March 3

Leviticus 13

Today we reach the famous chapter on mildew!! Most people have no idea this chapter is in the Bible.

I just want you to know that today’s reading has declared me a clean man. Leviticus 13 says “when a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.” There you have it, declared by Moses himself over 3000 years ago.

Today’s reading might be one of the most difficult to get through. I am sure you asked yourself several times, why all this fuss about uncleanness? The answer is, uncleanness and infectious disease must be kept in isolation. The strict quarantines are the only way to stop a contagious disease from spreading. So there’s nothing surprising about sending infected people outside the camp. There must also be the shouting of the words, “Unclean, Unclean.” Everyone must know the danger of this disease. All of these actions are for the protection of the community. The surprise comes when Israel is warned to follow the rules precisely, remembering what God did to Miriam! If you recall when Moses’ sister, Miriam, was critical of Moses’ interracial marriage, God regarded it as an open challenge to Moses’ spiritual leadership. Miriam’s punishment was to be kicked out of the camp for a week with leprosy.

The tie between Miriam’s sin and Miriam’s leprosy is significant. Although there is no automatic connection between disease and sin, in this case the connection was direct, and it raises the parallel between how one deals with an infectious disease and an infectious sin. Had Miriam been left unpunished for attacking Moses’ authority, it could have emboldened others who were already predisposed with a critical spirit. When spiritual infection is in the air, the cure is the same as for the physical infection - isolate the disease. But here’s the caution- not forever!! And never are we to do this unlovingly. It is to be done with the spirit for restoration and healing. It’s not the person we are trying to get rid of, only the disease.

How are you dealing with people who have a sin disease? Are you acting too harshly?

Credits to F. LaGard Smith for his insights into this passage.