Read Leviticus 13
Background: God continues to address issues of ceremonial uncleanness among the people of Israel. Though there are physical health benefits to many of the distinctions God makes between clean and unclean, there are far deeper concerns He has about the spiritual holiness of His people. This chapter has a very detailed listing of examples of visible skin issues which are categorized as various kinds of leprosy. The account begins this way:
1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, 3 and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean. 4 But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall shut up the diseased person for seven days. 5 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up for another seven days. 6 And the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the diseased area has faded and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. 7 But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest. 8 And the priest shall look, and if the eruption has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease.
Thoughts: The first role of the priest was an initial diagnosis. As you work your way through the chapter there are several symptoms of possible skin diseases which have clear indicators of whether they are temporary reactions and rashes or more serious issues. Almost all would require of period of one week for reexamination. If things then seemed to be under control, then all the person would have to do would be wash clothing and be pronounced clean. If not, the person would be further secluded for another period of time. In the worst case scenario, the person would be excluded from the camp. As we will see tomorrow, this was usually not a permanent exclusion; there was hope of being healed.
Like all of these issues, there was a constant reminder that "life can get dirty" and in daily living we can pick up things, physically or spiritually, which need to be cleansed. These things should be checked and reevaluated to make sure the condition is not worsening and becoming a danger not only to ourselves, but to others.
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