Leviticus 12:6-13:8
At the end of the period of the mother’s uncleanness for the birth of a child, she was to bring a sin offering and a burnt offering to the priest, who was to offer it before the Lord. Thus she acknowledged, in figure, that the only ground of blessing was through the death of Christ.
Provision for the Poor
It is blessed to notice here that God made provision even for those who were so poor that they could only bring a turtledove or a young pigeon. Nevertheless, only through the shedding of blood can sin be put away — nothing else would do, for “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Of course we know that now it is not the blood of lambs or pigeons, but the precious blood of Christ which has been shed on Calvary, and it alone has power to cleanse from sin. The blood of animals and birds is only a type and shadow of this.
It is a most wonderful expression of “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, [who] though He was rich, yet for [our] sakes He became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9), that when He was born, His mother offered two turtledoves or young pigeons on the eighth day. He was born among the poorest, but, blessed be His name, He was the holy, harmless, undefiled one who knew no sin, having been conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. How our hearts worship as we think of the grace that brought Him so low to lift us so high!
Leprosy
We now find two long chapters devoted to details about leprosy. It is a terrible disease which was utterly incurable, and God has used it in His Word as a type of something far worse — the disease of sin. Not only was leprosy incurable, but it was also very contagious, so that the one who touched a leper was almost sure to catch the disease himself. Surely this, too, is like sin, for when it is allowed, it spreads so rapidly.
Leprosy among the children of Israel was never to be treated with indifference. It was a frightfully serious thing, and if there was any suspicion whatever of a man’s having it, he was to be brought to the priest who was to look at the suspicious spot. It might be a rising, a bright spot, or a scab, and whether it was small or large, it was to be carefully examined by the priest. Unless the priest was very sure it was not leprosy, he was to shut the man up for seven days so that he could look at the spot again at that time and see if there was any change. He was not to put the feelings of the man in question first, but was responsible to maintain that which was for God’s glory in the care of Israel, because God dwelt among them. This is very important, for too often the feelings of friends and relatives are put before the glory of God. Alas, we would rather displease the Lord than offend our friends, and so sin is hushed up and the attempt made to hide it. The priest in Israel was to act for God, and so the man was to be shut up for seven days to see if the doubtful spot was spreading and if it was a real leprosy. At the end of the seven days if the case was still uncertain, then the man was to be shut up again.
Unjudged Sin Spreads
In these instructions we can see two things: first, that if sin is left unjudged, it spreads and defiles others, and secondly, that we should never act in haste. It is always well to remember these two things when seeking to act for God in such matters, whether as parents or in the assembly.
For Further Meditation
1. What did Mary’s offering, eight days after the Lord’s birth, tell about the family’s finances?
2. What are some of the ways that leprosy makes a good figure of sin?
3. The Law of the Leper by G. C. Willis is a simple and very easy-to-understand exposition of Leviticus 13-14. You will probably find it a very refreshing introduction to those two chapters of Scripture.