How does Leviticus 14 relate to Jesus' instructions in Luke 5:14? What Leviticus 14 Describes “ ‘This is the law concerning the one afflicted with a skin disease on the day of his cleansing, when he is brought to the priest.’ ” (Leviticus 14:2) • A healed leper is taken outside the camp to be examined by a priest (vv. 3–4). • Two clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop are used—one bird is killed over fresh water; the living bird is dipped and released (vv. 4–7). • The cleansed person washes, shaves, waits seven days, then offers a series of sacrifices: a guilt offering, sin offering, burnt offering, and grain offering (vv. 8–20). • If poor, God provides less costly substitutes (vv. 21–32). Every detail is a literal command from God, designed both to restore the healed Israelite to the covenant community and to paint a prophetic picture of ultimate cleansing. Jesus Repeats the Pattern in Luke 5:14 “Then Jesus ordered him, ‘Do not tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.’ ” (Luke 5:14) Key Ways the Two Passages Interlock • Continuity of Law: – Jesus sends the healed man straight to the priest, honoring the exact procedure set out in Leviticus 14 (cf. Matthew 5:17). • Official Verification: – Only a priest could declare a leper clean; Jesus’ instruction guarantees the man’s public restoration to worship and community. • Testimony to Priests: – The required sacrifices would confront the priesthood with living proof that messianic power had arrived (cf. Isaiah 35:5-6). • Obedience Demonstrated: – The healed man’s next step is not self-promotion but submission to God’s revealed order, modeling faith that expresses itself in obedience (James 2:18). What the Symbols Foreshadow about Christ • Two birds: one dies, one rises free—death and resurrection (Romans 4:25). • Cedar wood, scarlet yarn, hyssop: materials later found at the cross (John 19:29; Hebrews 9:19). • Running water and sprinkling of blood: cleansing accomplished through Christ’s blood and the living water of the Spirit (Hebrews 9:13-14; John 7:38-39). • Re-entry into the camp after seven days: complete, finished work that secures full fellowship with God (Hebrews 10:19-22). Lessons for Us Today • Healing points beyond itself to the greater cleansing of sin offered by Jesus (1 John 1:7). • The Lord never bypasses His own Word; knowing and obeying Scripture remains essential. • Every saved life becomes “a testimony to them,” inviting others to recognize the Savior’s power (1 Peter 2:12). |
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