February 17 – Leviticus 14-15

Today’s reading comes from Leviticus 14-15. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

There is an image painted in today’s reading that I find absolutely remarkable. We found out yesterday that anyone who had an infectious skin disease would have to be removed from the people and live in isolation. This was an incredibly horrible separation. We learned in Genesis when God created Eve that man was not meant to be alone. Isolation we know today is one of the most dreaded punishments that any of our prisons can offer. For someone with an infectious skin disease they dream of the day when healing might happen.

And if and when that healing took place an amazing symbol is performed. Read again verse seven of chapter fourteen … “Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields.” Lev. 14:7 NIV84. When a person with an infectious disease is found to be clean a bird is to be released to fly free. When a person with the disease is now clean and pronounced clean, they are like that bird able to fly free, hug loved ones, mingle in the marketplace, fellowship with other people, and find intimacy with their spouse. They have been set free.

Here’s the really remarkable … in Christ’s no matter what blemish we had that separated us from God it has been paid in full for. We are set free like the bird, no longer bound by sin, and no longer diseased in the eyes of God. We can now have intimacy with God. What an awesome reminder of this.

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