Let us now go down to verses 12 and 13. There we read a most extraordinary statement. "If a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.”
Strange! Strange!! Strange!!! When a few months or years before he was brought to the priest with only one tiny rising, scab or bright spot, the priest pronounced him unclean, and he had to go outside the camp and dwell alone. Now he is all covered, and what says the priest? "You are clean!" Strange indeed! What can the meaning be of this?
It tells us of a poor sinner, who has not one word of good to say about himself. We may see many lepers who were all covered with leprosy in the Bible, and all were cleansed. Look at Peter in Luke 5. He finds out for the first time he is covered with leprosy. Hear him: "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man" (or, "a man full of sin"). Luke 5:88When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. (Luke 5:8). If you have a cup full of water, you have no room for anything else in it. If you have a man full of sin, you have no room for any good in him. Such was the apostle Peter. Look further in the same chapter, verse 12:
“It came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy; who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean." Luke 5:12-1312And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 13And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. (Luke 5:12‑13). Never was a man full of sin or full of leprosy who need wait longer to be cleansed. The Priest, our Savior, is just waiting for such men. Look at the thief on the cross: "We receive the due reward of our deeds." Luke 23:4141And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. (Luke 23:41). And that day he was in paradise with his Savior and Lord. See the prodigal son in Luke 15:2121And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. (Luke 15:21)—"I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight," and instantly the father's arms were round his neck and he "covered him with kisses." Luke 15:2020And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. (Luke 15:20) J.N.D. Trans. Look at the publican in Luke 18:1313And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (Luke 18:13)—"God be merciful to me a sinner," and he went home justified. Look at Paul: "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." Rom. 7:1818For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Romans 7:18). Look at Job: "I am vile; what shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth." Job 40:44Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. (Job 40:4). And again: "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:66Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:6). But, justified at once. See, again, Isaiah: "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." Isa. 6:55Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 6:5). Instantly: "Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Isa. 6:77And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. (Isaiah 6:7).
Yes, friend, all these men got cleansing in the same way. They all found out that not only were they lepers, but that they were full of leprosy, from the top of their heads to the sole of their feet. Not one of these men will be in heaven by his own good works. They all stand up and witness that "there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Rom. 3:1212They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12). Dear reader, where Peter and Paul and Job and Isaiah and every other saint in glory has failed, you cannot succeed. They were each one lost and ruined and on the way to hell, and they all owned it and took their place as poor lost ruined sinners, and in that place alone did they obtain pardon and cleansing. In that state alone can you also obtain pardon and cleansing.
We read in Job 33:27-2827He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; 28He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. (Job 33:27‑28) (J.N.D. Trans.): "He will sing before men, and say, I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it hath not been requited to me; He hath delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall see the light." There will not be one person in heaven who will sing, "I have never sinned, and so I have gotten here myself." The song up there tells of our hopeless ruin—and of the grace of God.
Come then! Come now! Come just as you are to that gracious Priest. He is waiting. He says, "Come now, let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18) J.N.D. Trans. He knows you are full of leprosy—full of sin—but will you believe His testimony of yourself? Will you take that place of a lost sinner, full of sin? If so, cleansing, pardon, peace and blessing are yours.
But one word more before we turn from these verses. We read, "But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy" (vss. 14-15). This tells us of the man who is willing to go on in sin, even though he owns himself to be a sinner. He is all covered with leprosy, but there is raw flesh, sin, actively working in him. It is very remarkable that although there are many men in Scripture who take the place of saying, "I have sinned," yet not all of them obtain cleansing. David (2 Sam. 12:1313And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. (2 Samuel 12:13)), Nehemiah (Neh. 9:3333Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: (Nehemiah 9:33)), Job (Job 40:4;42:64Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. (Job 40:4)
6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:6)), Isaiah (Isa. 6:5;64:65Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. (Isaiah 6:5)
6But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)), Jeremiah (Jer. 14:7, 207O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. (Jeremiah 14:7)
20We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. (Jeremiah 14:20)), Daniel (Dan. 9:55We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: (Daniel 9:5)), Micah (Mic. 7:99I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. (Micah 7:9)), the prodigal son (Luke 15:2121And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. (Luke 15:21)), and the thief on the cross (Luke 23:4141And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. (Luke 23:41)): These all took the place of sinners and all got cleansing or blessing. But look at Pharoah (Ex. 9:27; 10:1627And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. (Exodus 9:27)
16Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. (Exodus 10:16)), Balaam (Num. 22:3434And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. (Numbers 22:34)), Achan (Josh. 7:2020And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: (Joshua 7:20)), Saul (1 Sam. 15:24; 26:2124And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. (1 Samuel 15:24)
21Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly. (1 Samuel 26:21)), Shimei (2 Sam. 19:2020For thy servant doth know that I have sinned: therefore, behold, I am come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king. (2 Samuel 19:20)), and Judas (Matt. 27:44Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. (Matthew 27:4)): These all confess they have sinned, yet they perish. These all admit the leprosy, but they have the raw flesh appearing. There was no hatred of the sin. There was no desire to turn from it and give it up. There was no true repentance. But the active evil was still working in their flesh.
When we know the wonderful grace of God that takes me, a poor sinner full of sin, and in that terrible condition cleanses and pardons me, and brings me to God—this grace makes me long to be holy, and long that sin shall not have dominion over me. (See Rom. 6:1414For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14).) If I allow active sin to go on working in me unchecked, it is a proof that I do not know the grace of God that cleanses and pardons. John writes, "He that practices sin is of the devil." 1 John 3:88He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8) J.N.D. Trans.
This does not mean that after we are saved we will never sin again. The apostle John plainly writes of people who say this, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." 1 John 1:88If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8). Note that we do not deceive God, or other people, but only ourselves.
Nor does this verse in Leviticus mean that if we sin, it is a proof that we never were saved. How often the devil has tormented young Christians in this way. A sheep may fall into the ditch and get dirty, but that does not mean it is not a sheep, and it is unhappy till it gets out and is clean once more. A pig delights in the dirt and filth of the ditch. The one "practices" dirt, the other does not but hates it. A sow that is washed will always return to its wallowing in the mire. (See 2 Peter 2:2222But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (2 Peter 2:22).)But it has always been a sow— it never became a sheep.
The one whom the Lord Jesus cleanses is changed, not only on the outside, but also on the inside, when he is born again. The Lord gives him a clean heart, a new nature that hates and loathes and abhors sin, and is never happy if the one in whom that nature dwells has fallen into sin, until he is restored.