Spurgeon Morning and Evening February 26 PM

Biblical Context

The book of Leviticus is the third book of the Torah, believed to be written by Moses. It served as a guide for the priests and the Israelite people on how to live holy lives and worship God. This book sets out many laws concerning sacrifices, rituals, and various forms of purity. These laws weren’t just about physical health or social order; they carried deep spiritual meaning, teaching the people about the serious nature of sin and God’s absolute holiness. Leviticus shows us how much God cares about separating Himself from sin and how He made a way for people to come near Him despite their human imperfections.

Key Word Study

Leprosy (צָרַעַת, tsara’at): In the Hebrew Bible, the term “tsara’at” covers a broader range of conditions than what we today call Hansen’s disease (modern leprosy). It referred to various skin diseases, and sometimes even mildew on clothing or in houses. This condition was seen as a ritual impurity, often thought to be connected with sin or even a direct judgment from God, like in the story of Miriam in Numbers 12. A person with “tsara’at” was kept separate from the community. The priest’s job was to diagnose the condition and then declare the person clean or unclean, not to actually heal them. The detailed rules in Leviticus chapters 13-14 show God’s specific instructions for handling this impurity, which helped keep the community holy and taught important lessons about the need to be separate from sin.

The Strange Law, The Deep Wisdom

The law found in Leviticus 13:13 seems really unusual: “Behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague.” You’d probably think that someone completely covered in such a terrible disease would be beyond hope, right? But the wisdom here is incredible. If the disease had spread everywhere, it actually meant the person’s body was actively fighting it off, pushing it out to the surface. It showed that the person’s natural system was strong, and that a full outbreak was, surprisingly, a sign of healing taking place.

We Are Spiritual Lepers

This ancient law isn’t just for people who lived thousands of years ago. In a spiritual sense, we are also like lepers. We can read this law about physical leprosy and see how it speaks directly to our own spiritual condition. Think about this: when you truly see yourself as completely lost and broken, covered all over with the dirt of sin, with no part of you free from its stain – that’s when things begin to change. When you give up on trying to make yourself good enough through your own efforts, when you stop claiming any personal goodness, and instead plead guilty before God, that’s the moment you become clean. You are made clean through the precious blood of Jesus and the undeserved grace of God.

The Real Sickness: Hidden Sin

The *true* leprosy isn’t a physical disease you can see; it’s sin that stays hidden, unfelt, and unconfessed in your heart. That’s the truly deadly kind of spiritual sickness. But when you finally *see* your sin, and you *feel* its heavy weight, it’s actually received its deathblow. That’s the exact moment when God looks at your soul with eyes full of mercy, even though you feel deeply afflicted by your own failures. Nothing is more dangerous than thinking you’re good enough on your own – that’s self-righteousness. And nothing holds more hope for you than a broken, sorry heart – that’s contrition.

Confession Opens the Door

We really must confess that we are “nothing else but sin.” Any confession that falls short of this complete truth isn’t the full truth. And if the Holy Spirit is working within you, truly showing you your sin, then making such an honest acknowledgment won’t be a struggle at all. It won’t be forced; it will just come spontaneously from your lips.

Comfort for the Struggling Soul

Imagine the immense comfort this text brings to someone who’s truly woken up to the reality of their sin! The very thing that discouraged them so greatly – seeing how utterly lost and ruined they are – is here turned into a sign, a symptom, of a hopeful spiritual state! It’s like preparing for something new: you strip away old clothes before you can put on new ones, or you dig out the foundation before you can start building a strong structure. A thorough, deep sense of your own sin is one of the earliest and most vital works of grace in your heart.

Come As You Are

So, you poor, leprous sinner, you who feel utterly destitute of a single sound spot, please take heart from this powerful text. Don’t wait; come just as you are to Jesus. Remember these comforting words:

“For let our debts be what they may, however great or small,
As soon as we have nought to pay, our Lord forgives us all
‘Tis perfect poverty alone that sets the soul at large:
While we can call one mite our own, we have no full discharge.”