Leviticus 15:1-15 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Leviticus 15:1-15. With a humble heart, see what sticks out to you in this passage. Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage? After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
Leviticus 15:1-15 (NIV)
1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any man has a bodily discharge, the discharge is unclean.
3 Whether it continues flowing from his body or is blocked, it will make him unclean. This is how his discharge will bring about uncleanness:
4 “‘Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean, and anything he sits on will be unclean.
5 Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.
6 Whoever sits on anything that the man with a discharge sat on must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.
7 “‘Whoever touches the man who has a discharge must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.
8 “‘If the man with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, that person must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.
9 “‘Everything the man sits on when riding will be unclean,
10 and whoever touches any of the things that were under him will be unclean till evening; whoever picks up those things must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.
11 “‘Anyone the man with a discharge touches without rinsing his hands with water must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.
12 “‘A clay pot that the man touches must be broken, and any wooden article is to be rinsed with water.
13 “‘When a man is cleansed from his discharge, he is to count off seven days for his ceremonial cleansing; he must wash his clothes and bathe himself with fresh water, and he will be clean.
14 On the eighth day he must take two doves or two young pigeons and come before the LORD to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest.
15 The priest is to sacrifice them, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. In this way he will make atonement before the LORD for the man because of his discharge.
On verses 1-15: What discharge is Leviticus 15:1-15 talking about? It is widely believed that the discharge is probably gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease. Alternatively, some scholars speculate that the discharge may have been urinary bilharzia (also known as snail fever or schistosomiasis), a known infectious disease of the ancient world caused by a parasite that would sometimes live in water systems.
The fact that God’s Word would touch on such an issue shows that God is concerned about the private areas of our lives, those parts of our lives which no one else would know about unless we told them. When we experience hurt or discomfort in a secret area of our lives, God does not turn a blind eye; rather, His heart is for you to experience healing, cleansing, and restoration.
Speaking of cleansing, it was not until the 1800s with the revolutionary work of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis that Western medicine realized the importance of washing with water when treating patients. Yet notice how much these verses emphasize washing with water. (The idea of washing or bathing with water comes up no less than 9 times in these verses.) In this respect the Bible was thousands of years ahead of the general medical understanding of the time, since other ancient Near East cultures would often attribute such issues to demonic possession and prescribe exorcism as the cure. This is just one more example of how God’s Word is ahead of its time.
Finally, praise God that He is concerned not only with our physical health and cleanliness, but even more with our spiritual health and cleanliness. Jesus is described as the one who washes his bride, the church, “cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” so that he can “present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:26-27). God’s Word has a cleansing effect on our lives. Like Jesus says, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). That’s why it’s essential for us to be reading the Bible every day, allowing the Word of God to cleanse us and refresh us.
Do you feel dirty because of sinful thoughts, attitudes or actions? Praise God for His cleansing word! Just as we ought to take showers regularly, let’s allow the word of God to cleanse us, wash us and refresh us every day, even in the most private areas of our lives.
Thank You Heavenly Father for being concerned about the private areas of our lives. Thank You for water that we can use to drink and wash ourselves, as well as the water of Your Word which cleanses us from the inside out. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
copyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
