Bible Study: Cured From Sin

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Today is Saturday February 06, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Leviticus, chapters 14-15. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-6

Title: Bible Study: Cured From Sin
The more we read through the book of Leviticus the more we as Christian's should appreciate the fact that because Jesus Christ, who was the unblemished, perfect male, became the ultimate sacrifice and shed His own blood we have atonement for our sins without having to sacrifice animals every time we want to speak to God. Speaking to God was more than just admitting sin, it meant one had to make themselves holy and righteous before God. He would not even listen to someone unless they were completely cleansed from the world in mind, body, and soul. The two chapters we read today explain to the Israelite's what they had to do to be cleansed and holy before God. As we have learned from yesterdays reading, any person deemed leprous was not allowed to commune with the rest of the congregation unless they had been cured from the disease. Now, regardless of how many sacrifices brought to the priests the only way a person could have been cured from the disease was by God Himself. Only when a person was cured was he able to take the steps needed to be cleansed and holy before God and be able to communicate with Him. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.” - Leviticus 14:1-7. The word leprosy struck terror in the heart of an Israelite for two reasons. First, the person who had leprosy became an outcast from society. He was forced to leave his home, family, friends, and the place of worship. When anyone went near him, the leper had to cry out, Unclean, Unclean, and people had to avoid him. When God cured the person of the disease he was able to take the steps needed to be fully cleansed and able to return to society and God.

Now, God did not stop at just lepers, He also addressed the issues of unclean men and women and what they had to do in order to be cleansed and no longer separated from God or the rest of His people. Okay, not to be gross here, but God addresses every issue known to man, including those of the flesh body. “And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean. And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness. Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean...........And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.” - Leviticus 15:1-4,19-21. God addresses the issue of certain body fluids, the running issue out of the flesh in men is what is called in the reference Bible as, the running of the reins, or in physician terms, gonorrhea, the issue of blood concerning women is what is known as her menstrual cycle. If an man or woman gets any of these fluids on a person, clothing, or furniture it is considered unclean for seven days. The reason of all these laws was to separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness. Hereby they were taught their privilege and honor, that they were purified unto God, a peculiar people, for that was a defilement to them, which was not so to others. They were also taught their duty, which was to keep themselves clean from all pollutions. Many heathen nations used blood and other fluids as rituals that should not be known to any child of God and this is why God addressed these issues.

Uncleanness is representative of sin and how an infectious disease it is when we are in it, which spreads to everyone around us. Our cure, is Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can cure us from the dreadful disease of sin. The steps taken for an Israelite to be cleansed are representative of Christ, the two birds represent, Christ dying for our sins and rising again to cleanse us, releasing us from our sins. The cedar wood is representative of the freedom given by Jesus to remove all the corruption that sin had brought upon our lives. Scarlet is representative of the persons stained blood and also the blood of Christ that removed those stains. Hyssop is representative of the fragrant smell given off as we are cleansed from our sins, deemed holy, and reconciled with God so we can communicate with Him. Although these laws seem harsh they are a reminder that God sees and knows everything that is going on, including things that seem unnoticed by man. Praise God that we no longer have to go through all the steps taken just to be cleansed as we are cleansed by the blood of Christ! We are children of God and need to start acting that way, that means, we are to rid ourselves of all things that defile our bodies. We can not even allow ourselves to do some of the things noted here today, just think about that. We have the great privilege to have had the blood of Christ applied to our souls, which allows us to be able to communicate with God. Do you think He will just let us do what we want and get away with it, even if no one else sees us doing wrong? God knows and He will not let us get away with anything. However, God is quick to forgive all who come to Him for repentance, as long as they are sincere. Praise God! “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” - II Peter 3:8,9.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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