Lessons in Purity: Cleansing the Unclean (Lev. 14)

We saw last time that any disease which disfigured the skin could be called "sara'at," and anyone who had such a disease would be quarantined - separated from the community.

This was not due to contagion (there is no mention of that in the text), but rather it focuses again on proper function. Internal diseases are not in view. For that matter, contagious diseases are not in view. Rather, the focus is on visible diseases. Israel must be clean in order to worship God and partake of holy things. Therefore Israel must be visibly pure.

If a person has a visible disease, then he is rendered unclean, and must be put out of the community.

The picture here is that of the corruption of the flesh – quite literally! The outward and visible corruption of the flesh symbolizes humanity's problem. How can corrupt flesh come into the presence of a holy God?

The point is that raw flesh – leprous disease – these unclean skin diseases – are the undoing of creation – a returning to the barren wasteland – the "formless and void" – of Genesis 1 (before God spoke!)

That's why the unclean person must dwell outside the camp. He is to dress in a manner that makes clear from a distance that he is unclean. Since touching an unclean person rendered you unclean, Moses puts a certain responsibility on the unclean to protect others from becoming unclean. The unclean person lives alone.

This is why we need to understand chapter 14 – because how can the leper be made clean?

How can that which is unfit for the presence of God become fit!?