Metzora
Leviticus 14-15

          Passover begins one week from tonight. Jewish families around the world are preparing for Passover by removing all of the leaven bread from the home.  It is a holy time of year as we remember the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt and the atonement for our sins that the Messiah provided in his death and resurrection.  It is a time of year when we should allow God to clean out the leaven of sin from our hearts.  In today’s torah portion, we have an illustration of what it means to be cleansed from sin.   We read in 15:31   Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle that is among them.” Last week, the Torah portion was about uncleaness.  Here in chapters 14 and 15 we read about more conditions of uncleanness but   the emphasis is on the process of returning to the state of cleanness.   This process   serves as a wonderful illustration of  cleaning out the leaven of sin from our lives.  

1.     the priest had to go “outside of the camp..  Since the person has been unclean he/she cannot simply go  to the priest. Rather the priest had to  come to the person.  This is what the Messiah does for us.  He meets us where we are.  Rom. 5:8-10 says But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  Notice that the Messiah died for us while we were enemies; while we were yet sinners.  We are outside of the camp because of our sin. The Messiah came “outside of the camp” to bring us back.  He entered a sinful world and died  the death of a criminal. Regardless of where you are, Messiah desires that you enter his holy place. He will come for you if you are willing.

2.     In 14:7 we read of the process of becoming ritually clean. First blood is sprinkled on the person being cleansed.  Notice that there is a resemblance to the rites on the Day of Atonement.  Ie. Two birds, one dies the other set free, etc. The key word here is “sprinkle” . The Hebrew word is used almost exclusively of  cleansing from sin.   In isaiah 52:13 we read that Messiah will sprinkle many nations.  He will cleanse them from sin.   The sprinkling of the blood represents the removal of sin. Here it represents the removal of the disease.  Yeshua in coming to us removes our sins. He heals us.  All of us have the disease and he comes to us and touches us and makes us clean. He did this by sprinkling his blood on us

3.     Next in verse 8 we read that he washes his clothes and shaves off all his hair. This represents the practical response of a person to the cleansing from sin. Cutting off that which is dead in our lives. Putting off the old clothes and putting on robes of righteousness.  Col. 3:9    We are called to cut out that which is dead. That which does not edify. 

4.     The person is then to bathe in water.  This is the ritual mikveh. According to the Sages of Israel bathing in water  is like being born all over again! It speaks of renewal - of starting over.  It was a symbol of what took place inwardly. When we trust in the Messiah  we become “new creatures” in Messiah (2Cor. 5:17),. We can start over again with God. We have become spiritually diseased and separated from the presence of god  but God is always willing to come to where we are sprinkle us clean and renew us in the sense of starting over.

5.     The shaving and washing was to be done on the seventh day. But on the eight day, the person was to be pronounced clean. Offerings were presented and then blood from the guilt offering was to be placed on the earlobe of the person. This is reminiscent of the dedication of Aaron and his sons  as we read in lev. 8   Of course the end result of being clean before God in Yeshua is to be dedicated to God. We read in Titus  2 that Messiah gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.    In one sense we are positionally clean once and for all. However, practically speaking, we still sin and the great news is that God comes after us outside the camp and cleanses us from sin. 1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Notice that we are not only forgiven. We are also cleansed when we confess our sins.

So during this week of preparation for the seder, let’s not just get ready for a Seder, let’s be restored to God in a new and living way. Let’s cut off all that is dead within us, let’s be renewed by the washing with the water of the Word and let’s be zealous for good works - dedicated to the service of God.  Shabbat shalom!