Jo’s Place

Treatment of Contaminated Houses The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,  “When you arrive in Canaan, the land I am giving you, as your own possession, I may contaminate some of the houses, in your land with mildew.  The owner of such a house must then go to the priest and say,  ‘It appears that my house has some kind of mildew.’  Before the priest goes in, to inspect the house, he must have the house emptied, so nothing inside will be pronounced ceremonially unclean.  Then, the priest will go in, and examine the mildew, on the walls.  If he finds greenish or reddish streaks, and the contamination appears to go deeper than the wall’s surface, the priest will step outside the door and put the house in quarantine, for seven days.  On the seventh day, the priest must return, for another inspection.  If he finds that the mildew, on the walls of the house has spread, the priest must order that the stones, from those areas, be removed.  The contaminated ...

Cleansing for the Poor “But anyone, who is too poor, and cannot afford these offerings, may bring one male lamb, for a guilt offering, to be lifted up, as a special offering, for purification.  The person must also bring, two quarts, of choice flour, moistened with olive oil, for the grain offering,    and a cup of olive oil.  The offering must also include, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, whichever the person can afford.  One, of the pair, must be used for the sin offering, and the other, for a burnt offering.  On the eighth day, of the purification ceremony, the person being purified, must bring the offerings, to the priest, in the Lord’s presence, at the entrance of the Tabernacle.  The priest will take the lamb, for the guilt offering, along with the olive oil, and lift them up, as a special offering to the Lord.  Then, the priest will slaughter the lamb, for the guilt offering.  He will take some of its blood, and apply it to the ...

​ Purification of Skin Diseases And the Lord said to Moses,  “The following instructions are for those seeking ceremonial purification from a skin disease.  Those who have been healed must be brought to the priest, who will examine them, at a place outside the camp.  If the priest finds that someone has been healed of a serious skin disease, he will perform a purification ceremony, using two live birds that are ceremonially clean, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch.  The priest will order that one bird be slaughtered, over a clay pot, filled with fresh water.  He will take the live bird, the cedar stick, the scarlet yarn, and the hyssop branch, and dip them into the blood, of the bird that was slaughtered, over the fresh water.  The priest will then sprinkle the blood, of the dead bird, seven times, on the person being purified, of the skin disease.  When the priest has purified the person, he will release the live bird, in the op...

​ Treatment of Contaminated Clothing “Now suppose mildew contaminates some woolen or linen clothing, woolen or linen fabric, the hide of an animal, or anything made of leather.  If the contaminated area, in the clothing, the animal hide, the fabric, or the leather article, has turned greenish or reddish, it is contaminated, with mildew, and must be shown to the priest.  After examining the affected spot, the priest will put the article in quarantine, for seven days.  On the seventh day, the priest must inspect it again.  If the contaminated area has spread, the clothing or fabric or leather is clearly contaminated, by a serious mildew, and is ceremonially unclean.  The priest must burn the item—the clothing, the woolen or linen fabric, or piece of leather—for it has been contaminated, by a serious mildew.  It must be completely destroyed, by fire.  “But if the priest examines it, and finds that the contaminated area has not spread, in the clothing, the...

​ Still more about skin diseases “If anyone, either a man or woman, has a sore on the head or chin, the priest must examine it.  If he finds it is more than skin-deep and has fine yellow hair on it, the priest must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.  It is a scabby sore, of the head or chin.  If the priest examines the scabby sore and finds that it is only skin-deep, but there is no black hair on it, he must quarantine the person for seven days.  On the seventh day, the priest must examine the sore again.  If he finds that the scabby sore has not spread, and there is no yellow hair on it, and it appears to be only skin-deep, the person must shave off all hair, except the hair on the affected area.  Then the priest must quarantine the person, for another seven days.  On the seventh day, he will examine the sore again.  If it has not spread and appears to be no more than skin-deep, the priest will pronounce the person ceremonially clean....

More about skin diseases  “Now suppose the disease has spread all over the person’s skin, covering the body from head to foot.  When the priest examines the infected person and finds that the disease covers the entire body, he will pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.  Since the skin has turned completely white, the person is unclean.  If any open sores appear, the infected person will be pronounced ceremonially unclean.  The priest must make this pronouncement, as soon as he sees an open sore, since open sores indicate the presence of a skin disease.  However, if the open sores heal and turn white like the rest of the skin, the person must return to the priest, for another examination.  If the affected areas have indeed turned white, the priest will then pronounce the person ceremonially clean by declaring,  ‘You are clean!’  “If anyone has a boil on the skin that has started to heal, but a white swelling or a reddish white spot develo...

​ Serious Skin Diseases The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,  “If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease… that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons.  The priest will examine the affected area of the skin.  If the hair, in the affected area, has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest, who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.  “But if the affected area, of the ski, is only a white discoloration and does not appear to be more than skin-deep, and if the hair on the spot has not turned white, the priest will quarantine the person for seven days.  On the seventh day, the priest will make another examination.  If he finds the affected area has not changed and the problem has not spread on the skin, the priest will quarantine the person for seven more days.  On the seventh day, the prie...

​ The Lord’s Prayer (for His Disciples) Matthew 6:9–15 (NLT) (Jesus said to His disciples,) “ Pray like this:  Our Father  (Who are)  in heaven,  may Your name be kept holy  (hallowed be Your name) .  May Your Kingdom come …soon.  May Your will be done, on earth,  as it is in heaven.  Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins,  …as we have forgiven those,  who sin against us.  And don’t let us yield to temptation,  …but rescue us from the evil one.  (… and Jesus told us)  If you forgive those who sin against you,  your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others,  your Father will not forgive your sins…”  _________________________ 1 Chronicles 29:11–15 (NLT) (We learn how to complete our prayers to the Lord, our God)… Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty.  Everything in the heavens and on earth is Your...

Purification after Childbirth The Lord said to Moses,  “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel.  If a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, she will be ceremonially unclean, for seven days, just as she is unclean, during her menstrual period.  On the eighth day, the boy’s foreskin must be circumcised.  After waiting thirty-three days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth.  During this time, of purification, she must not touch anything that is set apart as holy.  And she must not enter the sanctuary, until her time of purification is over.  If a woman gives birth to a daughter, she will be ceremonially unclean for two weeks, just as she is unclean during her menstrual period.  After waiting sixty-six days, she will be purified from the bleeding of childbirth.  “When the time, of purification, is completed, for either a son or a daughter, the woman must bring a one-year-old lamb, for a burnt offering,...

More Ceremonially Unclean Animals “The following creatures will make you ceremonially unclean.  If any of you touch their carcasses, you will be defiled until evening.  If you pick up their carcasses, you must wash your clothes, and you will remain defiled until evening.  “Any animal that has split hooves that are not evenly divided or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you.  If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled.  Of the animals that walk on all fours, those that have paws are unclean.  If you touch the carcass of such an animal, you will be defiled until evening.  If you pick up its carcass, you must wash your clothes, and ( still ) you will remain defiled until evening.  These animals are  (also)  unclean for you.  “Of the small animals that scurry along the ground, these are unclean for you: the mole rat, the rat, large lizards of all kinds, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the common lizard, the s...