Leviticus – Chapter 13

…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. Leviticus 13:3 – Today’s chapter unpacks how Israel was to handle a leprous disease within their community. Note that while certainly this does cover leprosy itself, it also refers to an assortment of different skin diseases that fell under their category of “leprous” diseases. If though the disease was determined to be leprosy, and not some other disease that would eventually heal, that’s when we see the sad fate of the individual pronounced. They were perpetually unclean with this disease. They would live apart from the Jewish community who were clean. For a true leper, life was hopeless, painful, and humiliating. No treatment was there to heal them and this was their lot for the rest of their difficult life. Then we see Jesus come along in the gospels and does the unthinkable. He comes nears lepers, embraces them, and then does what no one else could do…heals them of their leprosy. In our life we too have a type of leprosy know as sin. It plagues our life and condemns us to a life of hopelessness and death. No worldly treatment or doctor is able to bring healing to our sin condition. Then comes Jesus. Like He did with the lepers in scripture, He comes near to us and embraces us and makes us clean. Only through Jesus could such a miracle take place in the life of the lepers and only through Jesus could such a miracle take place for us. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3215

Leviticus 13 Daily DEVO The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. Leviticus 13:45-46 – This is the type of life God doesn’t want for you. One of isolation from others, one of shame, and one where you can’t come to worship Him because of your sin. So God made a way for you to be clean so this wouldn’t have to be your story. So rather than having to walk around in life yelling “Unclean” so you and all those around you could never forget the sin in your story, He is able to wash you pure so your voice can yell out “I’m clean because of Jesus.” If you have been cleaned by Jesus, are you still living outside the camp isolating yourself from the people of God? Are you still carrying the shame of your past uncleanliness? Are you still feeling at odds with God? Remember there has been a massive change that has taken place your story. You’re clean now. Don’t continue to live as you did when you where unclean. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 895

And the priest shall examine the diseased thing after it has been washed. And if the appearance of the diseased area has not changed, though the disease has not spread, it is unclean. You shall burn it in the fire, whether the rot is on the back or on the front. Leviticus 13:55 – We’re now looking at the laws God gave concerning leprous diseases, and more precisely for this verse, whenever a leprous diseases is found on a piece of clothing. They were to wash it, lock it up for seven days, then bring it back to the priest for him to examine. What’s unique about this law was if after all that, the disease hadn’t spread but also hadn’t gotten any better, the piece of clothing was to be pronounced unclean and burned. A change for the better had to of taken place in order for the priest to pronounce it clean. Yes, if the disease grew it would be unclean, but if the disease also just stayed exactly the way it was it too would be unclean. In our story a change has to take place in order for us to be holy. You cannot stay living in sin like you used to before you placed your faith in Jesus and still be clean and holy before God. Sure, maybe you’re not growing in sin, but like the fabric your disease of sin in your life hasn’t changed for the better either. A holy life after God is one that isn’t content remaining in sin. This sort of life sees the sin in its story and seeks to daily push it out more and more. Is there then a sin that you have grown content with? Has that sin maybe not grown in the last 6 months, but it also hasn’t shrunk either. As with the fabric, it’s a “leprous disease” that will only continue to grow and cause you to be off track of a holy life with God. Seek out where you’ve allowed sin to remain as it is in your story and begin the removal process. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1936