Leviticus 14 | Sunday May 25, 2025

In Chapter 13 God gave the priest detailed instructions on how to evaluate various diseases and how to know which were dangerous to the community and which were not. Each ailment is a reminder of the curse of sin and the body of death that we are in. We have such an amazing savior who was willing to come and touch a leper, touch the unclean, in order to offer us life. As Jesus verified who He was with His miracles, He also pointed to the fact that He would be the one who could give life to our bodies of death.

Matthew 11:3-6 ESV

(3)  and said to Him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
(4)  And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:
(5)  the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
(6)  And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”

John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus was the Messiah, the promised one he was looking for or if he should keep looking. Jesus points to His miracles to verify that He is in fact the Messiah. He is the one who can give life. The miracles are Him undoing sins curse and all the ailments that plague our body of death, blindness, lameness, leprosy, deafness and ultimately death. He is the one who will defeat death and give life. He can cleanse even the leper. Leviticus 14 points to this hope that is found in the coming Messiah. At this time in history when someone developed Leprosy there were no solutions and no hope. Yet this chapter describes the cleansing process once someone was healed after being declared unclean with Leprosy. These elaborate instructions point to the healing that will be found in Jesus.

Leviticus 14:1-57 ESV

(1)  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2)  “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, (3)  and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look. Then, if the case of leprous disease is healed in the leprous person, (4)  the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop. (5)  And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. (6)  He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. (7)  And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field. (8)  And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but live outside his tent seven days. (9)  And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows. He shall shave off all his hair, and then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he shall be clean. (10)  “And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil. (11)  And the priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed and these things before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. (12)  And the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it for a guilt offering, along with the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. (13)  And he shall kill the lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sanctuary. For the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. (14)  The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. (15)  Then the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand (16)  and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the LORD. (17)  And some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. (18)  And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. Then the priest shall make atonement for him before the LORD. (19)  The priest shall offer the sin offering, to make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. And afterward he shall kill the burnt offering. (20)  And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean. (21)  “But if he is poor and cannot afford so much, then he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil; (22)  also two turtledoves or two pigeons, whichever he can afford. The one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. (23)  And on the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the entrance of the tent of meeting, before the LORD. (24)  And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. (25)  And he shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering. And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. (26)  And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, (27)  and shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD. (28)  And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, in the place where the blood of the guilt offering was put. (29)  And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. (30)  And he shall offer, of the turtledoves or pigeons, whichever he can afford, (31)  one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, along with a grain offering. And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for him who is being cleansed. (32)  This is the law for him in whom is a case of leprous disease, who cannot afford the offerings for his cleansing.” (33)  The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, (34)  “When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a case of leprous disease in a house in the land of your possession, (35)  then he who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, ‘There seems to me to be some case of disease in my house.’ (36)  Then the priest shall command that they empty the house before the priest goes to examine the disease, lest all that is in the house be declared unclean. And afterward the priest shall go in to see the house. (37)  And he shall examine the disease. And if the disease is in the walls of the house with greenish or reddish spots, and if it appears to be deeper than the surface, (38)  then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house and shut up the house seven days. (39)  And the priest shall come again on the seventh day, and look. If the disease has spread in the walls of the house, (40)  then the priest shall command that they take out the stones in which is the disease and throw them into an unclean place outside the city. (41)  And he shall have the inside of the house scraped all around, and the plaster that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city. (42)  Then they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and he shall take other plaster and plaster the house. (43)  “If the disease breaks out again in the house, after he has taken out the stones and scraped the house and plastered it, (44)  then the priest shall go and look. And if the disease has spread in the house, it is a persistent leprous disease in the house; it is unclean. (45)  And he shall break down the house, its stones and timber and all the plaster of the house, and he shall carry them out of the city to an unclean place. (46)  Moreover, whoever enters the house while it is shut up shall be unclean until the evening, (47)  and whoever sleeps in the house shall wash his clothes, and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes. (48)  “But if the priest comes and looks, and if the disease has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, for the disease is healed. (49)  And for the cleansing of the house he shall take two small birds, with cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop, (50)  and shall kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water (51)  and shall take the cedarwood and the hyssop and the scarlet yarn, along with the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the bird that was killed and in the fresh water and sprinkle the house seven times. (52)  Thus he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the fresh water and with the live bird and with the cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn. (53)  And he shall let the live bird go out of the city into the open country. So he shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.” (54)  This is the law for any case of leprous disease: for an itch, (55)  for leprous disease in a garment or in a house, (56)  and for a swelling or an eruption or a spot, (57)  to show when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law for leprous disease.

These instructions are some of the most elaborate in law, and there are elements that are like the ceremonies for the ordination for the priest, the ashes of the red heifer, and even the day of atonement. If the person was unclean with Leprosy, they were not allowed in the camp. So, the priest had to go see the leper outside the camp and reinspect them. The miraculous happened, the world had no way to treat Leprosy and yet the person was found healed. This body of death is going to be defeated.

Revelation 1:17-18 ESV

(17)  When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I Am the first and the last
(18)  and the living one. I died, and behold I Am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Jesus is the living one because He died and was resurrected. He conquered death so He holds the keys to death. The Leper was isolated and viewed as good as dead, constantly mourning their impending demise. Chapter 13 ended on this hard truth and yet chapter 14 gives the hope that healing is possible. This body of death is undone through Jesus. He had to die to accomplish it, but now He is alive forevermore. Death is defeated. The cleansing process will point to what Jesus did to give us life.

Leviticus 14:4-7 ESV

(4)  the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop.
(5)  And the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water.
(6)  He shall take the live bird with the cedarwood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.
(7)  And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the leprous disease. Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird go into the open field.

Once the Leper is found to be healed, they need to be cleansed in order to enter back into the camp. Two clean birds are chosen. Not all the details are given but most likely one bird and the hyssop branch were tied to the cedar plank using the red yarn. Then the other bird was killed and its blood was collected into fresh water. The cedar plank with the bird and hyssop tied to it was then dipped into the blood water. The hyssop branch would then be used to sprinkle the blood water onto the former Leper 7 times. The last step was to release the bird who had been dipped in blood to fly free.

There are many layers to all the symbolism. The red cedar wood and the red yarn both emphasize the blood that is to be used in the ceremony. One bird died and then the other was released with its life coming through the blood. This all points to what Jesus had to do to accomplish our cleansing, and defeating death.

Romans 4:25 NLT

(25)  He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God.

Both birds represent what Jesus did through His death and resurrection to new life. To defeat sin and all the ways it has cursed us He had to become the curse, He had to die. The new life Jesus secured is possible through His blood. The ceremony cannot just skip to the releasing of the live bird, first it must be dipped in blood. Then through the blood the living bird can be released. Jesus could not just jump ahead to the glory, honor, and new life first He had to die.

Revelation 5:9-10 ESV

(9)  And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, (10)  and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Jesus is worthy of honor and glory because He was willing to die. It is through His death, through His blood, that He was able to give life. The Leper could now be cleansed because of the death and life the birds represented in Jesus. The former Leper was sprinkled 7 times with the same blood water. His cleansing and ability to rejoin camp was found through the death and life of the birds.

Romans 6:4 ESV

(4)  We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

All believers are identified, fully immersed, into the death and life of Jesus. We can walk in new life and have fellowship with Him because of His death and life.

Leviticus 14:8-12 NKJV

(8)  He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean. After that he shall come into the camp, and shall stay outside his tent seven days.
(9)  But on the seventh day he shall shave all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows—all his hair he shall shave off. He shall wash his clothes and wash his body in water, and he shall be clean.
(10)  "And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil.
(11)  Then the priest who makes him clean shall present the man who is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
(12)  And the priest shall take one male lamb and offer it as a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before the LORD.

The Leper who was considered to be a living dead person was now reentering the camp. What an amazing reunion this must have been for their family. The person had to shave off their hair two times in an effort to certify they were healed of the disease. The process was not over though, there were a variety of offerings they needed to bring. On the eight day, the day of the new creation, the person brought 2 male lambs, 1 ewe lamb, a grain offering, and oil. What stands out is the first offering they must give is a trespass/ guilt offering. This was the offering you gave when you had violated someone’s rights in some way. You had trespassed against them.

Having Leprosy was not a direct sin, but the Leper had to be separated from the fellowship in the camp and had not been able to worship at the tabernacle for an extended period of time. It was this lost time that violated God and the worship He deserved during it. We are to use our time to worship God, we are held accountable for our time.

Ephesians 5:15-18 NKJV

(15)  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
(16)  redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
(17)  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
(18)  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

We are called to walk circumspectly, focused, and with careful attention. This is not something that comes naturally. Our natural desire is to be the fool and not care how we walk. We just start living. Complacency and carelessness endanger the spirit filled walk because the days are evil. We are to give special attention to how we live with Christ so we can redeem the time, which literally means to buy back, deliver, liberate. It is God’s will for us to live a spirit filled life, to walk in fellowship with Him.

Our society and world is evil, but notice the verse goes a step farther and says the days are evil. Time is a precious commodity that we only are given so much of.

Psalm 139:16 NASB

(16)  Your eyes have seen my formless substance; And in Your book were written All the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

Before you or I were even born, in God’s book the exact number of days we would live were written down. So much effort is put into adding to this number, but it has already been written. None of us know how many days we have. The average Arkansan life span is 72.5 years or 3,770 weeks. If I live the average, then I only have 1,846 weeks left. The time that is gone cannot be recovered. The leper could not get back the time spent outside the camp separated form tabernacle worship. We cannot get back not living for God yesterday or last week. All we have is today to live a spirit filled life and walk carefully, intentionally with Him. As He came back into the camp the Leper was reminded to make the best use of the time He had to be in fellowship again.

Leviticus 14:14; 17 NKJV

(14)  The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
(17)  And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest shall put some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the trespass offering.

Just as the priest was set aside, the former Leper is set aside for service to God. They need to have a spiritual ear to listen to God’s will, hands that do the works of God, and feet that seek to walk with Him. This relationship is possible through the blood, and it is empowered through the Holy Spirit who is represented by the oil. After their time outside the camp, the former Leper was to have a unique perspective on life. To not waste the time they had been given but to live for God with all they had. We have the same call on our lives. The death and resurrection of Jesus has blessed us beyond measure, let’s not waste it.

Hebrews 10:23-27 ESV

(23)  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (24)  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
(25)  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
(26)  For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27)  but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

We are called to hold fast because He is the faithful one. We are not holding on to our salvation so we don’t loose it, but we are holding on to not waste the gift we have been entrusted with. The former Leper knew what life out of the camp was like. We are to value being in the body of Christ. We are to encourage each other and stir each other up in pursing God and walking in fellowship with Him. We should not take the body of Christ for granted. We can neglect stirring each other up, and valuing the fellowship in the body and then we regret it when the opportunity is taken from us. This could be illness, life change, society changes etc. We cannot get back the wasted time, this is why there no longer remains a sacrifice. Our salvation is not in question but the time is gone. Even after the trespass offering, sin offering, burnt offering, and grain offering the Leper could never reclaim the time spent out of the camp. In the Leper’s case that time out of camp was not even a direct result of His own sin, but just a product of being on this sin cursed planet with a sin cursed body. God has so much grace to continually offer us today, we can walk with Him today! Until the Day draws near. This earth and all its curses from sin are not permanent. This can be seen with the house that is infected by Leprosy, most likely some type of mold.

Leviticus 14:43-45 ESV

(43)  “If the disease breaks out again in the house, after he has taken out the stones and scraped the house and plastered it,
(44)  then the priest shall go and look. And if the disease has spread in the house, it is a persistent leprous disease in the house; it is unclean.
(45)  And he shall break down the house, its stones and timber and all the plaster of the house, and he shall carry them out of the city to an unclean place.

If mold breaks out in a house it was to be fully cleaned, and even replastered. If the mold comes back again then the only solution is to tear the house down and get rid of all the building materials. This world will need to be torn down and burned, and replaced with a new heaven and new earth, that have never been tainted by sin.

2 Peter 3:9-13 NLT

(9)  The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (10)  But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
(11)  Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,
(12)  looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, He will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.
(13)  But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.