Methodology and characteristics of research

hen GOD GAVE the ordinances in the Old Testament, He spoke to Moses regarding "the law of the leper for the day of his cleansing"

(Lev. 14:2).

W

David Alsobrook, in his book The Precious Blood,¹ has some wonderful teaching about this process. His understanding of its symbolic meaning, which I'll present in the next few pages, has really inspired me to think about how these Scripture passages have special meaning for us today.

In Scripture, leprosy refers to a variety of skin diseases.

It is also a symbol of sin. So the cleansing of the leper

Cleansing the Leper

foreshadowed God's future plan to cleanse all of mankind from sin.

First, the leper to be cleansed was "brought to the priest"

(Lev. 14:2).

The priest was instructed to go outside the city and "take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop" (Lev. 14:4).

Each of these elements reminds me of the work of Christ for the remission of sin. The priests going outside the camp point to Jesus being crucified outside the walls of Jerusalem. The two birds remind me of the Lord's death and resurrection. Cedar wood points to the cross and scarlet to His suffering.

Finally, hyssop symbolizes faith. David said:

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Ps.

51:7).

The hyssop that was used in purification ceremonies is generally considered to be a fragrant plant from the marjoram family.² It symbolizes faith to me because it was used in the application of the blood (Ex. 12:22).

What happened next was amazing in light of what Christ would do at Calvary.

Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water (Lev. 14:5-6, NIV).

When the first bird was killed, the blood was caught in an earthen vessel with water in it (see Lev. 14:5-6, NIV).

This speaks of Christ's shedding His blood in an earthen vessel—His human body.

Then the priest took the living bird along with the cedar wood (Christ's cross), the scarlet (His suffering) and the hyssop (faith), and dipped them in the shed blood of the bird that was slain.

The slain bird's blood was mixed with the water in the earthen vessel, symbolizing cleansing by the Word (Eph.

5:26).

Here was the final instruction:

Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields (Lev. 14:7, NIV).

This speaks of our sins being cleansed by the blood.

Then we see the resurrection in the living bird that was released.

This cleansing ceremony is just one example of the way the old covenant foreshadows the new covenant. Paul told the Colossians that no one should judge them according to the old covenant traditions about eating, drinking and festivals (Col. 2:16), because the law was a "shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ" (Col. 2:17).

Hebrews also says that the law had a "shadow of good things to come" but not "the very image" (Heb. 10:1).

The leper was then allowed to come into the camp (Lev.

14:8). In the same way when you have been purified by Christ's blood you are ready to enter God's kingdom.

I believe the priests sprinkled the leper with blood seven times for a prophetic reason, for we are told that the blood

Cleansing the Leper

of Christ was shed seven different times during the hours surrounding His crucifixion.

1. His sweat. "And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44).

2. His face. "I gave ... My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard" (Is. 52:6).

3. His head. "When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head" (Matt. 27:29-30).

4. His back. "Then he [Pilate] released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified"

(Matt. 27:26).

5. His hands. "For dogs have surrounded Me;

The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands" (Ps. 22:16).

6. His feet. "They pierced ... My feet" (Ps.

22:16).

7. His side. "But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out" (John 19:34).

The Cleansing Continues

What happened after the leper was sprinkled seven times with blood? He now can enter the camp, even as once we are cleansed by His blood we become sons and daughters of the living God and members of His family.

Because of the blood of Jesus, the floodgates of God's anointing can be released through His Holy Spirit in our lives. That's what I learned when the Holy Spirit visited my life.

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