Leviticus 14 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“The L_rd spoke to Moses: ‘This is the law concerning the person afflicted with a skin disease on the day of his cleansing. He is to be brought to the priest, who will go outside the camp and examine him. If the skin disease has disappeared from the afflicted person, the priest will order that two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop brought for the one who is to be cleansed.’” Leviticus 14:1-4

It is important for us to understand that the procedures outlined in today’s passage do not constitute a cure for leprosy. The verse describes a ceremony to restore a person who has already been healed. Only G_d can cure a person…not a ritual. That is what separates voodoo from true religion.

In what may seem like an otherwise benign ritual concerning skin disease (something we would defer to a dermatologist today) we actually have a clear picture of Yeshua’s suffering on the Roman cross. Let’s examine the elements.

First off, the whole act was to take place outside of the camp:

“That is why Yeshua, in order to sanctify people by his own blood, suffered outside the city gate.” Hebrews 13:12

Next, the birds & articles (required for the ceremony) were not provided by the leper, himself. The priest summoned the articles be brought. Otherwise, the articles would be unclean for the priest to touch. Similarly, Yeshua was the substitute for our sin offering. Atonement comes completely from His gracious provision and not from our own good works.

The scarlet wool and hyssop are symbols of the Passover lamb, which was sacrificed and its blood “painted” on the Israelites’ doorposts with the hyssop branches. It is also a picture of Yeshua, our Passover lamb. 1 Corinthians 5:7

The cedar wood evokes the image of the cross.

In verse 5, one of the two birds is to be killed. Then, the living bird, along with the other articles, were to be “washed” in the blood of the sacrificed bird. This is meant to show a contrast to the other bird, which was allowed to live, thus representing the state of death from which the leper had escaped. This reminds us of how we are “washed in the blood” of Yeshua, Who atoned for our sin, that we may live.

Running water (literally: living water) in verse 5 symbolized Mikveh (baptism), being washed clean. Yeshua said to the woman at the well, “If you knew to Whom you are speaking, you would ask and He would have given you living water”. John 4:10

Finally, (v. 7) the leper is pronounced clean and the living bird is let go. So too, are we free, indeed through Messiah Yeshua!! John 8:36

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Thursday, April 24, 2014