Ⅰ
Leprosy signifies the serious sin issuing from within man, such as willful sin, presumptuous sin, and opposing God with determination (Lev. 13):
Ａ
As seen in the cases of Miriam (Num. 12:1-10), Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27), and Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:16-21), leprosy issues from rebellion against God's authority, against God's deputy authority, against God's regulation, and against God's economy.
Ｂ
In the biblical sense, sin is rebellion; thus, leprosy signifies sin (1 John 3:4).
Ｃ
The first case of sin in the Bible was Satan's rebellion against God; hence, sin as rebellion was invented, inaugurated, by the rebellious archangel Lucifer (Ezek. 28:13-18; Isa. 14:12-15).
Ｄ
Eventually, this sin, this leprosy, entered into mankind through Adam, and having entered into man, it issues from within man as many kinds of sins, that is, many manifestations of rebellion (Rom. 5:12, 19a; 7:20).
Ｅ
Hence, a leper represents the fallen descendants of Adam, all of whom are lepers; as signs of leprosy, a swelling, eruption, or a bright spot on the skin of one's flesh signifies man's outward expressions in unruliness, in friction with others, and in pride and self-exaltation (Lev. 13:2).
Ｆ
The condition in Leviticus 13:24-25 signifies that a saved person's acting by the flesh, that is, his losing his temper, his justifying himself, and his not being willing to forgive others, is a sign of spiritual leprosy.
Morning Nourishment
Lev. 13:2-3 When a man has a swelling or an eruption or a bright spot on the skin of his body, and it becomes an infection of leprosy,...then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests....If the hair in the infection has turned white and the appearance of the infection is deeper than the skin of his body, it is the infection of leprosy. When the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean.It is difficult to analyze leprosy. We may say that leprosy originates from outside a person, that it is caused by the entering into a person of the germs of leprosy. We may also say that leprosy comes from within, since a person cannot develop leprosy unless the element of leprosy enters into his being to give rise to this disease. Leprosy, therefore, comprises both an outside factor and an inward effect. The cause is from the outside, but the effect is inward.
Leprosy (Lev. 13:2b) signifies the serious sin issuing from within man, such as willful sin, presumptuous sin, and opposing God with determination. (Life-study of Leviticus, pp. 339-340)
Today's Reading
Leprosy always comes from rebellion. Miriam rebelled against Moses, who was God's deputy authority. Her rebellion had a cause, and the cause was Moses' marrying a Cushite woman (Num. 12:1). As the result of her rebellion, Miriam became leprous (v. 10).In 2 Kings 5:20-27 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, rebelled against Elisha's practices. Elisha would not receive anything as a reward from Naaman, a Gentile who was healed of leprosy. After Gehazi received gifts from the cleansed leper, Naaman's leprosy was transferred to him.
King Uzziah rebelled against God's regulation concerning the priesthood. According to this regulation, the king could not participate in the priesthood. But
Uzziah rebelled against this regulation, and as a result of his rebellion he became leprous [2 Chron. 26:16-21]. In each of these three cases, the leprosy first entered into the rebellious one and then issued from within that one.
According to the Old Testament, leprosy is the outcome of a certain cause, and that cause is rebellion against God's authority, against God's deputy authority, against God's regulation, and against God's economy. We all must admit that we have rebelled against God's authority,...against God's regulation, [and] against God's entire economy....In God's eyes we all became leprous.
Leprosy is sin....The first case of sin was Satan's rebellion....Before Satan's rebellion there was not such a thing as sin. Sin was invented, not created, by the rebellious archangel Lucifer.
Sin, therefore, is rebellion against God, against God's representative, or deputy authority, and against God's plan, arrangement, government, and administration. As a whole, sin is rebellion against God's economy. This rebellion was invented, inaugurated, by Satan himself. Eventually, sin came into mankind....Having entered into man [Rom. 5:12a], this sin, this leprosy, now issues from within man. As a result, we are leprous. Whenever we do something against God, that thing is leprous.
When the Lord Jesus came down from the mountain where He decreed the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens, the first thing He did was cleanse a leper (Matt. 8:1-4). This leper represents the fallen descendants of Adam, all of whom are lepers. The sin that was invented by Satan entered into mankind through Adam and made us all lepers. Leprosy now issues in many different kinds of sins, that is, in many expressions, manifestations, of rebellion. (Life-study of Leviticus, pp. 340-342)
As signs of leprosy, a swelling, eruption, or a bright spot on the skin of one's flesh signifies man's outward expressions in unruliness, in friction with others, and in pride and self-exaltation. (Lev. 13:2, footnote 1)
The condition in Leviticus 13:24-25 signifies that a saved person's acting by the flesh, for example, his losing his temper, his justifying himself, and his not being willing to forgive others, is a sign of spiritual leprosy. (Lev. 13:24, footnote 1)
Further Reading: Life-study of Leviticus, msg. 39