Clean and Restored

Leviticus 13-14 and Psalm 19-20

I am amazed by the similarities between our pandemic world and the requirements Israelites were told to follow in Leviticus. Quarantining, social distancing, infected people covering the lower part of their faces, … Unfortunately, sickness is a part of our fallen world. It is a reminder that we are not in that perfect, future Kingdom of God, and it also makes us long for the Kingdom.

We have to live in a world that sometimes hits us with pestilence. God prepared the Israelites for this.  The Priests of Israel were given specific criteria to examine and quarantine those that were affected by defiling skin diseases. The priests also had to examine areas and items that might harbor defiling molds. I know, I know, some of you might think “EWW, gross” while reading chapter 13 of Leviticus. But having so much information given to the priests shows a great deal of mercy. First, mercy is shown to those that were dealing with the diseases. The priests were to examine and diagnose the diseases from defined criteria, not guesswork or intuition. Mercy was shown to the person possibly infected by quarantining and reexamining after multiple 7 day periods. Time was allowed for healing or for the disease to develop. Those affected by molds had to have their buildings or their articles inspected. It insured that the owners were protected from these dangerous molds. Secondly, the whole Israelite community was being protected from health threats.

Chapter 14 shows us restoration and cleansing. I think the ceremonies enabled the Israelites to physically experience this occasion of being pronounced clean.  When Christ Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead, he gave us a glimpse of what is in store. A time of restoration. There will be a time of complete restoration for our world. We can rejoice because we know that the time will come for “God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:21).

I hope that your reading of Psalm 19 & 20 encourages you to lean into the LORD, our strength, our Rock and our Redeemer. Let Him clean and restore you.

-Rebecca Dauksas

Links to today’s Bible reading – Leviticus 13-14 and Psalm 19-20