Social Distancing

Social Distancing

Social Distancing, Masks, & Quarantine are the buzz words floating around on the lips of all the newscasters, medical scientists & political leaders.

Since the coronavirus has spread across the nation like a race car, the concept is that we stay quarantined in our homes and stay at least SIX FEET apart.

The reason is that the virus is so contagious, that if someone sneezes, the virus can float in the air that far, continuing the spread of the virus. It is a worldwide scourge & plague.

Isn’t it interesting that NOW is NOT the first case of social distancing, masks, & quarantine?

You’ll see it dusting the pages of O. T. lit. Then resurfacing in the N. T.

Let me read you something. Luke 17:11 “And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, (Notice that there were 10 men. The limit allowed to be together. ? Which is the same limit that is allowed at present for those gathered.)

? Let’s read on, “which stood afar off:” (Social Distancing) ? The recommendation & requirement at present is SIX FEET. Did you know that in Bible times, the lepers were to stand at least, SIX FEET from others?”

In his book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim reports the standard practice of the day. ? He writes, “No one was to salute a leper...no less than a distance of six feet must be kept from a leper or if the wind came from that direction, a hundred were scarcely sufficient.”

WHY? Because of their illness being contagious and that sneezes carried germs into the air.

? Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is known from ancient writings (c. 600 B.C.) from China, India, and Egypt, and from mummified remains from Egypt.

It was common enough in Israel to warrant extensive regulation in the Mosaic Law of those suffering from it and related skin diseases (Lev. 13–14). The disease is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, discovered by the Norwegian scientist G. H. A. Hansen in 1873 (it was the first bacterium to be identified as the cause of a human disease). The bacterium was communicable through touch and breath.

So, what did they do to keep from spreading the germs more than standing 6 FEET away? Let me read it to you. Lev. 13:45 says, “And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.” What is that? It’s basically a MASK, to keep germs from spreading.

? Please allow me to go back to the scripture I was reading: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.”

? Here’s a man, not only was he UNCLEAN by leprosy, but he was a Samaritan. No wonder he returned to thank Jesus. He could certainly cry out, “Unclean, unclean,” TWICE, for he was.

??? Before I go on, let bring to your attention that those with this contagious disease called leprosy, if suspected, they would quarantine them. ? “But if the spot on the skin of his body is white and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest must quarantine the infected person for seven days.” Lev. 13:4 And then in V. 5, “The priest will then reexamine him on the seventh day. If he sees that the infection remains unchanged and has not spread on the skin, the priest must quarantine him for another seven days.” ? In another day there were wearing a MASK, Social Distancing, & Quarantining.

? There are several things I’d like to say from this STORY.

I. Notice their CONDITION – It reads that they were lepers. Ten of them. V. 12, And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: That phrase, “they were lepers,” says it ALL. The worse plague that one could be condemned by. Leprosy. That rotting, flesh eating, smelling, exposing disease.