The Pulpit Commentary — Leviticus — Section 257

science. We who seek to be cleansed from all iniquity and condernnation, must ourselves personally apply for mercy through the shed blood of the Redeemer. By an act of living faith we must bathe in the "fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness." Ill PERSONAL PUTTING AWAY OF DEFILEMENT, The leper was to "wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean." And a.gain, after a week's interval, was to shave and to wash, removing a.II his hair, even to the eyebrows (ver. 9) ; everything about him that could in any possible way be defiled by the plague was to be carefully removed. So, if we a.re to be admitted ( or readmitted) to God's favour and man's communion, we must deliberately put away from ourselves, from heart and life, every evil way, everything which is, or may be, tainted with iniquity (2 Tim. ii. 19). IV. DIVINE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF OUR INTEGRI'rY. Everything here pointed to the fact that the Divine Ruler of Israel was prepared to acknowledge the cleanness of the leper. The water was to be" running water" (ver. 5)-pure, as opposed to that which was stagnant and fool; "cedar wood" was to be used (ver. 6), type of that which is fragrant and healthful; the "scarlet" wool (ver. 6) hinted the red and healthy blood, which had been impure but was so no longer; "hyssop" (ver. 6) was suggestive of fragrance; but that which, above all, was indicative of God's acknowledgment of the wholeness of the leper was the action respecting the living bird: that was released, let "loose into the open field" (ver. 7). This either signified that the uncleanness of the leper was borne away on the wings of the bird, where it should never be found again (a similar institution to the scapegoat, eh. xvi. 22, 23), or that the leper was thenceforth free to go whithersoever he pleased. Either way, it expressed symbolically the truth that there was reinstatement for the man who had been healed in the privi- leges be bad forfeited. We have in the Scriptures every possible assurance that "repent- ance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ," are followed by fulness of Divine favour. The returned prodigal bas the kiss of reconciliation, the ring and robe of honour, and the feast of joy. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God .•. and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. v. 1, 2). The soul that is healed of its sore disease is pronounced clean in the sight of God, and is free of its Father's house, to enter its many rooms and partake of its many joys.-O. Vere, 10-20.-Final rites of readmission, By the series of final rites of restora- tion recorded in these verses, the leper once more took bis place as one of a holy nation admitted to the presence of God: he was "presented before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle," etc. (ver. 10). His formal acceptance at the house of tbc Lord, and entrance again on the privileges of the peculiar people, reminds us that our entrance, whether in the first instance or after backsliding and return, upon the fulness of sacred privilege must be- I. ATTENDED WITH HUlllLITY, The leper was to bring his sin offering, which must be slain in the holy place (vers. 13, 19), Over the head of the animal he was to confess his sin, and then, with his guilt thus transferred, the blood of the sin offering atoned for past wrong. All approaches to God by the human spirit should be accompanied with a sense of unworthiness. " Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. v. 3). II. IN 1.'HE SPIRIT OF CONSECRATION. The leper was to bring his burnt offering as well as his sin offering (vers. 13, 19, 20). By this he symbolically presented himself wholly unto the Lord, laid himself on the altar of sacred service. When we turn, or return, unto God it must be in the spirit of full, unreserved dedication. We are to "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, our reasono.blo (i.e. rational, spiritual) service" (Rom. xii. 1). III. IN THE SPIRIT OF THANKFUL JOY, The leper was to bring "three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil" (vers. 10, 20). Thi~ was a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, rendered under a sense of deep indebtedness for Divine bounty, It was certainly suitable enough in the case of the leper, whose malady had been removed by the healing hand of God. Nor is the consciousness of our deep Indebtedness, the preseutation of our utmost thanks, one whit less becoming, less demanded and required of God, when we come to his house, or to the table of the Lord, after months or ye11rs, or (it may be) a life of absence, negligence, estrangement. H  222 THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. toR. XIV. 1-32,