Embark with us on a profound exploration into the ancient rituals of diagnosing leprosy, a journey that delves into the spiritual and physical realms of Leviticus 13. Imagine standing alongside priests of old as they meticulously interpret signs and symptoms of skin afflictions, determining an individual's purity. Our detailed narrative, enriched by the sacred texts, reveals the painstaking steps and isolation practices vital for those suspected of harboring this dreaded condition. The episode weaves a compelling tapestry of faith and medicine, as we unearth the delicate balance priests of antiquity maintained.
Fast-forward to our times, and the revelation hits—the specter of leprosy lingers, with modern cases still surfacing. Throughout this episode, we peel back the layers of misunderstanding about Hansen's disease, presenting the stark contrasts between ancient isolation and today's medical triumphs. Dive into the current landscape of leprosy, its transmission, and the revolutionary treatments now available. As we navigate this topic, we honor the resilience of those affected and celebrate the progress that lends hope where once there was fear.
Finally, we draw parallels between the isolation commanded in biblical times and our own recent experiences during the global pandemic. Reflecting upon the quarantine and its role in cleansing, we find wisdom in age-old practices while considering their place in our contemporary world. This episode is a testament to the enduring human spirit, confronting illness and seeking healing across the ages. So, join us as we prepare to delve deeper into the cleansing laws of Leviticus 14 in our upcoming session, continuing this enlightening journey through time and tradition.
Embark with us on a profound exploration into the ancient rituals of diagnosing leprosy, a journey that delves into the spiritual and physical realms of Leviticus 13. Imagine standing alongside priests of old as they meticulously interpret signs and symptoms of skin afflictions, determining an individual's purity. Our detailed narrative, enriched by the sacred texts, reveals the painstaking steps and isolation practices vital for those suspected of harboring this dreaded condition. The episode weaves a compelling tapestry of faith and medicine, as we unearth the delicate balance priests of antiquity maintained.
Fast-forward to our times, and the revelation hits—the specter of leprosy lingers, with modern cases still surfacing. Throughout this episode, we peel back the layers of misunderstanding about Hansen's disease, presenting the stark contrasts between ancient isolation and today's medical triumphs. Dive into the current landscape of leprosy, its transmission, and the revolutionary treatments now available. As we navigate this topic, we honor the resilience of those affected and celebrate the progress that lends hope where once there was fear.
Finally, we draw parallels between the isolation commanded in biblical times and our own recent experiences during the global pandemic. Reflecting upon the quarantine and its role in cleansing, we find wisdom in age-old practices while considering their place in our contemporary world. This episode is a testament to the enduring human spirit, confronting illness and seeking healing across the ages. So, join us as we prepare to delve deeper into the cleansing laws of Leviticus 14 in our upcoming session, continuing this enlightening journey through time and tradition.
Thank you for joining me. It is a pleasure having you here Open your Bible to Leviticus, chapter 13. The title of today's lesson is the Test for Leprosy. Let's get our calls out of the way. I want to thank you for listening to this podcast, wherever you may be getting it, whether it be Apple, spotify, amazon, iheart, just to name a few. And don't forget, you can check out the Buzzsprout page where you can get a transcript of all of the lessons that I give. It is bussproutcom for slash barian's corner. And don't forget about the YouTube page, barian's corner, and in the description page over there. There's everywhere that I can be found. Spread the word to your family, friends, your loved ones that there's a brother out here who goes through books of the Bible chapter by chapter, verse 1. With that said, leviticus 13. Let's read.
Speaker 2:And the soar appears to be more than skin deep, it is an infectious skin disease.
Speaker 2:When the priest examines him, he shall pronounce him ceremonially unclean.
Speaker 2:If the spot on his skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to put the infected person in isolation for seven days. On the seventh day the priest is to examine him, and if he sees that the soar is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to keep him in isolation another seven days. On the seventh day, the priest is to examine him again, and if the soar has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is only a rash. The man must wash his clothes and he will be clean. But if the rash does spread in his skin, after he has shown himself to the priest to be pronounced clean, he must appear before the priest again. The priest is to examine him and if the rash has spread in the skin, he shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infectious disease. When anyone has an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to the priest. The priest is to examine him, and if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white, and if there is raw flesh in the swelling, it is a chronic skin disease and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He is not to put him in isolation, because he is already unclean. If the disease breaks out all over his skin and, so far as the priest can see, it covers all the skin of the infected person, from head to foot, the priest is to examine him and if the disease has covered his whole body he shall pronounce that person clean. Since it has all turned white, he is clean, but whenever raw flesh appears on him he will be unclean. When the priest sees the raw flesh, he shall pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean. He has an infectious disease. Should the raw flesh change and turn white, he must go to the priest. The priest is to examine him and if the sores have turned white, the priest shall pronounce the infected person clean. Then he will be clean.
Speaker 2:When someone has a boil on his skin and it heals and in the place where the boil was a white swelling or reddish white spot appears, he must present himself to the priest. The priest is to examine it and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease that has broken out where the boil was. But if, when the priest examines it, there is no white hair in it and it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to put him in isolation for seven days. If it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is infectious. But if the spot is unchanged and has not spread, it is only a scar from the boil and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
Speaker 2:When someone has a burn on his skin and a reddish, white or white spot appears in the raw flesh of the burn, the priest is to examine the spot, and if the hair in it has turned white and it appears to be more than skin deep it is an infectious disease that has broken out in the burn the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease. But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot and if it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to put him in isolation for seven days. On the seventh day the priest is to examine him and if it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease. If, however, the spot is unchanged and has not spread in the skin but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn and the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is only a scar from the burn.
Speaker 2:If a man or woman has a sore on the head or on the chin, the priest is to examine the sore and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it is yellow and thin, the priest shall pronounce that person unclean. It is an itch and infectious disease of the head or chin. But if, when the priest examines this kind of sore, it does not seem to be more than skin deep and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to put the infected person in isolation for seven days. On the seventh day, the priest is to examine the sore and if the itch has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it and it does not appear to be more than skin deep, he must be shaved, except for the diseased area, and the priest is to keep him in isolation another seven days. On the seventh day, the priest is to examine the itch, and if it has not spread in the skin and appears to be no more than skin deep, the priest shall pronounce him clean. He must wash his clothes and he will be clean. But if the itch does spread in the skin after he is pronounced clean, the priest is to examine him. And if the itch has spread in the skin, the priest does not need to look for yellow hair. The person is unclean. If, however, in his judgment, it is unchanged and black hair has grown in it, the itch is healed. He is clean and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
Speaker 2:When a man or woman has white spots on the skin, the priest is to examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that is broken out on the skin. That person is clean. When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean. If he has lost his hair from the front of his scalp and has a bald forehead, he is clean. And if he has a reddish white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease breaking out on his head or forehead. The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish, white, like an infectious skin disease. The man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head. The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out unclean, unclean. As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone. He must live outside the camp.
Speaker 2:If any clothing is contaminated with mildew, if any woolen or linen clothing, any woven or knitted material of linen or wool, any leather or anything made of leather, and if the contamination in the clothing or leather or woven or knitted material or any leather article is greenish or reddish, it is a spreading mildew. It must be shown to the priest. The priest is to examine the mildew and isolate the affected article for seven days. On the seventh day he is to examine it and if the mildew has spread in the clothing or the woven or knitted material or the leather, whatever its use, it is a destructive mildew. The article is unclean. He must burn up the clothing or the woven or knitted material of wool or linen or any leather article that has the contamination in it. Because the mildew is destructive, the article must be burned up. But if, when the priest examines it, the mildew has not spread in the clothing or the woven or knitted material or the leather article, he shall order that the contaminated article be washed. Then he is to isolate it.
Speaker 2:For another seven days After the affected article has been washed, the priest is to examine it and if the mildew has not changed its appearance, even though it has not spread, it is unclean Burn it with fire, whether the mildew has affected one side or the other. If, when the priest examines it, the mildew has faded after the article has been washed, he is to tear the contaminated part out of the clothing or the leather or the woven or knitted material. But if it reappears in the clothing or in the woven or knitted material or in the leather article, it is spreading and whatever has the mildew must be burned with fire. The clothing or the woven or knitted material or any leather article that has been washed and is rid of the mildew must be washed again and it will be clean. These are the regulations concerning contamination by mildew in woolen or linen clothing, woven or knitted material or any leather article, for pronouncing them clean or unclean.
Speaker 1:Alright now. The last time we were together we looked at the laws of motherhood and, as mentioned earlier, today we are looking at the test of leprosy. This is a long chapter as if you just read along it is 59 verses and it is pretty much full of diagnosis for leprosy. But we will break this down into 8 parts. Part 1, skin eruptions were diagnosed. We see this in verses 1-8.
Speaker 1:Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying when a man has on the skin of his body a swelling or a scab or a brace spot and it becomes an infection of leprosy on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one of his sons, the priest. And the priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the body and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy. When the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean. But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin and the hair on it has turned white, then the priest shall isolate him. Who has the infection for seven days and the priest shall look at him on the seventh day. And if, in his eyes, the infection has not changed and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days and the priest shall look at him again on the seventh day and if the infection has faded and the mark has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is only a scab and he shall wash his clothes and be clean. But if the scab spreads further on the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall again appear to the priest and the priest shall look, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean.
Speaker 1:It is leprosy. As I mentioned, this whole chapter is pretty much full of ways that the priest had to diagnose a man if he had leprosy. Now we know that this was thousands of years ago, but, believe it or not, leprosy has actually sprung his head back up. It is actually alive and well, I actually have a clip I'm gonna play and, believe it or not, this is just from last summer, and by last summer I mentioned, I mean the summer of 2023, that there are leprosy cases breaking all over the world, but this case has to do with right here in the United States. So hang tight and listen to this clip about leprosy.
Speaker 3:There definitely is leprosy in the United States. Now most of it is imported, but we do have homegrown leprosy here, principally in Texas and Florida.
Speaker 4:For many, leprosy may seem like a problem from biblical times, but Dr Nicole Iovine, the chief hospital epidemiologist at the University of Florida, tells me the disease is very much still around. In fact, leprosy could now be endemic in central Florida.
Speaker 3:Endemic means something that is that is circulating and is present at all times, and it can be at a low level.
Speaker 4:According to a new research letter from the CDC, Florida is among the top states with the most new cases of leprosy. That's based on data from 2020, the latest research data available. So far this year in Florida, there have been 15 confirmed cases of leprosy according to the state, and most of those cases are in Brevard County. In fact, Brevard has seen the most leprosy cases in Florida since 2011, and in 2020, Brevard accounted for over 12% of all leprosy cases in the country. So what happens if someone has leprosy? Dr Iovine says that usually means lesions on the skin.
Speaker 3:You have something that's like, you know, a few centimeters on your arm and you can't feel it. That's going to be different from a typical rash, which is going to be itchy or some other way that you would identify with a normal rash. So it is distinct. It can be extremely disfiguring though, so it definitely causes a lot of distress.
Speaker 4:So how does someone contract leprosy? Dr Iovine says usually armadillos are to blame.
Speaker 3:Physical contact is really what you need. You need to have physical contact with an infected armadillo.
Speaker 4:Dr Iovine says fortunately antibiotics are very effective at treating leprosy. In Orlando, marlene Martinez West 2 News.
Speaker 1:All right, and that clip is, excuse me, courtesy of NBC News. So, as surprising as it may be, leprosy is still around to this day. Moving on, we will start. We will jump back into part two Chronic skin diseases diagnosed. We see this in verses nine through 17. When the infection of leprosy on a man, then he shall be brought to the priest. The priest shall then look and if there is a white swelling in the skin and it has turned the hair white and there is quick raw flesh in the swelling, it is a chronic leprosy on the skin of his body and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He shall not isolate him, for he is unclean. And if the leprosy breaks out farther on the skin and the leprosy covers all the skin on him, who has the infection? From his head even to his feet, as far as the priest can see, even the priest shall look and behold. If the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce clean Him who has the infection. It has all turned white and he is clean. But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean and the priest shall look at the raw flesh and he shall pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean, it is leprosy, or if the raw flesh turns again and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest. And if the priest shall look at him and behold, if the infection has turned too white, then the priest shall pronounce him excuse me, pronounce clean him who has the infection? He is clean. Now, these are all duties that the priest had to do, and you notice that this unclean man had to go to the priest. He had to go to someone holy, so to speak, to be pronounced clean or unclean. Which brings us to part three boils and infected skin. Look at verses 18 through 23. When the body has a boil on his skin and is healed and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish, white bright spot, then it shall be shown excuse me, shown to the priest, and the priest shall look and behold. If it appears to be lured in the skin and the hair on it has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the infection of leprosy, it has broken out in the boil. But if the priest looks at it and behold, there are no white hairs in it and it is not lured in the skin and it is faded and the priest shall isolate him for seven days. And if it spreads farther on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infection. But if the bright spot remains in its place and does not spread, it is only the scar of the boil and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
Speaker 1:Part four burns and infected skin. Look at verses 24 through 28. Or if the body sustains in its skin a burn by fire and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish or white, then the priest shall look at it. And if the hair in the bright spot has turned white, it appears to be deeper than the skin. It is leprosy, it has broken out in the burn. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infection of leprosy. But if the priest looks at it and indeed there is no white skin in the bright spot, it is no deeper than the skin but is dim, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days and the priest shall look at him on the seventh day. If it spreads farther in the skin than the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infection of leprosy. But if the bright spot remains in its place and has not spread in the skin but is dim. It is the swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is only the scar of the burn. These are things that the Lord gave to Moses because, you got to remember, in this time there was no internet, there was no way to look up things, so how would these people know if something was infectious or not? The Lord gave the word to his servant, moses, and he spread it on to the people. This is how they would know and this was a duty, something the priest had to pay high attention to, because this was the duty for him to perform.
Speaker 1:Part five skin disease in the head and or beard. We see this in verses 29 through 37. Now, if a man or woman has an infection on the head or on the beard, then the priest shall look at the infection and if it appears to be deeper than the skin and there is thin, yellowish hair in it, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a scale, it is leprosy of the head or of the beard. But if the priest looks at the infection of the scale and indeed it appears to be no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the person with the scaly infection for seven days, and on the seventh day the priest shall look at the infection and if the scale has not spread and no yellowish hair has grown in it and the appearance of the skill is no deeper than the skin, then he shall shave himself. But he shall not shave the scale and the priest shall isolate the person with the scale for seven more days. Then, on the seventh day, the priest shall look at the scale and if the scale has not spread in the skin and it appears to be no deeper than the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean and he shall wash his clothes and be clean. But if the scale spreads farther in the skin after his cleansing, then the priest shall look at him and if the scale has spread in the skin, the priest need not seek for the yellowish hair. He is unclean. If, in his sight, the scale has remained, however, the black hair has grown in it, the scale has healed, he is clean and the priest shall pronounce him clean. Now you gotta understand that this would have taken some doing, because all the men I would say pretty much all, or most of the men in these days had beards and sometimes it is hard to see these type of infections in the beard. So the priest had to do a thorough inspection here.
Speaker 1:Part six bright spot on the skin is diagnosed. We see this in verses 38 and 39. And when a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body, even white bright spots, then the priest shall look and if the bright spots on the skin of their bodies are a faint white, it is eczema that has broken out on the skin. He is clean. So everything that was scaly or kinda you know looking, or a scabby or kinda itchy was a necessary leprosy. Part seven baldness was diagnosed. We see this in verses 40 to 44.
Speaker 1:Now if a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald, he is clean. And if his head becomes bald at the front and sides he is bald on the forehead, he is clean. But if on the bald head or the bald forehead there occurs a reddish white infection, it is leprosy breaking out on his head or on his bald forehead Then the priest shall look at him and if the swelling of the infection is reddish white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, like the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the body. He is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean. His affection is on his head. I think that this was brought up because it wasn't very common for men to really have bald heads in these days, and maybe this was a way for them to let them know that if a man was losing his hair, it didn't necessarily mean that he was leprous or had something else. It could just be to the fact that he's just losing his hair. It didn't mean that he necessarily had anything.
Speaker 1:Now we move to part eight. Clothing was diagnosed for diseases. We see this in verses 45 through 59. As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn and the hair of his head shall be uncovered and he shall cover his mustache and cry unclean, unclean. He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection. He is unclean, he shall live alone. This dwelling shall be outside the camp.
Speaker 1:When a garment has a mark of leprosy in it, whether it is a wool garment or a linen garment, whether a warp or a wolf, or linen or a wool, whether in leather or in any article made of leather, the mark is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the leather or in the warp or in the wolf or in any article of leather. It is leprous mark and shall be shown to the priest. Then the priest shall look at the mark and shall quarantine the article with the mark for seven days. His articles of clothing had to be quarantined. He shall then look at the mark on the seventh day. If the mark has spread in the garment, whether in the warp or in the wolf or in the leather, whatever the purpose for which the leather is used, the mark is a leprous malignancy, it is unclean. So he shall burn the garment, whether the warp or the wolf or the wool or in linen or any article of leather in which the mark occurs, for the leprosy is malignancy, it shall be burned in the fire. But if the priest shall look and indeed the mark has not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the wolf or in the article of leather, then the priest shall order them to wash the thing in which the mark occurs. He shall quarantine it for seven more days. So if it hadn't spread it was to be washed and then quarantine 55.
Speaker 1:After the article with the mark has been washed, the priest shall again look. And if the mark has not changed its appearance, even through, the mark has not spread. Excuse me, even though the mark has not spread, it is unclean. The priest shall burn it in the fire. Whether an eating away has produced baldness on the top or on the front of it. Then if the priest shall look and if the mark has faded after it has been washed, then the priest shall tear it out of the garment or out of the leather, whether from the warp or from the wolf. And if it appears again in the garment, whether in the warp or in the wolf or in any article of leather, it is an outbreak. The article with the mark shall be burned in the fire. So we see that if it had not spread, it could be washed and it could be used again, but if it spread it was to be burned. Verse 59. And the garment, whether the warp or the wolf, or the article of leather from which the mark has departed when you washed it, it shall be washed a second time and shall be clean. This is the law for the mark of leprosy in a garment or war or linen, whether in the warp or in the wolf or in any article of leather, for pronouncing it clean or unclean.
Speaker 1:Now, this was a very serious thing back then because they didn't necessarily have I'm not saying they didn't have any medicine, but they didn't necessarily have a lot of antibiotics, like you heard in the clip earlier, or things like that. We that we have today that probably could have got rid of this leprosy a little bit quicker. You know, this was something, this was a natural way to get rid of it, and it was very clear that the Lord had to tell the people what this was, because you got to remember the time that you live in it. You got to put yourself in their mindset. Seeing this would have been something that more likely would have been scary.
Speaker 1:You know, seeing these white blotches on the person, you not knowing what they were, and the dangerous thing about it was is that this leprosy was very contagious. So if this man walked around and he's touching people you know, touching his wife, touching his kids, touching his co-workers it can spread, and it can even spread among animals. If he's a sheep herder and he's out there dealing with his sheep and then someone who's an assistant or who works with him comes along, he can spread it. So this was a way to isolate an affected person and get them cleaned again. Kind of reminds me a little bit of what happened in this world in 2020 when that COVID-19 hit. You know what did they tell people to do? You know you have to put that person in the room and for seven days they need to be isolated. They don't need to be anyone, because this thing is very contagious. Well, this would have been that of their day and the Lord said show them that this isolation was a good thing, because it made him clean. And then, once the priest saw that he was clean, he was able to come back around the people again.
Speaker 1:Alright, that brings us to the end of Leviticus, chapter 13. I hope you enjoyed the lesson. Remember to spread the word on this podcast wherever you may be getting it. We're going through chapters of the Bible verse by verse, so we can get everything right in its complete context. The next time that we are together, the Lord's willing, we will be looking at Leviticus, chapter 14, law of Cleansing the Lepper. So we are not done talking about leprosy just yet. That is all for now, god bless.