Bible Talks

From: Messages of God's Love: 1951

Narrator: Chris Genthree

We noticed last week that the priest was to be neither hasty nor indifferent about leprosy. He must be very sure a man had the disease before he pronounced him unclean, and so we should never accuse anyone of sin unless we are absolutely sure. “In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Matt. 18:16¹⁶But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (Matthew 18:16). We do not need to believe all we hear, for rumors are often false; and when facts cannot be established, we have to wait until God brings them to light, as He surely will in His own time. This, as we have remarked, is why the priest was to shut the man up for seven days, and sometimes longer, for he must wait until there: was full evidence of leprosy before pronouncing the man unclean. Let us never be in a hurry to believe evil reports—much less to repeat them!

We now come to something which we would find hard, yea, impossible to understand if we did not know about the grace of our God. When the leper was covered with leprosy from head to foot he was again to be brought to the priest. The priest then looked him over and if, wherever he looked, there was nothing to be seen but the leprous white flesh, he was to pronounce him clean. This would show us that as soon as a sinner takes his true place, acknowledging that he is guilty before God, without one good thing about him—not even one clean spot—then he is in a place where God can bless him, but not before. Too often we find people who are ready to admit that they have some sins; yet they are quite unwilling to take their true place as lost, hell-deserving sinners. God will not, and cannot, bless until there is true repentance and a full confession of guilt; and so in the case of the leper if there were any spots where the raw flesh appeared, showing that the leprosy was still working, he was pronounced unclean.

In reading the chapter over carefully we are struck with the details given, showing the care that was to be exercised about this dread disease. Let us remind ourselves again that there is to be no lightness about sin. It is a horrible thing in the sight of God and it cost Him the death of His own beloved Son to put it away, meet our deep need, and bring us to Himself.

In His spotless soul’s distress,
I have learned my guiltiness; Oh, how vile my low estate, Since my ransom was so great.

There is a special mention of leprosy in the head, for it was the most serious kind of all. This would show us, in type, that evil doctrine is even worse than other sins in the eyes of God. It is worse to deny the deity of the Lord Jesus than to steal, although both are terrible sins. Because of this the man who had leprosy in his head was said to be “utterly unclean,” and he had to put a covering over his lip and cry, “Unclean, unclean,” and always measures sin by how it affects his fellowman, but God measures sin according to how it affects His own glory and the glory of His Son. It is well to remember this, for many will find out when it is too late that they have measured sin by their own thoughts instead of by God’s standard. Because they think they have not done anyone any harm, they are satisfied with themselves; but what a solemn thing it will be for such “in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” Romans 2:16¹⁶In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2:16).

ML 01/14/1951

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.