2BC BIBLE STUDY NOTES
Wednesday in the Word
Second Baptist Church
January 2, 2019
Leviticus 14:33-54
On the last time we met, we looked at what had to be done when a person found out they had a serious skin disease. We looked at the steps that were required to determine if the skin disease was contagious and how a person could be found clean after a serious skin disease was determined. We were able to see that the skin disease was a real thing that needed to be taken care of or the community could suffer an outbreak and perish. Traditionally the term for skin disease was leprosy, but the Hebrew word used here and other places was an umbrella term for various skin diseases that were easily transmitted. What we will notice is that there is a difference between the healing and the ceremonial cleansing. God does the healing, but the priest was to perform the cleansing ritual. These infectious skin diseases ranged in severity with leprosy being the worst. Leprosy is a horrible bacterial disease that destroys nerves and tissues. Because a leper can feel no pain, sores are unattended. Scabs form, but never really heal. The oozing invites more infection and weakness. Lepers die a slow agonizing death, and he is constantly aware that death is stalking him. Dealing with these diseases early was essential for the life of the community. The Hebrew people would not survive long if they didn’t deal with these diseases early. We were also able to see that these diseases function as a physical symbol of what sin can do. Sin must be dealt with early before it spreads. Sin, just like those skin diseases, will consume you if not dealt with. In the same way that the skin diseases separated people from the community, sin always causes a separation. The good news is that God would bring healing to those that suffered in the same way God brings salvation to the sinner. In today’s lesson, we will discuss the issue of mold and mildew in homes. This is also a picture of sin and how we must deal with it seriously. If the skin disease pointed to our individual sin, the mold and mildew seem to point to our collective sin. How sin might get into systems, laws and organizations.
The laws that deal with such matters as mold, mildew, dry rot, and so on, made certain requirements on both the owner of the home and the priest, whose responsibility it was to conduct an examination of the rot as a building inspector. The priest has to function as a building inspector. What we learn is that governing of the community fell on the priest. In the same way, the priest had a responsibility to point out sin. Pointing out sin was a way for the community to thrive and not suffer judgment. Mold and Mildew are pictures of sin that can effect an entire family. In light of that biblical responsibility, let us divide the law on moldy houses into several sections to examine them separately before bringing them together. First, let us look at the initial responsibility of the building owner and the priest. Then, let us look at the biblical responsibilities for dealing with the first outbreak. Then, let us look at what happens if the leprous plague of mold or mildew or dry rot returns to a house that has already been examined. Finally, let us examine the responsibility of the proper owner after a house has been made clean.
Verses 33-38. Let us examine these responsibilities. First of all, the owner has the responsibility of going to the priest to determine if the growth is mold or mildew. This assumes that the priests have an expertise in recognizing the difference between molds/rots and those that are not. Therefore ancient Israel’s priests were required to be trained building inspectors in addition to their other duties (or perhaps there was a specialization of priests who were building inspectors). In the same way, the people of God should be able to recognize sinful activities that are harmful to the community. If the owner was a landlord, the owner’s responsibility was when the tenant complained to him about the mold. This was not a light action, as the house was to be emptied out because all that remained in the house became unclean. Items needed to be stored somewhere for an entire week. Notice the importance of getting away from the mold. There is some distance placed between the mold and things that are valuable. The mold could damage other valuable things. And that is exactly what sin does; it damages other things that were not initially connected to the sin.
Verses 39-42 gives the instructions of what to do after the quarantine of seven days is complete. The response to mold in a house. First of all, if the growth is mold (it has spread during the week), then the plaster or paint is to be scraped off and the rotted/moldy structure of the house is to be removed and replaced. It is also important to note, though, that this provision would require the community to and maintain a dump or landfill for unclean building materials that was outside of the city. Presumably, this area would remain permanently unclean due to the materials that were placed in it. Sin is something that is not always dealt with casually, but often times requires some serious action to keep it from spreading and infecting other things. At least a week of separation was required.
Verses 43-47 provides the instructions for what happens if mold returns to a house after it has been treated. If after the initial remediation, the mold or rot returns, and it is found to be spreading, the house is torn down. This is so the mold doesn’t infect other houses. Sin can go from house to house if not dealt with. Anyone who slept or ate in the house would be ceremonially unclean for the day, with the responsibility of washing (cleaning) one’s clothes, the same uncleanness one would have for touching bodily fluids or a corpse of any kind. Additionally, anyone who dwelt in a condemned house would now have to seek other housing after the building was condemned.
Verses 48-53 discusses the possibility that the leprosy has not spread in a house. If the priest returned and the mold has not spread, he is to do the same ritual that was done for the person with the skin disease. The priest gets two birds, fresh water, a clay pot, cedar wood, and scarlet yarn. The priest sacrifices one bird and let the blood of that bird flow into the clay pot. The priest then dips the live bird, the hyssop, the yarn, and the cedar wood into the blood of the dead bird and sprinkle the house with the blood. After sprinkling the blood, the priest is to release the bird into the open field. The bird fleeing in the open field is a symbol of the sin being removed.
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