only in God’s way (Acts iii. 16, iv. 12, xiv. 9). Say, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed” (Jer. xvii.

10. Then praise! “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God” (Luke xvii. 15). “O Lord my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me” (Ps. xxx. 2, ciii. 2, 3).

11. Continual healing and continual cleansing. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleans us from all sin” (1 John i. 7).