January 12, 2011 – Leviticus 13:9 - 13:46

I wanted to talk about the connection between sin and leprosy, but I found this and it really says it much better than I could.

http://www.jesus.org/birth-of-jesus/genealogy-and-jewish-heritage/how-is-leprosy-like-sin.html

“Leprosy is a vivid and graphic physical picture of the spiritual defilement of sin. Sin is ugly, loathsome, incurable, and contaminating; it separates men from God and makes them outcasts. The instructions given to the priests in Leviticus 13 help us understand the nature of sin: Sin is inside us, deeper than the skin (Lev. 13:3); sin also spreads (Lev. 13:8); sin always defiles and isolates (Lev. 13:45-46); and just as leprous garments are fit only for the fire (Lev. 13:52, 57), so those who die clothed in sin will burn forever.”

I don’t know if there is a strong argument here for going to a priest for Reconciliation, but I think there is an argument. If sin is like leprosy, then to be declared clean from it a person must go to the priest. They could not speak to God and declare themselves clean. Also, if the priest decided that the leprosy was not gone, they were still declared unclean. A priest in Reconciliation, if they do not feel a person is actually repentant, they have the chose to not absolve them of their sin, i.e. they are still unclean.