Judging in Cases of Leprosy (02/24/2002)

Turn with me this morning.

To the book of Leviticus chapter 13 verse 1.

It was a bit frightening though until it did click brother Roger and

Yes, I was playing basketball the last part of the week watching it anyway.

And I'll tell you more about that when all of our young people are here, but most of them are out with the flu.

So many of them caught the flu while they were there and they're out today.

So I want to talk about it when they're here, but our girls team won third place in state.

So we're real proud of that boys.

Boy boys played well, but they got eliminated by a better team.

But they did well, they've got room to grow too.

So we'll talk a little bit more about it when they're all here.

We've talked about some of the roles of the believer priest in recent days and we're winding down to

the last Two or three Duties that they have that I can find any way

listed in the scriptures.

There are probably others that we haven't mentioned.

But they're supposed to keep the charge of the tabernacle.

They're supposed to offer sacrifices to the Lord.

They're supposed to keep the sacred fire always burning on the altar.

And they're supposed to place and remove the showbread Faithfully.

They're supposed to offer the first fruits which pictures the resurrected life if you remember that

lesson they're supposed to trim the lamps and Continually burn incense unto

unto the Lord which pictures prayer.

You remember that lesson and then last time we talked about the fact that they are supposed to bless the people.

Now this morning We have a duty that Is perhaps not

the most enjoyable to talk about.

This probably won't be the one that just fills your heart with glory.

But it is one that's discussed in the Bible.

And so therefore it must be important.

And so this morning we're going to speak to you on judging in cases of leprosy.

Now that doesn't sound too fun.

Does it but that was one of the roles of the priest and.

And matter of fact, it probably wasn't Real fun to do but God

commanded that they do it yesterday, I was fortunate enough to see

Jenny's boyfriend might get to play baseball for Letourneau.

He's on their baseball team.

And they had a triple header so I got to watch him play three games in the last two days in between all the basketball

games that my son and all the other young people in our school were playing and and.

So his parents were there just yesterday and I got to visit with them a little bit and

we're kind of getting to know each other and his mom was talking to she said we

had a religious discussion on the way down here in the car and We were talking about the

Methodist Church that.

And I'm not.

I wasn't sure if it's where they attend or if she has I think it she has a friend that tends there because they're Baptist so I think it

must be coming from a friend of hers and she was pointing out that they had a

Music director.

It was a homosexual.

And she said I assume he is anyway, because he lives with a young man.

Named and I don't remember the name, but it was a cute name kind of a kind of a cute

Spanish name like like I don't know wasn't Pedro.

I don't know what it was, but It was more effeminate than Pedro Pedret,

I don't know.

But she said, you know, they were discussed she said well, how do you handle that in the church?

How do you you know deal with the scriptures in Romans chapter 1 and with Sodom and Gomorrah and

all that?

She said well, we just take the middle of the road.

And she was asking she knows I'm a pastor.

So she was asking my advice on it what I thought Truth was about it.

So that was an enjoyable game because I got to preach a sermon while her son was playing and she

enjoyed it, too.

She just wanted the information.

She wanted the chapter in verses.

I know what she was looking for ammunition.

So I gave her some.

But the point was that she was bringing out the fact that it's obvious to her and she's not in a

church.

That's a real Bible oriented church either to Big Southern Baptist Church, but it's not.

They're more into the social messages, I believe just from the things she tells me.

But she said she's noticed that the church has gotten away.

From desiring to have purity in the church and to take a stand on any issue.

Even if it's biblical, they don't want to take a stand and so this message has a

lot to do with the very discussion we had and Cure curing that problem in the modern church.

But you can't really be a modern church and curate you have to go all the way back about 2 ,000 maybe,

you know 3 ,500 years ago to get to the place in Leviticus where it tells

how to deal with it.

You got to be an old -fashioned Church but Let me read you a couple of

passages that are not in this chapter.

We're gonna go into Leviticus 13 in a minute.

Point by point see what God says, but I want to read you some Related passages you turn to them if you want to.

I'm going to read them quickly first Joshua chapter 7 verse 11 and Then first Corinthians

chapter 5 verse 1 to give us another historical viewpoint and also a New Testament viewpoint of the same

topic.

Judging in cases of leprosy that is the job of the priest.

So it becomes the job of the believer priest.

Joshua 7 11 Israel hath sinned and they have also transgressed my covenant which I

commanded them.

For they have even taken of the accursed thing and have also stolen and dissembled also and they have

put it even among their own stuff.

Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemy enemies.

That was the result of having sin in the camp was they were weak before their enemies.

They couldn't stand but turned their backs before their enemies because they were accursed.

Neither will I be with you anymore except you destroy the accursed thing from among you up.

Sanctify the people and say sanctify yourselves against tomorrow for thus saith the Lord God of

Israel.

There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee.

Oh Israel Thou canst not stand before thine enemies until you take away the accursed thing from

among you in the morning.

Therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes and it shall be that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the

families thereof and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households and the Household which the

Lord shall take shall come man by man and it so who is it that exposes sin

in the camp?

It's the Lord.

We're not always the first to see it or to be aware of it.

It can be there and we not know about it, but the Lord will expose it.

Because it is necessary now as he goes on he says he will come down man to man and

Verse 15 and it shall be that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire.

So there were repercussions.

If you want to put it softly for what happened.

There were repercussions to sin being in the camp it wasn't just overlooked.

They didn't just take the middle of the road and I'm sure Aiken's family Recognized that they didn't just take the middle of the road

and say well everything's okay really you're human.

We know that we all sin and so it'll be okay.

We'll just overlook it.

They shall be burnt with fire.

He and all that he hath even the children even the animals.

Parts of his household that seemingly to us would have been innocent.

He and all that he hath because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes and the tribe of Judah was taken and then you

know the rest of the story.

But it shows the process by which God Takes care of sin, but it also shows the

necessity of God's people.

Working together with God to take care of sin in the camp now first.

Corinthians chapter 5 verse 1.

It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you and Such fornication

as is not so much as named among the Gentiles.

That's pretty bad fornication.

If you want to talk about like my English teacher used to tell me you can't have a glass and say it's more full

than another glass.

It's either full or it's not.

So she explained that the proper way to say it if you don't think it's full as you can say it's more nearly full than The

other glass, but you can't say it's more full than the other glass.

So, I don't know that you can say that.

This was worse fornication than Gentiles had.

I mean either it's fornication or it's not.

And I don't even know if we could say it's more nearly fornication.

But if you could say that in America.

You can certainly say that the church is more nearly a fornicating church than it used to be.

Now the problem with the Corinthian Church was they didn't worry about it.

They took the middle of the road on this and I'm sure this sin was used as an example.

But it's certainly this teaching is not exclusive to just that sin.

It was a different type of sin that was in the camp in Joshua's day a sin of covetousness.

So he goes on and he describes this in verse 2.

He says the problem with this sin.

This flagrant sin that's among you in verse 2 says you're puffed up about it and have not rather mourn.

That he that had done this thing this deed might be taken away from among you.

Which is the same thing that happened to Achan.

So we see in the New Testament.

It wasn't done exactly the same way.

He was not burned at the stake Under grace, but he

was excluded from the congregation and from the fellowship.

The goal here was to restore him.

The goal was so that he might see his sin and be restored to the fellowship, which I believe 2nd Corinthians indicates that he was.

This very soul that we read about here I believe got right with the Lord and Paul Instructed them now and

then he had to rebuke him on the other side and said I don't you know.

Don't you know extend the hand of fellowship to him?

He's repented.

He's right with God now.

Bring him back in so Paul had to instruct him on both sides of this issue.

For I barely is absent in the body but present spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him

that has so done this deed in The name of our Lord Jesus Christ when you gather together and

my spirit.

With the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of his

flesh.

That the spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So this is a saved person that was doing this sin.

Now why do you think Paul turned him over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh.

But then he comes right back says however, his soul shall be saved.

Well, it's because God's children cannot lose their salvation.

But it's also because the sin is found in the flesh.

That is the part of this person that was giving him problems.

It was not his spiritual new man.

It was his old fleshly, man.

Your Gloring is not good.

No, you're not that a little leaven leaven at the whole lump.

If you have a little bit of sin in the church, it begins to spread.

God teaches us here.

That's why it has to be dealt with now the modern church doesn't like to deal with sin at all.

They like to take the middle of the road because it is more comfortable and it's easier and there's no confrontation that

way.

Purge out therefore the old leaven that you may be a new lump as You are

unleavened or even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

Notice the phrase purge out there for the old leaven verse 8 therefore.

Let us keep the feast not with old leaven.

Neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth when we come

together to keep the feast which would be the Lord's Supper and We come together to

meet we should not meet with those who are leaven.

They either need to get right with the Lord or we need to remove them from the fellowship until that

happens now.

God gives precise methods for all this we won't have time to get into today.

But the point is is just the overall judgment message that it is the

Job of the believer priests to judge in cases of leprosy.

Now therefore, let us keep the feast not with the old leaven, but with sincerity and truth.

I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators.

Well, that kind of takes care of Mike's mom's question.

Kim could take this passage and and Do well to see clearly what God

says about it not to company with fornicators.

Yet not all together with the fornicators of this world.

In other words when you're out in the world doing business and so forth with people that are not saved if you kept that rule.

You couldn't do any business with anybody.

So God says I'm not talking about that.

He said I'm talking about in the church.

He said if you have a brother who calls himself a brother and he's a fornicator.

Then take these proper measure measures to exclude him from the fellowship.

Now those are a couple of examples.

Let's go into Leviticus 13 verse 1 and let's look at the role of the priest here and see if we can't

see some spiritual lessons.

Some symbolism that's found in this passage that would teach us spiritual truths of how to deal with this in our

day and time in the church.

Leviticus chapter 13 in verse 1 says.

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron saying when a man shall have in the

skin of his flesh a rising.

And I'm gonna stop there just for a moment.

That's where the old timers got the idea.

I got a rising got a rising.

Got that from the Bible.

Leprosy throughout the Bible before we move on in this passage is a type or a symbol of

sin.

It pictures sin in the believer now.

Romans chapter 6 verse 12 says let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.

So we see that the place that sin tends to take its home is in the mortal body in

the flesh.

Let it not reign that you should obey it in the lust thereof.

So we see this idea of lust burning lusts and so forth neither yield you your members as

instruments of unrighteousness Under sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of

righteousness unto God.

For sin shall have not have dominion over you.

For you're not under the law, but under grace.

So we see that this sin principle is Pictured by this

disease called leprosy.

God uses it as a picture of sin throughout the scriptures.

So with that in mind Let's read on just a little bit here.

Now.

Look at verse 2.

Now Ladies and gentlemen, this gets a little bit graphic.

God gets kind of specific when he describes this particular disease, which

pictures sin graphically and how ugly it is and He

wants us to get right down into The understanding of this horrible disease.

Even to the point of oozing sores and raw flesh.

And so forth.

So look what it says when a man shall have in the skin of his flesh.

Notice where this disease is manifest.

It's manifest in the flesh.

That's certainly a picture for us.

Isn't it a spiritual teaching?

When he has in the flesh a rising a Scab or a bright

spot and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy now notice the word

like.

We're going to see here that throughout this passage.

We're going to see real leprosy and we're going to see something that looks just like leprosy and it's the job of the

believer priest to figure out the difference.

God gives specific Symptoms to look for very specific which all teaches that we have to be

very very very very careful.

Before we judge someone.

When we're judging by what we see on the outside, which is what God gives us to judge by.

It's like seeing a scab on someone's skin and trying to determine what's in

their blood.

Now miss B could understand that this disease really comes from the blood.

Even though we don't see that that's not the part we could see we see the scab or the bright spot as

the Bible talks about this.

Rising on the skin, but it came from a virus that had infiltrated the blood

of this person.

But we can only look at what we see.

We see the scabs.

We see the bright spot we see this rising or boil on the skin

on the flesh of this person and He says in verse 2 that at this

stage of the game.

This is like leprosy.

We don't know that it is but it looks like it.

Now we find ourselves there all the time in life when we deal with one another.

We see things we hear things we begin to judge things.

Anywhere from the tone of a voice to a facial expression to body language.

To history that we know about a person and we make judgments.

We have to be very careful that what we see and we call leprosy really is leprosy.

Sometimes it's not sometimes it looks just like it, but it's not coming from a virus in the blood

called leprosy.

So he says when you see this person that has this in his flesh and it's like the plague of leprosy.

Then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest or into one of his sons.

One of the sons of the priest you see how the believer priest is involved in this.

They picture us.

They typify every one of us as believer priests.

So this tends to tell us that from time to time in our walk.

We're going to have situations with brothers and sisters where we look at them and we say man, I

think I'm seeing leprosy.

First thing we need to know is it looks like leprosy doesn't mean it is.

Now we tend to do the opposite we tend to go ahead and burn them.

And that way we're clean of it.

We don't worry about it.

We just go ahead and proclaim them guilty maybe begin to talk to one another about this person and the problems they

have behind their backs and We put them on the stake and we just burn that leprosy and just kill it.

And then we find out later it was chicken pox.

You see my point.

We have to be very careful about being judgmental and yet this whole passage is about judging but judging properly.

According to the symptoms that God gives for us to look for now.

So he is taken to the priest.

So it is the priest's job then to observe prayerfully.

Now, let's move on and see what else we have.

There's a lot of interesting information in this passage.

Look at verse 3 and the priest shall look on the plague

in the skin of the flesh.

Now some symptoms are going to be given here.

He says.

And when the hair in the plague is turned white so if this little scab or

boil or rise and has a hair growing out of it and This hair turns white.

That is something to look for.

He says and The plague seem sight.

I see the plague and the plague in sight the plague you're

looking at.

Be deeper than the skin of his flesh.

There is a second thing to look at.

It is deeper than just a surface thing that you're looking at.

It goes deeper than just the skin.

It's deeper than skin deep.

It goes all the way to the heart.

But the point is that's a type.

This is a type when he says you look at that boil that rising or that scab and see if it actually seems to be.

Going down deeper than the surface skin.

Okay.

Then it is a plague of leprosy and the priest shall look on him and pronounce him

unclean.

So we see here that we have an underlying invisible disease in the blood.

But we're left to have to judge it by outward appearances, aren't we?

We have a situation where sin comes from the heart, but we can't see the heart we can only see the skin

we can see the risings and the boils and the scabs and We have to judge from that.

Does this go deeper than the skin?

Does this really go into the heart and is this leprosy?

And he gives some little symptoms that they had to look at which Teach us that there are symptoms that we can

look at that are given in the New Testament.

Dealing with these sorts of things now.

Look at some more.

We see some of these outward signs that are listed in verse 3.

We see that the hair growing out of this Scab or rising if it

turns white that's an important thing.

We see that there are risings and scabs and bright spots and sometimes they're slightly reddish.

But the key is not to focus so much on that as it is to look and try to see if it's deeper

than the skin is.

It deeper than just skin deep.

We saw that there in verse 3.

These signs are specific and must be carefully examined before this person is judged unclean

now.

Let's look at verse 4.

We See how careful God instructed the priest to believe if the bright spot be white

in the skin of his flesh and in sight not deeper than the skin

and The hair thereof be not turned white then the priest shall

shut up him that hath the plague for seven days.

So he takes this person who obviously has something wrong, but yet the symptoms have not all been

seen.

It is not clear that this is leprosy that comes from the blood.

This is not clear that this is sin that comes from the heart in other words that it's a type of

deeply embedded Disease that this person has that is not going to go away easily

or be dealt with immediately.

That's not clear yet.

The there are outward signs that we were supposed to see such as this little hair being white it's not white and

Other things like this.

So what happens he gives him another seven days.

What would that picture for us?

Seven days would not be literal for us in this case.

It's symbolic.

It means give this person a season to continue to observe

the symptoms.

To see if you can discern that they do in fact stem from this disease called leprosy

and so They are given a little season if all the symptoms are not clear in this

case the little hair being white that grows out of it and It's not deeper that

it's not seem to be growing down into the skin yet, so it's not clear.

Then you give this person a season.

I Guilty which is the way I've tried to live my life because it's what's kept me

from being cynical.

When you get to be past 45, you're old enough to be cynical.

You have the right you've been burned enough times by people Who seem to be totally right?

They turn out a different way that you can become cynical.

I don't let myself be that way Innocent until proven guilty now I've talked with some brothers and

sisters in our church that aren't the way I am.

They're like it's guilty till proven innocent.

Well, that's just the way they are.

So some of us are under observation.

But the point is You you should?

Give another season this typified by seven days perfect number.

So I don't know how long it would be but you give them a season to continue to watch.

And see now that's listed in verse 4 look at verse 5 and the priest shall look on him on the seventh day so after this

season, you're still observing and Behold if the plague in his sight be at a

stay.

Now that's interesting because the Hebrew word all mod means if it has ceased

or been repaired.

If it has ceased or been repaired.

It's not spreading and The plague spread not in the skin then the priest shall

shut him up another seven days.

He's not he's not free to go yet.

He's being observed for another season.

So this is two seven -day periods.

So I believe what God teaches us as believer priests that it is not unwise and not entirely wrong.

To observe people that you have not known for a long time.

Maybe you hadn't known them for 20 years.

Maybe you hadn't been around them all your life.

Maybe no one in the church has been around them for very long.

If you see some things that cause you to worry.

Don't be judgmental about it.

Don't go talking to people about it.

Just give it a season of watching because one of two things will happen over time.

That scab that sore that rising will begin to grow down deep into the skin and spread which

will reveal that this is a sinner.

Person who has eaten up with the sin from the insides or it will clear up and go

away.

Which shows I guess in the in the spiritual world we're discussing.

It would be that maybe they had a sin problem in their life.

But they dealt with the Lord about it and the Lord dealt with them about it and they got right with God and it was healed.

And it's gone now.

So here we have another seven days that go by and Verse five talks

about perhaps it will stay or be healed or cease to spread in

Fact look at verse six.

Maybe it wasn't leprosy.

Maybe it was just a scab.

Right.

It's interesting.

What is a scab?

Delightful subject ladies if you'd like to go elsewhere and have a study with miss B.

You could I suppose.

But even John can't handle it back there.

It's talking about scabs, I'll be through pretty quick.

John you can come on back.

What is a scab?

That's right.

It's a place that was wounded and had raw flesh just like leprosy causes.

But the scab is what healed it.

Now there may be a scar left forever, but it is healed sin may scar our lives.

But doesn't mean we can't fellowship with one another if it's healed properly dealt with by the Lord.

So this may not even be leprosy.

What it may be is you may be looking at person got scabs all over because he's been beat up by

life and By the things the Lord brought in his life to beat him up.

So that he could be humbled and get to the place where he could be healed and you may be looking at the very end stage where he's already

healed and Judging it is leprosy where you're supposed to cast him out not fellowship with him.

That'd be a major error on your part or mine.

So verse 6 is kind of humorous if you think about it, you know.

It actually is saying this is not leprosy.

It's just a scab.

It says and the priest shall look him on him again on the seventh day now.

This is after the second season of time.

He's been watching him now.

He's been watching two times thinking this man has a real leprosy problem and

On the seventh day and behold if the plague be somewhat dark and like a scab and

the plague spread not in the skin.

It's not deeper than the skin.

The surface skin the priest shall pronounce him clean.

It is but a scab.

That's what I should have named the serf servant sermon today.

And the title this morning is it is but a scab.

I Couldn't name it that though because sometimes it's really leprosy.

So this is just a part of the study.

He goes on and says it is but a scab and he shall wash his clothes.

What do we do when we've been healed from sin?

We we want the Lord Jesus to wash our feet and We want to know the truth

that we're clothed in white garments, don't we?

So they wash the clothes that pictures all this and he shall be clean.

So we see this possibility that we might judge wrongly if we weren't careful and didn't give it the season that

God says to give It and watch it and all of a sudden we find out it was but a scab.

Now I thought that was John coming back because we are

through with the scab part.

That's been coming in because he likes to hear about stuff like that.

He's at that age.

Plague has turned dark.

It's not spreading.

He washes his clothes and he's pronounced clean now look at verse 8

but I'm sorry verse 7, but if the scab spread much abroad in the

skin After that he hath been seen of the priest for his cleansing.

Now here we have another scenario that's possible we have someone that was seen and

Was cleansed and he goes on and says and now all of a sudden the scab begins to spread much in the skin.

After he has seen the priest for his cleansing.

He shall be seen of the priest again.

We have situations in life where people have had a sin problem and

God brought them through it and healed them and Yet the enemy and the flesh

and the world combined and in Different strengths depending on what the problem is or who the person is and what their

weaknesses are and all of a sudden this thing.

The same old sin comes back and begins to spread again.

Well, just because he was cleansed once and brought back into fellowship doesn't mean you just let it go this time.

If if a sin habit from old comes back and begins to attack

This person then there is a way to deal with it.

Verse 7 says all these things.

He is seen seen by the priest again.

Look at verse 8 and if the priests see that behold the scab spreadeth in the skin.

Then the priest shall pronounce him unclean.

It is a leprosy and so here we are again.

Now it's interesting that We have the idea of a scab which is a scar

from healing.

Where previous sin has been healed.

Sometimes this scab can break out into leprosy again.

Isn't that true.

Don't we know that's true of human nature.

That whatever plagued us as a sin habit of the past.

If we don't continue to walk with the Lord and stay in the spirit rather than in the flesh

there might remain a weakness in that same area and Right out of that old scar.

It could come back now.

I'll say this though the Bible doesn't really say that it comes back from the scar.

Says it comes back from the scab.

Now what's your experience in life the difference between the scab and a scar.

Brother Roger you're into this.

What's the difference

and what else does it show about the incident?

Was it long ago or recently compared to a scab?

I'm helping you here.

So you just know what I'm asking for now, but if you see a scab

and it's in.

It's basically almost healed.

But is that a more recent incident?

Okay, so when it's still fairly recent, isn't it true in human nature that it is still a

little more difficult to get away from sin habits.

They say if you can stay away from a habit two weeks.

You've just about whipped it and that's true.

Unless on the third week you open the sore back up.

I went for three weeks with no sugar here recently brother Russ taught me that it's really sugar that creates

cholesterol not bad.

So I went three weeks without sugar and did very well my cholesterol went to zero and I

said, hey, I'm okay.

So I ate some candy now.

My blood pressure is high this morning and.

So I wasn't completely healed from it a little bit of the scab was still there.

You see so we we have a lit a lesson here that when we're dealing with believers people.

People come into our church family and they have a scab a recent sin problem.

But it has been healed and God is healing and it's evident.

That is wonderful.

But we have to understand that if that thing Begins to spread again.

It needs to be brought to the believer priest for judgment again.

And the same precautions need to be taken.

We don't need to just proclaim it leprosy.

We need to say well, that's what it looks like.

But let's give it a season.

Let's watch for the symptoms just like we just went through so we see this scenario can take place now.

Look At verses 10 and 11.

We see described here something called an old leprosy an old leprosy.

Kind of interesting to think about what that can picture for us an old leprosy can be a sin that has been

going on in The life for many many years that may even have stemmed from the youth.

The sins of our youth and it has gone on in life for many many years look how this is described

in verses 10 and 11 and The priest shall see him and

behold if the rising be white in the skin.

And it have turned the hair white which is one of the previous Symptoms we were to look for

and there be quick raw flesh in the rising quick.

It's almost like quick means living living oozing raw flesh in

the rising.

It is an old Leprosy in the skin now, there's your other symptom.

It's down in the skin and it's old.

It means it's been in this life.

There is a stronghold here that Satan has placed upon this life of Sin that this person

has not been able to conquer and have victory over and it is Oozing and raw and

literally beginning the early stages of eating the very flesh away.

Which leprosy can do it is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh and

the priest shall pronounce him Unclean and shall not shut him up.

You don't give him the seat the season of seven days.

You don't give him the time of well.

Maybe it is and maybe it isn't when the flesh is oozing and it's raw and you can

see it.

You proclaim and the hair is white and all the other things that we previously were given are there.

Then we pronounce it leprosy at that point.

And if the leprosy break out abroad in the skin, I'm gonna hold off on verse 12 just a second.

What do we add to the to the formula here?

We had the little white hair growing out of it.

We had the rising that was down deeper than the skin growing down into the skin.

And now we see that it's beginning to make the flesh raw and I want to we're going to come back here to verse 12 but I

want you to look forward here to verse 24 and I want to add another of

these symptoms of this old leprosy.

We see that leprosy can come out of a scab which means you might have just been healed from something.

That's recent and not enough time passed where the Lord worked in your life.

And you were strong in this so that it literally healed became a scar and you went on and perhaps never bothered by it

again.

You can have sin come out of it while it's still in the scab stage.

And then we see this raw flesh where it's literally eating away at the flesh and you're

supposed to proclaim Leprosy immediately in that case, but there's another situation other

than the raw flesh.

That can happen and we see it in verse 24 and 25 look at this or if there be any flesh in the

skin whereof there is a hot burning and The quick flesh that

burneth have a white bright spot somewhat reddish or white.

Then the priest shall look upon it and behold if the hair in the bright spot be turned white and

it be in sight.

Deeper than the skin it is a leprosy broken out of the burning.

Isn't that fascinating because now we see it up another type or place from which leprosy can break out from

and it's a burning.

Which to me would picture lust hot lust and we read about this in James

1 14.

But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.

Then when the lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death.

So we see a burning.

That this leprosy can come out of a burning sore.

It's pictured here and I wanted you to see that to be thinking about for a moment.

But let's go back to verse 12 now and pick up where we left off

this little passage deals with a truth that we need to be very aware of.

Is that there are some people who seem to have leprosy who don't

and we need to be careful not to judge unwisely and uncarefully.

Look what it says in verse 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.

Now when it says he has a leprosy what this means by the context is he has something that looks just like leprosy.

In fact, he's broken out from his head to his foot.

Where so ever the priest looketh anywhere on this man's body the priest looks he sees sores.

Look at verse 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.

So there's a way that God gave the priest to know where this these boils and sores

Had a different coloring than they did in the true case and perhaps the little hair growing out of the

boil wasn't white.

And some of the other symptoms were not there and even though he had these sores from head to foot He proclaimed him

clean and it says that this plague had turned white.

But verse 14 says when raw flesh appeareth in him he is unclean.

So we see the lesson here taught that there are some who seem to be full of leprosy who don't really

have it at all and The priest that is in tune with God will proclaim him clean anyway,

and he's still in fellowship with the people.

But if that very same person in those same areas that are already irritated it

becomes raw flesh.

Then he is proclaimed unclean Clean.

So I say again innocent until proven guilty.

Now this one really looked guilty, didn't he?

He really looked like he had the problem.

But he was innocent until it broke out and in raw flesh now.

You say well, I don't know if I'd hang around him that long.

And that's the problem with most churches is most people won't and they begin to have division over

Chickenpox now we see strong lessons there.

Let's Let's go down here.

In verse 15 through 17 verses 15 through 17 There's always a

place for repentance and restoration to fellowship.

Verse 15 says and the priest shall see the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean for the raw

for the raw flesh is Unclean it is a leprosy or if the raw flesh turn again and be

changed unto white now here We're going back the other direction.

He shall come into the priest and the priest shall see him and behold if the plague be turned into white.

That pictures I guess the righteousness of God that can cover these very sores.

Then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague.

He is clean so there's always a place for restoration and

Fellowship again and repentance and that's discussed here now.

There's another case of leprosy that we come as we come down into verse 18.

We had the scab the kind that can come out of a scab.

We had the kind that come out of a burning place and Now let's look at this in verse

18.

It says the flesh also in which Even in the skin thereof was a boil

and is healed and in the place of a boil There be a white Rising or a

bright spot white somewhat reddish and it be showed to the priest and if when the priest seeth it

behold it Be in the sight Lower than the skin in other words is growing down into the

skin beneath the surface and the hair thereof be turned white.

The priest shall pronounce him unclean.

It is a plague of leprosy broken out of a boil that had been healed.

Now so here we have the kind that come come out of a boil that's been healed.

It's the kind that comes out when we've seen a boil or a scab and it went away and this person was

healed and we Proclaimed them clean and then later true leprosy breaks out from it.

And then once again, we see that it must be dealt with in summary.

If we ask the question what must be done in these cases we find the answer in chapter 13 verse

46.

So look at that verse all the

days were in the plague shall be in him.

He shall be defiled.

He is unclean.

He shall dwell alone.

Without the camp shall his habitation be.

He is separated from the fellowship of the congregation and he dwells alone.

Just like the man in first Corinthians was put out of the church by Paul.

But he instructed them to do it and they did do it and guess what the first thing happened.

Apparently he repented it enabled him to see how exceedingly sinful his sin was and

he came back to the Lord and Repented and was healed and was restored the fellowship that might never have taken

place had they just rode the fence Kept the middle of the road and you said well, we know what that's going on, but we love him.

We don't want to say anything to hurt his feelings.

So We'll let him go on.

That was not the right way to deal with it.

So ultimately verse 46 points out very clearly that he is unclean.

Therefore he shall dwell alone and he'll be placed outside of the camp which pictures the fellowship of the church.

Now let's look at verse chapter 14.

Maybe we can end with something more positive wouldn't be difficult.

Would it?

Chapter 14 and The Lord spake unto Moses saying this shall be the

law of the leper in the day of his cleansing so it is possible for a leper to be healed and

To be cleansed and to be restored to the fellowship and God gives the procedure for it.

It says this shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing.

He shall be brought unto the priest.

Once again, the believer priest takes part in this it is part of his duty and The priest shall

go forth out of the camp so You go forth out from the pews.

So to speak you walk out the door of the church and you go out to where this disfellowshipped

person is because you have heard that his leprosy is changing

and perhaps there is a healing going on and so this priest goes forth out of the camp and the priest shall

look so you go to the person and you observe and Behold if the plague of the leprosy

be healed in the leper.

Then shall the priest command to take him that is to be cleansed and then it

begins to give the process.

And I'll save you some time.

You can read this later.

But let me just tell you the key parts of it first of all, there are two birds taken and

cedar and Scarlet which pictures the blood of Jesus and hyssop which pictures the faith of

the believer and All of these things are present and one of the birds is killed

and the other bird is soaked in the blood of that bird.

And then let free.

What does that remind you of?

This is the scape bird.

You've heard of the scapegoat.

It's the same principle.

I.

The bird can fly away free and He is sinless, but he's been dipped in the blood

which pictures the blood of the Savior Jesus Christ.

And so this bird is let go it required scarlet which pictures the blood of Jesus it required

hyssop which pictures the faith of the believer that God has given and One is killed and one is

sprinkled and let go which pictures freedom from the disease.

It's plagued this person perhaps his whole life and Perhaps dismembered him in some ways

certainly left scars.

But now he's cleansed by the blood of Jesus by the death of Jesus.

By the resurrection by the ascension by the application of the blood to

the mercy seat.

Then he is to wash his clothes and shave the hair off of his head and

his face.

Wash himself in water pure water, which pictures the water of the word.

He's he is Exhorted to begin to take away the filthy Thoughts and

imaginations and things that he's brought into his mind and to replace it with the pure water of the word.

To turn off some of the bad things that he's been watching and to turn on the Word of God and get into it and read It and cleanse his mind

with it.

He's to stay outside for another seven to eight days.

Lest he be the stony soil and rise up quickly

and appear to have a great Testimony.

And then the Sun comes out which pictures the word and scorches him and he dies because he had no true root.

But he is left out there for seven or eight days.

During this time period lambs are presented at the door.

And I should say after this time he brings his lamb and presents it at the door of the tabernacle.

This former leper who's been cleansed is now brought before the Lord.

He is now in the presence of the Lord with his lamb.

Isn't that amazing the picture?

The cure is there with him and With the lamb he can stand before the Lord.

He was just previously a leper eaten up with sin that came from inside from

his bloodline.

And now he's standing before the Lord with his lamb.

Oil is applied to his right ear.

So that he has an ear that can hear again pictures the Holy Spirit.

Oil is Applied to the thumb of his right hand and the right big toe of his right foot.

I would be the left big toe of his right foot.

Think about it.

That right Rick, all right.

It shows that he can now walk in righteousness and serve the Lord.

He can serve the Lord with his hands and with his feet and he's been anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit having

cleansed His mind with the Word of God and had it being appeared before the Lord in his presence with the lamb

upon the blood of trespass offering this

oil is also poured and Then the remainder of the oil is poured upon the head

of the former leper Representing that he is indwelt and filled and in filled

with the Holy Spirit.

Then a sin offering is made for the atonement which pictures the finished work of Jesus Christ

Having eliminated his sin Completely.

And then a burnt offering is given which pictures a free will offer that is freely given up by this rejoicing

soul.

As he gives a sacrifice to the Lord.

He's one of the ten that came back.

He's the one leper that came back and came and kneeled before the Lord and offered the sacrifice back in return

a free will offering Because of his healing.

So we see quite a lesson in this chapter in these chapters about the duty

of the believer priest to recognize sin in the camp and But to not

be overly judgmental but to be very careful in examining the symptoms over maybe

several periods or seasons of time and Certainly Innocent until

proven guilty until the flesh breaks out in an open oozing living wound.

Then we proclaim it leprosy and they are put outside the camp out of fellowship and

Left to the Lord and then prayed for.

And then what the hope is is that you'll get word someday that outside that camp

There's been a transformation.

You go out there and you get him and you bring him back and you're reminding that he

can't come without a lamb.

And you you remind him about the little bird that had to be killed so that one could be set free.

And you remind him that he's got to get the corruption out of his mind and place the Word of God in there and be cleansed With water

and you anoint him with the oil of the Holy Spirit and with his lamb.

He comes back before the Lord the tabernacle.

That beautiful.

The whole process is right there.

Now the details we find more details in the New Testament but there's the process let's stand and

have prayer together and May the Lord remind us.

This is one of our duties not the more pleasant of The duties but certainly very important

to keep the church right with the Lord.

Father always remind us that we will fall down and weakness before our enemies if we don't

Recognize the sin when it's in the camp and deal with it scripturally and properly.

And we know that all along it's you that deals with it because we wouldn't even recognize it if you didn't select out

the tribe and the family and the man and So Lord, we thank you that you've

given provision.

We didn't see that provision in the story of Joshua, but we do see the provision in the story of the leper

that in some cases Even though the sin is placed outside the camp there can be a healing

and a restoration because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

And his sacrifice and his application of that blood in the living way.

So Lord help us to be strong enough to apply these principles help us to bear up.

Under the duty that we have as believer priests help us to watch over one another in love.

Always with the desire to strengthen and edify and help one another.

Lord if we think we see a disease and a brother or sister help us to be careful to watch for the true symptoms and Not

to call one thing something that is not but also help us to be caring enough

to desire for healing.

And Lord, we pray that you would go with us into our time of fellowship.

We do ask that you would heal those that are ill today couldn't be with us bring them back to our fellowship soon.

And we ask you to bless the meal we're about to have and we ask it in Jesus name.

Amen.