Leviticus 13:1-7

What I want you to notice is the terminology: clean, unclean, cleansing, wash, rinsed, running water, separate. Do you begin to get the drift that what we are looking at here are laws pertaining to sanitation, quarantine, containing disease?

The next thing to understand is this term "leprosy." It is a rather generic term. It should not be thought of leprosy as we think of leprosy today. The Hebrew word is a general word indicating any number of skin diseases. However, and this is interesting, besides that use as a skin disease, it is also used to indicate mold or mildew in a fabric, dry rot in buildings, and mineral eruptions on the walls of buildings. Leviticus 15 covers any number of discharges from the body.

The important element in terms of this sermon is not the specific disease, but rather God's intent in using general terms as an illustration indicating filthiness, or disease, or possible contagion when these outbreaks occurred on a person, a fabric, or a building. At the very least He is saying, "Be careful!" It is a warning that these things are potentially hazardous as a source of infection, something to be avoided and separated away from, or quarantined.

Leviticus 13:1-2

Come with me to Leviticus 13. God lovingly gave the Israelites the principles of quarantining the sick in Leviticus 13 and Numbers 5, where He uses the examples of leprosy to represent any contagious disease or sickness. Leviticus 13 records the health law God gave to Moses to combat the spread of disease.

Now the disease translated leprosy was not limited to Hansen's Disease, which is what is called leprosy today. [They are not the same.] A close reading of Leviticus 13 and 14 reveals that the sick were expected to recover, unlike the incurable disease that Hanson's disease is. Quarantine periods were temporary. A priest would inspect the illness and impose the quarantine. Then he would reinspect the sick at regular seven-day intervals to look for any improvement.

The priest's responsibility and power was not only as a worship leader (so to speak), he was also a civil leader. He was a judge and a medical practitioner. This all-encompassing role gave the Levitical priesthood extraordinary authority within society.

Leviticus 13:1-2

Leviticus 13 records the health law God gave to Moses to combat the spread of disease.

The disease translated “leprosy” was not limited to Hansen’s disease (what we call “leprosy” today). A close reading of Leviticus 13-14 reveals the sick were expected to recover, unlike the incurable, but treatable, Hansen’s disease.

Quarantine periods were usually temporary. A priest would inspect the illness and impose the quarantine. Then he would re-inspect the sick at regular seven-day intervals to look for any improvement. The priest’s responsibility and power was not only as a worship leader, he was also a civil leader, judge, and medical practitioner. This all-encompassing role gave the Levitical priesthood extraordinary authority.