Leviticus 14:10-13 (ESV)
Sacrifice for Infectious Disease
“And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish, and a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, and one log of oil. And the priest who cleanses him shall set the man who is to be cleansed and these things before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And the priest shall take one of the male lambs and offer it for a guilt offering, along with the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. And he shall kill the lamb in the place where they kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sanctuary. For the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy.
In this section of Leviticus we read the laws about someone who has contracted an infectious disease. The translators use the word leprosy to convey this disease. Most commentators and historians do not believe this is leprosy as we have today but a form of skin infection that could spread through the camp of the Israelites. When reading these sections of the Bible we might be lost as to “how does this apply to me, today.” If we get a skin infection we run to the local pharmacy and buy some ointment. Or, we go to the med center. Or, we make an appointment with a dermatologist. Or, in a worse case scenario we go to the emergency department of the local hospital. None of this existed in Israel’s word, living in the wilderness. We are not given much, if any, insight into the medical field in Israel’s history. We are told in these passages in Leviticus that the priest not only cared for the worship of the people, but also acted as the health inspector. As we read all the steps to move from inspection of a person’s skin infection to diagnosis to healing to restoration to the community, it is the priest of God who does all this work. This implies that God gave to the priest (through these documents) insight and wisdom to discern what needed to be done. This would amount to a large portion of the priest time and energy. Remember that there were probably more than a million people living in tents in a large area. The walking from one spot to another to inspect would be daunting. Perhaps this is one reason that in the restoration to the community aspect of these instructions we read the individual would have to provide a guilt offering. It may not indicate that they were guilty of anything causing the infection, but that the offering was for the priest, it was holy. These offerings was the way that God provided for the Levitical priesthood. They had not portion with other inheritance. They were to live for and by the offerings brought. God needed someone to care for the health of the community and He also needed to care for the needs of the priest in that care. So, the offerings were the way for the individual to demonstrate their willingness to follow God’s instruction and show that healing was complete and that the priest would be rewarded for the large amount of work done in these instances. The entire cycle of events come to a lose with all the people of the community being brought together and provided for based upon God’s cooperate love.
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