Leprosy from head to foot

Leprosy, a word that the bible uses to refer to various infections of the skin, posed a major concern amongst the ancient Israelites. Chapter 13 of Leviticus provides methods to diagnose and treat leprosy.

But verses 12 and 13 (KJV) present something strange:

If a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin ... from his head even to his foot ... and ... if the leprosy have covered all his flesh ... he is clean.

What? This sounds like the most severe form of leprosy, one that covers the entire body. Yet a person in that state should be deemed "clean"? Many bible commentators have puzzled over this seemingly contradictory pronouncement. But it's important to realize that, in the bible, "leprosy" also sometimes represents the state of "sinfulness."

So the passage -- which is every bit as directed to us as it was to the ancient Israelites -- seems to be stating that once we recognize out complete and total state of sinfulness, then (and only then) are we ready to receive God's grace. If we perceive any part of ourselves -- even one square inch of ourselves -- to be righteous, then we haven't really reached that state of spiritual humility required by God.

This is very difficult for us! We tend to take pride in certain things. We tend to celebrate our "goodness." Like the Pharisee in chapter 18 of Luke (KJV), we tend to say "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men." But we must eliminate those impulses and see ourselves for what we really are: totally leperous. 

Fasting

Various forms of fasting have become fashionable for health-related reasons. I cannot comment on those medical implications, nor do I offer specific advice on how to fast.

But the bible clearly places a special emphasis on fasting for spiritual purposes. In Matthew 17:20 (KJV), Jesus speaks of the power of faith,

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

But he adds a rejoinder in the following verse (Matthew, 17:21, KJV),

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

The practice of fasting often gains renewed attention during Lent. And I must confess that I do not understand the full implications of fasting. But if Jesus attests to its importance, then it's something we can't ignore.

Of course, hunger is a very base, lower-level urge, and one that is intricately linked to our very survival. So perhaps the process of confronting that sensation, even for a short period of time, forces us to refocus on spiritual concerns.

Whatever the importance and consequences of fasting might be, the bible does not appear to prescribe a "correct" way in which to go about it, suggesting that the specific parameters are probably up to us. Perhaps a small-scale fast can enhance our prayer lives. 

Noah was a just man

Genesis 6:9 (KJV) says,

Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

But then Genesis 9:21 (KJV) recounts an unsavory affair,

[Noah] planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

It's by no means the worst offense recorded in the bible, but it does run counter to the idea that "Noah was a just man." How do we reconcile those seemingly conflicting verses?

Well, Noah had already gained God's favor not by his perfect behavior, but rather by his faith. Genesis 8:20-21 (KJV) says,

And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled a sweet savour.

The phrase "smelled a sweet savour" implies that God approved of Noah's offering. And Noah offered those sacrifices as a faithful show of gratitude toward God.

The same applies to us. We are "just" before God not because we're good, but rather because God has declared us just. Thankfully, we no longer have to offer animal sacrifices to show our gratitude for that. Jesus took care of that once and for all. Instead, as we are instructed in 1 Samuel 15:22 (KJV),

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

The writing on the wall

The "writing on the wall" account in Daniel 5 is endlessly fascinating. It's worth reading the whole thing.

As a brief summary, the Babylonian kind Belshazzar was throwing quite the rowdy party, when he decided up crank things up a notch by using drinking vessels that were stolen out of the Jerusalem temple.

God, angered by that show of disrespect, issued the ominous "writing on the wall." Belshazzar summoned Daniel to interpret the writing.

That account is famous. But in this post, I'd like to draw attention to one detail. As part of Daniel's rebuke, he notes that Belshazzar's father, Nebuchadnezzar, also had angered God. The difference, though, was that Nebuchadnezzar had humbled himself and repented, and God then forgave him. Belshazzar, by contrast, had never shown such humility and repentance.

Then comes this chilling line (Daniel 5:22, KJV),

And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.

Yikes! It's the "though thou knewest all this" part that should scare us. Because we also know the story of Nebuchadnezzar! In fact, we know a lot more than that. We have the entire bible, including the gospel accounts! We're no better than Belshazzar. In fact, we're worse! We have access to much more spiritual information and insight than he did.

We have no excuse. Let us not delay. Let us "humble thine heart" before God.

Make confession unto the Lord God

Chapter 10 of Ezra finds the post-exilic Hebrews entering into marriages that have been expressly forbidden by God. Verse 11 (KJV) records Ezra's advice on how the people should correct that situation. That verse reads,

Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

Although that verse applies to that particular point in Jewish history, the message is general enough to apply to any sins in our own lives. Just substitute the phrase "strange wives" for whatever transgression we have committed.

That is, when we sin, we should (1) make confession to God, (2) adjust our behavior so that we "do his pleasure," and (3) separate ourselves from the source of our sinful activity.

Thou art careful and troubled about many things

In Luke 10:41 (KJV), Jesus tells Martha,

Thou art careful and troubled about many things.

(The word "careful" appears as "worried" in other translations.) Jesus essentially is saying that Martha is being distracted by earthly things. We all fall into that trap, every day! But 1 John 2:17 (KJV) says,

The world passeth away, and the lust thereof.

Those words are important to reflect upon as we become "careful and troubled" by worldly things. It's not that we should completely ignore earthly things. That's not possible. Rather, we should prioritize heavenly things. As Jesus stressed (John 16:33, KJV),

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The Lord in the midst of thee

Zephaniah (3:17, KJV) is a famous verse, and one worth memorizing.

The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

This short verse promises that God is near to us, but it goes beyond that. The verse also highlights that God takes great joy in us, and that is something that's easy to lose sight of.

Let us take comfort not only in God's nearness, but also in his declaration that he delights in our very existence.