Leviticus 14:44
the priest must come and inspect it. If the mildew has spread in the house, it is a destructive mildew; the house is unclean.
the priest must come and inspect it
In ancient Israel, the role of the priest extended beyond spiritual duties to include responsibilities for public health and community well-being. The Hebrew word for "priest" is "kohen," which signifies a mediator between God and the people. The priest's inspection underscores the importance of discernment and authority in addressing issues of purity and impurity. This reflects the broader biblical principle that spiritual leaders are entrusted with guiding the community in both spiritual and practical matters.

If the mildew has spread in the house
The term "mildew" in Hebrew is "tzaraath," which can refer to a variety of surface afflictions, often translated as "leprosy" in older versions. This phrase highlights the pervasive nature of sin and impurity, symbolized by the spreading mildew. Just as mildew can silently and insidiously spread through a house, sin can infiltrate and corrupt the heart and community if left unchecked. The house, representing the dwelling place of the family, serves as a metaphor for the heart and life of the believer, which must be kept pure and holy.

it is a destructive mildew
The word "destructive" indicates the severity and potential harm of the mildew. In Hebrew, the word used here can imply something that is malignant or harmful. This serves as a powerful reminder of the destructive nature of sin, which, if not addressed, can lead to spiritual decay and separation from God. The destructive mildew is a physical manifestation of spiritual corruption, emphasizing the need for vigilance and proactive measures to maintain holiness.

the house is unclean
Declaring the house "unclean" signifies a state of ritual impurity, which in the Hebrew context, "tamei," means being unfit for worship or community participation. This declaration necessitates action to restore purity, reflecting the biblical theme of redemption and restoration. The unclean state of the house serves as a call to repentance and cleansing, both physically and spiritually. It underscores the importance of maintaining a life that is pleasing to God, free from the blemishes of sin and impurity.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Priest
In ancient Israel, priests were responsible for maintaining the holiness of the community, including inspecting houses for mildew, which was considered a form of uncleanness.

2. House
Represents the dwelling place of individuals or families, which could become unclean due to mildew, symbolizing sin or impurity.

3. Mildew
A physical manifestation of uncleanness that required priestly inspection and potential cleansing or destruction, symbolizing the pervasive nature of sin.

4. Unclean
A state of impurity that required purification rituals to restore holiness, reflecting the need for spiritual cleansing.

5. Inspection
The process by which the priest determines the presence and extent of uncleanness, analogous to spiritual discernment.
Teaching Points
Holiness in the Home
Just as the Israelites were to maintain physical cleanliness in their homes, Christians are called to maintain spiritual purity in their lives and households.

Role of Spiritual Leaders
The priest's role in inspecting and declaring a house unclean highlights the responsibility of spiritual leaders to guide and correct the community in matters of holiness.

Sin's Pervasiveness
Mildew's ability to spread and render a house unclean serves as a metaphor for how sin can infiltrate and corrupt if not addressed promptly.

Necessity of Cleansing
The requirement for cleansing or destruction of an unclean house points to the need for repentance and renewal in the Christian life.

Community Responsibility
The communal aspect of dealing with uncleanness in a house reflects the collective responsibility of the church to address sin and support one another in spiritual growth.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the role of the priest in inspecting for mildew relate to the role of spiritual leaders in the church today?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our homes remain spiritually "clean" and free from the "mildew" of sin?

3. How does the concept of uncleanness in Leviticus 14:44 help us understand the seriousness of sin in our lives?

4. What steps can we take as a community to support each other in maintaining spiritual purity, similar to the communal responsibility seen in Leviticus?

5. How can the process of inspection and cleansing in Leviticus 14:44 be applied to our personal spiritual lives in terms of self-examination and repentance?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 13
Discusses the inspection of skin diseases, paralleling the inspection of houses for mildew, emphasizing the role of the priest in maintaining purity.

1 Corinthians 5
Paul discusses the need to remove sin from the community, similar to removing mildew from a house, highlighting the importance of purity in the body of Christ.

Psalm 51
David's plea for cleansing from sin mirrors the need for purification from mildew, underscoring the spiritual need for God's cleansing.
The Cleansing of Sin as Illustrated in the Cleansing of the LeperR.M. Edgar Leviticus 14:1-57
Cleansing the Corrupt HouseW. Clarkson Leviticus 14:33-53
Leprosy in a HouseJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 14:33-57
House LeprosyJ. A. Seiss, D. D.Leviticus 14:34-57
Leprosy of House and GarmentsH. Macmillan, D. D.Leviticus 14:34-57
The Plague in the HouseJ. Reid Howatt.Leviticus 14:34-57
The Way to Remove the PlagueJ. Cumming, D. D.Leviticus 14:34-57
People
Aaron, Ephah, Moses
Places
Canaan, Teman
Topics
Behold, Corroding, Destructive, Disease, Examine, Fretting, Increased, Indeed, Inspection, Leper's, Leprosy, Malignant, Mark, Mildew, Plague, Priest, Sees, Size, Spread, Unclean, Working
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 14:1-57

     7340   clean and unclean

Leviticus 14:33-53

     5340   house

Leviticus 14:34-57

     4839   mildew

Leviticus 14:39-45

     4366   stones

Leviticus 14:43-47

     7426   ritual washing

Library
November 27. "And the Remnant of the Oil . . . Shall Pour Upon the Head" (Lev. xiv. 18).
"And the remnant of the oil ... shall pour upon the head" (Lev. xiv. 18). In the account of the healing of the Hebrew leper there is a beautiful picture of the touching of his ears, hands and feet, with the redeeming blood and the consecrating oil, as a sign that his powers of understanding, service, and conduct were set apart to God, and divinely endued for the Master's work and will. But after all this, we are significantly told that "the rest of the oil" was to be poured upon his head. The former
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

The First Stage in the Leper's Cleansing
'And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2. This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: 3. And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; 4. Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: 5. And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Appendix xv. The Location of Sychar, and the Date of Our Lord's visit to Samaria.
1. The Location of Sychar. Although modern writers are now mostly agreed on this subject, it may be well briefly to put before our readers the facts of the case. Till comparitively lately, the Sychar of St. John iv. was generally as representing the ancient Shechem. The first difficulty here was the name, since Shechem, or even Sichem, could scarcely be identified with Sychar, which is undoubtedly the correct reading. Accordingly, the latter term was represented as one of oppobrium, and derived from
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Jesus Sets Out from Judæa for Galilee.
Subdivision B. At Jacob's Well, and at Sychar. ^D John IV. 5-42. ^d 5 So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 and Jacob's well was there. [Commentators long made the mistake of supposing that Shechem, now called Nablous, was the town here called Sychar. Sheckem lies a mile and a half west of Jacob's well, while the real Sychar, now called 'Askar, lies scarcely half a mile north of the well. It was a small town, loosely called
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Heals a Leper and Creates Much Excitement.
^A Matt.VIII. 2-4; ^B Mark I. 40-45; ^C Luke V. 12-16. ^c 12 And it came to pass, while he was in one of the cities [it was a city of Galilee, but as it was not named, it is idle to conjecture which city it was], behold, ^b there cometh { ^a came} ^b to him a leper [There is much discussion as to what is here meant by leprosy. Two diseases now go by that name; viz., psoriasis and elephantiasis. There are also three varieties of psoriasis, namely, white, black and red. There are also three varieties
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

John's First Testimony to Jesus.
(Bethany Beyond Jordan, February, a.d. 27.) ^D John I. 19-34. ^d 19 And this is the witness of John [John had been sent to testify, "and" this is the matter of his testimony], when the Jews [The term "Jews" is used seventy times by John to describe the ruling classes of Judæa] sent unto him [In thus sending an embassy they honored John more than they ever honored Christ. They looked upon John as a priest and Judæan, but upon Jesus as a carpenter and Galilæan. It is probable that
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

John the Baptist's Person and Preaching.
(in the Wilderness of Judæa, and on the Banks of the Jordan, Occupying Several Months, Probably a.d. 25 or 26.) ^A Matt. III. 1-12; ^B Mark I. 1-8; ^C Luke III. 1-18. ^b 1 The beginning of the gospel [John begins his Gospel from eternity, where the Word is found coexistent with God. Matthew begins with Jesus, the humanly generated son of Abraham and David, born in the days of Herod the king. Luke begins with the birth of John the Baptist, the Messiah's herald; and Mark begins with the ministry
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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