Leviticus 13:45-46 NKJV “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
Matthew 8:1-3 Phillips Large crowds followed him when he came down from the hillside. There was a leper who came and knelt in front of him. “Sir,” he said, “if you want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand and placed it on the leper saying, “Of course I want to. Be clean!” And at once he was clear of the leprosy.
Observation
Leviticus is a book about holiness in everyday life. So, it is not only about a pure and holy relationship with God, but also a relationship that demonstrates love and respect for our fellow humans. These are two foundational themes in the Bible that we find underlying everything else. So, holiness is clean and unholiness is unclean. There are 92 verses in Leviticus that deal with uncleanness – the priestly responsibilities in how it is determined, how it should be treated, and the sacrifice required to restore one to cleanliness. A person became unclean by eating or touching an unclean person, animal or thing, such as something or someone dead or diseased. The physical aspect was an early version of preserving public health, but the deeper, spiritual aspect was about maintaining and deepening these two relationships between God and others.
Before Jesus walked the earth, impurity flowed from the unclean to the clean, defiling them and requiring specific sacrifice to cure the uncleanness. Many lepers lived their whole lives isolated, despised and feared by others. However, Jesus reversed the flow, healing the uncleanness by exuding holiness, the power of His pure and holy relationship with God, to drive out and destroy what was unclean and unholy. This turned the Old Testament rules and religious traditions on their heads, restoring what was turned upside down in the Garden of Eden to right side up in this new covenant with the Messiah. We begin the process in our own lives by choosing to accept Jesus as Messiah and, then, to live in and for Him.
Impact on Me
Leviticus is one of those books that many skip over. I used to myself. It appeared boring and a downer – exposing my human tendency toward so many of the bad choices, shameful failures and just plain sins common to us. Remarkably, it also spells out specific sacrifices created to be a pathway to restore one to a state of cleanliness and open relationship with God and others. One of the reasons I make myself read it is to remind myself that God, Our Father, is merciful, loving and forgiving. He truly wants connection with us on a personal, daily level. He spoke the pathway to reconciliation throughout the entire Old Testament Law and Prophets and then even sacrificed Himself for the sake of restoring our relationship with Him.
Leviticus also relates the many ways that God established to restore a damaged relationships with Him and others. This book was for a covenant between God and Man, where Man could, and repeatedly did, fail. In Christ, we have a new covenant between God and a Man Who will never fail. The miracle of it all is that we are invited to be clothed with, live within, and be represented before God by this new covenant Man – this covenant where purity and holiness overcome all the uncleanness of the world – so that in Him, our Advocate, we have assurance that we can always be restored to relationship with God through repentance, reconciliation and renewal.
So, how does this reversed flow impact me? Does evil still exist and work its defilement, degradation and death in this world? Yes. When I accepted Christ and stepped into this new covenant, did all become rosy and perfect? No. When I look for Jesus, do I find Him with me through every moment, every circumstance, every tragedy? Yes. When I choose to do it His way, choosing holiness according to His Word and His example, does His healing, comfort and encouragement flow from Him and through me to others? Yes. In Romans 12, I am commanded to overcome evil with good. This is what Jesus did and what He will do in and through me (and you) as I (you) continue in obedience and let Him count the cost.
Devotion
Lord God, Redeemer, Advocate, Almighty and Everlasting, You are pure holiness, pure mercy, pure love. I worship You. I am grateful that You redeemed me and enlisted me to be Your instrument in bringing the knowledge of the redemption You offer to others. I want Your holiness and purity to flow through me and bring healing, salvation and reconciliation to those I meet. Help me to cultivate that holiness within me by embracing Your Word and Your ways, and living a resurrection lifestyle where people know without my saying a word that I am Yours. Teach me to be kind, loving, encouraging, hospitable, gracious and forgiving. I ask it all in the name of Jesus.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 