Remember, leprosy, in Scripture, is a picture of sin. There was no known way to cure it. In today’s chapter however, the man who had leprosy is pronounced clean. Here is a wonderful thing — the story we will now read is the story (in type) of Christ’s death and resurrection! No one but God could have inspired such a Book as the Bible.
V.1-3 The leper is outside the camp of Israel. He had been unclean. Now he is clean. But he cannot come in — the priest must go out to him and pronounce him clean.
V.4 Here is the wonderful part of the story. Firstly, two living and clean birds (like sparrows) are brought to the priest. Secondly, 3 strange things are to be brought also (v. 4) (1) cedar wood — in Scripture, a picture of strength and stability (Psa. 92:1212The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. (Psalm 92:12)), (2) scarlet — earthly grandeur and Israel’s royalty. See Ex. 39:1-291And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the Lord commanded Moses. 2And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 3And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work. 4They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together. 5And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the Lord commanded Moses. 6And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel. 7And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses. 8And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled. 10And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row. 11And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. 12And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. 13And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings. 14And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes. 15And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold. 16And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate. 17And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate. 18And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it. 19And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward. 20And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. 21And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the Lord commanded Moses. 22And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue. 23And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend. 24And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen. 25And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates; 26A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the Lord commanded Moses. 27And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons, 28And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen, 29And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the Lord commanded Moses. (Exodus 39:1‑29) for the High Priest’s garments of glory and beauty. (3) Hyssop — a little flower which grew plentifully on walls (a picture of lowliness), often used for sprinkling the unclean (Ex. 12:2222And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. (Exodus 12:22)). It was a contrast with (1).
V.5-7 Beautiful to see these 2 birds as types of the Lord Jesus in death and resurrection. One bird is killed, the living bird is dipped into the blood of the dead bird (as are the 3 things, mentioned above). The living bird (with blood on it), is let loose into the open field (resurrection of Christ). In Romans 4:2525Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25) you will see these two birds in type.
V.7. The leper is sprinkled 7 times and so the believer is covered by the blood of Christ and stands in all the acceptance of Christ before God (Heb. 10:1414For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)). This gives us peace with God.
V.10-32 Now begins the long process of going through the different offerings which are described in the first 7 chapters of this book. When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we are cleansed forever from our sins. But now that we are cleansed, it does not mean that we can live as we did before. Now our life is not our own, for we have been bought with the price of the blood of Christ. Read what it says after the word “therefore” in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Salvation depends on the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, but communion with God depends on the purifying work of Christ. Blood and water (Read Heb. 10:2222Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)).