Message 40
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Scripture Reading: Lev. 13:29-31, 33, 34, 37-41, 45-46; 1 Cor. 5:13
In the foregoing message we covered leprosy in a general way. In this message we shall consider leprosy in a detailed way.
Leviticus 13:29 speaks of a disease on the head and on the beard. In the Bible the head, especially the hair of the head, signifies our glory. First Corinthians 11 indicates that hair is related to glory.
A beard is related not to glory but to dignity. It is not easy to explain what dignity is. It would not be adequate to say that dignity is a kind of honor. Dignity is actually self-assumed honor. A person of high social standing may be honored by others. However, if a person assumes honor, that is a matter of dignity. Spiritually speaking, a beard is related to dignity, to one’s self-assumed honor. To have a beard is to display one’s dignity.
The fact that there can be a disease on the head, which signifies glory, and on the beard, which signifies dignity, indicates that it is easy for leprosy to be hidden within human glory and dignity. It is not leprous for a person to be honored, but it is leprous for one to assume honor to himself.
Leviticus 13, in which we see God’s wisdom, gives us a divine diagnosis of our sin. Leprosy is a synonym of sin, and sin is a synonym of rebellion. Sin is rebellion. In the universe there is actually only one sin, and this sin is rebellion.
According to the principles set up by God in His creation, everything is in order and is related to a certain kind of authority. There is authority everywhere in the universe. There is authority in the family and in the schools. If there were no authority in this country, there could not be any peace or order. Rebellion is versus authority. Those who rebel oppose authority.
In the divine sense, authority is a synonym of God Himself. God is the authority in the universe. Satan tried to break this divine authority, but he failed and was judged for his rebellion. Today as God’s created, chosen, redeemed, and saved people, and especially as His regenerated children, we should be the most submissive, obedient ones.
Romans 5 indicates that to sin is to be disobedient. Sin came into the human race through the disobedience of Adam (v. 19). Do you know what disobedience is? It is rebellion. Disobedience is a synonym of rebellion. Disobedience is rebellion, and rebellion is a synonym of Satan. Just as rebellion is a synonym of Satan, so authority is a synonym of God.
Anything that is related to rebellion is of Satan. The expression of rebellion in us today has many aspects. Every aspect is a sin or a trespass or a transgression or an overstepping or an offense. These things may be small in appearance, but they all are expressions of the unique sin — rebellion.
We need to remember that the source of sin is rebellion and that rebellion is Satan’s invention. Sin, therefore, comes from Satan. Furthermore, every kind of sin has the nature of rebellion and bears the appearance of rebellion. Even the smallest sin contains the element of rebellion. Hence, to sin is to be in rebellion against God. Whenever we sin we rebel against God.
A disease on the head (Lev. 13:29a) signifies something wrong in the subjection to authority and in the thinking of the mind. Any wrongness in thinking involves a wrong attitude toward authority. The source of wrong thinking is rebellion. If one’s attitude toward authority is wrong, his thinking will be wrong. But if one’s attitude toward authority is right, there will not be any wrongness in his thinking.
A disease on the beard (v. 29b) signifies considering oneself as somebody, being self-dignifying, hunting for others’ exaltation. Instead of considering ourselves as somebody, we should regard ourselves as nobody.
It is leprous to be self-dignified or to hunt for others’ exaltation. This hunting for exaltation can be observed in the behavior of children. For example, in the presence of guests, visitors, and relatives, a little boy will often make a show of himself in order to be praised by them. He behaves in such a way because he is hunting for others’ exaltation.
It is possible even in giving messages for us to seek to be exalted by others. The one speaking may assume dignity by trying to make a display of how learned, knowledgeable, and eloquent he is. It is very easy for one speaking in public to become leprous in this way.
Leviticus 13:30 says, “The priest shall examine the diseased spot; if it appears to be deeper than the skin with yellow thin hair in it, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a scall, it is leprosy of the head or the beard.” Yellow thin hair signifies the deteriorating of the strength for living a normal Christian life. Spiritually speaking, if we are strong in our spirit to live a proper and normal Christian life, we shall have black hair. But if our hair becomes yellow and thin, that is a sign that our spiritual strength is deteriorating. Yellow thin hair is a sign of disease, and this disease comes from rebellion. Such hair is a sign of rebellion against God; it indicates that, at least in certain things, one is not submissive or obedient to God’s word. Even the slightest disobedience to God’s word in the Bible will cause our hair to become yellow and thin.
Sometimes a sister will notice that her husband has become weak spiritually, that he is weak in the things of God and in taking the word of God. This brother has yellow thin hair, which is a sign of leprosy, a sign of rebellion.
Verse 31 goes on to say, “And if the priest examines the disease of the scall, and it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate him who has the disease of the scall for seven days.” This verse speaks of the disease not being deeper than the skin and there being no black hair in it. This signifies that a person’s sin is not covered and that he does not have the strength to resist it. For the disease not to be deeper than the skin is a positive sign; it indicates that a person’s sin is not covered, that he does not have the tendency to cover his sin. There being no black hair is a negative sign; it indicates that the strength to resist sin is lacking. Actually, the situation described in this verse is neutral, and for this reason the priest was required to isolate the diseased person for seven days.
Shaving the beard but not the hair (v. 33) signifies dealing with considering oneself as somebody, with self-dignifying, etc., but keeping the subjection to authority. As 1 Corinthians 11 indicates, not to shave one’s hair is to keep one’s subjection to authority. Shaving the hair is a sign of rebellion. Spiritually speaking, we should keep our hair but shave our beard. Some, however, cut off their hair and keep their beard. This indicates that they are rebellious and self-dignified and seek exaltation from others.
Verse 34b speaks of washing one’s clothes. Clothes signify our conduct, our daily walk. Washing the clothes signifies dealing with the stains of weak points in conduct, offenses, defects, words of rebellion, and improper activities. Since we all have such things, we need a thorough washing first by the blood and then by the Spirit.
“But if the scall remains unchanged in its appearance and black hair has grown in it, the scall is healed; he is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean” (v. 37). Black hair growing in the scall is a good sign, for it signifies that the strength for one to live a normal Christian life increases in his weakness. Right at the diseased spot black hair is growing. This means that spiritual strength is coming back at our point of weakness.
Verse 38 speaks of a man or a woman having “bright spots on the skin of their flesh, white bright spots.” These white bright spots signify the disease of self-display.
“If the bright spots in the skin of their flesh are a dull white, it is a tetter that has broken out in the skin; he is clean” (v. 39). This signifies the recovery from the weakness of self-display. When one makes a display of himself, assuming honor, he will have white bright spots. These spots are a negative sign. A dull white in the skin of the flesh is a positive sign; it indicates that one has humbled himself and has been recovered from the disease of self-display.
Verse 40 says, “When a man loses the hair of his head and is bald, he is clean.” This signifies the losing of subjection to authority, yet without rebelling. Here there is no sign of rebellion, only the sign of the loss of subjection to authority.
Verse 41 continues, “And if he loses the hair from his forehead and is bald at the forehead, he is clean.” The forehead being bald signifies being neither in subjection to authority nor in rebellion before men and on public occasions.
Leviticus 13:45 and 46 tell us about the leper’s open confession of his leprosy to others. This means that a sinner makes an open confession of his sin to others.
Verse 45 says, “And as for the leper in whom the disease is, his clothes shall be torn and the hair of his head disheveled, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry, Unclean, unclean!” Here we have several aspects of the leper’s confession of his leprosy to others. The first aspect is wearing torn clothes. This signifies that a man who committed sin admits his moral bankruptcy. Tearing one’s clothes is a sign of admitting that one is bankrupt in morality.
The hair of the leper’s head was to be disheveled. This signifies that he is utterly lacking in subjection to authority, being unruly and reckless. Such a person is rebellious and does not care for any kind of authority. His disheveled hair is a sign of his unruliness; it indicates that he is disorderly and that he does not care for regulations and rules.
A leper was also to cover his upper lip. He “was to have the lower part of his face bound around with a bandage, leaving the mouth just freedom enough to make the declaration, Unclean, unclean!” (George Bush). Covering the upper lip indicates that whatever issues out of a leper (a sinner) is filthy and contagious and that he should not be contacted.
The leper had to cry, “Unclean, unclean!” This indicates self-condemnation without ceasing.
“He shall remain unclean all the days that the disease is in him; he is unclean. He shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (v. 46). Dwelling alone outside the camp signifies that, until he clears up his sinfulness, the one who has sinned should stay outside the church and be isolated from the fellowship among God’s people (1 Cor. 5:13).
