We have been studying in the last few lessons about leprosy. We will
pick up the lesson in Leviticus 13:50 “And the priest shall look upon the
plague, and shut up [it that hath] the plague seven days:”
We have discussed, over and over, that 7 stands for spiritual
completeness. This period of time then is to see the truth about this
person. Is this person truly a sinner as it appears, or is he a true
believer?
Leviticus 13:51 “And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if
the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or
in a skin, [or] in any work that is made of skin; the plague [is] a fretting
leprosy; it [is] unclean.”
The word fretting, in this particular Scripture, means bitter, cause to
embitter, or painful. From the spiritual standpoint, our garments that we
wear could, perhaps, mean the immediate surroundings. Such as those of your
own household, or those who live nearby. We sometimes become embittered by
these very people that mean the most to us. Sometimes we cause them to be
bitter, as well. Nothing hurts as deeply as a loved one gone wrong. There
are so many things that embitter us, or cause us to embitter others. We
spoke of it in the previous lesson, but what we put into our brain affects
our life. A person could get caught in a job that was not morally sound, and
it could embitter them. I really believe the worst thing to embitter a
person, to my recollection, has been people turned against the church
because of hypocrites in the church. It seems the bitterness of this sort is
the hardest to stop. We, too, many times, forget that the things we do might
run someone away from God and make them bitter.
Leviticus 13:52 “He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or
woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is:
for it [is] a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire.”
The sin of bitterness is possibly the hardest sin of all to get rid of.
This, I believe, is what intended by burning this up, so there will not be
anything left to spring up again. Bitterness has even been known to cause
crippling disease. Hebrews 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of
the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you],
and thereby many be defiled;” Bitterness destroys the person who is bitter.
Give it to Jesus, and let Him burn it out of your soul.
Leviticus 13:53 “And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague
be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any
thing of skin;” Leviticus 13:54 “Then the priest shall command that they
wash [the thing] wherein the plague [is], and he shall shut it up seven days
more:”
This separation for the seven days is the same as in the other times it
was mentioned. The separation is to see if the washing will be sufficient to
remove this sin. We are told, if we have ought against anyone, to leave our
gift and go and make it right and then come back and offer. Matthew 5:24
“Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled
to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” It is a very dangerous
thing to take communion with bitterness in our heart toward anyone. I
Corinthians 11:27 “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink
[this] cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood
the Lord.” I Corinthians 11:28 “But let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup.” I Corinthians 11:29 “For
he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to
himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” I Corinthians 11:30 “For this
cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” We can see
from all this, how serious it is to hold a grudge.
Leviticus 13:55 “And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it
is washed: and, behold, [if] the plague have not changed his colour, and the
plague be not spread; it [is] unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it
[is] fret inward, [whether] it [be] bare within or without.”
The best way to say this, in the spiritual realm, is to say we must
crucify our flesh that our spirit might live. Galatians 5:24 “And they that
are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
This bitterness from within must be destroyed.
Leviticus 13:56 “And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague [be]
somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the
garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof:”
The explanation of this can be found in Jesus’ own words when He said,
if a member of your body keep you from God, do away with it. Matthew 5:29
“And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee:
for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not
[that] thy whole body should be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:30 “And if thy
right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast [it] from thee: for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that]
thy whole body should be cast into hell.” This seems so drastic, but we must
not miss heaven at any cost.
Leviticus 13:57 “And if it appear still in the garment, either in the
warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it [is] a spreading [plague]:
thou shalt burn that wherein the plague [is] with fire.”
I almost hate to comment on this. If all efforts fail, then they are
lost. The fire of hell is the sure outcome of this individual.
Leviticus 13:58 “And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever
thing of skin [it be], which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from
them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean.”
This washing certainly has to do with the washing in the blood of the
Lamb. We see in the Scriptures that it is by blood and water. Both are to be
washed in, to be Jesus’. I John 5:6 “This is he that came by water and
blood, [even] Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And
it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.”
We see, in this, that baptism in water is not enough, we must be washed
in the blood of the Lamb and made white as snow. This is when we repent
{turn from our wicked ways} and begin a new life in Jesus. We receive His
robe of righteousness when He takes our sin. We certainly get the best end
of this trade.
Leviticus 13:59 “This [is] the law of the plague of leprosy in a
garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of
skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.”
The main thing that we must remember, in this, is that these garments
symbolize the flesh of mankind. Our flesh is our worst enemy. The lust of
our flesh is the cause of our sin. Sin is anything that displeases God, or
the breaking of the law. I John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth
also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” This is not just
any law, but the law of God. God has given us a substitute for our sin,
Jesus Christ the Righteous. It is our own fault if we wind up in hell. God
made provision for us, but we must avail ourselves of it.