Chapter 6 - Two Birds, Alive and Clean: Leviticus 14:4-7

Leviticus 14:4‑7  •  13 min. read  •  grade level: 5
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But let us follow the leper who is truly all covered with leprosy. The priest looks—not to see if the leper is cleansed, but to see if he is healed. And now he does not find a spot anywhere without the plague, and joy, oh joy, now he can be made clean.
Now, dear reader, please note particularly what the leper must do to be cleansed. Somebody else brought him to the priest. The priest goes out of the camp, he looks and decides if the leper is in a condition to be cleansed. Now, listen! The priest speaks; he commands to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop (vs. 4). The leper was far too poor and helpless to obtain those birds and other things for himself; nor does the priest tell him to get them. No, he tells somebody else to provide those two birds alive and clean. He tells somebody else, not the leper, to get the other things needed for his cleansing.
It reminds us of Isaac's question: "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And we think of Abraham's answer: "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering." Gen. 22:7-87And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:7‑8). God must always provide the offering. We poor sinners must die in our sins, if we have to go in search of a suitable sacrifice, for we could never, never find one. But God's Word says, "The priest shall command to take for him.”
 
God has provided those two birds alive and clean. Both together make one lovely picture of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running [or, living] water" (vs. 5). Again, the poor leper stands by while another not only provides the offering, but another kills it. Look, a moment, at that picture. An earthen vessel; inside that earthen vessel, a pure spotless bird. The heavens are the home of the bird—the heavens are its native air—but it comes down and enters into a vessel of earth. It leaves its native air, it leaves its home above, for this poor sad earth. And in that earthen vessel it is killed. What a picture of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He leaves His home in the heavens, He leaves His throne above, He comes down to this sad world and takes a body of earth. For truly our bodies are but “earthen vessels." You know "Adam" means "earthy" or "red earth." So our Lord took an earthy body. How we love to watch that heavenly Man walking this world in His body of earth! And in that same body He was killed. Wicked men nailed that body to the cross, and His precious blood was poured out.
 
But the bird was killed in an earthen vessel over running, or living, water. Running water has life and power in it. What amazing power there is in the running water at Niagara Falls! Water in the Bible very often speaks of the Word of God. (See Psa. 119:99BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psalm 119:9); Eph. 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26).) And the running, or living, water tells us of the living Word of God, applied by the Spirit of God to our hearts. That Word is "living and powerful." Heb. 4:1212For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12). (See also J.N.D. Trans.) It takes the death of Christ, and tells me in the living power of the Spirit that the Lord Jesus Christ died for me, that it was for my sins that He suffered. You have often heard the story of His death, perhaps. You have often seen that bird killed in the earthen vessel: but, dear reader, have you ever realized that it was for you? Have you ever seen Him killed over the running water? "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Rom. 10:1717So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17). It is from the living Word that you get living faith.
“Rock of Ages! cleft for sin,
Grace hath hid us safe within!
Where the water and the blood
From Thy riven side which flowed
Are of sin the double cure:
Cleansing from its guilt and power.”
 
Verse 6: "As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.”
It has been remarked that the two birds make one picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have seen Him come down from heaven and take that body that was prepared for Him, and in that "earthen vessel" He died on the cross for us. He did not stay on the cross, but still bearing those marks of death in hands and feet and side, He was laid in the grave—but on the third day He rose again, still bearing those same marks of death. And so we see the living bird going down into the blood of the dead bird and coming up with its pure feathers all marked with death. What a wonderful picture of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! But still the bird is held in the hand of the priest. It is not yet free to ascend up to its native home in the heavens.
But not alone was the living bird dipped in the blood of the dead bird: cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop were also dipped in that blood. The cedar wood tells us of the greatest and highest things of nature: the hyssop tells us of the meanest and the lowest and the most bitter things of nature. Solomon spoke of "trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall." 1 Kings 4:3333And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. (1 Kings 4:33). That which is greatest by nature must all go under that precious blood. The most clever, the most brilliant man or woman: the kindest, and most humane person on earth, the most honest and true-hearted man living—all alike can only get salvation through the blood. And again the poorest and most miserable coolie, whose life is bitter with hard labor—he also must go under the blood if he is to obtain salvation. Even "him that is simple" must have the blood for his only title. (Ezek. 45:2020And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house. (Ezekiel 45:20).) The scarlet speaks of royalty, and it tells us that those who occupy the highest place on earth must go down into the blood along with the lowest.
But these things tell us something more. They are things which belong to this world: and when Christ was crucified the world was crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Gal. 6:1414But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14).) This world is stained with the blood of the Son of God, my Savior, and it and I can never be friends again. The cross stands between it and me. Indeed the Word tells me plainly that "whosoever... will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4:44Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4).
“We are but strangers here, we do not crave
A home on earth, which gave Thee but a grave,
Thy cross has severed ties which bound us here,
Thyself our treasure in a higher sphere.”
 
Verse 7: "And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.”
Lovely verse! Just gaze on that wonderful scene. The poor leper has been brought from outside the camp, the priest has gone out to him. Another has provided two birds alive and clean. Another has killed one of those birds, and now its blood is in the basin, the living bird's feathers, the cedar wood, the scarlet and the hyssop are all stained with the blood of the dead bird. The poor leper has gazed on all this scene, but there has been no change in him or his condition. But now the priest sprinkles the blood seven times on the leper himself—once, twice, three times... on, on six times, and still no change, but now the seventh time—and the man is clean! The blood has made him clean. Without the blood there was no way of cleansing for the poor leper. And without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. (Heb. 9:2222And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22).) But that blood had power to cleanse the leper from every bit of defilement. The clean bird can cleanse the unclean leper. It mattered not how vile and loathsome the poor leper was, provided the bird was clean. Seven times tells of the perfection of the cleansing. And now the precious blood of Christ has power to cleanse the vilest and most defiled and loathsome sinner from every trace of sin. Please be perfectly clear about this. It was the blood, and the blood alone, that cleansed the leper. It is the blood and the blood alone that cleanses any poor sinner today.
 
But how did the leper know that he was cleansed? Did his leprosy suddenly vanish when the blood was sprinkled on him the seventh time? I do not think so. I do not think that he felt one bit different after the blood was sprinkled to what he felt before. I do not think that he looked any different after the blood was sprinkled to what he looked before.
How, then, did he know that he was clean? The moment the blood is sprinkled the seventh time, the priest pronounced him clean. As you stand by and watch that wonderful scene, you may hear the priest make that blessed pronouncement, "Be thou clean." The blood of the bird made him clean, the word of the priest makes him know he is clean. It was the word of the priest that made him know once before that he was unclean, and so in exactly the same way, it is the word of the same priest that makes him know that he is clean.
 
But that is not all; the moment the priest pronounces the poor leper to be clean, then he takes that living bird, stained with the blood of the dead bird, and lets it free into the open fields. The work of the sacrifice was finished, the leper is cleansed and knows he is clean, and now there is nothing to keep that living bird down here.
In just the same way, the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, bearing the marks of death upon Him, and after a brief stay amongst men down here, He ascended up into the heavens, still bearing those same marks-proof that His work is completed; His victory won; our sins put away; and He Himself, and we with Him, are now accepted on high. In a coming day He will present His church to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. (Eph. 5:2727That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:27).) The wounds and scars of her warfare down here will all be gone up there, but to all eternity our Lord Jesus Christ will bear those marks of death in His hands and feet and side.
If His work on the cross had not been complete—if He had not truly cleansed our sins—if one of our sins had remained upon Him—He never could have come up from the grave and ascended into heaven. But, praise be to God! His work is complete. It has been accepted on high, and He has returned to His home in the heavens, in positive proof that all is done.
Suppose, now, an old neighbor meets the cleansed leper, and says to him, "What are you doing around here? You are a leper! Get away from here!" The leper replies, "Yes, truly I was a leper, but now, thank God, I am cleansed!" "Cleansed!" replies the neighbor. "You are not cleansed! On the contrary you look worse than ever! You appear to be all covered with leprosy!”
“Just so, but the priest has sprinkled the blood of the bird upon me, and has pronounced me clean, and I know that I am clean, because he said so."
“Nonsense! You have misunderstood him. He probably told you that you were not clean! Anybody can see you are a leper!”
 
“Ah, no. There is no possibility that I misunderstood him. First I had the blood sprinkled on me, and then I myself heard the priest's own voice telling me that I was clean; but that is not all—with my own eyes, I myself have seen the living bird—with its feathers covered with blood—fly away into the open heaven. You know the law. You know the living bird cannot fly away until the priest has pronounced me clean.”
“But," continues the neighbor, "do you mean to tell me that you feel yourself to be clean, when you admit that you are all covered with leprosy?”
“Friend, that is not the point. The priest said I am clean, and that settles the matter. As you know, he, and he only, has authority to pronounce any man clean, and he has pronounced me clean, so now I know that I am clean, no matter how I feel.”
The neighbor is silenced, and the leper is filled with joy and peace and triumph, as he recalls that sight of the living bird, flying away free, back to its old home.
Even so is it with you and me, dear fellow-sinner, cleansed in the blood of Jesus? As we watch, by the eye of faith, our Lord and Savior returning back to His home in the heavens, we know that He is accepted, and we know that we also are accepted in Him. (Eph. 1:66To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6).)
But that living Savior, gone back to heaven, tells us more than the fact that His work of cleansing is complete. His resurrection and ascension tell us that He is Conqueror, He is victorious over death and the grave. The mightiest battle of the universe has been fought and won, and now He can sing in triumph, and we with Him, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Cor. 15:5555O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55).
“Oh, show me not my Savior dying
As on the cross He bled,
Nor in the tomb, a captive lying,
For He has left the dead.
Then bid me not that form extended
For my Redeemer own,
Who, to the highest heavens ascended,
In glory fills the throne.
“Weep not for Him at Calvary's station!
Weep only for thy sins;
View where He lay with exultation;
'Tis there our hope begins.
Yet stay not there, thy sorrow feeding
Amid the scenes He trod,
Look up, and see Him interceding
At the right hand of God.
“Still in the shameful cross I glory,
Where His dear blood was spilled;
For there the great propitiatory
Abolished all my guilt.
Yet what, 'mid conflict and temptation,
Shall strength and succor give?
He lives, the Captain of salvation;
Therefore His servants live.
“By death, He death's dark king defeated,
And overcame the grave;
Rising, the triumph He completed,
He lives, He reigns to save.
Heaven's happy myriads bow before Him:
He comes, the Judge of men;
These eyes shall see Him and adore Him:
Lord Jesus, come and reign.”
J. Condor