LEPROSY: A TYPE OF SIN

Leviticus 13:1-3 & 14:1-8

  1. Intro.
    1. leprosy, as a type of sin, reveals the terrible nature of sin
    2. both make the whole life barren and unfruitful
    3. both affect the whole person: his garments & his dwelling place
  2. the character of the disease - Lev. 13:3 "it is a plague"
    1. it is a fatal disease
    2. makes a person unclean - Lev. 13:3 & 44
      1. one spot is enough to make him "utterly unclean"
      2. sin is an awful thing
        1. to offend in one point is to be guilty of all - James 2:10
        2. "cursed is very one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book" - Gal. 3:10
      3. leprosy & sin are an inner, deep down uncleanness
    3. brings judgment - Lev. 13:3 & 44 "pronounce"
      1. the priest delivered the judgment that God already made - Lev. 13:1
      2. there was no appeal for the judgment that was passed
      3. no man can alter the Word of God
    4. brings separation - Lev. 13:46
      1. outside the camp meant outside the place of divine fellowship
      2. sin makes us unfit for the enjoyment of God’s presence
      3. a leper could have no fellowship with God or His people
      4. leprosy is a picture of one dead in sin
        1. dead while he lives c) dead to the enjoyment of holy things
        2. dead to God d) dead to a life of usefulness
      5. the pure heart shall see God
  3. leprosy must be confessed - Lev. 13:45-46
    1. take not of the suffering it brought
    2. clothes were rent
      1. a sign of mourning & sorrow
      2. it indicates misery & shame
    3. head was bare
      1. he was defenseless
      2. he had no covering from the burning sun
    4. lips were covered
      1. his breath was polluted (sin is highly contagious)
      2. stopped his mouth from self justification
    5. cried, "unclean, unclean"
      1. to warn people to stay away because of the contagious nature
      2. the leper defiled everything around him
      3. everything that sin touches is defiled by it
  4. the manner of restoration (the divine method of salvation)
    1. out going of the priest - Lev. 14:3
      1. the leper cannot come in, so the priest must go out
      2. the sinner cannot find his way back to God
      3. Jesus Christ, our great High priest, went forth to seek and to save
    2. offering made - Lev. 14:4-7
      1. the priest goes forth, then the sacrifice is made
      2. Christ came from heaven and died outside of Jerusalem as a ransom for all
      3. this sacrifice represents the death, resurrection & ascension of Jesus Christ
        1. the two birds represent the dying Savior & the risen Savior
        2. the dead bird died outside the camp
        3. the living bird is associated with the dead bird by the blood
        4. the living bird is let loose - Lev. 14:7
    3. sprinkling of the blood - Lev. 14:7
      1. the leper must come in contact with the sacrifice made for him
      2. the sprinkling represents the application of Christ blood to the sinner
    4. word from the priest - Lev. 14:7 "pronounced him clean"
      1. only he who pronounced the leper unclean can pronounce him clean
      2. this word from the priest did not come until the blood was applied
      3. after the leper had the justifying word, it did not matter what other people thought
    5. personal cleansing - Lev. 14:8
      1. the cleansing of sin should cause us to put away the filthiness of the flesh
      2. those justified before God by faith should justify themselves before man by their works
    6. fellowship - Lev. 14:8 "after that"
      1. after the washing of water (baptism), he could enter the camp
      2. baptism comes before church membership
    7. consecration - Lev. 14:14-18
      1. the blood represents Christ
      2. the oil represents the Holy Spirit