Leviticus 13: The priest examines the plague
Begin in prayer
Before you open Leviticus 13, where the priest examines skin plagues and mildewed garments and the leper dwells outside the camp, bow your heads. Ask the Lord to search our hearts and show us Jesus, who touched the leper and suffered outside the gate.
For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
Isaiah 64:6
Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us that You see beneath the surface where our sin spreads, and lead us to Jesus, who alone can make the unclean clean. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.
See where we're going
In Leviticus 13 the LORD instructs Moses and Aaron how the priests must examine skin plagues and mildewed garments. When a person has a rising, scab or bright spot, the priest checks whether it looks deeper than the skin with white hair. In doubtful cases, the priest isolates the person for seven days, and again for seven more days, to see whether the spot spreads. The chapter gives careful tests for chronic leprosy, a body turned white, boils, burns, head or beard sores, rashes and baldness. Anyone pronounced leprous must wear torn clothes, let his hair hang loose, cover his upper lip, cry Unclean, and dwell alone outside the camp. Finally, the priest examines greenish or reddish mildew in wool, linen or leather garments, burning what spreads and washing what fades.
As you read Leviticus 13, look for the answers:
- What two signs does the priest look for in verse 3, and how long does he isolate a doubtful case? (verses 3 to 5)
- What must a leprous man wear, cry out, and do while the plague is in him? (verses 45 and 46)
- What happens to a garment or leather item when destructive mildew spreads in it? (verses 51 and 52)
Reflect together
Key truth
The priest could only examine and pronounce uncleanness, while Christ makes the unclean clean.
Throughout all fifty-nine verses of Leviticus 13, the priest never once cures a single spot. Having a skin disease was a ceremonial uncleanness, not a moral sin in itself, yet it visibly pictured how sin works. The priest looked for a plague “deeper than the body’s skin” and checked after seven days whether it had spread (verses 3 to 8). A surface scar or harmless rash was clean, while a deep, spreading plague was pronounced unclean (verses 22, 23 and 39). Anyone with the plague wore torn clothes, cried Unclean, and had to live “Outside of the camp” (verses 45 and 46). That separation kept God's holy dwelling from being defiled. Even a mildewed garment that kept spreading had to be burned (verse 52). What the priest could only diagnose, Jesus healed with a touch, suffering outside the gate (Mark 1 verse 41, Hebrews 13 verse 12).
How does Leviticus 13 show us that the priest could only examine and pronounce uncleanness, while Christ makes the unclean clean?
The priest watches patiently to see if a plague is deep and spreading.
When someone had a rising, scab or bright spot, he was brought to the priest (verse 2). If the hair turned white and the plague was “deeper than the body’s skin,” the priest pronounced him unclean (verse 3). Otherwise the priest isolated him for seven days, and seven more days, watching whether the mark spread (verses 4 to 8). Man looks on the outside, while the Lord searches what lies deep within the heart.
The unclean leper must cry Unclean and dwell alone outside the camp.
Not every blemish was leprosy, for a dull white rash or baldness was pronounced clean (verses 39 to 41). Yet when true leprosy was found, the man wore torn clothes and cried out that he was unclean (verse 45). Verse 46 says that “Outside of the camp shall be his dwelling.” In Mark 1 verse 41, Jesus touched a leper and made him clean.
Spreading mildew in wool, linen or leather cannot be washed away and is burned.
In verses 47 to 50 a greenish or reddish plague in wool, linen or skin was isolated seven days. If it spread, it was “a destructive mildew” and had to be burned in the fire (verses 51 and 52). Only when a washed spot departed was the garment washed a second time and pronounced clean (verse 58).
Memorise
All the days in which the plague is in him he shall be unclean. He is unclean. He shall dwell alone. Outside of the camp shall be his dwelling.
Leviticus 13:46
Looking to Jesus in my life
Ask yourself in your heart, have I come to Jesus saying, Lord, if You are willing, make me clean?
In Leviticus 13, the priest examined every spot to see if it was “deeper than the body’s skin” and spreading. Yet the priest could never heal the man. All he could do was pronounce the verdict. And the leper had to wear torn clothes, cry out “Unclean! Unclean!” and live alone, for verse 46 says, “Outside of the camp shall be his dwelling.”
Our sin is far worse than a mark on the skin or mildew in a coat. It lies deep in the heart, it spreads into our words and deeds, and it shuts us out from the presence of a holy God. No law and no human priest could ever cure us. Yet when a leper came to Jesus in Mark 1 verses 40 to 42, Jesus touched him and made him clean at once. Then Jesus went outside the gate to the cross, took His people's guilt upon Himself, died in their place, and rose again. He bore it in full.
Do not hide the spreading sin in your heart or pretend it is only a harmless scar. Come to Jesus today, turn from your sin, and trust in Him. Everyone who comes to Christ is touched by His grace, forgiven, and brought near to God.
Parent's note
Tell your children that sin goes deeper than our skin and only Jesus can forgive and cleanse our hearts. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.
Pray together
Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God that Jesus reached out to touch the unclean and suffered outside the gate to bring sinners near, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.
He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Acts 15:9
Lord God, we confess that like the leper outside the camp, our hearts are unclean by nature and our own works cannot heal us. Thank You that Jesus was willing to touch the unclean and suffer outside the gate to bear our sins. Please cleanse our hearts by faith in Jesus and help us walk in truth this week. Amen.