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"Unclean, Unclean"!
Contributed by Darrell Jones on Jun 3, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: Leprosy is a picture of the sinful heart, it is said that some of the Jewish Rabbi’s translated the words "Unclean, Unclean" as, "Avoid, Avoid." We look at the parallel of leprosy and sin.
Leprosy It’s Origins:
(A) Leprosy would start out small in it’s beginning. It would lie concealed in the blood where human eye could not see it. There may be no visible signs or symptoms. Isn’t that also like sin, which lies dormant in our lives until it begins to bear it’s ugly fruit. Chapter 13, gives us a picture of sin in it’s stages (vv.2&3) shows it’s beginning, in (v7) it has further advanced.in (v.10)we find a full outburst, and(v 24) shows an inflamed state. Anyone of these forms of leprosy whether small or great would cause you to be unclean.
(Ill) A small child who does wrong, it may not seem like such a big deal, it’s just a spot, a little swelling. If left to go his own way that little spot or speck will become full blown sin. (see James 1:15).
(B) Leprosy Could Be Passed From Parent to Child
So it is "That by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men."
(C) Leprosy Affected Not Only The Leper, But Others As Well
(1) Shut Out From the Comfort Others Might Have Given
No home would be open to him.
(2) Leprosy Affects Both The Small And Great
(Miriam (Num.12:14).
Sin caused the angels to be driven out of heaven, sin excludes millions of men from fellowship with God, sin makes the sinner an exile from heaven.
(3) Leprosy would make those touched by a leper Unclean.
(A) The leper could not even drink from a stream if there was the slightest possibilty someone else may drink from it. He couldn’t sit upon a rock along the roadway if there was a chance someone else might sit there.
(B) The Leper Would Have To Destroy His Garments.
(a) We should be careful of our surroundings.
There are influences that can wrap around us like garments as we go through this life.
The places we go, the books we read, the company we keep, the clothes we wear, can enwrap us.
(b) The Garment Had to Be Destroyed By Fire.
Sin is not a trifling abnormality, an infirmity, an external deformity, or a failing, it degrades with all it’s powers and if not destroyed it will destroy us.
(c) No amount of washing could cleanse the leper.
He was not clean until the priest pronounced him clean.
So it is with our Great High Priest.
When we come before Him confessing our state of uncleanliness, His grace begins to flow down upon us. (Psalm 33:3) "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long." verse 5, I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin."