Monday, November 5, 2012

Cleansed and Set FRee


Leviticus 14: 3-7 –The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him. If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease, the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed.  Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.  Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open field

 

God was not through giving Moses directions about leprosy…he added these verses for the rare occasion when a leper just happen to be cured. The ritual had them call for the priest to examine them…and if they were indeed found clean of leprosy…they were asked to bring two birds…a small stick of cedar wood…some hyssop branches…and tie them together in a bundle with the scarlet string. One of the birds was killed and the blood drained into a clay pot of fresh water…and the live bird was dipped together with the bundle of cedar and hyssop and sprinkled seven times onto the one cured of the leprosy. Then the live bird was set free...to fly out over the open fields around the camp.

 

What joy this ceremony must have brought to the one declared clean…what great relief must have been felt by his family as they anticipated the moment they would be together again. We could conjecture about why each object was used and why…but the important thing is that the ceremony gave them back their standing in the camp.  It declared to the whole nation of Israel that they were clean…and able to return to a normal life…that included the fellowship they had been deprived for so long.

 

The mental picture of that process had me immediately thinking about the joy and peace I felt when Jesus saved me.  His precious blood shed on that cross…dying to pay the price for my own sins….sins that had caused me to be separated from God’s great love and care. And as God allowed Jesus’ lifeless body to be dipped down into the depths of hell….his perfect life tore through the darkness and unleashed power that erupted a giant hole in Satan’s trap.  Satan could not hold him there…and he flew free to join his father in Heaven.

 

God’s love continues to save those that believe in his son’s act of love on that cross.  He takes all the sins we ever committed….and forgives them.  He intercedes for us as our high priest…and declares us clean. We don’t even have to be sprinkled with blood 7 times anymore…he just sets our sins on the wings of the heavens and sets us free like that dove. The chains that bound us to the world just fall off ...and his peace and love replace the worry and fear that held us in Satan’s grip.

 

Father…forgive me for not thanking you every day for the high price of my freedom. Keep a mental image of the pain you suffered to send your son to be the last sacrifice ever needed to pay for sin. And Jesus…thank you for your obedience…for listening to your father…and completing the painful job he sent you to do. There are no words that will ever allow me to totally comprehend that gift…until the father gets ahold of my heart like he did yours…and teaches me how to follow his perfect will too. Thank you both for sharing the Holy Spirit with me…help me to understand it more…and draw from its power ….and do the work you put me here to do. Amen.

 

 

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