Spiritual Mathematics
Spiritual Mathematic
Moses had been a gallant leader of a rebellious people for forty years. They had been wandering around in a desolate wilderness while God was trying to teach them His ways. Now it was time for them to enter the Promised Land. Moses deeply loved them even though they have given him many trials. He would soon be taken from them so he wanted to remind them of some important points and admonish them to be faithful.
We have all had this experience in one way or another. Your son or daughter is leaving home for the new adventure called college. You desire very much that they prosper in this new environment. You want to them to be happy and healthy, making wise decisions when you aren’t around to guide them. They have given you many trials but you love them and long for them to prosper. You stand at the door saying good bye along with some last-minute advice.
What council did Moses give to the children of Israel?
Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. Deuteronomy 12:8
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Deuteronomy 4:2
Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them (heathen), after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. Deuteronomy 12:30-32
Do what God commands. Don’t add to it or subtract from it. Don’t be a spiritual mathematician.
Does this Old Testament principle apply to the Christian era as well?
Did Jesus come to change the laws of the Old Testament? What does He Himself say?
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5:17, 18
Jesus follows this statement with references to two of the Ten Commandments and to several other laws that God gave through Moses. How many laws were eliminated at the cross? What did Jesus say? Not one jot or tittle, not even a slight punctuation mark in the language. Heaven and earth have not passed away yet. So are we still to obey all the laws given in the Old Testament? Absolutely! The only thing that changed at the cross was the remedy for breaking the law, not the law itself. Jesus became the lamb sacrifice, the legal substitute to die for our sins.
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. Proverbs 30:5, 6
We are told not to add to or take away from what God said. Don’t be a spiritual mathematician. If God says something, He means it. If He wants something changed, He will tell us about it. This He did in Daniel 9.
And he (the Messiah) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:27
Here we are told that Jesus, the Messiah, would cause sacrifice and oblation (burnt offerings) to cease.
The book of Hebrews explains more of what was changed at the cross. It speaks of Jesus being a better sacrifice than the animals burned on the Altar; a better priest than Aaron and his descendants; serving in a more perfect sanctuary than any on earth, even the magnificent one that Solomon built; introducing better promises of a heavenly inheritance rather than some earthly real estate. These are the things that were changed. Circumcision was replaced by baptism according to Colossians 2:11, 12. These all had to do with the remedy for breaking the law, not the moral law itself.
But modern day Christians have not only taken away what Jesus said He did not come to change, but they have also added many things that God did not command. Subtracting and adding—spiritual mathematics—can be dangerous business. The Christian world has rejected most of the Torah that God gave through Moses and added many of their own traditions. They say that all that is required of a Christian is obedience to the Ten Commandments. There are some who don’t even think they must do that. Their beliefs give the impression that it doesn’t matter whether one goes about killing, stealing, or worshiping idols. All that matters is that a person has the blood of Jesus covering them. But that blood is not a camouflage to cover evil. Rather, it is a body wash to cleanse the inward man from sin and the love of iniquity. Many religions have subtracted from God’s Holy Laws and added their own traditions and fables.
If we want to know what has been taken out in contradiction to Jesus’ words, just read the Torah; it’s right there for any to read who want to know what God requires of them. It includes laws about relationships, laws about employers and employees, about land management, the tithing system, laws against homosexuality and bestiality, health laws, dress code, education of our children, God’s festivals and much more! Are you taking God’s Word as He gave it or are you guilty of subtraction from His stated requirements? Beware! There are serious consequences for those who manipulate His Word by adding and subtracting!
What has been added? Many things were changed by the Roman Catholic church that are still retained in Christianity. Though we may not be part of that church, remnants of the changes that she made have filtered down to us thorough tradition. Here is a quote from a Catholic Cardinal that explains what was added by Catholicism.
The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holydays and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison, are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church. [John Henry Neuman. Development of Christian Doctrine. London, 1878] (emphasis added)
All these are of pagan origin. Let’s look a little closer at some of these items and see what is really meant by them.
Lamps, Candles, Processions:
Another peculiarity of the Papal worship is the use of lamps and wax-candles. If the Madonna and child are set up in a niche, they must have a lamp to burn before them; if mass is to be celebrated, though in broad procession is to be formed, it cannot be thorough and complete without lighted tapers to grace the goodly show. The use of these lamps and tapers comes from the same source as all the rest of the Papal superstition. That which caused the “Heart,” when it became an emblem of the incarnate Son, to be represented as a heart on fire, required also that burning lamps and lighted candles should form part of the worship of that Son; for so, according to the established rites of Zoroaster, was the sun-god worshipped. [Alexander Hislop. The Two Babylons. p. 191] (emphasis added)
Temples and Asylums:
How did the bishops, who were originally appointed for purely spiritual objects, contrive to grasp at such a large amount of temporal authority? From Gibbon we get light as to the real origin of what Guizot calls this “prodigious power.” The author of the Decline and Fall shows, that soon after Constantine’s time, “the Church” [and consequently the bishops, especially when they assumed to be a separate order from the other clergy] gained great temporal power through the right of asylum, which had belonged to the Pagan temples, being transferred by the Emperors to the Christian churches. His words are: “The fugitive, and even the guilty, were permitted to implore either the justice or mercy of the Deity and His ministers.” Thus was the foundation laid of the invasion of the rights of the civil magistrate by ecclesiastics, and thus were they encouraged to grasp at all the powers of the State. Thus, also, as is justly observed by the authoress of Rome in the 19th Century, speaking of the right of asylum, were “the altars perverted into protection towards the very crimes they were raised to banish from the world.” This is a very striking thing, as showing how the temporal power of the Papacy, in its very first beginnings, was founded on “lawlessness,” and is an additional proof to the many that might be alleged, that the Head of the Roman system, to whom all bishops are subject, is indeed o anomos, “The Lawless One” (2 Thess. ii. 8), predicted in Scripture as the recognised Head of the “Mystery of Iniquity.” [Ibid., p. 260] (emphasis added)
Holy Water:
We have evidence that the purifying virtue of the waters, which in Pagan esteem had such efficacy in cleansing from guilt and regenerating the soul, was derived in part from the passing of the Mediatorial god, the sun-god and god of fire, through these waters during his humiliation and sojourn in the midst of them; and that the Papacy at this day retains the very custom which had sprung up from that persuasion. [Ibid., p. 142] (emphasis added)
Wedding Ring:
The wedding ring comes from paganism. It cannot be found in the Old or New Testaments. There was no practice among early Christians to wear finger rings as a sign of marriage or an engagement. Pope Gregory 1, in 860 AD decreed that as a required statement of nuptial intent, the groom to be had to give his intended an engagement ring. He further decreed the ring be of gold to signify financial sacrifice. The first diamond engagement ring is the one given by King Maximillian in 1477 to Mary of Burgundy. Wedding rings can be traced to idols and heathen religions. It is not just the image of the idol we are commanded not to possess, but rather any part of the idol itself. Thus, to make ones self after the image of the idol is to practice idolatry. All images of false gods and goddesses show the use of earrings, finger rings, bracelets, nose rings, and other jewelry. Where do we find this same practice associated with the God of the Bible? Did Jesus wear jewelry? Did the Apostles and early Christians? The answer is no!
The wedding ring originated in Babylon, the cradle of civilization. The most ancient ring discovered there is in the shape of the eternal serpent. The image of the serpent biting its tail to form the circle of the ring is an ancient satanic symbol. The same symbol is used by the Theosophy Cult. Satan as the serpent, that great dragon of Revelation 12, has by this symbol joined a man and a woman under his cult. [http://www.jesus-messiah.com/html/wedding_rings.html] (emphasis added)
Turning to the East:
…when the Inca, and his court, followed by the whole population of Cuzco, assembled at early dawn in the great square to greet the rising of the sun. “Eagerly,” says Prescott, “they watched the coming of the deity, and no sooner did his first yellow rays strike the turrets and loftiest buildings of the capital, than a shout of gratulation broke forth from the assembled multitude, accompanied by songs of triumph, and the wild melody of barbaric instruments, that swelled louder and louder as his bright orb, rising above the mountain range towards the east, shone in full splendour on his votaries.” Could this alternate mourning and rejoicing, at the very time when the Babylonians mourned and rejoiced over Tammuz, be accidental? As Tammuz was the Sun-divinity incarnate, it is easy to see how such mourning and rejoicing should be connected with the worship of the sun. [The Two Babylons, p. 117] (emphasis added)
Benjamin of Tudela, the great Jewish traveller, gives a striking account of sun-worship even in comparatively modern times, as subsisting among the Cushites of the East, from which we find that the image of the sun was, even in his day, worshipped on the altar. “There is a temple,” says he, “of the posterity of Chus, addicted to the contemplation of the stars. They worship the sun as a god, and the whole country, for half-a-mile round their town, is filled with great altars dedicated to him. By the dawn of morn they get up and run out of town, to wait the rising sun, to whom, on every altar, there is a consecrated image, not in the likeness of a man, but of the solar orb, framed by magic art. [Ibid., p. 162] (emphasis added)
Where do Easter sunrise services come from? Paganism. The worship of the sun.
Holy Days and Seasons:
Ques. What are the days which the church commands to be kept holy?
Ans. The Sunday, or our Lord’s day, which we observe by apostolic tradition, instead of the Sabbath. The feasts of our Lord’s Nativity, or Christmas day; his circumcision, or New Year’s day; the Epiphany, or twelfth day; Easterday, or the day of our Lord’s resurrection, with the Monday following; the day of our Lord’s ascension; Whit-Sunday, or the day of the coming of the Holy Ghost, with the Monday following; Trinity Sunday; Corpus Christi, or the feasts of the blessed sacrament. We keep the days of the Annunciation, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We observe the feasts of All-saints; of St. John Baptist; of the holy apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul. In this kingdom we keep the feasts of St. Patrick, our principal patron.” [Richard Challoner, The Catholic Christian Instructed, p. 209]
Notice whose authority is accepted when we keep these pagan holidays as “Christian.” Roman Catholic Church authority. Please note that this is in contrast to God’s authority and His holy days—the Biblical feasts. Let’s look at the papal and pagan origin of some of these “holy days”.
A New Calendar and Easter Observances:
About the end of the sixth century, the first decisive attempt was made to enforce the observance of the new calendar. It was in Britain that the first attempt was made in this way; and here the attempt met with vigorous resistance. The difference, in point of time, betwixt the Christian Pasch, as observed in Britain by the native Christians, and the Pagan Easter enforced by Rome, at the time of its enforcement, was a whole month; and it was only by violence and bloodshed, at last, that the Festival of the Anglo-Saxon or Chaldean goddess came to supersede that which had been held in honour of Christ. [The Two Babylons, p. 103] (emphasis added)
Such is the history of Easter. The popular observances that still attend the period of its celebration amply confirm the testimony of history as to its Babylonian character. The hot cross buns of Good Friday, and the dyed eggs of Pasch or Easter Sunday, figured in the Chaldean rites just as they do now. The “buns,” known too by that identical name, were used in the worship of the queen of heaven, the goddess Easter, as early as the days of Cecrops, the founder of Athens — that is, 1500 years before the Christian era… The origin of the Pasch eggs is just as clear. The ancient Druids bore an egg, as the sacred emblem of their order. In this Dionysiaca, or mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, one part of the nocturnal ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg…The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians; [Ibid., p. 107] (emphasis added)
Christmas:
The festivals of Rome are innumerable; but five of the most important may be singled out for elucidation – viz., Christmas-day, Lady-day, Easter, the Nativity of St. John, and the Feast of the Assumption. Each and all of these can be proved to be Babylonian. [Ibid., p. 91] (emphasis added)
How, then, did the Romish Church fix on December the 25th as Christmas-day? Why, thus: Long before the fourth century, and long before the Christian era itself, a festival was celebrated among the heathen, at that precise time of the year, in honour of the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven; and it may fairly be presumed that, in order to conciliate the heathen, and to swell the number of the nominal adherents of Christianity, the same festival was adopted by the Roman Church, giving it only the name of Christ. This tendency on the part of Christians to meet Paganism half-way was very early developed; and we find Tertullian, even in his day, about the year 230, bitterly lamenting the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect, and contrasting it with the strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own superstition. “By us,” says he, “who are strangers to Sabbaths, and new moons, and festivals, once acceptable to God, the Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the Brumalia, and Matronalia, are now frequented; gifts are carried to and fro, new year’s day presents are made with din, and sports and banquets are celebrated with uproar; oh, how much more faithful are the heathen to their religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians.” . . . That Christmas was originally a Pagan festival, is beyond all doubt. The time of the year, and the ceremonies with which it is still celebrated, prove its origin. In Egypt, the son of Isis, the Egyptian title for the queen of heaven, was born at this very time, “about the time of the winter solstice.” The very name by which Christmas is popularly known among ourselves — Yule-day — proves at once its Pagan and Babylonian origin. “Yule” is the Chaldee name for an “infant” or “little child,” and as the 25th of December was called by our Pagan Anglo-Saxon ancestors, “Yule-day,” or the “Child’s day,” and the night that preceded it, “Mother-night,” long before they came in contact with Christianity, that sufficiently proves its real character. far and wide, in the realms of Paganism, was this birth-day observed. [Ibid., p. 93] (emphasis added)
The Christmas Tree:
It was no mere astronomic festival, then, that the Pagans celebrated at the winter solstice (Christmas). That festival at Rome was called the feast of Saturn, and the mode in which it was celebrated there, showed whence it had been derived. The feast, as regulated by Caligula, lasted five days; loose reins were given to drunkenness and revelry, slaves had a temporary emancipation, and used all manner of freedoms with their masters. This was precisely the way in which, according to Berosus, the drunken festival of the month Thebeth, answering to our December, in other words, the festival of Bacchus, was celebrated in Babylon… The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm-tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm-tree denoting the Pagan Messiah, as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith. The mother of Adonis, the Sun-God and great mediatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a tree, and when in that state to have brought forth her divine son. If the mother was a tree, the son must have been recognised as the “Man the branch.” And this entirely accounts for the putting of the Yule Log into the fire on Christmas-eve, and the appearance of the Christmas-tree the next morning. As Zero-Ashta, “The seed of the woman,” which name also signified Ignigena, or “born of the fire,” he has to enter the fire on “Mothernight,’ that he may be born the next day out of it, as the “Branch of God,” or the Tree that brings all divine gifts to men. But why, it may be asked, does he enter the fire under the symbol of a Log? To understand this, it must be remembered that the divine child born at the winter solstice was born as a new incarnation of the great god (after that god had been cut in pieces), on purpose to revenge his death upon his murderers. Now the great god, cut off in the midst of his power and glory, was symbolised as a huge tree, stripped of all its branches, and cut-down almost to the ground. But the great serpent, the symbol of the life restoring AESCULAPIUS, twists itself around the dead stock and lo, at its side up sprouts a young tree — a tree of an entirely different kind, that is destined never to be cut down by hostile power — even the palm-tree, the well-known symbol of victory. The Christmas-tree, as has been stated, was generally at Rome a different tree, even the fir; but the very same idea as was implied in the palm-tree was implied in the Christmas-fir; for that covertly symbolised the new-born god as Baal-berith, “Lord of the Covenant,” and thus shadowed forth the perpetuity and everlasting nature of his power, now that after having fallen before his enemies, he had risen triumphant over them all. Therefore, the 25th of December, the day that was observed at Rome as the day when the victorious god reappeared on earth, was held at the Natalis invicti solis, “The birth-day of the unconquered Sun.” Now the Yule Log is the dead stock of Nimrod, deified as the sun-god, but cut down by his enemies; the Christmas-tree is Nimrod redivivus — the slain god come to life again. [Ibid., pp. 96-98]
King Solomon was known for his wisdom but he had some serious blots on his record.
2 Kings 23:13, 14 (1 Kings 11:4-8). Memorials of Apostasy.– Goodness alone is true greatness. Everyone will transmit a heritage of good or of evil. On the southern eminence of the Mount of Olives were the memorial stones of Solomon’s apostasy. Huge idols, unshapely blocks of wood and stone, appeared above the groves of myrtle and olive. Josiah, the youthful reformer, in his religious zeal destroyed these images of Ashtoreth and Chemosh and Moloch, but the broken fragments and masses of ruins remained opposite Mount Moriah, where stood the temple of God. As strangers in after generations asked, “What mean these ruins confronting the temple of the Lord?” they were answered, “There is Solomon’s Mount of Offense, where he built altars for idol worship to please his heathen wives” [SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 2, p. 1039] (emphasis added)
More than three centuries later, Josiah, the youthful reformer, in his religious zeal demolished these buildings and all the images of Ashtoreth and Chemosh and Moloch. Many of the broken fragments rolled down the channel of the Kedron, but great masses of ruins remained. Even as late as the days of Christ, the ruins on the “Mount of Offense,” as the place was called by many of the truehearted of Israel, might still be seen. Could Solomon, when rearing these idolatrous shrines, have looked into the future, how he would have started back in horror to think of the sad testimony they would bear to the Messiah! [Review and Herald, February 15, 1906] (emphasis added)
We too can have a Mount of Offense to God. Many Christians worship at the shrine of Ashtoreth today in their celebration of Easter. They bow at the shrine of Baal in their observance of Christmas? What does true biblical Christianity have to do with these holidays? We can try to “Christianize” them but they are still just a variation of pagan worship! The Israelites made the golden calf and called it “the God that brought you out of Egypt” but God did not accept their worship. He told Moses to go down from the mountain because the people had corrupted themselves.
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:18, 19
It is time to quit playing mathematical games and start following true worship standards given in the word of God. Don’t add to or subtract from what God has said. God does not accept it!
Old Covenant / New Covenant
The question is often asked: What is the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant? What changed when Jesus died on the cross?
First, we must understand that there is an Eternal Covenant that is foundational to all others. Simply stated it is this: God says, “I will fulfill my promises to you if you do my will.” All of His people from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Jacob knew what God’s will was. They followed it and He blessed them. Then came the Israelite nation recently delivered from slavery. They had lost the knowledge of His will and needed reminders and careful discipline to help them live in His will. So God instituted the written Code of Conduct—the Torah—with everything spelled out carefully to reduce misunderstandings. Included in the Torah was the Ten Commandments as the basic standard of morality (Exodus 20 & Deuteronomy 5); the Statutes and Judgments, to explain and illustrate the Ten Commandments (given mostly in Exodus 21-23 and Deuteronomy, and interspersed throughout Leviticus and Numbers); and the Ceremonial / Sacrificial system as a remedy for the breaking of the Law—the symbols of the Gospel for that time (given primarily in Leviticus).
The Covenant with the Jews was originally something like this:
the Parties involved—God and Israel
the Promise—Jehovah would be their God; they would be His special people; they would receive an inheritance
the Terms or Conditions of the Covenant—obedience to God’s Laws
But there was a problem.
For finding fault with them (the people), he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Hebrews 8:8.
There was a fault, but it was not with the Terms of the Covenant. God’s Laws are perfect; His Statutes are right; His Commandments are pure; His Judgments are true and righteous altogether (Psalm 19:7-9). The fault was not with God. The fault was with the people involved. They kept breaking the Terms of the Covenant. They were not obedient. Their hearts were not in harmony with God. They continued to bring their sacrifices but God wanted something beyond that.
Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22
What changed when the Messiah came?
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:27
This prophecy predicts the Messiah’s coming, His ministry, and His death. It tells us that the sacrifices and oblations ceased. That was the change that occurred at the cross. The book of Hebrews explains more about the change as Paul describes several things that are better—better sacrifices, a better Priest, a better Sanctuary, better promises.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Hebrews 4:14
But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. Hebrews 8:6
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Hebrews 9:11
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:13, 14
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Hebrews 9:23
Here we can see that Jesus brought in what was “better”:
He is a better High Priest for many reasons, including the fact that He was sinless, ever-living, etc.
The better promises involve, on God’s part, a better inheritance (heavenly rather than earthly) and, on Jesus’ part, His commitment to fulfill God’s will perfectly (John 8:29; Hebrews 10:7, 9) contrasted with man’s disobedience.
He ministers in a greater Tabernacle in Heaven, made by God Himself.
His blood is far superior to any animal blood, able to purify more than the flesh, actually cleansing the conscience, the deepest source of sin by revealing to us the terrible effect sin has had on God (we killed Him) and His continued encompassing love for us.
His sacrifice is far superior because He is the Son of God (nothing could be greater or better) so He only needed to do it once for all.
Paul was writing to Jewish Christians explaining the changes that the cross introduced. What did he mean when he spoke of a “new covenant” or “new testament?” Why was a new one needed? Because the old established only a temporary remedy for sin and pointed forward to the true, complete remedy—Jesus Christ. The Jews viewed the remedy that they had been given as all that was needed, rather then looking, by faith, through the sacrifices to the One they foreshadowed—Jesus, the Messiah. So they went on breaking God’s Laws and bringing sacrifices perpetually, not stopping to realize that they needed a change of heart to truly follow God’s will in spirit rather than merely in letter.
Jesus came to take humanity’s place in the Covenant as our Substitute. The New Covenant is between God, the Father, and Jesus, the Son, who completely fulfills all the Conditions of the Covenant for us and will receive all the Kingdom Promises. He became our surety, our guarantee, that all the Terms would be fulfilled. When we have Jesus living in our hearts, we become heirs to the Kingdom with Him. He also brings about a change in our character by instilling God’s Laws in our hearts and minds through the power of His Spirit so that we will be in harmony with God and can also fulfill the Terms of the Covenant.
The terms of the “old covenant” were, Obey and live: “If a man do, he shall even live in them” (Ezekiel 20:11; Leviticus 18:5); but “cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.” Deuteronomy 27:26. The “new covenant” was established upon “better promises”–the promise of forgiveness of sins and of the grace of God to renew the heart and bring it into harmony with the principles of God’s law. “This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. . . . I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:33, 34. (Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 372)
So the change at the Cross was to replace erring humans with the perfect One—Jesus—and to replace the Sacrifices, Priests, and earthly Tabernacle system with Jesus, the BETTER Sacrifice and High Priest in the Heavenly Temple. He is the One who was always the true fulfillment of that system. The Hebrews had come to regard the Sacrifices as an end in themselves, but it was only by faith that true forgiveness and atonement were received. Salvation has always been by faith, as we know from Hebrews 11. It was by faith that Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6
What changed at the cross was the remedy for breaking the Law, not the Law itself. All the Laws are still intact—the Ten Commandments and the other Laws given through Moses. Nothing was changed except what we are specifically told was changed. The prophecy of Daniel 9 and the book of Hebrews tell us what was changed.
To put it simply: The difference between the Old and New Covenants is Jesus, the True Remedy for the sins of man. What was foreshadowed in the Tabernacle system became a reality.
Did the Terms of the Covenant change? No! There was never a problem with the Terms. They are still obedience and cooperation with God.
Under the new covenant, the conditions by which eternal life may be gained are the same as under the old. The conditions are, and ever have been, based on perfect obedience. (Ellen White, Letter 216, 1906)
By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: Romans 1:5
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Corinthians 10:5
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 1 Peter 1:2
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14
There are those who say that the Terms of the Covenant have changed, that God’s Laws are not part of it anymore, that everything is by Grace, meaning that God is more lenient now, not as strict as He was before. But where does the Bible say that? Jesus said He didn’t come to change any of God’s Laws (Matthew 5:17-19) and we are not given permission to change anything.
Here is a principle we must follow: God does not change. (Malachi 3:6) What He establishes does not change unless He Himself changes it. If the Bible doesn’t tell us that He changed something, then it remains.
What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. Deuteronomy 12:32
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:18, 19
The Laws of God have not been changed. Not the Ten Commandments nor the specifications given in the Statutes and Judgments. The only thing that changed was the remedy for sin. The shadows were replaced by Jesus, the fulfillment and true Remedy.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. Hebrews 8:10, 11
The Law of Jealousies
Because marriage is such a sacred and important institution, God took great pains to guard and protect it. A loving, faithful marriage relationship not only builds a stable society by preserving the family, but it is also a wonderful illustration of the covenant relationship God wants to have with His people which will contribute to the stability of the entire universe.
God gave His people the seventh Commandment and several Statutes regarding sexual immorality. Here are a few examples:
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14
And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them. If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you. Leviticus 20:10-14
If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die: But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her. If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days. Deuteronomy 22:23-29
Sexual impurity and/or violating the marriage covenant was an abomination to the Lord and brought great shame on the family. When these things occurred openly, the guilty ones were dealt with very decisively. But then, as now, secret “affairs” could happen and God provided a way to come to a right conclusion in a very serious but uncertain situation. It was called the Law of Jealousy and was essentially a way that God Himself revealed the truth.
We will look at Numbers 5:11-31.
Imagine two different scenarios:
1) A husband suspects that his wife has been unfaithful to him. When he confronts her, she denies it. How can he know? There is no concrete evidence, no witnesses.
2) A wife is accused by her husband of being unfaithful. She is innocent but she has no proof.
When a wife was suspected of unfaithfulness (possibly because she was pregnant and her husband questioned whether the child was his, or anything in her behavior that raised suspicion in his mind), she was not killed as in cases of open adultery (Leviticus 20:10) because there were no witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6). The husband would bring her to the Priest, along with a special offering of barley meal with no oil or frankincense, for the purpose of discovering the facts of the matter. Uriah could have done this with Bathsheba if he had survived to return from the war.
According to Jewish commentators, the Priest would first try to persuade the woman to confess. If she admitted that she was guilty, she was divorced from her husband and lost her dowry. If she still claimed innocence, the Priest would carry through with this procedure in order to be certain. It is very likely that the wife, knowing the seriousness of the consequences if she was actually guilty of infidelity, would probably confess before going through with this process.
The Priest would make a mixture of “bitter water,” combining holy water (probably from the Laver) and dirt from the floor of the Tabernacle in an earthen vessel. He would bring the woman before the Lord, uncover her head, put the offering of barley meal in her hand, and charge her by an oath that if she was innocent, nothing negative would happen to her, but if she was guilty, she would be cursed. She would respond by saying, “Amen, amen,” acknowledging the validity of the oath and accepting the inevitable consequences of the curse. He would write the curses in a book and erase them with the bitter water. After he had waved the offering before the Lord and offered part of it on the Altar, he would give her the bitter water to drink.
If she was innocent, everything would remain normal in regard to her child-bearing abilities and she would be cleared of all suspicion. If she was guilty, she would be struck with a serious disease process that would make her infertile (possibly ovarian cancer or something similar) or, if she was carrying an illegitimate child she would have a miscarriage and be infertile and cursed among the people. Divorce following this trial is not mentioned but we can assume that it was part of the retribution.
Here is an interesting note from Matthew Henry’s Commentary:
“Jewish doctors add that the waters had this effect upon the adulteress only in case the husband had never offended in the same kind; but that, if he had at any time defiled the marriage-bed, God did not thus right him against his injurious wife; and that therefore in the latter and degenerate ages of the Jewish church, when uncleanness did abound, this way of trial was generally disused and laid aside; men, knowing their own crimes, were content not to know their wives’ crimes.”
God’s jealousy, His passion, is aroused when His people are unfaithful, and it is greater when they try to hide it. This “trial” is another acted parable, giving us a picture of judgment, of Him revealing the truth about each individual, either acquitting those who have been faithful or dealing with unfaithfulness. We can’t hide anything from Him.
. . . behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23
. . . the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 1 Corinthians 4:5
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Hebrews 4:12, 13
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23, 24
The Law of Jealousies was invoked when a wife was suspected of unfaithfulness. Naturally, she would deny it, but this was a situation that could not be trifled with. It was the husband’s right to know the truth and her obligation to let it be known. It is important to keep in mind that, even if her husband was totally oblivious to anything she had done (if she managed to keep her “affair” secret) and he did not put her through this trial, her willful and purposely-hidden sin would receive retribution following the Day of Atonement–she would be “cut off” from among the people.
In the typical service, while the high priest was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut off from among the people. (GC 489, 490)
Let us look at some of the aspects of this Law and contemplate our own pending Judgment in the near future. Are we faithful to our Covenant with Him or do we have “secret affairs?”
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the Offering of Jealousy — barley meal with no oil or frankincense, the lowest value of any offering — “to bring iniquity to remembrance”
Barley was considered cheap, low-grade food, eaten by animals and poor people or in times of food shortage. Oil was a symbol of grace and joy, and frankincense symbolized acceptance. Both were left out of this offering because of the seriousness of the accusation. This offering was somewhat similar to a poor person’s sin offering (wheat flour without oil or frankincense Leviticus 5:11) but was not an appeal for forgiveness or atonement. It was brought by the husband as an appeal to God to reveal the truth, to expose serious sin.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14
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the Bitter Water — holy water + dirt from the Tabernacle floor in an earthen vessel — to cause a curse
Dust was part of the curse that was pronounced against the Serpent in the Garden of Eden.
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: Genesis 3:14
Moses put the dust from the pulverized golden calf into the water that came from Mt. Sinai and made the people drink it. They had committed spiritual adultery.
And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount. Deuteronomy 9:21
The bitter water may in some ways symbolize Jesus coming to this world. He was a mixture of the holy and the unclean, the divine and the human. He came in a human body–the earthen vessel. When He entered the body of His people, His Temple (literally), He expelled what was corrupt and the Temple became desolate. In about 40 years, it was destroyed and never rebuilt and those who had been His chosen people were no longer considered specially chosen.
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. Malachi 3:1-5
And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:27
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Matthew 23:38
The bitter water is also similar to the wine of the God’s wrath, mentioned in Revelation 14:10, that is administered undiluted to those who have worshiped the Beast. There we are shown the metaphor, used so often in the Old Testament, that compares adultery in marriage to sin, apostasy, false worship.
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the woman’s head was uncovered, her hair was loosened (the Hebrew word for “uncover” is directly related to the word for locks of hair)–
This was a symbol of exposure and of removing her from under the covering jurisdiction of her husband. She was not under him now; she faced judgment on her own.
. . . we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. . . . So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:10, 12
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the Curse — her thigh would rot (this Hebrew word for “rot” (nâphal) is very similar to another (nephel) that means “untimely birth,” miscarriage, or abortion) and her belly (womb) would swell — she would lose her child-bearing abilities, her purpose for existence as a woman, and would waste away as a reject of society
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Hebrews 6:4-6
It is interesting to note the Priest’s act of writing the curses in a book and then erasing them with the bitter water.
And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water: Numbers 5:23
This speaks of two different symbolical acts. The curses were washed off the page into the water making it truly curse water, potent to cause the curse if the woman was guilty. Also, the curses were erased from the record if the woman was innocent. What is described here is very similar to what Paul speaks of in Colossians 2.
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Colossians 2:14
Notice the comments on this verse in the notes of the MacArthur Study Bible (NKJV):
2:14 wiped out the handwriting. The Gr. work translated “handwriting” referred to the handwritten certificate of debt by which a debtor acknowledged his indebtedness. All people (Rom. 3:23) owe God an unpayable debt for violating His law (Gal. 3:10; James 2:10; cf. Matt. 18:23-27), and are thus under sentence of death (Rom. 6:23). Paul graphically compares God’s forgiveness of believers’ sins to wiping ink off a parchment. Through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, God has totally erased our certificate of indebtedness and made our forgiveness complete.
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the Oath — blessed if innocent, cursed if guilty — only God knows all of the truth and will reveal it
For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Luke 12:2
The oath that she was charged with reflects what Jesus said to Nicodemus.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18
God did not merely make a statement about whether she was guilty or innocent. He actually caused the penalty for guilt or the blessing for innocence to occur without any verbal pronouncement.
Judgment is bitter for the guilty, but good–a welcome relief–for one who is accused falsely.
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 13:40-43
The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. Psalm 7:8, 9
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Psalm 37:5, 6
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This Law of Jealousies is one of the Judgments, referred to in the following paragraph from Patriarchs and Prophets, “illustrating and applying the principles of the Ten Commandments.”
The minds of the people, blinded and debased by slavery and heathenism, were not prepared to appreciate fully the far-reaching principles of God’s ten precepts. That the obligations of the Decalogue might be more fully understood and enforced, additional precepts were given, illustrating and applying the principles of the Ten Commandments. These laws were called judgments, both because they were framed in infinite wisdom and equity and because the magistrates were to give judgment according to them. Unlike the Ten Commandments, they were delivered privately to Moses, who was to communicate them to the people. (PP 310)
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This Law is a reminder of the meaning of the first four of the Ten Commandments–be faithful and exclusive in your covenant relationship with God.
God: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3
Spouse: You shall not have any “affairs.”
God: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:4-6
Spouse: You shall not have sexual relations with any other.
God: Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Exodus 20:7
Spouse: Don’t claim to be my spouse if you don’t act like you are married to me.
God: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11
Spouse: I have established a special time of intimacy with you. Don’t forget it and miss our time together.
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This trial and the resulting curse if the woman was actually guilty are a very serious reminder of the importance, not only of being faithful to our covenant with God, but also of being honest with Him in recognizing and admitting our sins and mistakes. We cannot hide anything from Him; He knows it all. It is a great mistake to be unfaithful to Him; but it is a greater mistake to deny it and think we can hide our sins.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:6-10
We have this promise that God does not immediately “divorce” us or abandon us when we sin against Him. He wants to help us become what He wants us to be, but He must have our cooperation.
Day by day and year by year we shall conquer self, and grow into a noble heroism. This is our allotted task; but it cannot be accomplished without help from Jesus, resolute decision, unwavering purpose, continual watchfulness, and unceasing prayer. Each one has a personal battle to fight. Not even God can make our characters noble or our lives useful, unless we become co-workers with Him. Those who decline the struggle lose the strength and joy of victory. MH 487
The Goel: Kinsman / Redeemer / Avenger
Among the Statutes that God gave His people in ancient times was a special provision that was designed to establish both social and economic stability. This was the special role in the family unit or clan known as the Goel, or “kinsman-redeemer.” This was not unique to the Jews–other cultures of that time and area practiced it and still do to some extent–but God gave special guidelines for its regulation that not only promoted social stability but also symbolized His eternal purposes.
From Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary–
H1350 גּאל gâ’al gaw-al’ A primitive root, to redeem (according to the Oriental law of kinship), that is, to be the next of kin (and as such to buy back a relative’s property, marry his widow, etc.): – X in any wise, X at all, avenger, deliver, (do, perform the part of near, next) kinsfolk (-man), purchase, ransom, redeem (-er), revenger.
Here are a few verses that use that word to speak of God as the Goel.
Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem youH1350 with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: Exodus 6:6
For I know that my redeemerH1350 liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: Job 19:25
And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemerH1350 . Psalm 78:35
The Goel was the one who brought things back to the way they ought to be, the nearest relative that could always be counted on for help when a wrong needed to be made right. The responsibilities of the Goel covered basically four areas–to redeem property that had been sold because of financial difficulty, to redeem a person who was in bondage because of financial difficulty, to marry a widow and raise children for a brother, and to avenge murder. The overall concept seems to be that of restoring what has been wrong, renewing the cycle of right. Let us have a look at what it meant to be the Goel in each of these situations and how that symbolizes what our Heavenly Goel does in our behalf.
The Goel as Property Redeemer–
When the Israelites inherited the Promised Land, each family received a piece of property to call their own. They did not actually own it because God claimed ownership of the land, but as tenants, they had the right to use it perpetually to “make a living”–to raise animals and food for themselves and sell the increase for profit. The property was not to be transferred to others outside the family. This plan promoted economic stability for the family unit and for the nation as a whole.
The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. Leviticus 25:23
This is the reason why Naboth refused to let Ahab get his vineyard. That would have been against the Divine Statutes.
And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. 1 Kings 21:3
When Jezebel’s hit-men had done their work of eliminating him and his heirs (2 Kings 9:26), the land was “up for grabs” and Ahab grabbed it.
If the person or family to whom the property was granted got into a situation where they felt forced to sell because of financial difficulties, the payment they received was only for the value of the harvested produce for each year up until the Year of Jubilee, not for the market value of the land since they did not actually own the land. The original “owner” would then have cash to help him out of his difficulty and the buyer would receive the profit from whatever the land produced. The nearest relative, the Goel, was probably given first chance to purchase the family property to help alleviate the difficulty and keep the property within the clan. If he did not, for whatever reason, then someone else could purchase it. If the original “owner” could later afford to repurchase his property, he had the right to do so by repaying the value of the annual harvested produce until the Year of Jubilee. For example, if he had sold it 20 years before the Year of Jubilee, he was paid for 20 harvests. If 10 years later he could repurchase it, he paid the holder for the remaining 10 harvests.
And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another: According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee: According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee. Leviticus 25:14-16
A Goel could step in at any time and “redeem” the property by paying the value of the remaining harvests at his own expense and then giving the property back to the owner, or holding it in trust and managing it for them if necessary. If it was not redeemed, it would return automatically to the original owner “free and clear” in the Year of Jubilee. This was God’s way of stabilizing the economy of Israel so there would not be extremes of poverty or wealth. It is very different from what happened to the Egyptians when they were suffering under severe famine conditions in Joseph’s time. (Genesis 47:13-26) They exchanged their money, their animals, their land, and finally themselves for food to keep from starving. They lived as slaves of the government after that and could not anticipate a Year of Jubilee when they would be free again
In the story of Jeremiah we see an incident where Jeremiah’s cousin wanted to sell his property.
And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. (Jeremiah was Hanameel’s Goel) So Hanameel mine uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver. Jeremiah 32:6-9
The book of Ruth gives us an excellent picture of all that would transpire in a situation like this. When Naomi returned to Israel after living in Moab and losing her husband and sons, she had no resources except Elimelech’s land. Apparently it had not been sold prior to this and Naomi felt that she and Ruth would not be able to work the land properly to make a livelihood from it. In order to support herself and Ruth, she felt forced to sell it. The first right of purchase went to the nearest relative, the kinsman whom Boaz talked with at the gate.
Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s: And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. Ruth 4:1-6
This kinsman was the Goel for Naomi and Ruth. He was willing to redeem their property but did not want the other responsibility of a Goel–supporting the two women and raising up a family through Ruth in Elimelech’s name. In relinquishing his right to the property to Boaz, he was also shirking his legal responsibility to Ruth and Naomi.
The Goel as Personal Redeemer–
God is very conscious of the needs of the poor. In His Statutes, He specifically provided for their relief.
And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile: And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. Leviticus 25:39-42
And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family: After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: Either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him. If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption. And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight. And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him. For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 25:47-55
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. Deuteronomy 15:7-14
There were times when a family got into serious financial difficulties and the father was forced to sell himself or members of his family as slaves in order to survive. A Jew could not “own” one of his fellow Jews as a slave (God held claim to them Leviticus 25:42, 55) but was to treat him as a temporary employee, under contract for a limit of six years. Apparently, the poor person would be paid “up-front” wages for the amount of time he was to serve, thus giving him cash to alleviate his poverty. The wealthy person was to be kind and generous, even giving him help and provisions beyond his wages when he was released at the end of his six-year contract. (Deuteronomy 15:13, 14) At times a Jew might sell himself to a wealthy foreigner living nearby. The role and responsibility of the Goel included redeeming those within his family or clan who were in this situation. He would repay the “employer” out of his own resources for the time remaining until the seventh year, the Year of Release, thus releasing the poor brother before his time of indenture was up so that he could return to his family and former line of work, allowing him to keep the wages he had received “up front,” and begin again to earn his livelihood.
Nehemiah rebuked the wealthy rulers in his time who were disregarding God’s Statutes and taking advantage of their poorer brothers.
And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. Nehemiah 5:1-8
The story in 2 Kings 4:1-7 of the woman coming to Elisha for help describes this type of situation. Apparently the creditor was rather hard-hearted, possibly a foreigner, not following what God said in Deuteronomy 15:7-14, and she had no Goel to redeem her and her sons from their financial difficulty, so God provided help in another way.
The Goel as Family Redeemer–
The brother (or nearest relative) of a deceased husband had the responsibility to raise up children from a widow in her husband’s name. This was not merely an option but a serious responsibility as we can see from the instructions God gave. This law preserved all family lines and property rights.
If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed. Deuteronomy 25:5-10
And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. Genesis 38:6-10
When Boaz took Ruth as his wife, the child that was born was given to Naomi as though it was her own son, the heir to the property. Boaz, the Goel, preserved Elimelech’s family line.
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ruth 4:14-17
The Goel as Avenger–
If a family member was killed and the crime was proved to be murder rather than manslaughter, it was the responsibility of the Goel to avenge the murder by killing the murderer.
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. Genesis 9:5, 6
And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. The revenger of blood himself (the Goel) shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die; Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood (the Goel) shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him. . . . Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Numbers 35:16-21, 30-33
One instance we read about where this Statute was carried out, though somewhat modified because of the circumstances, is in 1 Kings 2 where King David gave Solomon the responsibility of avenging the blood of Abner and Amasa by killing Joab, the one who had murdered them. A Goel, a near relative of either of those men, would have been very reluctant to perform his duty against the commander of the army, and David apparently did not feel he could personally kill his own general, so he had Solomon do it.
At last treachery overthrew the throne that malice and ambition had established. Abner, becoming incensed against the weak and incompetent Ishbosheth, deserted to David, with the offer to bring over to him all the tribes of Israel. His proposals were accepted by the king, and he was dismissed with honor to accomplish his purpose. But the favorable reception of so valiant and famed a warrior excited the jealousy of Joab, the commander-in-chief of David’s army. There was a blood feud between Abner and Joab, the former having slain Asahel, Joab’s brother, during the war between Israel and Judah. Now Joab, seeing an opportunity to avenge his brother’s death and rid himself of a prospective rival, basely took occasion to waylay and murder Abner.
David, upon hearing of this treacherous assault, exclaimed, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord forever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner. Let it rest on the head of Joab; and on all his father’s house.” In view of the unsettled state of the kingdom, and the power and position of the murderers–for Joab’s brother Abishai had been united with him–David could not visit the crime with just retribution, yet he publicly manifested his abhorrence of the bloody deed. . . . PP 699, 700
Lessons from the story of Ruth
There are many fascinating details about the Goel in the story of Ruth that illuminate the Gospel. We will look at a few of them.
Who is this Goel?
And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. Ruth 2:1
This verse gives us a very brief description of the one who was Goel for Naomi and Ruth and, as a parable, is a description of who our Goel is. Boaz was a near relative of Elimelech, whose name means “God the King.” He is described as “a mighty man of wealth.” The Hebrew word for “mighty” means “a strong, valiant champion.” He was an older man, highly respected in the community, probably a “city councilman.” The word “wealth” comes from the Hebrew word for “virtue, strength, worthiness.” It is the same word that Boaz uses to describe Ruth herself. “. . . all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.” Ruth 3:11
Our Goel is closely related to God, the King. He is a strong, valiant champion of virtue, worthy of all praise and honor. His Bride is to be like Him in character.
Ruth’s first husband, Mahlon, died shortly after they were married. His name meant “sickly.” Apparently he was weak and unhealthy from the time he was born. The name Boaz means “strength is in him.” Our Goel comes in strength rather than weakness.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. John 1:4
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; John 5:26
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: . . . John 11:25
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening (life-giving, vitalizing) spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12
Adam, our original ancestor, was given life to become a living being. Because of his sin, he forfeited that gift of life and all of his posterity (us) have shared the same fate. The family of God was destined to become extinct. But, the One who replaced Adam, Jesus Christ, had life in Himself and came as the Life-giver to raise up a new family for God.
God created man for His own glory, that after test and trial the human family might become one with the heavenly family. It was God’s purpose to repopulate heaven with the human family. (Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 1, p. 1082)
Under His Wings–
When Boaz spoke personally to Ruth and assured her that she would be treated well in his field among his workers, he used a beautiful metaphor to describe what she had done in committing herself to stay with Naomi.
And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. Ruth 2:11, 12
The Hebrew word for “wings” in this verse (H3671 כּנף kânâph kaw-nawf’) has an interesting meaning. It is descriptive of a bird’s wings and also of the edge of a garment, the hem of a skirt.
Later, when Ruth came to Boaz under the cover of darkness, she laid at his feet and covered herself with the hem of his garment. She was symbolically asking to be brought under his covering, his skirt, his wings. She was declaring her need and requesting that he fulfill his obligation as her Goel.
And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirtH3671 over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. Ruth 3:9
Here are some other verses that use that same word, “kanaph” (H3671), to describe what our Goel does for us.
I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings.H3671 Psalm 61:4
Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wingsH3671 will I rejoice. Psalm 63:7
Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirtH3671 over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine. Ezekiel 16:8
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;H3671 and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. Malachi 4:2
Who Cares?–
The kinsman whom Boaz met at the gate was Naomi’s nearest relative. He was the one who had the primary right and responsibility to act as her Goel. He showed immediate interest when Boaz informed him that there was some property available (Ruth 4:3, 4), but he lost interest when he was reminded of the family responsibilities that came with the property (Ruth 4:5, 6).
In the beginning, God granted Adam the right and responsibility of being a steward of the earth and everything in it. He had a similar arrangement with the Israelites: they were to manage the land under His ownership. Satan wants the earth and to some extent has already connived to have it and be known as the Prince of this World. (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Matthew 4:9) But he is not interested in the welfare of the people; he only wants authority over the property. Let humanity suffer and die; he cares not at all.
But the One who loves us has stepped in to redeem both the property and the Bride. When He has been granted legal rights to the property, then He takes the Bride to Himself. This picture of what the Goel does sheds light on several other descriptions that we are given.
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. Luke 19:12
I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the veil, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him. I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who arose when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way. Then He raised His right arm, and we heard His lovely voice saying, “Wait here; I am going to My Father to receive the kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to Myself.” (Early Writings, p. 55)
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Revelation 21:9, 10
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. Galatians 4:26
Our Goel loves the property (“the world”) and everyone connected to the family (“whosoever”).
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
He will Provide–
Naomi’s circumstances in Moab remind us of the situation of the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable in Luke 15. He left his home, went to the far country, eventually found himself in desperate straits, and finally decided to return home to where he hoped to get better treatment. By coming back to Bethlehem, Naomi was leaving an area where no one felt any obligation to care for her, to return to her homeland and her people who not only had ties of kinship but were also commanded in the Torah to care for the widows and the poor. When we return to God, we can trust that He will provide what we need, both physically and spiritually.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 2 Peter 1:3
At His own Expense–
Boaz, at his own personal expense, took on the total financial burden of purchasing Naomi’s land and supporting the family. He did it because they needed it, not because he hoped to profit by it.
And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: . . . Ruth 3:11
There is not much profit for our Goel to redeem us who are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:” (Revelation 3:17) But He recognized our need, and His great heart of love could not refrain from doing whatever we required, to the point of giving what was most precious and valuable in the whole universe–His own life. The cost of our redemption was graphically demonstrated on the Cross.
Grace is an attribute of God exercised toward undeserving human beings. We did not seek for it, but it was sent in search of us. God rejoices to bestow His grace upon us, not because we are worthy, but because we are so utterly unworthy. Our only claim to His mercy is our great need. (The Ministry of Healing, p. 161)
Our Heavenly Goel
The Redeemer–
The position, responsibilities, and privileges of the Goel, the Redeemer, described in the Old Testament are a wonderful “parable” that teaches much about what our Goel does for us. The word (H1350) is used over 80 times in the Old Testament, sometimes speaking of a literal Goel, but many times using the term in reference to God, the True Redeemer.
And he saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. Psalm 106:10
I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Isaiah 44:22
As for our redeemer, the LORD of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 47:4
For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. Isaiah 54:5
For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Jeremiah 31:11
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. Hosea 13:14
In the New Testament, the Redeemer’s work is described in slightly different terms but the result is the same. The Greek words used to describe redemption in the New Testament are usually in the context of a ransom paid for the release of a hostage. We are held hostage under the power of sin and Satan, and are freed through the work of our Redeemer.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 1 Peter 1:18, 19
A Kinsman–
Another aspect of the role of the Goel that is emphasized many times in the New Testament is that of kinship. The Goel was a close relative. We are reminded repeatedly that God is our Father and Jesus is our Brother. As the Goel was obligated to fulfill his roles by his ties of kinship, so our Heavenly Father and Brother have obligated themselves to fulfill those same roles for us because we have been adopted into their family.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. John 20:17
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Galatians 4:5, 6
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1
For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Hebrews 2:11
The Avenger–
Satan invented the poison of sin and induced Eve to take it. She convinced Adam to take it and death came as a result of that poison.
. . . the devil . . . was a murderer from the beginning . . . he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44
Satan is a confirmed criminal. He is the source and instigator of all the evil that has ever occurred. Our Goel will avenge all the crimes.
Summary
Humanity is in a deplorable condition. Our property (the earth) was forfeited because of sin and we have no resources that would suffice to regain it. Our lives have been cut short by sin and we are on the road to extinction. We are slaves to the criminal who instigated our situation and he is still on the loose making things worse.
But our Goel has stepped into the picture. He is our Kinsman-Redeemer to restore us to our former estate. He is our strong Life-giver to perpetuate the Family of God. He is the Avenger to eradicate the source of evil and all of its results. All of these roles set right what has gone wrong and are part of righteousness and justice. Let us praise our Goel for what He has done for us.
When our first parents fell from their high estate through transgression, God’s law was made void. Then Christ entered upon his work as a Redeemer, and probation was granted to the inhabitants of the world. In Noah’s day, men disregarded the law of God until almost all remembrance of him had passed away from the earth. Their wickedness reached so great a height; violence, crime, and every kind of sin became so intensely active, that the Lord brought a flood of water upon the world and swept away the wicked inhabitants thereof. But mercy was mingled with judgment. Noah and his family were saved. In the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, we see that the Lord will interfere; fire came down from heaven and destroyed these wicked cities.
From time to time the Lord has made known his manner of working. He is mindful of what is passing upon the earth. And when a crisis has come, he has revealed himself, and has interposed the working of Satan’s plans. He has often permitted matters with nations, with families, and with individuals to come to a crisis, that his interference might become marked. Then he has let the fact be known that there is a God in Israel who would sustain and vindicate his people.
When the defiance of the law of Jehovah shall be almost universal, when his people shall be pressed in affliction by their fellow men, God will interpose. The fervent prayers of his people will be answered, for he loves to have his people seek him with all their heart, and depend upon him as their Deliverer. He will be sought unto to do these things for his people, and he will arise as the protector and avenger of his people. The promise is, “The Lord will avenge his own elect, which cry unto him day and night.”
The Protestant governments will reach a strange pass. They will be converted to the world. They will also, in their separation from God, work to make falsehood and apostasy from God the law of the nation. In the place of those who have the light of truth allowing jealousy and evil surmisings to come in and weaken their love and union one with another, their united prayers should ascend to heaven for the Lord to arise and put an end to the violence and abuse which is practised in our world. More prayer and less talk is what God desires, and would make his people a tower of strength. GCB, January 1, 1900
I call upon all who have united in a course of action that is wrong in principle to make a decided reformation, and forever after walk humbly with God. The world is soon to be judged. A righteous God must avenge the death of His Son. Today men are choosing Barabbas, and saying, Crucify Christ. They will do this in the person of His saints. They will go over the same ground as the Jewish priests and rulers did in their treatment of Christ. He, the Son of God, and an innocent man, was murdered because He told men truths that it did not please them to hear. Yet He was the Son of the infinite God.
Those who today despise the law of Jehovah, showing no respect for His commandments, are taking sides with the great apostate. They proclaim to a sin-corrupted world that the law of God is null and void. Those who declare this as truth deceive the people, and have virtually nailed the law of Jehovah to the cross between two thieves. What a thought!
Before the worlds unfallen and the heavenly universe, the world will have to give an account to the Judge of the whole earth, the very One they condemned and crucified. What a reckoning day that will be! It is the great day of God’s vengeance. Christ does not then stand at Pilate’s bar. Pilate and Herod, and all that mocked, scourged, rejected, and crucified Him will then understand what it means to feel the wrath of the Lamb. Their deeds will appear before them in their true character. TM 131, 132
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. Revelation 5:9-14
What is the Second Death?
Many people have questions about hell and the final destruction of those who do not go to heaven. Some of the things that have been taught on this subject by religious leaders down through history have given some very distorted concepts of God, making Him seem like an evil, sadistic tyrant who enjoys making people suffer, roasting them in a fire forever because of some things they did in their short lifetime on earth. Many people have rejected God completely, preferring to believe in no God at all, because they cannot bring themselves to believe in that kind of God. I agree wholeheartedly! That kind of God should not exist.
So what does God do with those He does not save? If they aren’t suffering eternal torture, what happens to them?
Consider the following verses that speak of final destinies, and keep in mind that God’s ultimate plan is to rid the universe of everything that is not good and righteous. Sin and evil are like a terrible, killer disease and He cannot afford to risk having this whole problem start again.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Revelation 2:11
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:8
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. Revelation 19:20
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:10
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14, 15
These verses speak of the second death and final destruction, and the implication is that it is a terrible thing. It must be more than merely dying. It somehow involves a realization of God’s vengeance and retribution on evil, of torment and punishment. It is the final, ultimate, eternal destruction in the lake of fire of everything and everybody that God cannot save, anything that is a threat to the righteousness of the universe. The verses in Revelation give us a list of who and what is destroyed: the beast, the false prophet, the devil, death, hell, and those who are not listed in the book of life.
What can we learn from the Old Testament?
In the Old Testament, there is a concept taught in the judgments that were meted out for certain sins. The death penalty was pronounced on sinners for various things such as breaking the Ten Commandments, and it is quite self-evident as to the reasons for this: to punish past and current sins and hopefully deter others from future sin.
There is another punishment that is specified for certain other sins and it may help us understand something about the second death. Many times in the Laws of Moses, a person was said to be “cut off” for certain sins. Most of these sins had to do with infractions involving ceremonial rituals or issues of purification, etc. But what was actually involved in being “cut off”? It seems to have been equivalent to what we would think of today as excommunication. When someone was “cut off from among his people,” it was as though he did not exist any more – he and all his family and descendants were cut off from all ties with the covenant people, his name was removed from the register of Jewish families. They lost all rights to the privileges of being in covenant with God, probably including property rights. There was no association, no forgiveness, no blessing; they were forsaken by God and all the people. They were “outlaws.” The ramifications of this are described to some extent in the following verses and give us a picture of what it meant to a Jew to be “cut off.”
The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. Psalm 34:16
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. Psalm 37:10
For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off. Psalm 37:22
God shall likewise destroy thee forever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. Psalm 52:5
And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off. Psalm 94:23
Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. Psalm 109:13
But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. Proverbs 2:22
Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain; In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? . . . Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah. Jeremiah 44:7, 8, 11
And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 14:8
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. Ezekiel 28:18, 19
It is important to notice that a person who was “cut off” was not subjected to continual torture or other forms of punishment for whatever their sin may have been. Instead, they were officially disconnected from the commonwealth of Israel. This has significant implications in our understanding of eternal rewards – hell, the second death, etc. Any death prior to the “second death” is only temporary and may have occurred in a way that the person “didn’t even know what hit them.” But this second death is final and it happens with a full realization of their sin and its consequences, involving mental as well as physical suffering, as the person thinks about the fact that their life of rebellion and sin will now result in eternal rejection and separation from the great, loving God who created them and would have pardoned and saved them if they had only accepted Him and what He offered. They are cut off and forsaken by God. Since they are disconnected from the only source of life in the universe, they cease to exist.
This is the kind of suffering that Jesus experienced when He died as a substitute to take away sin and guilt from those who believe in Him and want to be right with God.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. Isaiah 53:8
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: . . . Daniel 9:26
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:46
For an Israelite, to be “cut off” was a terrible, heart-wrenching, hopeless sentence of judgment. For the unsaved sinner, the experience of the second death will be similar but much worse.
Those who have not, through repentance and faith, secured pardon, must receive the penalty of transgression – “the wages of sin.” They suffer punishment varying in duration and intensity, “according to their works,” but finally ending in the second death. Since it is impossible for God, consistently with His justice and mercy, to save the sinner in his sins, He deprives him of the existence which his transgressions have forfeited and of which he has proved himself unworthy. Says an inspired writer: “Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” And another declares: “They shall be as though they had not been.” Psalm 37:10; Obadiah 16. Covered with infamy, they sink into hopeless, eternal oblivion. The Great Controversy, p. 544
What does God ask for?
The significance of the Jewish economy is not yet fully comprehended. Truths vast and profound are shadowed forth in its rites and symbols. The gospel is the key that unlocks its mysteries. Through a knowledge of the plan of redemption, its truths are opened to the understanding. Far more than we do, it is our privilege to understand these wonderful themes. We are to comprehend the deep things of God. Angels desire to look into the truths that are revealed to the people who with contrite hearts are searching the word of God, and praying for greater lengths and breadths and depths and heights of the knowledge which He alone can give. Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 133
In studying the various sacrifices and offerings that are described in the Torah, I noticed a detail that is repeated several times. All of the principle Sacrifices included the following specification (with minor variations):
And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver (in many translations “the lobe of the liver”), with the kidneys, it shall he take away, as it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering. And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. Leviticus 4:8-12
Certain body parts were to be removed from the sacrificial animal and burned on the Altar while the rest of the animal was burned outside the camp. These specifications are mentioned for the Peace Offering (Leviticus 3), the Sin Offering (Leviticus 4), the Trespass Offering (Leviticus 7), and various offerings that were part of the Priest dedication services (Exodus 29, Leviticus 8, 9)
As I pondered this, I thought there must be special significance and symbolism involved with these body parts that were removed and burned on the Altar. When something was burned on the Altar, it was called “a sweet savour unto the LORD,” like something given directly to God.
And Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord. Leviticus 3:5
All of the sacrifices pointed forward to what Christ did and all the details are to help us understand the meaning of His sacrifice. They also represent something that should happen in our lives when we give ourselves to God. He was our Substitute, dieing for us so we don’t have to die for our sins. But we have to die to our sin, break our connection with it, be crucified with Christ in our mind and heart, so we can be connected to Him, married to Him, through faith.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1
So what does this sacrifice symbolize regarding our relationship with God?
The Fat –
The people were never to eat the fat of an animal. (Leviticus 3:16) God claimed it as His just like He claimed the tithe (Leviticus 27:30). It symbolized abundance, excess, luxury, and in a certain sense, the choicest part of the sacrificial animal. The Hebrew word for “fat” is also translated “best” and “finest.”
from Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: fat
H2459 cheleb che^leb kheh’-leb, khay’-leb
From an unused root meaning to be fat; fat, whether literally or figuratively; hence the richest or choice part: – X best, fat (-ness), X finest, grease, marrow.
All the best (H2459) of the oil, and all the best (H2459) of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. Numbers 18:12
He should have fed them also with the finest (H2459) of the wheat: And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee. Psalm 81:16
When the body takes in more food than is needed, the excess is stored as fat. Giving God the fat can symbolize two basic concepts:
1) give Him our best
But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you. Leviticus 22:20
And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor; Will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts. Malachi 1:8
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. John 12:3
2) don’t keep for ourselves more than is required for basic needs. This reminds me of the parable Jesus told in Luke 12:15-20 about the rich farmer who thought he needed more storage capacity for his harvest. God did not approve of his plans and Jesus made a strong point in the next verse.
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:21
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21
The Kidneys –
The kidneys seem to represent guidance, destiny. The Hebrew word for kidneys is often translated in the KJV as “reins.”
from Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: kidneys
H3629 kilya^h kil-yaw’
Feminine of H3627 (only in the plural); a kidney (as an essential organ); figuratively the mind (as the interior self): – kidneys, reins.
For thou hast possessed my reins: (H3629) Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:3
The rider holds the reins to control what the horse does and where it goes.
A man’s heart deviseth his way: But the Lord directeth his steps. Proverbs 16:9
Jesus very purposely submitted to His Father’s will rather than His own.
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26:39
Giving the kidneys to God symbolizes obedience, submission to His will and control.
The Liver –
The liver seems to represent honor. The Hebrew word for liver comes from the word for honor.
from Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: liver
H3516 ka^be^d kaw-bade’
The same as H3515; the liver (as the heaviest of the viscera): – liver.
H3515 ka^be^d kaw-bade’
From H3513; heavy; figuratively in a good sense (numerous) or in a bad sense (severe, difficult, stupid): – (so) great, grievous, hard (-ened), (too) heavy (-ier), laden, much, slow, sore, thick.
H3513 ka^bad ka^be^d kaw-bad, kaw-bade’
A primitive root; to be heavy, that is, in a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) or in a good sense (numerous, rich, honorable); causatively to make weighty (in the same two senses): – abounding with, more grievously afflict, boast, be chargeable, X be dim, glorify, be (make) glorious (things), glory, (very) great, be grievous, harden, be (make) heavy, be heavier, lay heavily, (bring to, come to, do, get, be had in) honour (self), (be) honourable (man), lade, X more be laid, make self many, nobles, prevail, promote (to honour), be rich, be (go) sore, stop.
Honor (H3513) thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12
We are to give God glory and honor. How can we do anything less? He is the Ruler of the universe yet He loves us, He wants to save us. He is so great and we are so insignificant, yet He wants us to live with Him for eternity. He certainly deserves all of our praise and honor.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Revelation 5:12
Not the heart? –
It is interesting to note that the heart of the sacrificial animal is never mentioned as being separated and burned on the Altar. The Hebrew concept was that the heart was the deep center of thinking, the understanding, the deepest inner desires and feelings.
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: But a good word maketh it glad. Proverbs 12:25
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5, 6
Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: Matthew 15:18, 19
We often speak of the heart in a similar way even though we know that all these things actually happen in our brain. God does not take control of our mind without our consent. We are free moral agents. He wants us to think in harmony with Him but He allows us to choose.
The Spirit of God does not interfere with the freedom of the human agent. The Holy Spirit is given to be a helper, so that the human agent may cooperate with the divine intelligences; and it is its province to draw the soul, but never to force obedience. . . . The Holy Spirit will bring the God-entrusted capabilities into Christ’s service, and will mold and fashion the human agent according to the divine Pattern, in proportion as the human agent shall earnestly desire the transformation. The Youth’s Instructor, July 5, 1894
. . . choose you this day whom ye will serve; . . . Joshua 24:15
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Deuteronomy 30:19
A Learning Experience –
God gave the Ceremonial Law as part of His Covenant to save His people. But it was not merely a set of rules to demand certain pious actions; not just a complex system to test their willingness to obey and their ability to follow directions. These sacrifices, with their specifications, were carefully designed by God to be a teaching method, an acted parable or metaphor. God wanted His people to be able to comprehend the various aspects of sin and atonement, to understand their true condition, what He wanted to do for them, and what they needed to do to cooperate with Him.
The sacrifices where these parts were separated and burned were either for the purpose of reconciliation or to express friendship and peace with God. They were to facilitate Atonement “AT-ONE-ment” with God. To be AT-ONE is to be in harmony with God. The fact that He specifically commanded these things teaches that He claims a right to them. Burning the fat, kidneys, and liver illustrated the concept that true harmony with God can only happen when we give Him our best, when we are totally obedient to His will, and when we glorify and honor Him as He so richly deserves.
As a golden treasure, truth was entrusted to the Jewish nation. The Jewish economy, bearing the signature of heaven, was instituted by the great teacher, Jesus Christ. In types and shadows, important truths and mysteries that needed an interpreter, were veiled. The shadow pointed to the substance; and when Jesus came to our world, it was to let spiritual light shine forth. Hear, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth! The appointed instructor was no less a personage than the only begotten Son of God. God was revealed in Christ. He made plain the treasures of truth. The Christian Educator, 08-01-97
The opinion is widely held, that the sacrifices and offerings of the Hebrews possess no significance for Christians, and can be of no interest to them. This opinion is without foundation. It is true that the ceremonies of the Mosaic law are not now to be observed; but, when rightly understood, they are seen to be all aglow with sacred and important truths. These rites, appointed by Jehovah himself, were like so many beacons to light up the path of God’s ancient people, and to direct their minds to the great sacrifice to be offered for the sins of men. Viewed in the light of the cross, they contain most precious lessons for the people of God today. Review and Herald, 01-09-83
As we gather up the divine rays shining from the gospel, we shall have a clearer insight into the Jewish economy, and a deeper appreciation of its important truths. Our exploration of truth is yet incomplete. We have gathered up only a few rays of light. Those who are not daily students of the Word will not solve the problems of the Jewish economy. They will not understand the truths taught by the temple service. The work of God is hindered by a worldly understanding of his great plan. The future life will unfold the meaning of the laws that Christ, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud, gave to his people. Spaulding-Magan Collection, p. 306
I want to encourage you to be a daily student of the Word. Give yourself to God as a living sacrifice. Give Him your best, live by His will, give Him the glory and honor He deserves.
Lessons from Leprosy: Leprosy in a House
Based on Leviticus 14:33-47
Leprosy is a very vivid symbol of sin and its effects on humanity. In the description and explanation of leprosy in a house we have another perspective on sin – how it affects where God lives and how He deals with it.
It may seem strange to us that a structure could get a disease, especially a building made of stone, bricks, and mortar. But as various kinds of mold and rot can affect a wooden structure, there must have been processes that would invade other materials to corrode and erode them away. It seems that anything man builds can be taken apart by the elements and processes of nature – fire, water, wind, rot, rust, earthquake – and it eventually crumbles into the dust and disappears. We also have God’s statement in verse 34, “. . . I put the plague of leprosy in a house . . .” If God curses something, it is cursed even though we may not be able to explain the why’s and how’s.
Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things (sexual perversions): for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. Leviticus 18:24, 25
Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. Zechariah 5:3, 4
When there was a suspected case of leprosy in a house, the Priest was notified to come and survey the situation to determine if it really was the dreaded plague. (Leviticus 14:35)
God came to personally evaluate Sodom and Gomorrah before He destroyed them.
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. Genesis 18:20, 21
The Priest would not enter the house to inspect it until it had been emptied and prepared. The reason for this is stated: “that all that is in the house be not made unclean.” Apparently, at the point in time when the Priest pronounced that something was unclean is when it actually was considered unclean. If the contents of the house were removed before he pronounced, “This is unclean,” they were excluded from the quarantine and later condemnation, and could be used as normal. Once the house had been declared unclean, any contact with it by persons or articles caused unclean-ness. (v. 36)
I find this to be an an interesting idea. It tells me that when God makes a statement about something, it becomes reality in His mind at that time and He will act in accordance with it. He considers it to be so when He declares it is so. I don’t know how far-reaching this principle is, but I find reassurance in it as it is related to the following statement:
If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned. Steps to Christ, p. 62
When God justifies a sinner, erasing the record of his past, at that point in time He thinks of that person as though he had never sinned; and He will treat him that way. The thief dying on the cross next to Jesus had lived a terrible life. The record of his past was filled with evil. But when he asked for forgiveness, that record was totally wiped clean. At that point in time, in the Court of Heaven, God declared him sinless and Jesus could reassure him that he would be saved. We can have confidence that God will do the same for us.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. . . . If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:7, 9
God’s justified people can take courage from this, but those who have not accepted the salvation He offers have cause for great concern and fear because, at some time in the near future, God is going to make this announcement:
. . . the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Revelation 22:10, 11
Using the guidelines God had given as his criteria, the Priest would inspect the house, then quarantine it for 7 days to allow time for any change or development of the condition. When he re-inspected the house, if the condition had spread, the affected parts were removed and replaced, and time was again allowed for developments. If the condition continued to spread, the whole structure was condemned and destroyed and anyone who had contact with it was considered temporarily unclean. (vv. 37-45)
There are 2 scenarios that come to mind in reading this, two instances where God has had to deal with the plague of sin. The first occurred in His own home – heaven. That is where the plague of sin first appeared – in Lucifer’s heart. From him it spread to a portion of the angels. The affected beings were evicted and sent to this earth. (see Isa. 14; Ezek. 28; Rev. 12) As far as we know, the plague of sin did not return in heaven.
The second situation God had to deal with was our home – this earth. He “inspected” the earth and saw a serious condition:
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5
He destroyed the affected parts by a flood but kept the main structure and started over. It is obvious that the condition has not improved; sin has returned and gotten worse, and He will soon condemn the whole thing to destruction.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 2 Peter 3:10-12
We have the wonderful assurance that when God builds a new home for us, we will not have to worry about the “plague” returning.
But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. Nahum 1:8, 9
The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love. The Great Controversy, p. 678
Notice that the affected parts of the structure were removed and replaced, then the whole house was scraped and replastered. It was not enough to just plaster over the problem.
God wants to save us from sin, get it out of our lives, so it doesn’t continue to develop and spread. He doesn’t merely forgive our sins and forget them. That would be comparable to applying a Bandaid to cancer or a deeply infected wound. He wants to deal with the source of the problem and cure it.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
If, after the quarantine and renovation, the priest determined that what at first appeared as a “plague” was only a minor blemish or a condition that was cured by removing and replacing the affected parts, then the house needed to be cleansed by the same ritual as for a person who recovered from leprosy – two birds along with cedar, scarlet, and hyssop. (vv. 48-53)
There was a difference between a condition that was temporary and could be cured, and a condition that was invasive and persistent, and could not be cured. A house that was infected with incurable leprosy was destroyed; one that could be “cured” was saved but still required cleansing.
In comparing leprosy to sin, consider the following verses:
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Matthew 12:31, 32
If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 1 John 5:16, 17
Some things in our lives are not good or right; we do things that are not according to God’s ways, sometimes by mistake, neglect, lack of knowledge, etc. These are all “unrighteousness” and are classed as sin in God’s perspective even though we or those around us may overlook them. These things need to be changed, cured, forgiven, cleansed. If we allow God to deal with them, take them out of our lives, and “cure” us of them, He is willing and able to do that. Atonement can be accomplished and we can be restored to being His dwelling place. But there is a big difference between a mistake and a crime. If we do “unrighteousness” deliberately, persist in our ways, hold on to the sin, and don’t let God cure it, He has no choice but to destroy us. We are not a suitable place for Him to live.
The Lord is willing to show us our faults as fast as we are willing to put them away and overcome them. Review and Herald, 05-11-76
For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:26-31
There is an interesting Bible passage that gives a good principle to live by (among the many others in the Bible).
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 1 Peter 3:10, 11
What caught my attention in these verses is the phrase “eschew evil.” The original Greek word, “ekklinato,” means to deviate, move away from, turn aside. The old English word “eschew” has a more colorful background. It means to shun or avoid, to be startled or afraid, to shy (like a startled horse). In Bible times, people would respond in this way to leprosy. This is the way we should respond to sin and evil wherever it appears – be startled by it (instead of being so accustomed to it that we hardly take notice of it), shy away from it, shun and avoid it.
Lessons from Leprosy: Leprosy in a Garment
Based on Leviticus 13:47-59
Leprosy is a very graphic illustration of sin and its effects on humanity: it is contagious and needs to be quarantined; it is invasive, deforming, debilitating; it is terminal. During Bible times, nobody recovered from it except through a direct miracle of God.
In the first part of Leviticus 13, God gave guidelines for determining if a person had contracted leprosy. Toward the end of the chapter, He describes what to do if a garment appeared to have a similar problem. These guidelines applied to any type of cloth or leather article – clothing, vessel, or instrument – and are referring to some type of mold or mildew. If the owner noticed that there was an unusual color – greenish (pale green) or reddish – he was to notify a Priest to have the article evaluated. The priest would initially examine it and quarantine it 7 days. If the discoloration had spread within that time, it was considered a corroding plague and the article was burned. If it had not spread, it was washed and quarantined 7 more days. If, after washing, the color of the plague was unchanged, though it had not spread, it was burned. If it had changed color darker, that part was taken out. If, after removal, it still persisted, it was burned. If washing seemed to cure the problem, it was washed again and was then considered clean.
1. suspicion
2. evaluation
3. quarantined 7 days
4. inspection
A. if spread, it was UNCLEAN and was burned
B. if not spread, it was laundered and quarantined 7 days
5. inspection
A. if no change in color, it was UNCLEAN and burned
B. if changed to a darker color, that part was torn out and the garment quarantined again
6. inspection
A. if still present, it was UNCLEAN and burned
B. if disappeared, it was CLEAN and laundered and useable
This protocol involves some interesting symbolism revealing how and why God has dealt with sin in the way He has. When sin first appeared in humanity (Adam and Eve), He quarantined them from the rest of the universe’s inhabitants.
And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Genesis 3:22-24
When sin developed to an alarming level in the earth, He first “laundered” it with a flood.
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. Genesis 6:5-7
When sin and rebellion reoccurred after the flood, He separated the people.
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Genesis 11:5-8
Because sin has persisted, the earth and its sinful inhabitants will finally be burned.
When the article was evaluated after the first quarantine, if it was not condemned outright as unclean, it was washed and re-evaluated. If it was determined to be clean after other inspections, it was washed again before it could be used normally. God’s people are initially washed (baptism), then given time for development, then evaluated again.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isaiah 1:16-20
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Revelation 1:5
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Matthew 16:27
After a lifetime of character development, many receive a special baptism to bring them to completeness – the baptism of suffering.
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Matthew 3:11
But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: Mark 10:38, 39
Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 1 Peter 4:1
The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger – a faith that will not faint though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His victory is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer. All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it. Wrestling with God – how few know what it is! How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God with intensity of desire until every power is on the stretch. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how few cling with unyielding faith to the promises of God. The Great Controversy, p. 621
In relation to all this symbolism, the questions come to mind (and are answered):
Why are we still here?
Why has sin been allowed to go on for so long?
God is allowing time to observe developments. Wherever sin persists, does not change, or gets worse, He will destroy. Where there is a change for the better, He will cleanse and save.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. Revelation 17:14
In considering the protocol that God gave for dealing with leprosy, one of the thoughts that occurred to me was that the Priest did not go out on patrol looking for the leprosy so he could condemn the person or house or garment wherever he discovered it. The individual came to the Priest with the suspected problem and then the Priest took appropriate action. God is omnipresent (everywhere at once); He is omniscient (knows everything); He is omnipotent (all-powerful). He has the ability to find and eliminate sin wherever it occurs by merely exercising those powers, but He allows us the opportunity to come to Him so He can work with us in a cooperative way to take care of the problem. He does not go against our will until the time of final judgment when He speaks those fateful words:
. . . the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Revelation 22:10, 11
We need to invite our Priest to examine us and deal with the sin that we are aware of and to reveal what we may not be aware of yet. He is the faithful and true Witness (Rev. 3:14); we can trust His evaluation.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23, 24
Lessons from Leprosy
And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be. Lev 13:45, 46
How would you react if you heard that someone in your church had AIDS?! Would you wonder who it is so you could avoid them? What thoughts would you have about their lifestyle and reputation?
People’s ideas about leprosy in those long-ago days were sort of like many of our thoughts about AIDS today. Think of how you would react if you were shaking hands with someone and they told you that they had AIDS. You would probably gulp, blink, let go of their hand, back up, avoid them, etc. We immediately think about how contagious it is, how terminal it is, and of course the lifestyle that is usually associated with it. It was the same with leprosy except with the added concept that “this person is obviously a terrible sinner that God is punishing. I don’t dare have anything to do with them.”
Of all diseases known in the East the leprosy was most dreaded. Its incurable and contagious character, and its horrible effect upon its victims, filled the bravest with fear. Among the Jews it was regarded as a judgment on account of sin, and hence was called “the stroke,” “the finger of God.” Deep-rooted, ineradicable, deadly, it was looked upon as a symbol of sin. By the ritual law, the leper was pronounced unclean. Like one already dead, he was shut out from the habitations of men. Whatever he touched was unclean. The air was polluted by his breath. One who was suspected of having the disease must present himself to the priests, who were to examine and decide his case. If pronounced a leper, he was isolated from his family, cut off from the congregation of Israel, and was doomed to associate with those only who were similarly afflicted. The law was inflexible in its requirement. Even kings and rulers were not exempt. A monarch who was attacked by this terrible disease must yield up the scepter, and flee from society.
“Away from his friends and his kindred, the leper must bear the curse of his malady. He was obliged to publish his own calamity, to rend his garments, and sound the alarm, warning all to flee from his contaminating presence. The cry, “Unclean! unclean!” coming in mournful tones from the lonely exile, was a signal heard with fear and abhorrence.” DA 262
There are at least three cases in the Bible where God used leprosy as a punishment for sin: Miriam (Numbers 12); Gehazi (2 Kings 5); King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26). But I would like to suggest that God did not invent leprosy just for that purpose. It’s a result of living in a sinful world. God required that this type of problem be put under strict quarantine to protect the rest of the people from an epidemic.
I would like to share several lessons from leprosy and how it is a good symbol or metaphor for sin.
Sin and evil is contagious–it spreads very easily.
When Lucifer invented his rebellious ideas in heaven, he was able to infect 1/3 of the other angels with them. When Adam and Eve had a family, the sin problem spread to all of them. And there are many examples all through the Bible and in history when anger, rebellion, and other kinds of evil spread like wildfire through whole groups of people. Sin is extremely contagious.
Sin is ugly in its process just like leprosy .
We can see all kinds of awful stuff around us that is a result of the sin epidemic. Isn’t it interesting that the things that God designed to be so good and beautiful when they are done His way can be so terrible when they are done Satan’s way.
Sin is terminal.
God told Adam and Eve that they would die if they disobeyed. He designed it that way; not that He designed sin, but He designed His system in such a way that sin would destroy itself. He designed us to live and function under the complete direction of His spirit in all aspects of our lives. When Adam and Eve did that, things were great. When they didn’t and when we don’t, everything deteriorates. Turning away from God, doing things our way instead of His way will always result in death and destruction. Sometimes that result comes immediately, sometimes it is slower; but it will come.
For the wages of sin is death . . . Romans 6:23
There is no hope of recovery from this plague without God’s direct intervention. We are born with a sinful nature and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it by ourselves.
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Jeremiah 13:23
When you go out to some of the old cemeteries, you can find many grave stones with the same year marked on them, like 1918. Many of them are the graves of young people, some just babies. They died in the flu epidemics that came through the area. Sometimes whole families were wiped out. If only there could have been some way to isolate and control the germs early, it would have prevented so much trouble and sorrow.
Drastic action is sometimes necessary to control sin.
God had to take drastic action to quarantine sin and control its spread just like leprosy had to be strictly quarantined in Bible times and maybe other diseases should have been. It is because sin is contagious and awful and terminal that God threw Lucifer and his followers out of heaven, Adam and Eve were sent out of the garden, and this earth is isolated from contact with other sinless beings in the universe. It’s terrible, but it had to be that way in order to protect others.
Drastic action may be required in your own personal life where sin is discovered.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:29, 30
Jesus is basically saying that if there is something that you are seeing or doing that you recognize as a moral problem–as sin, as something that comes between you and God–do whatever is necessary to get it out of your life even if it is a really drastic measure. In the verse just before this He was talking to men about looking at women.
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:28
Men, what goes through your thoughts when you are going down the street on a hot day and you see her walking there? How much do you look? Or you are watching TV and a commercial comes on? What happens in your mind when it’s flashed in front of you? Do you linger for some mental enjoyment? or do you choose to turn away from it? Or for anyone, what about the TV with its soap operas, sports, news and other violent or corrupt shows. Or maybe it’s books, magazines, internet or DVD’s that are the source of corruption in our hearts and thoughts. We just get used to it and soon come to enjoy it and become addicted to it. These are just a few examples of some leprosy problems that can be a part of our lives. We may overlook them, but God doesn’t.
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, 1 Peter 3:10, 11
“Let him eschew evil.” That word eschew means “avoid, be startled and turn away, shy away from” like you avoid approaching a skunk, or you get very startled and probably run for your life when you hear a rattlesnake, or a horse will shy at something and jump to the side. That is how we should respond to evil. We can’t stop temptations from coming, but we can decide what we are going to do when they pop up. We can’t stop the devil from displaying his stuff and urging us to take it, but we don’t have to make the purchase.
When temptation shows up, the choices we make will have eternal consequences. Whatever we do or think that follows God’s ways will build us up into His image. But anything we do or think that is outside of His plan will do some kind of damage in our lives. We may not recognize or understand it but the damage is done. We may have to take some drastic action to keep our minds pure, to protect our relationships with God and our spouses and other people.
Sin is contagious, ugly, and terminal; and may require some difficult and severe measures to bring it under control. God doesn’t want anything in our lives that will separate us from Him or create problems with other people. He doesn’t want the leprosy–the cancer–of sin to destroy us, so He tells us to do whatever is necessary to protect ourselves, to guard our minds, and guide our choices.
Leprosy was usually terminal as Jesus implied in Luke 4:27, but it was not necessarily that way because God made provisions in Leviticus 14 for the cleansing and restoration of a leper if he was healed.
There is another aspect to this leprosy issue that teaches me something very important about God.
And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. Mark 1:40, 41
Imagine this man, coming in his rags (remember, he was supposed to tear his clothes), looking like parts of him were already dead, and smelling like that, too. Everyone tried to get out of his way or to stop him from coming too close without actually touching him. He didn’t care, he just wanted to get to Jesus to make that desperate request. I like what it says–Jesus was filled with compassion and reached out and touched the man and healed him. Everyone else was scared and avoiding him and thinking, “What a terrible sinner!” But God didn’t hate him, He hadn’t struck him with the plague because of some sin. He loved him, He didn’t want him to suffer, He wanted him to be well and happy again. That’s what Jesus was saying when He answered him, “I want to heal you.”
Here again we can compare leprosy to sin. God hates sin but He loves the person and He wants the sin problem to be cleared up. He loves people no matter what kind of sinner they might be. Sin causes us all sorts of trouble and sorrow and pain, and it will ultimately destroy us. It has caused Him a lot of trouble, too, but He doesn’t hold it against us when we want to get right with Him. He doesn’t have the attitude, “You have offended me and I don’t like you because of what you have done.” He doesn’t think like that. He tells us that all types of sin can be forgiven. Even those who killed Jesus were forgivable because God has a forgiving attitude toward us.
You might have broken any of the commandments 500 times in a row, but when you recognize your condition–that you are separated from God, that you have made bad choices, that you have been part of Satan’s rebellion against God, and that you will ultimately be destroyed–when you choose to turn back to God and get right with Him, YOU ARE FORGIVEN. He has compassion, you are not too corrupt for Him to accept, even though others might reject you or you might hate yourself for what you have done. You might feel like you are totally worthless because others have treated you like that all your life, or maybe someone has even said to you something like, “You worthless, no-good scum. You will never amount to anything.” But to God, you are worth a lot. It might seem like nobody could ever love you because nobody ever has before, but God loves you. He’s not like us humans. God is like Jesus who forgave prostitutes and thieves and murderers. He healed leprosy and I bet He would have healed AIDS, too, if someone had come to Him with it.
We can learn a lot about God’s forgiveness from seeing how he treated those with leprosy. And it is a reminder to us of how we should treat those who appear “unclean,” the scum of society, the rejects of the community, those whose lifestyle includes things we don’t approve of. We ourselves have done a lot of things that God doesn’t approve of but He loves us anyway. Can we learn to look beyond people’s actions, the stuff they have done or are still doing, and see value in them personally? Can we overlook the fact that they don’t keep their home the way we keep ours, or they smell a little different, or they have a prison record or a shady reputation? Can we see them as a person in need of acceptance and love and care, and just as valuable to God as we are? I hope so.
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40
The lessons we can learn from leprosy are:
Sin is terrible in every way and will destroy us if we don’t take care of it with God’s help.
We need to do whatever it takes to keep sin out of our lives even if it means some drastic action like getting rid of something we actually enjoy.
God overlooks all of the garbage in our lives and sees the value in us personally and loves us with an incredible love.
We need to do that for others–every human being desperately needs that kind of love and caring.
I am looking forward to the time when all this leprosy of sin will be cleared up and we won’t have to be under quarantine anymore.