Observation Questions For
Leviticus Chapter 13
Review & Intro: We have been looking at the laws for cleansing and purification in Levitcus, starting with chapter 11 regarding what animals could and could not be eaten, and then in chapter 12 the cleansing of motherhood afterbirth, and now in chapters 13 and 14, we will look at the laws for identifying the disease of leprosy and what the priest would do to declare a person cleansed of leprosy so that they could return to normal living among society. I got the following information from the rondavis.com website, ... Dr. William Thompson, who was a missionary over 100 years ago, wrote, "(Leprosy) comes on by degrees in different parts of the body: the hair falls from the head and eyebrows; the nails loosen, decay, and drop off; joint after joint of the fingers and toes shrink up and slowly fall away: the gums are absorbed, and the teeth disappear; the nose, the eyes, the tongue, and the palate are slowly consumed; and, finally, the wretched victim sinks into the earth and disappears." ..... The nerve endings would cease to function, so your body becomes dead to pain. You could pour boiling water on your feet and not know it. You could cut your hand open and not feel it. You were so completely desensitized, that you could do terrible damage to your body and not know or care. .... This gives us a picture of the horrible disease of leprosy, and through observation and Scripture comparison, we will see in these next chapters how it can compare to the spiritual disease of sin and our need to be declared "cleansed". Amen.
Leviticus Chapter 13 - Law of Leprosy
1. What signs on the body caused a person to know they needed to show themselves to Aaron or one of his sons the priests? vs. 1,2
2. What 2 things would indicate to the priest that the person had an infection of leprosy and needed to be pronounced unclean? vs. 3
3. If the bright spot was white on the skin and did not appear to go deeper than the skin and if the hair had not turned white, what would the priest do for 7 days? vs. 4
4. On the 7th day, the priest would look at him. If his eyes had not changed and the infection had not spread, what would the priest do at that time? vs. 5
5. What would the priest look for in order to pronounce him "clean" on the second 7th day? vs. 6
6. What would the person do with his clothes at that time? vs. 6
7. What would the person need to do if the scab spread farther on the skin after he had shown himself to the priest? vs. 7
8. What would the priest prounounce if the scab had spread on the skin? vs. 8
9. What would indicate chronic leprosy to the priest and cause the person to be isolated from the people? - Name 3 symptoms - vs.9-11
10. What did it mean if the leprosy covered the person from head to toe and had all turned white? What would the priest pronounce then? vs. 12,13
11. What did "raw" flesh indicate and bring about from the priest? vs. 15
12. Once the "raw" flesh turns white, what does the priest pronounce him to be? vs. 16,17
13. Concerning a boil. Once it healed, there could be a white swelling or reddish-white, bright spot. If so, it was to be shown to the priest. What 2 things would the priest look for before pronouncing the person "unclean" or "infectious"? vs.18-20
14. If these 2 things were not there at the time, what would the priest do for pre-cautionery measures? vs. 21
15. If at that time, it had spread farther on the skin, what would the priest pronounce? vs. 22
16. If the bright spot remains but does not spread; it is only the scar of the boil. What did the priest pronounce? vs. 23
17. When there was a burn on the skin and "raw" flesh of the burn became a bright spot ... reddish-white... or white (vs.24), then the priest would look at it. What 2 things would cause him to know it was leprous? vs. 24,25
18. If these 2 things were not present at the time, how long would the person be "isolated"? vs. 26
19. What would indicate that it was leprosy and needed to be declared "unclean"? vs. 27
20. If the bright spot remained, but had not spread and was dim, what was to be determined? vs. 28
21. If a man or a woman had an infection on the head or on the beard, what were the 2 things that the priest would use to determine that it was leprosy? vs. 29,30
22. If it was not deeper than the skin and there was no black hair in it, what would the priest do at that point? vs. 31
23. If on the 7th day of isolation, the scale was not deeper than the skin or have yellowish hair growing in it, he was to shave himself, but not shave the scale. How many more days would he be in isolation? vs. 32,33
24. On the 7th day of the 2nd week of isolation, what 2 things would the priest look for in order to pronounce the person clean and to wash their clothes? vs. 34
25. If the scale spread after the cleansing, what did it mean regardless of the hair inside it? vs. 35,36
26. If the scale remained and black hair had grown in it, what would he be pronounced? vs. 37
27. What would determine that bright spots were eczema and the person was clean and not infectious? vs. 38,39
28. Concerning baldness. Just to be bald was okay and the person was clean. (40,41). What could break out on the bald head and need to be presented to the priest for inspection? vs.42
29. What did the priest look for in order to call him unclean with leprosy? vs.43,44
30. What was the leper with the infection suppose to do when he was pronounced unclean by the priest? vs. 45 - Name 4 things
Note: During the unclean period of his infection, he was required to live alone outside the camp. (vs.46)
31. Garment with a mark of leprosy. What did the mark look like in order to be shown to the priest? vs.47-49
32. What would the priest do when he was shown the garment? vs.50
33. What would indicate 7 days later that it was indeed leprosy? vs.51
34. If the garment had the mark of leprosy on it, what was done to it? vs. 52
35. If the mark had not spread 7 days later, what would be done with the garment? vs.53,54
36. After being washed, the priest would look at the garment again. If the mark looked the same even thought it had not spread, it would be considered unclean. What would be done to the garment? vs. 55
Final verses: If the mark had faded, the mark would be "torn" out of the garment. If it appeared again in the garment, it was considered an outbreak and would have to be burnt (vs.56,57)...If the garment did not have any more marks, it would be washed a second time and then considered clean. (vs.38) ... This is the law of leprosy in a garment. (vs.39)
Application:
37. The term leprosy, as used in the Bible, actually refers to a whole variety of skin conditions ranging from rashes, to open sores, to various infectious diseases, and includes true leprosy as we know it today. According to God’s Law given through Moses, a person with leprosy was ceremonially unclean and not allowed to take part in any form of worship. They were to live in isolation or cry out “Unclean! Unclean!” as they walked about the community. Lepers were strictly avoided since even accidental contact would cause a person to become unclean. Yet, what did Jesus do when a leper came before Him? Comment on the verse given.
- Matthew 8:1-4 -
38. Why can leprosy be compare to sin? What kind of offerings were to be offered when one had been cleansed (healed) from leprosy?
- Read briefly through Leviticus 14 which we will study closer next. What offerings did you find that must be offered that would indicate that leprosy was associated with sin in some way?
39. Although the bible never says leprosy is a word-picture of sin, there are a few cases where someone in the bible got leprosy right after they committed some rebellious sin. Comment on the following passages of why these got leprosy:
- Numbers 12:1-15 -
- 2 Chronicles 26:18-21 -
40. Obviously there were people who got the disease who were no greater sinners than those around them, and I am sure it made a person feel unloved and uncared for by the God Whose very presence was seen by the cloud that hovered over the tent of meeting every day. ... Their only hope was that the Lord would have mercy upon them when they went for detection and would have to be isolated from those they loved. ... I am sure they anticipated daily that they were being healed of the disease and hoping that the priest would come to find them healed and ready for cleansing and atonement of any sin so that they could get back into their reasons for living. ... In comparing this disease with the spiritual disease of sin ...Has sin ever made you isolated from those you love? Have you felt like an outcast and lonely because of the consequences of a sin that you were guilty of? What did it make you feel like to be declared "clean" when you confessed and gave that burden of guilt to the Lord? Share if you would like.
41. Some ways that leprosy is like sin: 1) Leprosy starts as a small spot and grows. Sin starts as a “little act”. All drunks start with one drink. .... 2) People with leprosy become numb in their feelings. People who sin more and more eventually become numb to its pain and its effects. ...it's called a "seared conscience" 3) Leprosy spreads on the flesh (skin). The word “flesh” is associated with our human sinful nature.the flesh and the spirit oppose one another as shown in Galations 5 ... 4) Leprosy grows and grows and eventually kills.... Read the following passage from the book of James and explain how sin progresses from a thought to an action to a death ...
- James 1:15 -
42. How do we self-test ourselves for the disease of sin? When we find it, let's take it to our High Priest, Jesus. He will have compassion, mercy, and sympathy for us. Comment on the following verses:
- First test - 2 Corinthians 13:5
- Next, decide to come - Hebrews 4:16 -
- Believe you are cleansed - 1 John 1:9 -
43. Summarize this lesson and post a prayer if you would like.
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