Today we return to the Wilderness of Sinai, where Moses and Aaron are receiving additional instructions regarding life for the Israelites.

If you can, imagine these commands as a series of concentric circles. In the very center is that which is holy – set apart, devoted to God. In the next ring is that which is “clean.” Not holy, but not unclean. Outside of this is that which is unclean, profane. Cleansing something or someone makes them clean. Sanctifying them makes them holy.

This is physically represented by the way the Israelites set up camp. The Tabernacle, where God’s presence rests and where worship is performed, sits in the middle. The Israelites then pitch their vast tent city in a circle around the tabernacle. All that is unclean, including human waste, garbage, and all that is labeled “profane,” goes outside the camp.

As we read the commands concerning whether animals are suitable for food, and we’ll read today regarding the treatment of leprosy, every aspect of life was designated into one of these categories: holy, clean, or unclean.

Keep all this in mind as we dive into the treatment of ailments of the skin and clothing in chapter 13. The word “leprosy” here is used to cover a generic array of skin ailments – ranging from disease to injury – which is why they’re all treated differently. The same is true of the various “leprosies” that could infect fabrics.

One thing to watch for is that it may not be the disease itself that causes someone to be “unclean.” Pay attention to how someone is treated if they have leprosy over their entire body. This is another indicator that these laws have more to do with “set-apartness” than with public health.

At the end of chapter 14, the LORD gives instructions on how to purify an unclean house. As with skin diseases, “leprosy” of a house included an array of mildews and fungi that could infect them. However, pay attention to this embedded promise: you won’t be living in tents forever; someday you will have houses to clean!

Our verse for this week is Romans 5:6: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Leviticus chapters 13 and 14. Now let’s read it!