Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20080206.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Leviticus: Fellowship With A Holy God
Part III: Acceptable Living Before A Holy God, Leviticus 11:1-27:34
B. The Believer's Upright Response To Spiritually Contagious Sin
(Leviticus 13:1-59)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), the justified believer is to live separate from sin, to live a sanctified life, cf. 1 John 2:1a.
    2. Yet, sin can be contagious in form to where it leads to separation of the sinner from others, 1 Cor. 5:1ff!
    3. Accordingly, Leviticus 13:1-59 in its context typologically teaches the proper response to such situations:
  2. The Believer's Upright Response To Spiritually Contagious Sin, Leviticus 13:1-59.
    1. Scholars debate whether the disease in Leviticus 13-14 is leprosy (Hansen's disease) or a reference to any of a number of contagious skin diseases and mildews, Bible Knowledge Com., O. T ., p. 192.
    2. Since the context deals with more than contagious conditions of the human skin, but with mold and mildews that could affect clothes and articles people used (Leviticus 13:47-59), the Hebrew word sara'at that the KJV translates as "leprosy" in this context meant contagious states in general, Ibid., p. 192-193.
    3. Now, such states under the Law were God's judgment on sin (Deut. 28:15, 21-22), so they became a picture of excommunicable sin, Ps. 51:7 (Ryrie St. Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Ps. 51:7 and Lev. 13:2).
    4. Thus, we make typological applications in Leviticus 13:1-59 on right responses to such cases as follows:
      1. God provided instructions on upright responses to excommunicable sins in Leviticus 13:1-46:
        1. First, a party would observe an unnatural problem on his skin, Lev. 13:2, 7, 9, 12 etc., indicating a condition develops signaling contagious sin in a party; Ibid., Bible Know. Com., O. T.
        2. Second, he would need to go to a priest for inspection [or reinspection], Lev. 13:3, 10, 13, 15, etc.; Ibid. Authoritative spiritual leaders should be involved examining questionable spiritual cases.
        3. Third, the priest would check if the symptoms matched a Leviticus 13 diagnosis, checking Scripture as spiritual leaders should gauge all definitions of right and wrong by God's written Word, Ibid.
        4. Fourth, the priest would pronounce a diagnosis, whether the condition left the party clean (Lev. 13:6, 13, 17, 23, etc.) or unclean (Lev. 13:3, 8, 11, 15, etc.); Ibid. Today, spiritual leaders should be viewed as authorities to be heeded on disciplinary matters affecting the community of believers.
        5. Fifth, if the party was pronounced unclean, he had to go into isolation to protect the rest of the community from his or her contagious condition as described in Lev. 13:44-46; 13:11b; Ibid. This involved relocation outside the camp (Lev. 13:46) with the requirement of dressing as a mourner and warning others he was "unclean", 13:45; Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to Lev. 13:45-46. This illustrates the excommunication of sinning brethren for them to be afflicted unto repentance, cf. 1 Cor. 5:1-13.
        6. Sixth, if the initial examination was inconclusive, the affected was quarantined for 7 days followed by a second priestly examination, Lev. 13:4, 21, 31 with 13:5, 26; Ibid. Likewise, if unsure of a diagnosis of sin in a questionable case, we must wait for the truth to be seen, 1 Timothy 5:22, 24-25.
        7. Seventh, if the second diagnosis was inconclusive, another examination would follow with a second seven-day quarantine, Lev. 13:6, 33; Ibid. Questionable cases take time for a proper diagnosis!
      2. God gave typological applications on upright responses to sin in cases of mildew, Leviticus 13:47-59:
        1. The clothing or other affected object was to be shown to the priest (Lev. 13:47) who would isolate the item for seven days (Lev. 13:50), Ibid., p. 193.
        2. If it had spread, the object was pronounced unclean, and was to be destroyed by fire, Lev. 13:51-52.
        3. If the mildew had not spread, it was washed and isolated for another week, Lev. 13:53-54 after which it would be declared unclean unless the mildew had faded, 13:55; if it had faded, the affected part was torn out and burned and the rest of the article was washed and called clean, 13:56-59.
Lesson: To respond well to spiritually contagious sin, we should test all cases by Scripture via proper human leaders, being careful to give TIME for questions to be answered. If one is judged innocent, he must be treated as such; if judged guilty, he must be treated as unholy until he repents and is cleansed!

Application: May we be biblical in testing for contagious sin, but separate from those held in its grasp!