LEVITICUS Sermons by Rev. Mike Jones [Revised April 23, 2019]
Levi 13:-, 14:1-9 LEPROSY AS A PICTURE OF SIN
Levi 19:1-17 GUIDELINES TO GROW BY
Lev 24:12 DETERMINING THE MIND OF THE LORD
Levi 13:-, 14:1-9 LEPROSY AS A PICTURE OF SIN
The only way many of us can picture the dreaded disease of Leprosy today is to equate it to Cancer or AIDS. Like Cancer or Aids, Leprosy was painful and fatal. It also offered a good picture of how sin can be discovered in a life; as well as describing how sin destroys a life. That is what I want us to see today.
I. THE WAY LEPROSY PICTURES SIN Lev 13:1-8 (Page 280) The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “When anyone has a swelling or a rash or a bright spot on his skin that may become an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons who is a priest. The priest is to examine the sore on his skin, and if the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be more than skin deep, it is an infectious skin disease. When the priest examines him, he shall pronounce him ceremonially unclean. If the spot on his skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to put the infected person in isolation for seven days. On the seventh day the priest is to examine him, and if he sees that the sore is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to keep him in isolation another seven days. On the seventh day the priest is to examine him again, and if the sore has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a rash. The man must wash his clothes, and he will be clean. But if the rash does spread in his skin after he has shown himself to the priest to be pronounced clean, he must appear before the priest again. The priest is to examine him, and if the rash has spread in the skin, he shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infectious disease. — Lev 13:1-8
Like Leprosy, Sin:
A) Is Deeper than the Skin- Leprosy was not a surface rash but a real problem. Sin is not just a mistake you make because you are not trying hard enough. It goes to the very Heart of a person (The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart!). Pharisees worried about washing their hands while Jesus taught about cleaning their hearts.
Like Leprosy, Sin works beneath the surface- See it at work in Lust, Anger, Bitterness, Hate, etc.
B) Spreads- The Priest looked to see if the disease spread because that was a sin of it’s seriousness. Sin affects our Attitudes. Attitudes are manifested in Actions. Actions become a way of Life (The example of the pitcher, Perez, who allowed Drugs to destroy his reputation and his $2 million a year job)
C) Defiles- The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp. (Lev 13:45-46) (Page 282- Rules for Sick). The Stain of Sin corrupts your Character, your Reputation, your family.
D) Isolates- The Leper must get out of the camp and warn everyone when he approached- “Unclean, Unclean”. Sin breaks up families, Ruins careers, drives you into the desert of despair without help or hope.
II. THE CLEANSING OF THE LEPROSY OF SIN- Lev 14:1-9 (Page 253) The LORD said to Moses, “These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease, the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields. “The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. After this he may come into the camp, but he must stay outside his tent for seven days. On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair; he must shave his head, his beard, his eyebrows and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean.
A) The Priest goes to the “Sinner”; without the camp- Jesus came to us without the Camp (Left Heaven, Included Gentiles). Soul Winning is SEEKING the Lost.
B) The Symbols of the Savior-
1. One Bird Killed over fresh water in a Clay Pot- Christ came to earth and took an “earthen Vessel”. He lived a sinless life (Pure water) and was slain for our sins.
2. The Living Bird represents the RESURRECTED SAVIOR. This resurrected Savior “healed” the sinner by the application of Blood. The Blood was also applied to Cedar wood, Scarlet yarn, and Hyssop. (Dedication, Faith, and Sacrifice)
3. The Blood was sprinkled on the Leper- Without Shedding of Blood is no remission
4. The Leper Washed and waited 7 days. Representing Sanctification and Service. Not Cheap Easy Believism but Commitment
5. He brings His sacrifice to the Priest- The Burnt Offering for Dedication, The Sin Offering for Conviction, and the Trespass Offering for the fact that we have Dishonored God
6. The Blood is applied to areas of Service:
Right Ear- Listen to God
Right Thumb- Work For God
Right Toe- Walk for God
Would God find the leprosy of sin at work in your life? Admit your need, accept Christ’s payment of sin (Blood), and Commit to serve God today. Let God give you a NEW LIFE free from the contamination of Sin.
Levi 19:1-17 GUIDELINES TO GROW BY
Moody returned from revival and said he had 2 ½ converts. One man said, “So you had 2 men and one child converted”. “No,” said Moody. “I had 2 children and one man. The man had already lived half his life away from God”.
1) Be Holy for God is Holy- And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. (Leviticus 19:1-2)
2) Be Obedient to Parents (Authority) – Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:3)
3) Make no idols to replace God in your heart and life- Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:4)
4) Give to God willingly and correctly – And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will. It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire. And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted. Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. (Levi 19:5-8)
5) Share with Others- And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:9-10)
6) Deal correctly with others: Do not Steal from, mislead or lie to others- Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. (Leviticus 19:11)
7) Do not Curse- And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:12)
8) Be Honest with others. Do not borrow and not return or work and not pay- Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. (Leviticus 19:13)
9) Care for those less fortunate: Do not curse the deaf or trip the blind- Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:14)
10) Do not play favorites with people- Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. (Leviticus 19:15)
11) Do not Gossip-Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:16)
12) Do not hate your brother- Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. (Leviticus 19:17)
The Reason you do all this is because God is the Lord (See end of most verses- 11 times).
Thoughtful Information about Tattoos- Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:28). Mark of Beast is a marking on a person.
Lev 24:12 DETERMINING THE MIND OF THE LORD
And they put him in ward (jail), that the mind of the LORD might be showed(revealed) them (Lev 24:12).
Sometimes the most difficult thing a person has to do about the will of the Lord is to determine what it is! Many people have a “Want To” but don’t know “What to”. Like the Israelites in today’s scripture, we need to determine the MIND OF THE LORD.
In Leviticus 24 we have the story of a “mixed race” man who got into a fight with an Israelite man and during the fight the “mixed race” man “blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed”. The Ten Commandments had already laid down the law for an Israelite man (Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord they God in vain) but people were unsure how to deal with this situation involving a non Israelite man. So they sought to know the “mind of the Lord”.
They WAITED on the LORD until they could get clear direction (put him in ward).
They LISTENED for a Word from God. (Which came through God’s man).
They ISOLATED the Problem from prejudice and people (Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp)
They IDENTIFIED the problem by using several sources- (all that heard him. Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety (Proverbs 11:14).
They ESTABLISHED principles to deal with similar problems in the future
They ACTED upon God’s revealed directions (They “stoned him with stones and the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses”).
You need to know the Mind of God about:
The activities, affections, and amusements you engage in: Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
The spiritual, emotional, social, and mental education of your family: And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:52). Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).
Just remember, God WANTS you to know what is right and how you can accomplish that. Just ask: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him (James 1:5).