Leviticus 14-15

What I Noticed Today (Leviticus 14-15)

Leviticus 14

Leviticus 14 deals with the laws for cleansing leprous skin diseases and unclean objects. A person who had been isolated outside the camp because of a skin disease could be readmitted to the community and resume worship of God at the Tent of Meeting after a ritual involving a bird sacrifice, a ceremonial washing, and sacrifices in the sanctuary.

In verses 1-3, the Lord gave Moses instructions regarding the priest’s duty to inspect a person with a skin disease. The priest was to go outside the camp to inspect the person.

In verses 4-9, is a description of the process for a person who is determined to be healed:

• The priest will order two live birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be brought for the person to be cleansed.
• The priest will order one of the birds to be slaughtered over fresh water in a clay pot.
• Then the live bird, the cedar, and the hyssop will be dipped in the blood of the slaughtered bird.
• The priest will then sprinkle some of the blood on the person to be cleansed seven times.
• The live bird is to be released, and the person pronounced clean.
• The person who had the skin disease must wash himself and his clothes, and shave off all his hair.
• He may then reenter the camp but must remain outside his tent for seven days.
• He must then shave off all the hair on his body, and wash himself and his clothes again.

In verses 10-20, the ritual for the atonement of the person who had a skin disease is described:

• On the eighth day, he must take two unblemished male lambs, a year-old ewe lamb, a grain offering mixed with oil, and olive oil to the priest.
• The priest will bring the person before the Lord, along with the offerings to the front of the Tent of Meeting.
• The restitution (guilt) offering was one male lamb along with olive oil waved before the Lord. The other male lamb was slaughtered and belonged to the priest; it was especially holy.
• A portion of the blood of the restitution offering was placed on the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe.
• The priest would then take some of the oil and sprinkle it before the Lord seven times. Finally, the person was anointed with oil on his right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. The remaining oil was to be placed on the forehead of the person to be cleansed to make atonement for him.
• The priest must then make the sin offering to make atonement for the person, the burnt offering, and the grain offering. Once this was completed, the person was atoned for and could return to camp.

In verses 21-32, the laws for the reinstatement of a poor person are described:

• The poor person will take a male lamb as restitution (guilt) offering, fine flour mixed with oil, some olive oil, and two turtledoves or pigeons to the priest.
• The priest will take the lamb as a restitution offering along with some of the oil and wave them before the Lord.
• The lamb will be slaughtered, and some of the blood will be placed on the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of the person to be cleansed.
• The priest will take some of the oil and sprinkle it before the Lord seven times. Then he will anoint the person’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe with oil. The priest will then anoint the forehead of the person with the remaining oil.
• One bird will be sacrificed as a sin offering, and the other bird will be sacrificed as a burnt offering along with the grain offering.
• In this way, the priest will make atonement for the person.

In verses 33-57, the laws regarding the cleansing of contaminated objects are described:

• The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, giving them instructions for cleansing a house once they arrive in Canaan.
• A person who notices mildew in the house must tell the priest who will come to inspect the house.
• If the priest sees a red or green indentation that appears to be beneath the surface, the house will be quarantined for seven days.
• The priest will return in seven days, and if the contamination has spread, the priest will order the contaminated stones to be removed and thrown outside the city. The plaster inside of the house is to be scraped and thrown outside the city. Then the stones are to be replaced, and the house re-plastered.
• If the contamination reappears, the house must be torn down and dumped outside the city.
• Anyone who enters the house while it is quarantined is unclean until the evening.
• However, if the contamination does not spread after it has re-plastered, the house is declared clean.
• The priest is to take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop to purify the house. He is to slaughter one bird over a clay pot with fresh water. Then he is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the yarn, and the live bird dip them in the blood and sprinkle the house seven times. The live bird is to be released outside the city as atonement for the house, and it will be declared clean.

Leviticus 15

Leviticus 15 deals with the laws for bodily discharges of both men and women. Four types of discharges are described: chronic and occasional for men, and chronic and occasional for women.

In verses 1-18, the Lord gives Moses and Aaron instructions for a man who has a bodily discharge:

• Any man who has a bodily discharge is unclean. Any bed he lies on and any furniture or saddle he sits on will be unclean. Anyone who touches him or his bed must wash their clothes and bathe and will be unclean until evening.
• If the man with a discharge touches anyone without first rinsing his hands, that person must wash their clothes and bathe and will be unclean until evening.
• Any clay pot the man touches must be broken, but any wooden utensils may be washed with water.
• When the man with the discharge has been cured, he must count seven days, wash his clothes and bath and will remain unclean until evening.
• The man must take two turtledoves or pigeons on the eighth day and come before the Lord at the Tent of Meeting and present them to the priest. The priest will then sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement for him.

• A man who has an emission of semen (either a nocturnal emission or through intercourse) must bathe and will be unclean until evening. If the emission is from intercourse, the woman must also bathe and will be unclean until evening.

In verses 19-30, the Lord gives Moses and Aaron instructions regarding a woman who has a bodily discharge:

• A woman who has a discharge of blood from her menstrual cycle she will be unclean for seven days.
• Anyone who touches her will be unclean until evening.
• Her bed and anything she sits on are unclean. Anyone who touches her, her bed, or furniture she sits on must wash their clothes and bathe and will be unclean until evening.
• If a man lies with her and her menstruation gets on him, he will be unclean for seven days.
• A woman who has a discharge beyond her menstruation will be unclean all the days of her discharge. Any bed she lies on or furniture she sits on will be unclean.
• Anyone who touches her must wash their clothes and bathe and will be unclean until evening.
• When she is cured of her discharge, she must count off seven days. On the eighth day, she must take two turtledoves or two pigeons and bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. The priest will sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. In this way, the priest will make atonement for her

In verses 31-33, The purpose of these laws was to keep the Israelites from defiling the tabernacle and dying.

Some additional thoughts for consideration:

• Individuals who were unclean, whether by disease or by discharge, were all given an opportunity to be redeemed through cleansing and the atoning sacrifice. Likewise, we have been washed clean and redeemed by Jesus’ blood and sacrifice on the cross.

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Leviticus 16-18