Leviticus 14 Insights- Part 1

Leviticus 14 tells of a life being cleansed by blood and anointed with oil. It was a real, physical act they were commanded to do in the Old Testament, but the symbolism in it applies to us today.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field. And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days. But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean. And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord: And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy: Leviticus 14:1-13 (KJV)

Leprosy speaks of sin. We were all spiritual lepers, covered with sin. Sin will eat us up and our lives. As sinners, we needed new life: healing, cleansing and anointing. The bird that was killed represented Jesus, who died and took our place. The other bird represented us being made free. In the symbolism of the two lambs, Jesus was actually represented by both lambs; one to take away guilt and sin, and one to make us righteous with no more sin conscience. Now instead of being conscious of sin, we can be conscious of Jesus and what He’s done for us.

And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot: And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand: And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord: And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering: And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord. And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering: And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean .Leviticus 14:14-20 (KJV)

The slain animal’s blood was applied to the right ear, the thumb on the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot. We are now covered by Jesus’ blood so we can hear God (ear), serve God (thumb), and walk with God (toe). Because of the blood of Jesus is accepted by God, we can hear God for ourselves, serve God in obedience, and walk with Him in fellowship. The oil represents the anointing upon us for these very same things.

Jesus came to undo, outdo, and over do that which the enemy meant to do us in. we’re free from sin, satan, and the curse and all its effects. Now we are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and we’re anointed to be and do all God calls us to. We can go where Holy Spirit leads. Truly, we are cleansed, anointed, and restored back to fellowship with God and others. The result? A free, happy, and blessed life is ours.

Tomorrow, we’ll look again at Leviticus 14 to gain more insights into our cleansing.