Post by Woody Williams on Feb 14, 2006 7:31:57 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Leviticus 14:1-9
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The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: This shall be the ritual for the
leprous person at the time of his cleansing:
He shall be brought to the priest; the priest shall go out of the
camp, and the priest shall make an examination. If the disease is
healed in the leprous person, the priest shall command that two
living clean birds and cedar wood and crimson yarn and hyssop be
brought for the one who is to be cleansed. The priest shall command
that one of the birds be slaughtered over fresh water in an earthen
vessel. He shall take the living bird with the cedar wood and the
crimson yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the
blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. He shall
sprinkle it seven times upon the one who is to be cleansed of the
leprous disease; then he shall pronounce him clean, and he shall let
the living bird go into the open field. The one who is to be cleansed
shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and bathe himself
in water, and he shall be clean. After that he shall come into the
camp, but shall live outside his tent for seven days. On the seventh
day he shall shave all his hair: of head, beard, eyebrows; he shall
shave all his hair. Then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe his
body in water, and he shall be clean.
Devotional
----------
These verses contain the rituals used by priests to cleanse a leper
and restore him or her to the community if she or he were healed of
the disease. The elements of this ritual described in these verse are
quite bizarre when compared with the healing prayers used by the
later prophets and Jesus, or the early church, or today. The ritual
described here would seem to have its roots in a sacrificial system.
In Jesus' time it was still considered the priests role to declare
someone cured of leprosy and restored to the community.
Prayer
--------------
Help me to look to your love and power for healing, Lord. Amen
----------
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: This shall be the ritual for the
leprous person at the time of his cleansing:
He shall be brought to the priest; the priest shall go out of the
camp, and the priest shall make an examination. If the disease is
healed in the leprous person, the priest shall command that two
living clean birds and cedar wood and crimson yarn and hyssop be
brought for the one who is to be cleansed. The priest shall command
that one of the birds be slaughtered over fresh water in an earthen
vessel. He shall take the living bird with the cedar wood and the
crimson yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the
blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. He shall
sprinkle it seven times upon the one who is to be cleansed of the
leprous disease; then he shall pronounce him clean, and he shall let
the living bird go into the open field. The one who is to be cleansed
shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and bathe himself
in water, and he shall be clean. After that he shall come into the
camp, but shall live outside his tent for seven days. On the seventh
day he shall shave all his hair: of head, beard, eyebrows; he shall
shave all his hair. Then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe his
body in water, and he shall be clean.
Devotional
----------
These verses contain the rituals used by priests to cleanse a leper
and restore him or her to the community if she or he were healed of
the disease. The elements of this ritual described in these verse are
quite bizarre when compared with the healing prayers used by the
later prophets and Jesus, or the early church, or today. The ritual
described here would seem to have its roots in a sacrificial system.
In Jesus' time it was still considered the priests role to declare
someone cured of leprosy and restored to the community.
Prayer
--------------
Help me to look to your love and power for healing, Lord. Amen