Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

Leviticus 13, 14.

G C Willis.

[This, and other books of G Willis (also in Chinese) with illustrations, may be obtained from Bible Truth Publishers and other Bible book distributors.]

Go … As ye go, preach, … Cleanse the lepers. Matthew 10:6-7,8.

Go and show … the lepers are cleansed. Matthew 11:4-5.

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the LORD JESUS, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11.

Preface

I have read “The Law of the Leper” with great interest and with no little edification. What pleased me very much was that the writer did not go into detail on the disease itself. It is very interesting to note that even Scripture does not do that. Leprosy is leprosy as sin is sin. We are not only guilty before God for sin as it appears in kind and in repeated acts, but for sin as it is in essence. For this reason leprosy, according to Leviticus, was to be diagnosed only objectively. It is not what the patient feels or says, but what the priest sees and states, that counts. That which is used for the leper’s cleansing is also objectively applied from without, as nothing wells up from within him that can cleanse him. The leper’s return to the camp depends not upon his own desire, nor upon the will of those in the camp, but upon God’s decree to which the priest must strictly adhere. In like manner we are sinners not because we may or may not feel to be such, but because God says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

The spiritual application of this exceedingly interesting Old Testament description of the leper and his cleansing is, I think, sound and fully covered by New Testament scripture proof. The whole treatise magnifies God’s power in our salvation and teaches us man’s utter inability to save himself.

May the Lord bless this book for the coming of His glorious kingdom in showing sinners that without Christ we can do nothing.

Lee S. Huizenga, M.D. Shanghai, China, November 29, 1938.

Introduction

The following pages were prepared at the suggestion of a Chinese brother, for publication in Chinese. They are now sent forth in English with the hope that they may be a help to some who are not at home in Chinese writings, but who wish to know what the Chinese edition contains. It is hoped also that they may be for the edification of the church of God at large.

An effort has been made to make this beautiful picture clear to those who have not had the privilege of knowing the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and so may not be so much at home in them as those should be who have been brought up in Christian lands. To some this will make the present exposition seem unduly verbose, and filled with needless repetition. A somewhat peculiar style may also be noticed. The article has, however, been left unchanged in spite of these defects, and we would ask our English readers to bear in mind that these pages were written for their Chinese brethren, and to have patience with what may not appeal to themselves.

Perhaps a word should be added with regard to the illustrations. [These are omitted from this on-line edition.] They have been prepared by Mr. Tang Chin Tsang, with suggestions from the author, who gladly acknowledges that he has learned much from them and their preparation. It is hoped that they may not be despised by some who might regard them as only suited for a child’s picture book. It is scarcely to be hoped that they are correct in every detail, but it is hoped that they may convey suggestions and ideas that otherwise might be passed over. The importance of the unnamed friend who does so much for the leper would probably have been missed, had we not seen him appear so often in the pictures.

G.C.W.

Part 1 The Leper and His Plague

Chapter 1 The Plague of Leprosy

Most of our readers know that the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is full of most wonderful pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of those things which concern Him. In the New Testament these pictures are spoken of as “shadows.” (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5.) “The law having a shadow of good things to come.” Hebrews 10:1. Some of these shadows are so plain, and in such wonderful detail, that as we gaze upon them, we are amazed at their clearness and beauty.

Of all these beautiful shadows, few, if any, are more beautiful, or shown out in greater detail and fullness than the “Law of the Leper.”

Leprosy is the most hateful and loathsome of all diseases. It is a disease which not only ends in death, but more than any other disease is a picture of death working in life, for the parts of the body affected really die, while the man lives on.

The beginning of leprosy is like the beginning of sin. It is small and insidious, and at first not alarming. We see in Leviticus 13:2 that sometimes it even looks “bright” — just as sin at the beginning does not frighten us; and, instead, often appears bright and attractive — but in reality death is there. The wages of sin is death, just as the certain end of leprosy is also death.

Leprosy may affect almost any part of the body. It was not what the leper did that made him unclean, but what he was. We must each say, “I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalm 51:5. We were born unclean. It is what we are, as well as what we do, that makes us unclean. Therefore the leper had to go to the priest (not to the doctor) to make him clean. Note, it was not only a question of being healed, but cleansed. So we may see leprosy is a most fitting picture of sin.

And as sin, and its cleansing, is the theme of the Bible from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation, so in Leviticus 13 and 14 we will find the same theme manifested with such power and skill that we are compelled to bow in worship, and confess that none but the hand of God could draw such a picture and none but the love of God could devise such a means of cleansing. Not only is leprosy a picture of sin, but we will find that these two chapters are full of other, most wonderful pictures, if only we have eyes to see them.

As we read these chapters together, we will seek, with God’s help, to point out some of the beautiful details in this picture of sin and its cleansing.

First let us notice and always remember that GOD — not man — gave us this wonderful picture.

The introduction to the whole subject is in chapter 13, verse 1: “And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying.” Let us, as we write, or read, remember we are considering the very words of the true and living God.

In chapter 13, verse 2, we read, “When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests.” “A rising, a scab, or bright spot.” How much these words express! “A rising.” Does this not tell us of pride that puffs up every one of us? Pride that causes contention? Pride that is the root and core of so very many sins and evils? Probably not one of us is free from these hateful risings, and often those who believe themselves to be most humble are in reality proud of their humility.

The Word says, “Knowledge puffeth up” (1 Corinthians 8:1), and how striking to see that the “knowledge” spoken of here is a knowledge of the Word and ways of God. It surely should make us stop and consider, when we realize that even a knowledge of the Bible may puff us up, and bring out one of those “risings” that hides leprosy. Someone has said that there is Pride of race, Pride of place, Pride of face, but the worst pride of all is Pride of grace. And so there may be many kinds of risings, but certainly one of the worst, and one of the commonest, is the rising that is puffed up through our knowledge of God’s own Word. The Pharisee in Luke 18:11 had a very bad rising of this sort. Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar are others who were afflicted with a “rising,” but of another kind, and our readers can doubtless think of many others who are troubled with the same kind of leprosy, possibly themselves included.

“A scab.” This covers up some old wound or sore. How many of us are troubled with scabs! Somebody has treated us badly in the past and it still sticks in our hearts. We have never really forgiven them, though we have tried to cover up the old sore. It is like the root of bitterness (Hebrews 12:15), hidden away in the ground, covered up, but liable to spring up at any time and “defile many,” just as the scab is liable to hide leprosy at any time, and also defile many. Oh, friends, do be careful about these scabs; they are most dangerous things. King Saul is an example of a man terribly ill with “scabs.”

“A bright spot.” We read in Hebrews 11:25 of “the pleasures of sin.” Sin does have its pleasures. Often sin looks very bright. We read in Hebrews 3:13 of “the deceitfulness of sin,” and that is always true. Sin is deceitful. Satan would turn our eyes from the danger of sin, and would tell us how very profitable, how very bright it is. Do you remember how the first sin entered this world? Satan presented it to the woman as a “bright spot.” She saw the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She saw it was “good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise.” Genesis 3:6. It all looked so bright, that she took the fruit and did eat.

Satan has been busy preparing “bright spots” ever since that day, and they are intended by him to end up in leprosy. The brightest spots on the streets of Shanghai at night are generally the most sinful. They are dens of wickedness, saturated with leprosy. Oh, my friends, beware of the “bright spots” down here. There is a far brighter spot, the bright home of the Saviour, awaiting His own at the end of the way, and they can well do without the bright spots down here. They will surely break out into leprosy.

Please notice especially those words, “He shall be brought unto Aaron the priest.” These are very important words and we find almost the same words in Leviticus 14:2 when it was a question of cleansing. No matter whether it is a question of deciding whether a man has leprosy or not, or whether a man is ready to be cleansed from his leprosy or not, the whole matter depended on the priest. The man and his friends had nothing to say about it. The man who had a rising, a scab or a bright spot might say, “I do not consider these things of any importance. In my opinion, and in the opinion of all the great scientists, these things do not matter.” Friend, the first thing this man must learn is that his own opinion and the opinion of every other living man, except the priest, is of absolutely no value or importance, and is even of no interest whatever. The whole question is, “What does the priest say?”

Perhaps he was not willing to go to the priest. Perhaps he thought he could decide himself about the rising, the scab or the bright spot; perhaps he thought the small spot on his body would soon get better. But the Word of God stands sure, “He shall be brought unto the priest.” The Word does not even say, He himself shall go to the priest — but, “He shall be brought unto the priest.”

Therefore those words, “He shall be brought unto Aaron the priest,” are most important words. Dear reader, have you ever been brought unto the Lord Jesus Christ, the great High Priest? Have you ever submitted your life to the gaze of His eyes, which are “as a flame of fire?” Revelation 1:14. There may be things in your life which you know are not quite right: What about them? Has the Priest “looked” at them? Considered them? You know He must pronounce them “unclean.” Perhaps your friends have brought you by prayer many times to the Lord Jesus: but if you have never been brought to that Priest before, God grant that this little book will bring you to Him this day. Perhaps you say, “Oh, those things are of no consequence. It is only a rising, a swelling.” But is it a swelling of pride? Is sin at the root of the trouble? The priest alone can decide this. Go to Him, friend, go quickly, while there is time and hope — far better for you to know the truth now, than to drop into hell without even knowing you are on your way there.

You will not find the Priest impatient or cruel. You will find One who is filled with love and sympathy. He will look on those risings or swellings — that scab which marks some old trouble, maybe some old quarrel, or bad feeling; those bright spots which you rather like, but which tell of something wrong within, perhaps some self-indulgence which you love. He will not look hurriedly. His eye will never mistake, and if there is any question He will shut up the one with these complaints for seven days — or even for still another seven days if need be. (See verses 4-7.)

But has not our Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, already shut up man, already given man every chance to clear himself of the charge of being a leper? Surely He has. He tried Adam in the garden of Eden, in innocency; but soon the leprosy appeared, sin came in. He tried man before the flood with conscience as his guide, and when God “looked” on him, He found such terrible leprosy that all were destroyed but eight persons. There was no other way for such a disease. He tried Noah and his sons, but again sin appeared. Then He took Abraham and his descendents, shut him up from other nations, but still out came the leprosy. Then He gave them the law, but that did not help.

Finally He sent His own dear Son, and man murdered Him. Now what does God say? The trial is over. No need to shut man up any longer. Read Romans 3. Look at verse 10: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Verse 12: “There is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Verses 22 and 23: “There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” And see also Romans 11:32 and Galatians 3:22. Every mouth has been stopped (Romans 3:19), so that even you can have not one word to say. The Priest has already pronounced you, and every man, to be unclean.

The Priest is looking on you, friend, and that is what He says. He pronounces you a sinner. He says you are not righteous. He tells you that you do not do good. Your mouth is closed. The best thing you can do is to “cover” it, and cry “Unclean! Unclean!” You have been brought to the Priest now. He has looked on you. He sees that the plague in the skin of your flesh is leprosy. He sees the hair is turned white. What does that mean? It means there is the sign of decay and death. He tells you that already decay is in your blood; that to His eye there are already in you the marks of death, with judgment to follow, and then “the second death.” Revelation 20:14.

Friend, the plague is deeper than the skin. (Leviticus 13:3.) It is not only a surface trouble with you. No, the real trouble is far deeper. It is in our heart, and the Priest pronounces it “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Jeremiah 17:9. And He adds, “Who can know it? I the Lord search the heart.” v.10. He knows well you do not know your own heart. Only the Lord knows how bad you really are. He knows well that you are not willing to believe that your case is so desperate! He knows well that you are not able to know that your leprosy is so terribly bad that it is “incurable.” (See Jeremiah 17:9 J.N.D. Translation) But this is the truth. This is your condition.

We read in the Bible that God looks on this world and the men in it. In Genesis 1:31, we read, “God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” This described man before sin appeared, but soon, alas, sin came in, and we read, “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. … And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt.” Genesis 6:5,12. And again we read, “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Psalm 14:2-3. Plainly we may see our Priest has looked, and has seen that every man in this world has the disease of leprosy.

The priest has looked on you and pronounced you unclean. Reader, that Priest can never make a mistake. That Priest loves you far too well to say such terrible words if there was any way out of it. A few years ago I had dinner with a doctor. He was an authority on leprosy. He told me that a day or two before a young man came to his office, and showed him a sore on his hand that would not heal. The doctor questioned him, examined the hand, and found that the man had leprosy. He was young, and apparently in good health. He had a wife and young children. He had not the slightest suspicion that he had leprosy, and as the doctor told me the story, and of how he had to pronounce that young man unclean, the tears rolled down his cheeks with grief for that poor, unclean man. And our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, has wept over those who are unclean but unwilling to come to Him for cleansing.

Reader, the Priest must pronounce you unclean, because you are unclean. You may not have a suspicion that you are lost and ruined and unclean and on your way to hell, but this is truly your state and condition unless that same Priest has already cleansed you.

You say, perhaps, “But I do not feel unclean.” That has nothing to do with it. There is a story that many years ago M. Damien went to labor among the lepers in Molokai, of the Hawaiian Islands. He worked there in good health for many years. Then one evening while he was washing his feet, some hot water dropped on his toes; it did not hurt at all, but the water was so hot that it blistered the skin. Instantly he knew that he had leprosy, for one of the early symptoms of leprosy is that the diseased part loses the sense of feeling. Just so, you, poor sinner, have lost your sense of feeling, or you, too, would immediately know that you undoubtedly have that awful disease. You can stick a needle in the part affected by leprosy, but the man does not feel it. So the man going on in sin no longer feels the pricks of conscience and does not know he is a sinner. The Priest, the Lord Jesus, has pronounced you unclean. He says of you, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10) — not even you. The leper might reply, “But I feel in excellent health; I never felt better in my life.” “I am sorry,” the priest replies, “but it is my sad duty to pronounce you unclean.” The man’s feelings and opinions had nothing to do with the case; all rested on the word of the priest. “The priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.” v.3. That ended the matter. That settled the case. The man knew he was unclean, because the priest said so, not because he felt unclean, or thought he was unclean, or his friends had that opinion. All rested on the word of the priest.

When it was decided to isolate the lepers in the Hawaiian Islands to a rugged triangular piece of land known as Kalawao, on the Island of Molokai (where M. Damien labored), “then it was resolved to deport every person, young or old, rich or poor, prince or commoner in whom the slightest taint of leprosy could be found. The law was carried into effect with the utmost rigor. All over the islands lepers and those suspected of having leprosy were hunted out by the police, dragged away from their homes, and if certified by a doctor as touched by the disease, at once shipped off to the leper settlement as if to a state prison. Children were torn from their parents and parents from their children. Husbands and wives were separated for ever. In no case was any respect of persons shown, and a near relative of the Hawaiian Queen was among the first to be seized and transported.” (Missionary Heroes in Oceana.) This is just what SIN does to us. Husbands and wives, parents and children, nearest and dearest of friends, must part forever, if sin is not cleansed.

Chapter 2 All Covered

Let us now go down to verses 12 and 13. There we read a most extraordinary statement. “If a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean.”

Strange! Strange!! Strange!!! When a few months or years before he was brought to the priest with only one tiny rising, scab or bright spot, the priest pronounced him unclean, and he had to go outside the camp and dwell alone. Now he is all covered, and what says the priest? “You are clean!” Strange indeed! What can the meaning be of this?

It tells us of a poor sinner, who has not one word of good to say about himself. We may see many lepers who were all covered with leprosy in the Bible, and all were cleansed. Look at Peter in Luke 5. He finds out for the first time he is covered with leprosy. Hear him: “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man” (or, “a man full of sin”). Luke 5:8. If you have a cup full of water, you have no room for anything else in it. If you have a man full of sin, you have no room for any good in him. Such was the apostle Peter. Look further in the same chapter, verse 12: “It came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy; who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean.” Luke 5:12-13. Never was a man full of sin or full of leprosy who need wait longer to be cleansed. The Priest, our Saviour, is just waiting for such men. Look at the thief on the cross: “We receive the due reward of our deeds.” Luke 23:41. And that day he was in paradise with his Saviour and Lord. See the prodigal son in Luke 15:21 — “I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight,” and instantly the father’s arms were round his neck and he “covered him with kisses.” Luke 15:20 J.N.D. Translation Look at the publican in Luke 18:13 — “God be merciful to me a sinner,” and he went home justified. Look at Paul: “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.” Romans 7:18. Look at Job: “I am vile; what shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.” Job 40:4. And again: “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:6. But, justified at once. See, again, Isaiah: “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.” Isaiah 6:5. Instantly: “Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” Isaiah 6:7.

Yes, friend, all these men got cleansing in the same way. They all found out that not only were they lepers, but that they were full of leprosy, from the top of their heads to the sole of their feet. Not one of these men will be in heaven by his own good works. They all stand up and witness that “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Romans 3:12. Dear reader, where Peter and Paul and Job and Isaiah and every other saint in glory has failed, you cannot succeed. They were each one lost and ruined and on the way to hell, and they all owned it and took their place as poor lost ruined sinners, and in that place alone did they obtain pardon and cleansing. In that state alone can you also obtain pardon and cleansing.

We read in Job 33:27-28 (J.N.D. Translation): “He will sing before men, and say, I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it hath not been requited to me; He hath delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall see the light.” There will not be one person in heaven who will sing, “I have never sinned, and so I have gotten here myself.” The song up there tells of our hopeless ruin — and of the grace of God.

Come then! Come now! Come just as you are to that gracious Priest. He is waiting. He says, “Come now, let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 J.N.D. Translation He knows you are full of leprosy — full of sin — but will you believe His testimony of yourself? Will you take that place of a lost sinner, full of sin? If so, cleansing, pardon, peace and blessing are yours.

But one word more before we turn from these verses. We read, “But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy.” vv. 14-15. This tells us of the man who is willing to go on in sin, even though he owns himself to be a sinner. He is all covered with leprosy, but there is raw flesh, sin, actively working in him. It is very remarkable that although there are many men in Scripture who take the place of saying, “I have sinned,” yet not all of them obtain cleansing. David (2 Samuel 12:13), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:33), Job (Job 40:4; 42:6), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5; 64:6), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 14:7,20), Daniel (Daniel 9:5), Micah (Micah 7:9), the prodigal son (Luke 15:21), and the thief on the cross (Luke 23:41): These all took the place of sinners and all got cleansing or blessing. But look at Pharaoh (Exodus 9:27; 10:16), Balaam (Numbers 22:34), Achan (Joshua 7:20), Saul (1 Samuel 15:24; 26:21), Shimei (2 Samuel 19:20), and Judas (Matthew 27:4): These all confess they have sinned, yet they perish. These all admit the leprosy, but they have the raw flesh appearing. There was no hatred of the sin. There was no desire to turn from it and give it up. There was no true repentance. But the active evil was still working in their flesh.

When we know the wonderful grace of God that takes me, a poor sinner full of sin, and in that terrible condition cleanses and pardons me, and brings me to God — this grace makes me long to be holy, and long that sin shall not have dominion over me. (See Romans 6:14.) If I allow active sin to go on working in me unchecked, it is a proof that I do not know the grace of God that cleanses and pardons. John writes, “He that practises sin is of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 J.N.D. Trans.

This does not mean that after we are saved we will never sin again. The apostle John plainly writes of people who say this, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” 1 John 1:8. Note that we do not deceive God, or other people, but only ourselves.

Nor does this verse in Leviticus mean that if we sin, it is a proof that we never were saved. How often the devil has tormented young Christians in this way. A sheep may fall into the ditch and get dirty, but that does not mean it is not a sheep, and it is unhappy till it gets out and is clean once more. A pig delights in the dirt and filth of the ditch. The one “practises” dirt, the other does not but hates it. A sow that is washed will always return to its wallowing in the mire. (See 2 Peter 2:22.) But it has always been a sow — it never became a sheep.

The one whom the Lord Jesus cleanses is changed, not only on the outside, but also on the inside, when he is born again. The Lord gives him a clean heart, a new nature that hates and loathes and abhors sin, and is never happy if the one in whom that nature dwells has fallen into sin, until he is restored.

Chapter 3 “Utterly Unclean”

We must now notice verses 42-44. These are most solemn, and should have a voice to many in our day. “And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead. Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh; he is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head.” Lev. 13:42-44

The forehead is a common place for leprosy to show itself. How many there are today who have the plague of leprosy in their heads, yet have not the least idea that they are “utterly unclean.” They have their own ideas. They reason things out with their own mind. They trust to their own heads, instead of to the Word of God. Pride, and especially pride of intellect, is the root of the trouble when the leprosy is in the head. How many “men of science,” as they call themselves, are in reality men with leprosy in their heads. We may see a terrible example of this in Uzziah whose pride made him take the place that belonged alone to the priests. “His heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. … The leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead.” 2 Chronicles 26:16,19-20.

Chapter 4 “Unclean! Unclean!”

“And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.” vv. 45-46.

These sad verses give us a vivid picture of the sinner. It might be that formerly he was able to use his clothes to cover the spots of leprosy. But now his clothes must be rent. There is no way now to cover his defilement. “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:13. Adam tried to cover himself with fig leaves, but he failed, and when God came down into the garden he had to own, “I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Genesis 3:10.

Poor sinner, your clothes are rent to the eyes of God; He sees you naked. Every spot of sin and defilement is clear and plain to Him. You cannot cover it. Where Adam failed, you have no hope to succeed, and remember, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13.

“And his head bare.” There is nothing to cover your guilty head. Between you and high heaven there is nothing to shelter you. All the wrath of a sin-hating God rests on your bare, unsheltered head. “The wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36. The priest uncovers the head of the unfaithful wife in Numbers 5:18. There is nothing under which she may hide.

We read of some who can say, “Thou hast covered my head” (Psalm 140:7), but the poor leper must take off any covering he may have had. “His head bare” tells forth one of the most awful and one of the most solemn truths about the defiled sinner that it is possible for the mind of man to comprehend.

Dear reader, is your head covered? Or does the eye of God see nothing but uncleanness and defilement — with nothing under which you can hide?

“And he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.” Though his head must be bare, his mouth must be covered. The very breath of the leper can only bring defilement. There is not a suggestion that by doing his best he may someday be fit for the presence of a holy God. No, he is not even fit for company with his fellow men who are not likewise defiled. His only cry is a sad wail of warning, “Unclean! Unclean!” What folly for any poor sinner to suggest that he can cleanse himself when he is in such an awful condition that every breath he takes is defiled and defiling.

The rest of the chapter speaks of leprosy in a garment or a skin. If the Lord will, we may look at these verses later on, but now we will follow the path of the poor defiled leper, and see God’s way of cleansing — when man is hopeless and helpless, when he has no way to cleanse himself.