Leviticus 14:18-32
“AND THE remnant of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed.” This crowns all that had been put upon the peon of the leper previously, and shows how the whole man was to be brought under the power of the Spirit of God. Our thinking, all our thoughts should be under His control, while we are brought through Him into the enjoyment of the atoning work of Christ.
This is foreshadowed in the offering of the sin offering. The work of Christ has not only put away our sins, but the very nature that produced them has been judged at the cross. Then we have the burnt offering and we can enter into thoughts of how God has been glorified in the death of His Son.
Oh how fully our need has been met in Christ, and how wondrous the place into which we have been brought! Again it is said here of the leper, “He shall be clean.” God would have us know that we are clean “every whit,” but how many of His dear people are not in the enjoyment of this!
Then we read of God’s gracious provision for the poor leper who could not afford the offerings called for in his cleansing. This goes bond the fact the leper might not have any earthly resources, and tells of spiritual poverty. But God is full of compassion to one poor in faith due to faulty teaching in divine things. Few rise up to the riches of God’s grace in its Christian fullness. But the truth must be maintained even though there might be a lack in measure of apprehension.
If the leper was unable to take two unblemished lambs and one ewe lamb, he was to take one lamb, one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal offering, and a log of oil. This was required from rich and poor alike. The blood and the oil were applied by the priest to the poor man exactly as to the richest.
But two turtle doves, or pigeons, such as he could get, were sufficient, one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. We can see how that the man’s poverty must not hinder his full cleansing and acceptance before the Lord. How precious the rich mercy of God and His love for even the poorest sinner.
How often is our apprehension of Christ poor. But where there is faith to trust in His precious blood, there is pardon and cleansing. No one who ever came to God in the precious name of Jesus was ever turned away. It is God’s estimation of the worth of Christ on which all depends, not on our feeble apprehension. If we come in the value of that name we are accepted in Him.
If the reader be one who feels his unworthiness to come to God, come simply as you are in that Name which is above every name, and all will be well.
ML-04/02/1972