Yesterday we discovered that the leper spent seven days cleaning his body (repenting). Today we find him ready for the special service that brings him salvation. He had looked forward to the eighth day because it was the new beginning he needed for a Godly life. This special ceremony represented the forgiveness of his old life and his eagerness for a new life. In Leviticus we read this passage:
And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of find flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: (Lev 14:10)
This describes the beginning of the ritual that took an impure man (the leper) and remade him into a person with restored rights to enter the presence of God. Jesus is our door today and there is no way to God but for us to come through Him who is our tabernacle. The leper was so happy to be restored to fellowship with God that he must have wept with joy. Have you ever watched a person who has been living in sin react to their new birth into Christ? They love everybody and everything.
On this eighth day, the day of his new beginning, the healed and scrubbed leper was to bring everything to the priest that was needed for the formal procedure. Here is the complete list; 2 male lambs, 1 female lamb, 1 pint of oil, 1 gal of flour mixed with oil, and a quart of wine. Everything was to be clean and perfect. This list was to make the finest collection of food the leper could gather together. I am sure that all the members of his family would have given him the best they owned and the ex-leper must have brushed the "three little lambs" to make them look their best. We know that God gave his best when he sent the sacrifice for our cleansing.
The first part of the ceremony was called the Wave offering. This was to celebrate in joy and thanksgiving what had happened to the leper. And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass (guilt) offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a waver offering before the LORD: (Lev 14:12) The priest took one living male lamb, the pint of oil and presented them to God by waving his arms with joy. This was done as the grateful man showed appreciation for his restoration to the community and his family. As he worked to build a new relationship with God the leper needed to follow all the instructions with a joyful heart which made his work light. To fail any part of the ceremony would invalidate his restoration of body and soul but the Wave offering was enjoyable because is had no killing involved and the altar was not used. Like the leper we need a time of joy and thanksgiving to God for his goodness and peace toward mankind. It is wonderful to worship with people who feel the excitement of leaving behind the dreadful life of a leper. today we don't sacrifice these items when we seek God but it is always difficult for people to leave the things of this world which are considered normal in this life. Serving God is not a matter of the difficulty involved but where we place our interest.
The Thanksgiving (wave) offering was actually the first part of a blood offering called the Trespass Offering. As the ceremony continued the priest would take the young male lamb used in the Wave Offering to a special place of slaughter. As the lamb was killed some of his blood was collected in a bowl. And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place. (Lev 14:13) This place had been equipped for the killing of all three lambs. It might seem odd to call this place Holy but because of God's nature every place used in the ceremony had to be sanctified (set apart to God). All the places, things and even the priest had to be consecrated for a ceremony with God.
Today we should understand that God has asked us to be sanctified and consecrated for his work and this is the reason we must live a holy life. Church people who live like the world have no idea what a mistake they are making. Look what 1 John 3:10 says: In this children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God. There are church people who excuse themselves by saying they will simply use the righteousness of Jesus because it is better than any of their own. They are correct about Jesus but where do they get the idea that Jesus died so that they would not need to live a Godly life? All through the Bible God requires His people to live righteously. John said that if a person does not live a righteous life then they are not of God, which means that holiness is not optional.
Righteousness is the demand that a person treat others with fair or correct actions and this behavior will leave a person free from guilt or wrong. God is the ultimate judge of our actions and we must have his approval to see heaven. There is no one on earth who can perfectly meet the standards of right doing that the creator has set. This is the reason the Spirit of Jesus must live in us and bring righteousness into our lives. The fact that we will never be perfect is no excuse for not doing our best. Jesus said, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:20)
People need to know that this is the truth but that it is only possible when the Spirit of Jesus lives in us. The Spirit will show us how to live a life that is even better than following the law properly. Our Savior did everything correctly in both life and death and he earned the right to present us before the Almighty God. When singing to God, the Psalmist said "Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness" and we should love this fact. Let us dedicate ourselves to being honorable and upright people while loving others so God will call us his children and we can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
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