Biblical Leprosy, a Sign or a Scourge?

Probably one of the oddest topics in the Bible is that of a person who has leprosy. The Bible spends two full chapters just talking about it. It begins with the diagnosis and ends with what to do if a house has leprosy. Clearly, this is not an ordinary disease! In fact, the instructions on how to treat leprosy would at times almost ensure that the disease would spread. So what is leprosy as described by the Bible? Why is so much time spent on it? And why is it so important?

 

The Mystery of the Sin Offering

When we think of the ministry of the priesthood, we think of bringing the offerings of the people before the LORD. When the tabernacle was dedicated and Aaron brought the first offerings before the LORD, he did so for himself and his sons as well as the collective children of Israel. The scriptures describe Aaron bringing the offerings for the people in Leviticus 9:15-17. What happens after the required portions of the offering are burnt on the altar? Parts of the offerings are set aside for the priesthood. Are these portions just part of the compensation package for the priesthood, or is there a spiritual significance to these portions?

 

Keep the Fire Burning

When God is giving Moses the instructions on how to draw near to Him, which we covered in our last blog, When You Draw Near, God elaborates on the importance of keeping the fire on the altar burning. This verse alone states twice that the fire must always be kept burning. The entire passage states this requirement five times! God doesn’t want us to miss this point!