Day 49-11

V From the Exodus to the Crossing into Canaan - 1462-1422 B.C. ~ cont.

(1462 - 982 480 years of 1 Kings 6:1)

B. Time spent at Sinai (sometimes called Horeb) ~ cont.

25. Laws for the people ~ cont.
b. Motherhood (law of cleansing) - Leviticus 12:1-8
c. Leprosy - Leviticus 13:1-59
{pages 217-221}

I'm glad we do not have to follow all the rules for life post-childbirth.  Whew!

Every time I read about leprosy, the verse where one is completely leprous and considered clean amazes me.

leprosy - H6883 - From H6879; leprosy.

• H6879 - A primitive root; to scourge, that is, (intransitively and figuratively) to be stricken with leprosy.

The word leprosy is used 39x in 37 verses - 4 of which are in the NT.

G3014 - From the same as G3013; scaliness, that is, “leprosy”.

• G3013 - From λέπω lepō (to peel); a flake.

Browsing for information on leprosy and came across several.  I do not agree with all of them, but they have some interesting information.  This one, The Will to Make Lepers Whole, was good, though the author took license to share what he perceived may have transpired.  I do not agree with the articles that state unequivocally that leprosy is Hansen's disease, but thought this article and this one, both presented engaging material.

Lev 13:12  And if a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh;

Lev 13:13  Then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.

K&D Commentary:  If, on the other hand, the leprosy broke out blooming on the skin, and covered the whole of the skin from head to foot “with regard to the whole sight of the eyes of the priest,” i.e., as far as his eyes could see, the priest was to pronounce the person clean. “He has turned quite white,” i.e., his dark body has all become white. The breaking out of the leprous matter in this complete and rapid way upon the surface of the whole body was the crisis of the disease; the diseased matter turned into a scurf, which died away and then fell off.

Most all the commentaries were similar to this one by Wesley:

All his flesh - When it appeared in some one part it discovered the ill humour which lurked within, and withal the inability of nature to expel it; but when it overspread all, it manifested the strength of nature conquering the distemper, and purging out the ill humours into the outward parts.

I find it interesting that the outward state is representative of the inward state and the purging thereof.

Mar 7:20-23  And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Lord, help Your people to be cognizant of those 'things' which defile us, to be more and more aware of what and how our heart is being conformed, create a desire within us to be set apart and holy, ready for use by the Master.