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The Law of the Leper
and
The Priest
As we consider man on a new earth, God reminds us in Genesis 8:21 that man’s heart is STILL continuously evil. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
God spoke while Noah was still offering his sacrifice while sanctifying the new earth. At the same time, God is speaking about the evil heart of man and his imagination as in Genesis Chapter 6. There were only eight souls on this new earth at that time, but only ONE, Noah, had FAITH’s golden ring. ONLY Noah had the grace of God. Only Noah walked with God. His entire family came under the umbrella of Noah’s FAITH. Yes, they were saved through the flood, but FAITH was not found in them. This is why in 2nd Peter 2:5 we are informed that Noah is called the eighth person. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. The number eight is identified with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He arose on the first day of the week, which is the day AFTER the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, therefore the number eight is spiritually identified as the eighth day when Christ arose from the dead.
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. (1st Peter 3:20) The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: (1st Peter 3:21)
I hope that you are able to see the picture here, baptism is our declaration to the world that we have died to this present world, and NOW through the power of Christ’s resurrection we LIVE in the power of His endless life. The reality of the new birth is that HE LIVES IN ME, and I LIVE IN HIM as a new creation, supernaturally changed by the power of God. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)
We are born of God NOT after the carnal commandment. In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the women went to the sepulcher on the FIRST day of the week, which was the day AFTER the Sabbath, which was also the EIGHTH day. Now, to put this all together we need to time travel all the way back to Leviticus Chapter 14:7-10 to The Law of the Leper.
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. (Leviticus 14:7)
And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days. (Leviticus 14:8)
But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean. (Leviticus 14:9)
And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. (Leviticus 14:10)
The cleansing of the leper was a visual sign given to Israel to show them what SIN was capable of. That SIN ate away at the live of all man, and when SIN has finished it brings forth death. The leper was a walking testimony of SIN. His SIN had brought him into this condition, but his CLEANSING FROM SIN and from leprosy had to be proclaimed on the EIGHTH DAY OR THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK . . . the day of resurrection. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (John 11:25) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:26)
The cleansing of the leper was also a witness of being dead to SIN and then CLEANSED and made whole, white and clean, as ONE risen from the dead. This outwardly and visually connects the leper to resurrection on the eighth day. Do you see this?
● And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD. (Leviticus 14:23)
● And when these days are expired, it shall be, [that] upon the eighth day, and [so] forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 43:27)
When the Lord Jesus healed the ten lepers recorded in the gospel of Luke Chapter 17, only one returned to worship Him as the Son of God, God Himself.
And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. (Luke 17:11)
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: (Luke 17:12)
And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. (Luke 17:13)
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. (Luke 17:14)
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, (Luke 17:15)
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. (Luke 17:16)
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? (Luke 17:17)
There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. (Luke 17:18)
And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. (Luke 17:19)
Israel had the oracles of God, and the one leper who returned was a Samaritan, a stranger. Those lepers who were of Israel DID NOT return to worship Him. Remember that in John Chapter 4, the Samaritans worshiped in the mountain wherein the Jews worshiped in Jerusalem. Logic tells us that those under the divine covenant should have been the ones to return to the Lord Jesus to worship Him, but NO, it was a Samaritan, a stranger. This shows the working of God in all hearts, whether a Jew or a Gentile. And it shows that the place of accepted worship was NOT and is NOT in a building made with hands, but at the feet of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the ONLY ONE WORTHY OF WORSHIP. Today, we worship Him in SPIRIT AND TRUTH. God places SPIRIT and TRUTH together, they cannot be separated. You CANNOT worship God in SPIRIT and sin. You CANNOT worship God in SPIRIT and error. You CANNOT worship God in SPIRIT and religion. It will always be true that TRUE WORSHIPERS will worship God in SPIRIT and TRUTH.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:22) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)
In the cleansing of the ten lepers, the Lord marveled that only one returned to worship Him. He asked this question, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? He had cleansed ten and ONLY ONE former leper returned. The other nine former lepers had the same outward appearance, but only ONE, the stranger in Israel had a new heart, and God looks on the heart, NOT the outward man. Read and meditate on Leviticus Chapter 14, and you will be spiritually opened to that miracle that the Lord performed that day in cleansing the ten lepers. By cleansing them He proclaimed that He was the TRUE HIGH PRIEST for in the book of Leviticus, ONLY the HIGH PRIEST could perform the ceremony of the cleansing of the leper. And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD. (Leviticus 14:23)
Mini Side Note: The word priest is recorded twenty-nine times in Leviticus Chapter 14 dealing with The Law of the Leper, No other book nor any other chapter has the word priest recorded that many times in the Old Testament.
Yet, the God of creation, the Lord Jesus Christ, CLEANSED those ten lepers in a moment of time, with the power of His endless word, I WILL: be thou clean. In the gospel of Luke there is the record of a man (a single individual) set free from leprosy.
● And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. (Luke 5:12) And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. (Luke 5:13) And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. (Luke 5:14)
This truly was a marvelous action. Those ten lepers in Luke 17 were drawn to the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God records this action for our learning and comfort of the Scriptures. In the sight of God, I have come from the Gentiles, I was a stranger from the oracles of God, yet, God in His divine will and purpose cleansed me from the leprosy of SIN that brings forth death. When the Lord Jesus told those ten former lepers to go and show themselves to the priest, He was sending them as a witness to His great power. His declaration that HE WAS AND IS the TRUE HIGH PRIEST which in our study is magnified in the book of Hebrews in Chapter 7, verse 26. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.
● For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
● Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; (Hebrews 8:1)
The Pharisees had asked the question of the Lord, When shall the kingdom of God come? That single leper from the ten, a stranger of the Gentiles had found the Kingdom of God AND THE KING of that Kingdom. The religious leaders with ALL the oracles of God had NO CLUE of the ONE who was before them. When dealing with the multitude of religious professors, always remember the parable of the sower. There were many seeds but only one brought forth fruit for God. IT IS NOT ABOUT PROFESSION IT IS ALL ABOUT POSSESSION OF THE SON OF GOD.
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© Copyright – Michael Haigh
Published on December 31, 2024 @ 12:30 PM (EST).
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJB)