利未記14章8-9節 求潔淨的人當洗衣服，剃去毛髮，用水洗澡，就潔淨了；然後可以進營，只是要在自己的帳棚外居住七天。第七天，再把頭上所有的頭髮與鬍鬚、眉毛，並全身的毛，都剃了；又要洗衣服，用水洗身，就潔淨了。
《聖經》裡的大痲瘋包括了不同種類的皮膚病，因此當我們讀到「長大痲瘋得潔淨的日子」時，就明白有的皮膚病會因為自身抵抗力或免疫力的增強而痊癒；但是真正的大痲瘋（韓森氏病Hansen’s Disease）因為是由痲風桿菌引起，則必須接受藥物治療才會痊癒。根據維基百科，目前確診痳瘋病在吃藥的一周內就有99%的病菌能被消除，並切斷傳染性，持續吃藥兩年，病情能基本治癒。那麼在沒有藥物治療，又沒有神蹟的情況下，患者怎麼能夠得到潔淨呢？
一般的疾病得到醫治後，我們稱之為痊癒。但是長大痲瘋的人被稱為不潔，若有人不小心與之接觸到，那人也會變為不潔，需要隔離觀察一段時間，確定沒有被感染。因此若有長大痲瘋（會傳染的皮膚病）的人痊癒，《聖經》稱之為潔淨了，就需要讓祭司檢查，才能回到社區生活。
利未記 13:9 人有了大痲瘋的災病，就要將他帶到祭司面前。
當祭司很不容易，除了要學習怎樣維持聖所的供奉，獻祭時宰牛宰羊，還要學習診斷大痲瘋，真是十八般武藝樣樣都要會。但是醫學上的大痲瘋和《聖經》裡講的大痲瘋不大一樣，醫學上的大痲瘋是「韓生氏病Hansen’s Disease」，由癩桿菌（又稱痲瘋桿菌）所引起，主要侵犯人體的皮膚、粘膜以及周圍末梢神經，有時也侵犯人體器官，若不治療會造成知覺麻木，最後喪失肌肉控制力和手腳殘障。但是癩桿菌一遇到空氣極易死亡，到目前尚無法在實驗室培養，且95%的人都有自然的免疫力，因此並不像人們傳言的那麼恐怖。
《聖經》裡所講的大痲瘋，包括了許多種皮膚病，例如癬、癤和白斑；就如中國的傳統醫書也把癘、癩、大風、痲瘋、天刑等，都稱為癩病（即痲瘋病）。醫學上的大痲瘋雖不易傳染，但有很多種皮膚病都會傳染。古代沒有什麼公共衛生的知識，若不把會傳染的皮膚病加以隔離，那必然很難控制疾病的蔓延。因此皮膚若有異樣，隔離一段時間，加以觀察，再確定是否留在社群中或予以隔離，不但可以保護健康的百姓，也可以保護有病的患者，讓他們有足夠的時間和空間去療養和康復。神定的「七天」，正是大部份病毒或病菌發展的時間，也是看看患者是否能自己產生抵抗力而自行痊癒的一段時間。
The love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God’s love. He loves you right where you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. And so he cleanses us of filth: immorality, dishonesty, prejudice, bitterness, greed. He wants us to be just like Jesus. Isn’t that good news? You aren’t stuck with today’s personality. You are tweakable!
Where did we get the idea we cannot change? Why do we say things such as, “It’s my nature to worry,” or “I’ll always be pessimistic; I’m just that way,” or, “I have a bad temper; I can’t help the way I react.” Who says? If our bodies malfunction, we seek help. Shouldn’t we do the same for our hearts? Can’t we seek aid for our sour attitudes? Of course we can! Jesus wants to change our hearts. Can you imagine a better offer?
What if, for one day—24 hours—Jesus were to become you? Imagine. Your heart gets the day off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. His priorities govern your actions. His passions drive your decisions. His love directs your behavior.
Would people notice a change? And how would you feel? What effect would this have on your stress level? Would you still do what you had planned to do? Obligations. Appointments. Would anything change?
God’s plan for you is nothing short of a new heart. Ephesians 4:23-24 (NCV) says, “But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person. That new person is made to be like God—made to be truly good and holy.” God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.
利未記 12:6 滿了潔淨的日子，無論是為男孩是為女孩，她要把一歲的羊羔為燔祭，一隻雛鴿或是一隻斑鳩為贖罪祭，帶到會幕門口交給祭司。
當我們思考潔淨不潔淨的動物時，有的人會從實際的情況去理解神的條例。例如，有人研究分蹄的動物不潔，是因為蹄一旦分開比較容易有病毒或病菌進去動物的身體；也有人認為因為某些動物專吃死屍或腐肉，人若沒有把牠的肉煮熟，就會被那些病毒或寄生蟲所害。但是從猶太人的眼光來看，這不潔還不止是指作為食物，即使連婦人懷孕時也要避免看不潔淨的動物，免得胎兒受到影響。猶太人認為人的靈魂是潔淨的，因為是神賜下的靈，所以每個人出生時都是純潔的。
〈利未記〉12:1-8耶和華對摩西說：「你曉諭以色列人說：若有婦人懷孕生男孩，她就不潔淨七天，像在月經污穢的日子不潔淨一樣。第八天，要給嬰孩行割禮。婦人在產血不潔之中，要家居三十三天。她潔淨的日子未滿，不可摸聖物，也不可進入聖所。她若生女孩，就不潔淨兩個七天，像污穢的時候一樣。要在產血不潔之中，家居六十六天。」
但是從這段經文裡，我們看到《聖經》指出人類生命源頭的不潔。根據猶太人的說法，產婦不潔的日數是從生產時見到第一滴血，或是感到即將分娩時開始算起，直到潔淨，這稱為niddah的階段。女人產後流血需要一段時間才會潔淨，所以在這不潔淨的日子裡，她需要休息，使身體各方面都能恢復。
利未記11章44節 我是耶和華─你們的 神；所以你們要成為聖潔，因為我是聖潔的。
神的聖潔和以色列人吃東西有關係嗎？神的聖潔和基督徒的飲食有關係嗎？很想說怎麼會有關係，主耶穌不是說：「入口的不能污穢人，出口的乃能污穢人。(太15:11)」又說：「豈不知凡入口的，是運到肚子裡，又落在茅廁裡嗎？惟獨出口的，是從心裡發出來的，這才污穢人。因為從心裡發出來的，有惡念、凶殺、姦淫、苟合、偷盜、妄證、謗讟。這都是污穢人的。(太15:18-20)」
但是入口的真的不能污穢人嗎？這裡的污穢代表什麼呢？我相信舊約和新約的污穢有一字之別。主耶穌的意思是凡入口的不能污穢「別」人，出口的才會污穢「別」人；和舊約的意思是相似的，入口的會污穢「自己」。假如你吃壞了東西，就會拉肚子；假如你長期喝酒，就會傷肝；痛風、糖尿病、高血壓、膽固醇，過敏，等等，有許多病是吃出來的，不是嗎？
Paul wrote, “There was given me a thorn in my flesh, from Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).
The cancer in the body. The sorrow in the heart. The child in the rehab center. The craving for whiskey in the middle of the day. The tears in the middle of the night. The thorn in the flesh. “Take it away,” you’ve pleaded. Not once, twice, or even three times. You’ve out-prayed the Apostle Paul and you’re about to hit the wall. But what you hear Jesus say is this, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
Sustaining grace. The grace that meets us at our point of need and equips us with courage, wisdom, and strength. Sustaining grace! It doesn’t promise the absence of struggle. But it does promise the presence of God.
利未記11章44節 我是耶和華─你們的 神；所以你們要成為聖潔，因為我是聖潔的。
曾經有位做餐飲業的從業人員，為了要研究知名人物的用餐習性，特別花精神去了解個別人物的愛好。她發現當年的國務卿，猶太裔的季辛吉的習性：「不喝酒，愛喝沛綠雅﹝Perrier﹞ 礦泉水，不吃有殼的海鮮，不吃豬肉。」因而若季辛吉到她服務的餐廳，她總是特別為季辛吉準備沛綠雅礦泉水，並且避免向他介紹有殼的海鮮或豬肉方面的菜單。這就是猶太人在飲食方面的堅持，因為這是神給他們的規定。
在〈利未記〉11章裡，神教導以色列人怎樣分別潔淨和不潔淨的動物，潔淨的可以食用，不潔淨的就不可以食用。其中大部份是為了食用的安全和人體的健康。例如：死了的爬物，掉在甚麼東西上，這東西就不潔淨，無論是木器、衣服、皮子、口袋，不拘是做甚麼工用的器皿，須要放在水中，必不潔淨到晚上，到晚上才潔淨了。若有死了掉在瓦器裡的，其中不拘有甚麼，就不潔淨，你們要把這瓦器打破了。其中一切可吃的食物，沾水的就不潔淨，並且那樣器皿中一切可喝的，也必不潔淨。(利11:31-34)
Confession! It’s a word that conjures up many images—some not so positive! Confession isn’t telling God what he doesn’t know. That’s impossible. It’s not pointing fingers at others without pointing any at me. That may feel good, but it doesn’t promote healing.
Confession is a radical reliance on grace—a trust in God’s goodness. The truth is, confessors find a freedom that deniers don’t! Scripture says “If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done” (1 John 1:8-9 NCV).
Tell God what you did. Again, it’s not that he doesn’t already know, but the two of you need to agree! Then let the pure water of grace flow over your mistakes!
We can’t live with foreign objects buried in our bodies, or our souls. What would an X-ray of your interior reveal? Remorse over a poor choice? Shame about the marriage that didn’t work, the temptation you couldn’t resist? Guilt lies hidden beneath the surface. Festering, irritating, sometimes so deeply embedded you don’t even know the cause of your pain.
And you can be touchy, you know. Understandable, since you have a shank of shame lodged in your soul. Would you like an extraction? Here’s what you do: confess. Ask God to help you. Psalm 139:23-24 is a model prayer. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Confession. You see, confessors find a freedom that deniers do not. If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins! He will cleanse us. Not might, could, would, or should. He will.
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