Post by Woody Williams on Feb 17, 2009 9:14:11 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 theleprous person at the time of his cleansing:
He shall be brought to the priest; the priest shall go out of thecamp, and the priest shall make an examination. If the disease ishealed in the leprous person, the priest shall command that twoliving clean birds and cedarwood and crimson yarn and hyssop bebrought for the one who is to be cleansed. The priest shall commandthat one of the birds be slaughtered over fresh water in an earthenvessel. He shall take the living bird with the cedarwood and thecrimson yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in theblood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. He shallsprinkle it seven times upon the one who is to be cleansed of theleprous disease; then he shall pronounce him clean, and he shall letthe living bird go into the open field. The one who is to be cleansedshall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and bathe himselfin water, and he shall be clean. After that he shall come into thecamp, but shall live outside his tent seven days. On the seventh dayhe shall shave all his hair: of head, beard, eyebrows; he shall shaveall his hair. Then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe his body inwater, and he shall be clean.
Devotional
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These verses contain the ritual priests would use to cleanse andrestore a leper to his or her community if the leper was healed ofthe disease. The elements of the ritual described in these verses isquite bizarre when compared with the healing prayers used later bythe prophets, Jesus or the early church. The rituals prescribed hereseem to have their roots in a sacrificial system. In Jesus' time itwas still considered the priest's job to declare someone cured ofleprosy and restored to the community.
Prayer
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Help me to look to your mercy and healing love O God. Amen
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The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: This shall be the ritual for theleprous person at the time of his cleansing:
He shall be brought to the priest; the priest shall go out of thecamp, and the priest shall make an examination. If the disease ishealed in the leprous person, the priest shall command that twoliving clean birds and cedarwood and crimson yarn and hyssop bebrought for the one who is to be cleansed. The priest shall commandthat one of the birds be slaughtered over fresh water in an earthenvessel. He shall take the living bird with the cedarwood and thecrimson yarn and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in theblood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. He shallsprinkle it seven times upon the one who is to be cleansed of theleprous disease; then he shall pronounce him clean, and he shall letthe living bird go into the open field. The one who is to be cleansedshall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and bathe himselfin water, and he shall be clean. After that he shall come into thecamp, but shall live outside his tent seven days. On the seventh dayhe shall shave all his hair: of head, beard, eyebrows; he shall shaveall his hair. Then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe his body inwater, and he shall be clean.
Devotional
----------
These verses contain the ritual priests would use to cleanse andrestore a leper to his or her community if the leper was healed ofthe disease. The elements of the ritual described in these verses isquite bizarre when compared with the healing prayers used later bythe prophets, Jesus or the early church. The rituals prescribed hereseem to have their roots in a sacrificial system. In Jesus' time itwas still considered the priest's job to declare someone cured ofleprosy and restored to the community.
Prayer
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Help me to look to your mercy and healing love O God. Amen