What is the meaning of Leviticus 13:55? After it has been washed “After the article has been washed” (Leviticus 13:55) points back to the initial attempt at cleansing described in Leviticus 13:54. God allowed for a first-round effort to rescue the garment, showing His mercy and desire that what can be saved, be saved (cf. Leviticus 13:58). • The washing represents every possible human effort to deal with contamination before a final verdict is rendered, much as Israel was told to “wash yourselves, cleanse yourselves” of sin (Isaiah 1:16). • Yet the effectiveness of that washing is determined by God’s appointed standard, not by human opinion. the priest is to reexamine it The priest—a mediator appointed by God—must inspect the garment again. This re-inspection echoes Leviticus 13:13 and Leviticus 14:48, where the priest’s verdict carries divine authority. • No self-diagnosis is allowed; holiness is assessed by the measure God gives through His ordained servants (Hebrews 13:17). • The principle continues today: shepherds of the church are commanded to guard the flock from corrupting influences (Acts 20:28). and if the mildewed article has not changed in appearance Stagnant appearance after washing shows that the mildew is deeper than the surface. It has resisted the prescribed cleansing (Leviticus 13:6). • Outward scrubbing cannot reach what is rooted within; sin that clings beneath the surface requires more than cosmetic change (Jeremiah 17:9). • True repentance manifests visible change (Matthew 3:8). Lack of change exposes a deeper problem. it is unclean The declaration “it is unclean” labels the garment unfit for use among God’s people (Leviticus 11:47). • Uncleanness is not merely ceremonial; it pictures moral defilement that separates from God (Leviticus 15:31; Isaiah 59:2). • The verdict is final unless God Himself provides a new means of cleansing—foreshadowing the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ that truly purifies (Hebrews 9:13-14). Even though the mildew has not spread God’s standard is not limited to outward progression. If stubborn contamination remains, judgment falls even without visible spread (Leviticus 13:53). • A little leaven still leavens the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6). • Tolerating any entrenched defilement invites future corruption; therefore God requires decisive action. you must burn it The only remedy left is complete destruction by fire (Deuteronomy 7:26). • Fire ensures that the impurity cannot return, symbolizing God’s consuming holiness (Hebrews 12:29). • Believers mirror this by removing and destroying anything that fosters sin—illustrated when new believers in Ephesus burned their occult books (Acts 19:19). whether the rot is on the front or back No part of the garment is exempt; any location of rot demands the same response. God’s holiness is impartial (2 Chron 19:7; James 2:1). • Hidden areas matter as much as visible ones. Secret sin must be treated with the same seriousness as public failure. • Total integrity is God’s expectation; partial purity is not enough (1 Peter 1:15-16). summary Leviticus 13:55 teaches that when contamination resists God-ordained cleansing, decisive judgment follows. A washed but unchanged garment illustrates a life that goes through external motions without inward transformation. God’s appointed overseers must declare it unclean, and complete removal—symbolized by burning—protects the community and honors God’s holiness. The verse therefore calls believers to thorough repentance, uncompromising purity, and wholehearted submission to the standards God has set. |
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