This chapter covers the laws regarding the diagnosing and “treatment” of diseases, specifically leprosy and “itching disease” (I’m sure we have a different name for this one now…).
“The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous[a] disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean. The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, “Unclean, unclean.” He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.’ ” (v1-3,45-46)
Being declared “unclean” by a priest is probably that last thing somebody wants – it’s a banishment, an embarrassment, and to some it was probably a death sentence. Israel was a communal nation, very family-oriented, living in multi-person tents. To be cast our from your family, through no real fault of your own, was quite disappointing I’m sure. This can still happen today in some very extreme cases of communicable disease – quarantine is the only option.
Leprosy, a physical disease, is a good analogy for sin, a spiritual disease. It’s a rot that starts with only one small spot, and over time, if not treated it will spread, and can eventually destroy an entire person, head to toe. It’s brutal, causing open wounds and forcing a person to be shunned by their loved ones. Sin can do the exact same thing from a spiritual perspective – it “rots” a person’s soul, though it’s far more subtle to diagnose, and those who have it don’t identify themselves as “unclean, unclean” because they are often blind (or ashamed) to the problem.
God’s Holy Spirit, often in conjunction with one or more of His children, can help diagnose “sin disease” within a person. This should be done gently of course, involving observation and correction over a period of time (the priest examined the person for 7-14 days, which included mandatory washing, in order to correctly diagnose disease). The good news is, once a “sin disease” is identified, the person can be cleansed by being washed in the blood of Jesus (“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” [1 Jn 1:7])
So what does this mean for us today? Well, if we have any unconfessed uncleanness in our lives (ie. “sin disease”) which is known to us, I suggest talking to God and seeking cleansing for that.
If someone in our circle of influence sins, then we (very carefully in partnership with the Holy Spirit) can walk alongside them – not to judge or nag them about the sin, because people don’t like to be told what they’re “doing wrong”. We can walk with them to show them the love of Christ in our lives, so they too may one day choose His forgiveness and cleansing. If the person is already a Christ follower, this prcess is slightly easier. We should always keep Paul’s guidelines in mind: “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (Gal 6:1) and “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Eph 4:15-16)
Long story short, if someone in our lives sins, we are to allow God room to work in them, we are not judge and jury. Our role is to lovingly model and guide them by our own faith walk, and with the fruit of the Spirit, offer gentle correction when they sin against us or others. We are to encourage build them up in Christ, not tear them down in their sin. This is the same treatment we would want from others when we sin, correct?
Most importantly, we need to pray for others – pray for the Spirit to work in them and cleanse them. It is not our job to “fix them”, that’s God’s role. We are simply called to love and support our neighbor as God works in them.
Father God, we thank You for the cleansing and forgiveness for sin available through the blood of Jesus. Thank you for partnering with us to refine our hearts, replacing our unrighteousness with Your righteousness. Father as we walk alongside others, would You please help us to simply love them with the love that You show us. May we be kind and gentle, speaking truth in love, out of a genuine motivation for their eternal well-being, not out of a self-righteous heart. Father would You be our words, our guide, our hands and our feet as we seek to serve You and act in accordance with Your will. Amen.
P.S. For those of us out there with concerns regarding our crowning glory: “If a man’s hair falls out from his head, he is bald; he is clean. And if a man’s hair falls out from his forehead, he has baldness of the forehead; he is clean.” (v40-41) 🙂
~ Conqueror in Training