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Leviticus 13ESV

 

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests, 3 and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean. 4 But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall shut up the diseased person for seven days. 5 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up for another seven days. 6 And the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the diseased area has faded and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean. 7 But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest. 8 And the priest shall look, and if the eruption has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease.

 

45 “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ 46 He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

 

 

REFLECTION

  1. This chapter deals with diagnosing a variety of skin diseases. It also extends to mold and mildew.  Priests served also as public-health officers.  Faith pervades every dimension of life.
  2. How important is good health to me? In what ways does maintaining good health promote my spiritual vitality?
  3. How do I react to sickness in others and/or in myself? Do I see ill health as a sign of something wrong “spiritually”?  What can I do to make sure that I make the proper response to illness?
  4. What role should Christians take in the care of the sick, especially the “unclean” members of our society, such as AIDS victims?

 

PRAYER

Consider again my reaction to health and sickness.  Talk with God, listen to see if there is any “illness” in my body, thoughts, spirit He wants to point out to me?  Pray for my physical and spiritual health.