Leviticus 13:45-5945And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. 46All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be. 47The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment; 48Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin; 49And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be showed unto the priest: 50And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days: 51And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean. 52He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire. 53And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; 54Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more: 55And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his color, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without. 56And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: 57And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire. 58And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. 59This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean. (Leviticus 13:45‑59)
OF ALL diseases leprosy is the most loathsome, and it is incurable by any skill or effort of man. The poor leper was in himself utterly helpless to remove his disease. So sad was his condition that contact with him was only to partake of his defilement.
“He is unclean;... his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean... He shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.”
He was outside all the privileges of the people of God—the standing type of the sinner, unreconciled, unclean, not only before God but commanded to declare it to others as well. Nothing can be sadder or call for more pity than the state of the poor leper.
His rent garments were to declare his misery and his grief. For a time they might have covered up his leprous spots, but now rent they only reveal his defilement. How this reminds us that “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Heb. 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13).
There is no hope of the poor sinner improving himself, any more than the leper. Yet in this hopeless condition he is a candidate for the mercy of God.
The presence of the Lord Jesus as Son of God in this world is the light that lays bare the evil of our hearts. Yet He gives the soul both repentance and faith — grace to own our lost defiled condition, but faith to look to Him alone as Saviour of such as we. If I heed God’s word I will cease to deny or excuse my sins, but will frankly confess my ruin and own that I am “unclean.” The poor Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-2821Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. (Matthew 15:21‑28) was brought by grace to own this simple truth and was blessed beyond all her hopes. So it will be for the unsaved reader if he will but learn from the story of the leper his own true condition bore God and cast himself upon His mercy.
The rest of the chapter has to do with leprosy in a garment, or skin which served the same purpose. Leprosy might betray itself in one’s external circumstances, for garments speak of associations and surroundings. Our ways may display more than our words and one’s surroundings tell where the heart is. Our habits will reveal the taint of sin when it is there.
Like the leprous garment which had to be burned, so any position or association which is defiling and which continually robs our souls of Christ, should be given up completely, no matter what it costs us.
If after the garment had been washed, the leprous spot was changed, then the spot was to be torn out and the garment could be used again. This would show that if we apply the Word of God to what we are going on with, and being cleansed from the defilement, we may be able to continue there with God.
Some of the things in school and business life are very defiling, but a Christian does not have to do them. He can apply the Word of God to the circumstances and refuse, even if he has to suffer for it. Like the garment with a piece torn out, there is a loss, but it is far better than allowing the whole thing to become leprous and the Lord will make it up a thousand fold.
ML-02/27/1972