What is the meaning of Leviticus 15:3? This uncleanness “ ‘This uncleanness is from his discharge…’ ” (Leviticus 15:3). • Scripture treats impurity here as a real, objective state, not a mere feeling. Leviticus 15:31 underscores that impurity can “defile My tabernacle,” showing that God’s holiness demands separation from anything symbolizing corruption (cf. Leviticus 11:45). • The passage is not about moral guilt; it concerns ritual status. Yet even ritual impurity reminds us of the deeper uncleanness of sin (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:23). • The clear declaration “This uncleanness…” leaves no doubt: God defines purity, and His people are called to take His definition seriously. From his discharge “…from his discharge…” • The word points to an abnormal bodily emission, likely connected to disease (cf. Leviticus 15:2 for the broader regulation). • Physical health matters to God (Exodus 15:26). By isolating the sufferer, Israel limited contagion and taught that sickness—an effect of the Fall—does not belong in God’s sanctuary (Genesis 3:17–19; Revelation 21:4). • The sufferer’s condition pictures the inner defilement that only the Lord can cleanse (Psalm 51:7; Mark 1:40-42). Whether his body allows the discharge to flow or blocks it “…whether his body allows the discharge to flow or blocks it.” • God covers every possibility: a continuous flow or an intermittent, obstructed trickle. Nothing slips through divine regulation (Hebrews 4:13). • Ongoing flow = persistent impurity; blocked flow = latent impurity. Either state leaves the man unclean until cleansing rites are completed (Leviticus 15:13-15). • The thoroughness anticipates Christ’s full atonement. He cleanses both visible acts and hidden attitudes (Matthew 23:25-26; 1 John 1:9). So his discharge will bring about uncleanness “So his discharge will bring about uncleanness.” • The effect is inevitable: contact spreads impurity to bedding, clothing, even those who carry such items (Leviticus 15:4-12). Sin likewise defiles everything it touches (Haggai 2:13-14; James 1:14-15). • Required washings and sacrifices taught Israel the cost of purity (Leviticus 15:13-15). Today believers look to the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, whose blood “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:13-14). • While New Testament believers are not under Levitical ritual, the principle endures: we guard fellowship with God by confessing and forsaking defilement (2 Corinthians 7:1). summary Leviticus 15:3 identifies a man’s abnormal discharge as an objective source of ritual uncleanness, whether the flow is continual or temporarily obstructed. God’s meticulous standard protects the community, upholds His holiness, and illustrates humanity’s deeper need for cleansing. The passage foreshadows the perfect, comprehensive purification provided in Jesus Christ, who removes every stain—seen or unseen—and restores God’s people to worship in freedom and purity. |
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