What to Do After Being Sick. (Leviticus 14:1-54)

 At one time or another, all of us have experienced illness. Today the question I’d like to ask is what you did after you had regained your health back. Well, I suppose that largely depends on the nature and duration of the sickness. But what did you do after you regained your health? For those with a short-lived illness, bouncing back and resuming your normal routine is quite common. However, if the illness lingered, perhaps you celebrated your recovery. I've visited countless individuals in hospitals, and beyond anything else, what they yearned for after recovery was to get home for a rest and some real food. . Now, you might wonder why I'm discussing this. Well in the chapter of we have reached today, although the rituals don't directly apply to us as believers. However, there are important lessons we can extract from it.

So, turn with me to Leviticus Chapter 14. As you do, we're going to delve into a discussion about of all things, a skin disease. It's important to note that what we're about to study isn't about a cure. The people undergoing these rituals were not seeking a cure; rather, it was a God-appointed ritual. This ritual wasn't about healing; instead, it was an explanation to both the people and the priests about what to do once they had been cured of some types of disease. We're not even certain about the specific diseases, as it could have encompassed various diseases under a broad category. With that in mind, let's look at Leviticus Chapter 14, starting from verse one.

The Lord said to Moses, “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest:

(Lev 14: 1-2)

Now, let's pause here and recap a crucial point I made in Chapter 13. Understanding this is critical to grasp this chapter's essence. The term 'leper' in the context of Leviticus doesn't necessarily correspond to what we know as leprosy today. Then why was it translated as 'leper'? The answer lies in the ancient Greek translation, the Septuagint, done around 258 B.C. The translators didn't translate the Hebrew word; instead, they transliterated it, resulting in 'leopard.' English translations adopted this transliteration, even though scholars agree that the Hebrew word describes a range of skin abnormalities affecting not only individuals but also clothing and houses. This term primarily refers to a skin disease but is also used, as we'll see, to describe  a general house contamination. The chapter is divided into two main parts: the ceremony after a person has been cleansed, and what to do regarding the property. Although these pertain to ceremonial cleansing and defilement, they are not saying the illnesses are intrinsically sinful. Rather, they are ritualistic and ceremonial in nature, allowing people to return to the communities religious life.

In the next verse we find the priest examining the one who was healed of leprosy. If the leprosy is healed, the priest would then initiate a cleansing ritual involving living birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop. This ritual is essential to enable the cleansed individual to reintegrate into the community's fellowship and worship God along with other people in the Tabernacle. This ritual brings us to verse 7, where one of the birds is killed over running water in an earthen vessel, symbolizing the former state of uncleanness that could have led to death. The other living bird, along with cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop, is dipped in the blood of the slain bird. This symbolic act signifies cleansing and purification, allowing the cleansed individual to be pronounced clean and released into the open field. 

In summary, this ritual involves two birds—one sacrificed, representing former uncleanness and potential death, and the other set free, representing the newfound cleanliness and liberation of the healed individual."When the bird is released, it signifies the individual's liberation from the effects of the disease. These two birds perhaps serve a symbolic function. One commentator I read  likens them to the two goats on the Day of Atonement. It also foreshadows Christian baptism, where the believer is raised to walk in newness of life. While no New Testament writer explicitly stated this connection, it is brought to mind by many Christian Old Testament commentators. At any rate, the priest was then to sprinkle the blood on the infected person seven times, pronouncing them clean and releasing the live bird into an open field. 

Verse eight explains that the cleansed person must wash their clothes, shave all their hair, and wash themselves in water to achieve this state of cleanliness. Following this, they were to come to the camp but remain outside their tent for seven days. It's important to note that when the text mentions being 'clean,' it refers to ceremonial cleansing. It does not imply that the person is in any stuck in a state of personal sin they just must not re-enter the camp. For seven days, and they must live in a tent, not in their house.

Verse nine describes what then happens on the seventh day. The person should shave all their hair off—head, beard, and eyebrows—and wash their clothes and body in water. Following this, they would be considered clean. On the eighth day, the person was to partake in a ceremony involving offerings to the Lord. 

The upcoming verses, 12 to 18, detail what is called a trespass offering. Verse 19 introduces a sin offering, and verse 20 involves a burnt offering. Essentially, four different offerings are being presented following this situation: a guilt offering, a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a grain offering.

Since we've been studying the book of Leviticus, you may recall that these offerings were specified in detail in the earlier chapters. The priest who cleanses the person shall present them and these offerings before the Lord at the door of the Tabernacle of Meeting. In verse 12, we encounter the trespass offering: one male lamb offered as a trespass offering, waved before the Lord. In verse 14, we see that the lamb is to be killed in the same place as the sin and burnt offerings. The blood from the trespass offering is applied to the right ear, thumb, and big toe of the person to be cleansed, symbolizing listening, doing, and walking in the right ways now that they've been cleansed. The priest then pours oil into his left palm, dipping his right finger into it and sprinkling the oil seven times before the Lord. The remainder of the oil is applied to the right ear, thumb, big toe, and the head of the cleansed person. 

This concludes the trespass offering, also sometimes known as the guilt offering. This additional offering usually followed a situation where a person had defrauded God or another individual. 

Some speculate that the isolated person being outside the camp might have been seen as in some way of depriving God of worship and service because of the suspected their disease or perhaps because of some unidentified sin, necessitating this guilt offering. However, determining the exact reason for this offering is challenging unless of course the particular illness was seen to be directly linked to sin."

Following this, in verse 20, the burnt offering was to be killed, and the priest offered the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus, the priest made atonement, resulting in the person's cleanliness. The priest then proceeded to offer the burnt offering. This signifies that a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a meal offering were made. Some interpretations suggest that the sin offering cleansed the sanctuary, the burnt offering facilitated reconciliation and represented rededication, and the meal offering was a pledge of allegiance to the Lord.

Remember here in chapter 14 we are talking about an individual who was afflicted by a disease, leading to their isolation outside the camp. Upon their healing, the priest examined them and declared them clean. However, they were still required to undergo a series of sacrifices. This summarizes the first 20 verses of this chapter. 

What comes next is a continuation concerning people who contracted this disease but were economically disadvantaged.

Turning to verse 21, if the individual was poor and unable to afford the prescribed offerings, they were permitted to substitute a male lamb with two turtledoves or two young pigeons. This substitution was for the sin and burnt offerings, reducing both the cost and the quality of the flour required for the grain offering usually offered alongside the birds for the sin offering and burnt offering. The objective was to make the offerings more accessible to those with limited financial means.

Furthermore, in verse 23, the person was instructed to bring the substituted offerings to the priest on the eighth day for cleansing at the door of the Tabernacle of Meeting before the Lord. The ritual closely resembled what was outlined in verses 10 to 20, with the added specification of substitutions of the offerings with lower value items.

The chapter thus far has addressed the cleansing and restoration of an individual, distinguishing between those who could afford the standard offerings and those who were financially constrained. 

The rest of this chapter elaborates on the ceremonial cleansing of a house." At the outset, I mentioned that the term 'leprosy' could apply to things other than what we know of today as leprosy. In fact, it's translated here as 'put the leprous plague in a house.' Apparently, this was likely some kind of fungus, mildew, or dry rot, not what we would call leprosy. This indicates that the term 'leprosy' encompasses a broader range of conditions. The Lord made a provision for the house to be emptied before the priest went into it to ensure it was properly cleansed and quarantined. This is just an extension of the laws concerning clothing and personal articles discussed in chapter 13, specifically in verses 47 to 59. This pertains to the material aspect, not the personal.

Verse 37 states that the priest shall examine the house and if the plague is found on the walls of the house with ingrained streaks, greenish or reddish, appearing to be deep within the wall, then the priest instructs that the house be closed for seven days from the day he initially examined it. This aspect is quite fascinating; they effectively isolate the house, prohibiting anyone from entering it for a week. This rule may sound peculiar to us, but if you've ever been in a situation where a building is restricted for safety reasons, you can appreciate the caution. On the seventh day, the priest examines the house again. If the plague has spread on the walls, the contaminated stones are removed and thrown into an unclean place outside the city. The house is then scraped inside all around, and the dust is poured into an unclean place outside the city. New stones are put in place of the contaminated ones, and the house is replastered.

Here's where it gets particularly interesting. If active plague is found in the house, the house is deemed unclean and must be completely broken down, including its stones, timber, and plaster. All of these are carried outside the city to an unclean place. In essence, if the mildew has come back and spread throughout the house, it's a recurring issue, and the entire structure must be demolished and destroyed.

Furthermore, anyone who enters the house while it's shut up is considered unclean until evening. Anyone who lies down in the house must wash their clothes, and anyone who eats in the house must also wash their clothes. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining cleanliness in these circumstances and preventing the potential spread of the disease among the community. And you thought the covid lock-down was restrictive. We're still discussing the house, but we're also considering the people entering it and eating within its confines. It's akin to having a 'do not enter' sign on a house, and anyone who breaks that barrier is considered unclean. It's a precautionary measure to ensure the containment of potential dangers.

In verses 43 to 48, the procedures for cleansing the house are outlined. "Does this sound familiar, have you ever heard of this before? It might sound like a repetition, because this is precisely the kind of information we encountered earlier in the chapter. All that's being conveyed in this chapter is that if you have a disease that apparently affects the skin, you are to be isolated outside the camp. If you were later cleansed, there was this elaborate ceremony designed with the purpose, as stated in the passage, to restore you to fellowship within the community. This meant you could return to the Tabernacle, though ceremonially unclean, and steps are taken to make sure contaminated property is also dealt with. The last verse of the passage sums up and sheds light on the purpose of everything that has been said so far.

These are the regulations for defiling skin diseases and defiling moulds. 'This is the law for the leprosy sore in the scale, for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house, for a swelling, and a scab, and a bright spot.'

(Lev 14: 54)

The purpose of this law is to teach when something is unclean and when it is clean. Essentially, this law serves to teach how that which is unclean can be cleansed so that it can be consecrated for use again.  This principle underscores that anything contaminated must undergo cleansing and re-consecration for full use, based on all these rituals.

But how does this apply to us today? We aren't under the Mosaic law, and for that, we can be thankful. Can you imagine having to go through all these ceremonies every time you were sick? It would be a significant challenge, not to mention expensive, requiring a multitude of lambs and pigeons for offerings. So, how do we apply this ancient practice to our lives now?

Let's turn to another passage, Isaiah chapter 38. Here, we read the words of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, after he had been sick and recovered. He reflects on his illness, expressing that he thought he was going to die and how the Lord restored him, delivering him from the pit of corruption, from death itself. Hezekiah's reflection in verse 16 states, 'For you have cast all my sins behind your back.' This passage highlights that Hezekiah was delivered from death, enabling him to continue praising and living. It emphasizes the importance of life, of living, and praising the Lord. It affirms that when we are alive, we have the opportunity to praise God. This concept is mirrored in the book of Ecclesiastes, where Solomon conveys a similar thought, saying, “When we are alive, we can praise God, and when we die, we can no longer do so”.

In conclusion, the ancient practices we've explored in this chapter are meant to illustrate the significance of cleansing and consecrating that which is defiled. While we don't follow these practices literally today, we can derive a valuable lesson from them by recognising the importance of spiritual cleansing, consecration, and the renewed opportunity to thank and  praise and live for the Lord while we have the chance. A reminder for us continually seek spiritual cleansing and consecration, giving thanks for the life we've been given." I simply want to emphasize that when Hezekiah got healed and recovered from his illness, which he initially thought was terminal, what did he do? He expressed in by declaring, “You delivered me from corruption, so, I'm going to praise You.'  He also stated that 'the father shall make known Your truth to the children.'  In essence, I think he was saying, 'I'm going to serve You and I am going to tell others how the Lord saved me.' Therefore, he proclaimed, 'I'm going to sing my songs with stringed instruments, and I'm going to do it in the House of the Lord.'

From a New Testament perspective, when we are blessed with healing from a disease, it goes without saying that we should praise and give thanks to the Lord. We looked at Leviticus 14 and saw that they had to offer sacrifices. We looked Hezekiah and how he also praised the Lord, but this time without the requirement to offer sacrifices. One more passage to reinforce this understanding: turn to Hebrews chapter 13. I believe we can truly appreciate the application of Leviticus in the New Testament by understanding this passage in Hebrews chapter 13. 

In Hebrews 13:15, it says.

 'Therefore, by Him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.'

This verse ties together Leviticus 14 and Isaiah 38. In Leviticus 14, there was a sacrifice, but in the New Testament, instead of us giving an animal sacrifice, it says to offer a sacrifice of praise.  Praise is seen as a sacrifice in the New Testament, a substitute, a replacement for animal sacrifice. Even in the Old Testament, Hezekiah recognized this when he got healed from his sickness, and he just praised the Lord and witnessed to God grace in the temple and in front of the people. There's more, from a New Testament perspective.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

(Hebrews 13: 16)

We seen various sacrifices in Leviticus, from the sin offering to the burnt offering, and even the trespass offering. However, in the New Testament, especially in the book of Hebrews, the writer addresses the Hebrew Christians, picking up the concept of sacrifice and saying, 'Let me tell you what our sacrifices are today: praise, doing good for others, and sharing, which will often involves giving money and time in service of others.' He labels all these types of actions as sacrifices. Leviticus 14 may not directly apply to us, but Hebrews 13 does. So, when we are blessed in any way, especially when we recover from sickness, the very essence of Leviticus illustrates we need to offer our sacrifices. In our case, these sacrifices manifest as the sacrifice of praise, the sacrifice of doing good, and the sacrifice of sharing. We all get sick from time to time. But remember something: sometimes God puts people on their back so they can look up.' That’s not always why it happens, but it always an opportunity for us to do that .Maybe it’s only when we get sick we can really appreciate this. So next time you or a loved one are sick remember after you or they get well again remember to offer a sacrifice. That's not only fulfils  Leviticus under the old covenant, but also it embraces and fulfils the promises given in Hebrews under the new covenant as well.