What is the meaning of Leviticus 14:20? offer it on the altar • Leviticus 14:20 begins, “and offer it on the altar…,” linking the cleansed leper directly to the central place of sacrifice. • The altar had already been described in Leviticus 1:9 as the spot where “the priest shall burn it all on the altar as a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.” Every worshiper met God on God’s terms—through a substitutionary offering. • For the one healed from skin disease, the altar testified that real cleansing required more than medical recovery; it demanded God-ordained sacrifice, just as Hebrews 13:10 reminds believers that “we have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat.” • In practical terms, the person who had lived outside the camp (Leviticus 13:46) was now brought back inside only by way of God’s appointed altar, foreshadowing the cross where Christ Himself became the once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10). with the grain offering • The verse continues, “…with the grain offering…,” showing that the sacrificial ritual was not limited to blood but also included a gift of daily provision. • Leviticus 2:1–2 lays out the pattern: a portion of fine flour, oil, and frankincense “is a memorial portion…an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.” • By pairing the grain with the burnt offering, the worshiper acknowledged God as both Redeemer and Sustainer: – Blood addressed sin; grain celebrated life restored. – It echoed the rhythm of Romans 12:1, where believers are urged to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice,” integrating everyday work and worship. • The offering implicitly thanked God for healing, much like Luke 17:15–16 records the one leper who returned to praise Jesus after being cleansed. to make atonement for him • The heart of the verse—“to make atonement for him”—declares the purpose: reconciliation. • Leviticus 4:20 shows the same language for sin offerings: “the priest shall make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.” • Atonement always involved a substitutionary life laid down. Hebrews 9:22 states, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” • Here, God again teaches that cleansing is not self-generated; it is granted through a divinely accepted substitute, pointing forward to Christ, “who entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood” (Hebrews 9:12). • Romans 5:11 caps it: “we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” and he will be clean • The closing promise, “and he will be clean,” affirms a completed status, not a mere hope. • What began as ritual uncleanness now ends with full restoration to the covenant community, paralleling Mark 1:40-42 where Jesus tells the leper, “Be clean!” and “immediately the leprosy left him.” • Important nuances: – Cleanness had social implications—return to family, worship, and work (Leviticus 14:8–9). – It carried spiritual weight—no lingering guilt before God (Psalm 51:7). – It anticipated believers’ confidence in 1 John 1:7: “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” • Titus 2:14 ties it together: Christ “gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession.” summary Leviticus 14:20 weaves together altar, grain, atonement, and cleansing to show that healing is God’s gift, secured by sacrifice and celebrated with gratitude. The verse invites us to see the leper’s journey as our own: we approach God’s altar through a perfect substitute, receive complete atonement, and walk away genuinely clean—fully restored to fellowship and service. |
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