How does Leviticus 14:24 connect to Jesus' role as our High Priest? Seeing the Scene in Leviticus 14:24 Leviticus 14:24: “The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering, along with the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before the LORD.” Spotting the Elements—Lamb and Oil • Lamb of the guilt offering — atones for the leper’s trespass (Isaiah 53:10, same Hebrew word “asham,” guilt offering). • Log of oil — symbol of the Spirit’s anointing and healing (1 Samuel 16:13; Zechariah 4:6). • Wave offering — lifted up, presented alive and accepted before God. Jesus—Both Lamb and High Priest • “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). • “He has appeared as a High Priest of the good things to come” (Hebrews 9:11-12). • Under the Law, priest and victim were separate; at the cross, Priest and Victim are one Person (Hebrews 7:27). The Wave Offering and the Ascension • The priest lifted the lamb and oil before God; Jesus was “lifted up” on the cross (John 12:32) and then “taken up into heaven” (Acts 1:9). • Hebrews 9:24—“Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary… but heaven itself, now to appear in God’s presence for us.” • The wave signified acceptance; the empty tomb and ascension declare the Father’s acceptance of the Son’s sacrifice. Oil Poured Out—the Spirit Sent • After the sacrifice, oil was applied to the cleansed leper (Leviticus 14:17-18). • Parallel: after offering Himself, Jesus “poured out the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:33). • Thus the same High Priest who secures atonement also anoints believers with the Spirit (John 7:39). Cleansing Our Spiritual Leprosy • Leprosy pictures the defilement of sin—isolating, progressive, incurable by human means (Isaiah 1:5-6). • Only the priest could declare a leper clean; Jesus tells the healed, “Show yourself to the priest” (Luke 17:14), because He is that ultimate Priest who pronounces us clean (1 John 1:7). • Hebrews 10:10—“By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Living the Truth Today • Approach God with confidence; our High Priest has already waved the perfect guilt offering on our behalf (Hebrews 4:14-16). • Rest in the finished work: no further sacrifice for sin is needed (Hebrews 10:18). • Walk in the Spirit’s anointing that the oil foreshadowed—freed to serve, worship, and witness (Galatians 5:16-25). |