Purification of Skin Diseases

​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 open field to fly away. 

“The persons being purified must then wash their clothes, shave off all their hair, and bathe themselves in water. 

Then, they will be ceremonially clean, and may return to the camp. 

However, they must remain outside their tents for seven days. 

On the seventh day, they must again shave all the hair from their heads, including the hair of the beard and eyebrows. 

They must also wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. 

Then, they will be ceremonially clean. 

“On the eighth day, each person being purified, must bring two male lambs, and a one-year-old female lamb, all with no defects, along with a grain offering, of six quarts of choice flour, moistened with olive oil, and a cup of olive oil. Then the officiating priest will present that person, for purification, along with the offerings, before the Lord, at the entrance of the Tabernacle. The priest will take one of the male lambs, and the olive oil, and present them, as a guilt offering, lifting them up, as a special offering, before the Lord. 

He will then slaughter the male lamb, in the sacred area, where sin offerings and burnt offerings are slaughtered. 

As with the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest. 

It is a most holy offering. 

The priest will then take some of the blood, of the guilt offering, and apply it to the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot, of the person being purified. 

“Then, the priest will pour, some of the olive oil, into the palm of his own left hand. He will dip his right finger into the oil, in his palm, and sprinkle some of it, with his finger, seven times,  before the Lord. 

The priest will then apply, some of the oil, in his palm, over the blood, from the guilt offering… that is on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot, of the person being purified. The priest will apply the oil,  remaining in his hand, to the head of the person being purified. 

Through this process, the priest will purify the person, before the Lord. 

“Then, the priest must present the sin offering, to purify the person, who was cured, of the skin disease. 

After that, the priest will slaughter the burnt offering, and offer it, on the altar, along with the grain offering. 

Through this process, the priest will purify the person, who was healed, and the person will be ceremonially clean. 

Leviticus 14:1–20 (NLT)

Praise be to God!