Purification is the law’s way of restoring the unclean to the camp and the worship.
He shall be clean.
Childbirth, skin disease, a discharge, and contact with the dead make a person unclean for a time. Purification uses water, waiting, and often a sacrifice. The leper who is healed is examined by the priest, sprinkled, washed, and brought back with offerings. The red heifer’s ashes are kept for the water of impurity. Jesus touches lepers and they are clean. Hebrews says the blood of goats sanctified for the purification of the flesh, but the blood of Christ purifies the conscience. The church is not under the waiting periods. It is washed.
- Unclean is not always moral guilt. It is exclusion until the rite is done.
- The priest declares clean. He does not invent the rules.
- The conscience needs a better purification than ashes.
He shall be clean.
Ashes of a heifer for the flesh.
The blood of Christ purifies the conscience.
- Purification restores the unclean to camp and worship.
- Water, time, and sacrifice are the ordinary means.
- The healed leper is examined and brought back with offerings.
- The red heifer provides water for impurity.
- Jesus cleanses by a word and a touch.
- His blood purifies the conscience, not only the flesh.
- The State – Unclean for a time.
- The Water – Washing, sprinkling.
- The Priest – Declares clean.
- The Heifer – Ashes for impurity.
- The Touch – Jesus and the leper.
- The Conscience – Purified by His blood.
- Leviticus 14:1-7 – The law of the leprous person in the day of his cleansing. The priest goes out and examines him.
- Numbers 19:9 – The ashes of the heifer kept for the water for impurity.
- Matthew 8:3 – “And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
- Hebrews 9:13-14 – “How much more will the blood of Christ… purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
The priest shall pronounce him clean.
I will; be clean.
The blood of Christ purifies our conscience.
The rites restored the body to the camp. His blood cleanses the conscience for service.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.