Leviticus Week 28 - Metzora (Leper) Notes

These are my first ever Torah Portion notes from 2018 and 2019, drawn from these sources. Every Saturday starting from Friday sunset, God's people get together and read portions from the Torah to learn and look deeper into His word, starting after the 8 days Feast of tabernacles until.Tabernacles the next year:

• Jim Staley Laws of  Purification & Leprosy - Torah Portions Tazria & Metzorah  - Jim Staley, 2015 
• The Way Biblical Fellowship Leper (Torah Portion: Metzora) 2015 - 2016
• Rob Skiba Virtual House Church

1. 2013 Broadcast
2. 2016 Broadcast     

Scriptures in Week 28:

TORAH:

Leviticus 14 & 15

PROPHETS:

2 Kings 7:3-20

NEW TESTAMENT:

Matthew 8:1-17; 9:18-26; 

Luke 10:1-42; 17:1-37; 

Romans 6:15-23; 

Hebrews 13:4

TORAH

Just like what we saw last week, there is difference between the process of the clean and unclean section and the process of becoming cleansed. This is the same with someone that was just healed from leprosy. There is a difference with healing and cleansing laws. In this parsha we will focus of the laws of the days of the cleansing period. This is the same with forgiveness and restoration. They are two very different things.

This week will deal with physical and bodily uncleanness that will happen to us at some point.

• Conception of a child and sex
• Menstrual flow
• Seminal discharge or masturbation
• Giving birth
• Discharge from the body (sweat, vomit, poo.)
• Touching a dead unclean animal
• Entering into a house that has tza'arat
• Coming into contact with graves, corpses and bones
• Burning a red heifer sacrifice
• Eating unclean food

The washing of the physical from uncleanness teaches us about washing ourselves from spiritual uncleanness. Just as in the physical world, we need to clean our conscience from death too.

The process of healing begins when a leper proclaims the truth that he is unclean. If the one suffering from tzara'at has apparently been healed, he first calls for the priest to be re-examined. If the priests sees no sign of uncleanness, a second examination is scheduled seven days later, and if the metzora is free from the person, the processes of purification begins. This second examination pictures Yeshua coming back on the seventh day as our high priest. After the second examination, the priest requires that the metzora brings in the following:

• An earthenware bowl filled with living water (the Holy Spirit).
• Two birds of the same type that are clean.
• A stick of cedar wood.

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 vessel over running water:

6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:

7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

How interesting! Perhaps the device used to accomplish this task looked something like this?

Also notice in verse 6 the reference to dipping the bird in blood and water. We are saved by Yeshua's blood and He is also the living waters. The waters are running like a mikvah or a baptism. The scarlet thread the the bird is wrapped around is the bloody form of Jesus when He was hanged on a tree.

This also connects to when in the Exodus when the Israelites put blood on the doorposts. See the Bo Torah Portion for more info.

The priest would slaughter one of the birds and their blood will mix with the water. We are purified in the conscience and the spirit by these two things.

The only thing that can free the second bird are the items that are prophetically found here:

• Blood
• Water
• Hyssop
• Crimson wool
• Cedar wood

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7

Yeshua is wearing a crimson woollen robe (from a lamb), nailed to a cedar cross, pierced and water and blood come out of Him. Yeshua is the bird in Leviticus 14! The word says that no man lives, unless he is crucified with Christ.

The other bird that is killed is Yeshua, and the bird that is wrapped up on the cedar wood is us! We must be crucified in Christ and live, as the second bird is dipped in the blood of the other bird, and is free! The first bid is crucified instead of the instead, even though the second looks like it will be put to death.

What is the significance of crimson wool you may ask? Here is a great video explaining that.

This is prophetically how a leper is cleansed. What God is saying here is that we are all lepers. Why lepers? It makes more sense bionically if we were adulterers. No, lepers is the worst sin in the Bible. Leprosy makes up all of the 7 deadly sins from Proverbs 6: 16-19 in one or the other:

• Pride
• Lying
• Killing the innocence
• A wicked schemer
• Someone that loves evil ways and ideas
• Gossip
• Slander

See last week's Torah Portion on how leprosy is connected to evil speech - Lashon Hara.

When you have a tongue of slander you are destroying the face of God on the earth. We are all lepers so prophetically we are expelled from the camp (the Garden of Eden). How do we get back to Eden? We need someone that is going to heal us and then cleanse us (Torah and salvation). The salvation given is to make sure we can be purified. He did not come to heal us, because we can already be healed by His word.
"And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." Mark 1:40
Notice how he says "clean" and not "healed". He literately recognising Yeshua as a priest. But Yeshua touches the leper! You cannot do that! Unless you are taking on the afflictions and the sins of this world, you can.
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5
What this did to Yeshua explains why He keeps on leaving cities and trying to isolate Himself in the wilderness and retreat. It is because He has healed lepers and taken on their sins! He will be breaking the commandments if He did not do this. He must go out of the camp! Yeshua is literally playing the place of the leper as the leper plays the place of Yeshua by proclaiming the good news of his healing. This is the importance of controlling our tongues. Yeshua was constrained, not by His tongue, but by someone else.
"But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter. Mark 1:45

Yeshua is the leper scholar according to the Babylonian Talmud. Even the Jews that do not believe say Yeshua was a leper scholar.

The main theme of this Torah Portion is that If we could all see the reward that awaits us for restraining from Lashon Hora, our ability to restrain would be instant.

When we are unclean in the physical, we are to wash ourselves with water. Some have made the argument that taking a shower is a baptism and there is no need to do a formal one with someone to baptise you. It is a conscience baptism.

The cleansing of the spirit is when He gives us His spirit. This is cleansed by temptations and trails coming our way. The fire and the Holy Spirit do this.

Our actions by following Him cleanses our hearts. 

The leper is then to shave his head and wash his clothes as he is immersed in a mikeh. This is the symbology of dying to self and raising into the newness of life. After that, he may return into the camp, but he may not return into his home for another seven days. On the eighth day he bathes again and offers several offerings - the sin, guilt   . The 7th day is the millennial reign and we are not to go their yet. We are not at home when we live on this earth.

The blood on the right ear lobe, right thumb and right big toe points to Yeshua. Ear is the crown of thorns, the right hand and foot is where He was nailed to the cross. 

After all of this, he was pronounced clean by the priest. Hi head is anointed with oil and his life of uncleanness is over, and he is like a soul brought back from the death to the newness of life. He is a new creation.

If you cleanse the inside first, if you cleanse the heart, the outside will naturally reflect that. It is like getting circumcised on the flesh instead of the inside. You are just cleaning the outside of the cup and not the inside. Naturally, when we circumcised our heart and clean the inside, then naturally we would want to get physically circumcised.

In Leviticus 15 there is chiastic structure.

• Bodily discharge is unclean (Verse 1-2)
• Abnormal male discharge (Verse 3-15)
• Ejaculation (Verse 16-17)
• Sex inside marriage (Verse 18)
• Menstruation (Verse 19-24)
• Abnormal female discharge (Verse 25-30)
• Uncleanness leads to being discharged from the community (verse 31)

This Torah Portion explains that the house itself can have tza'arat. If there is mold identified in a house , the whole house is unclean and everything gets washed and cleaned and 7 days later (when the high priest Yeshua returns) if there is still mold, they wash again and again if it is still there after two times, the building is condemned and is demolished. They can also replace the unclean stones with clean stones too. The ruins must be taken outside of the city (New Jerusalem.) This place is called Hell. However, we are lively stones that make up God's spiritual house, so that means someone that has tza'arat (slander,

hatred and a lying tongue that exposes others) will make the whole body of Christ get destroyed because of this one mold that spreads like wild fire and is unstoppable. If we are divided, we cannot stand. The unclean parts will be taken to Hell or outside of the camp. All of this connects to what we saw in the Va'Yetze Torah Portion where Jacob;s ladder is described to be inspected by angels and if there were any faults, they whole be removed and replaced.

The items used in the cleansing of the house is the same when the leper is being cleansed.

The prefect way to get the house ready for Yeshua:

" And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord." 2 Chronicles 29:15

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22

The clean cannot mix with the unclean. As we saw with Nadab and Abihu, in Gods presence all uncleanness is destroyed.

Hebrews 10:21-29 tells us what happens when we are clean and do not defy ourselves but walk in His ways.

" and having a great priest over God’s house, let’s draw near with a true heart in fullness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and having our body washed with pure water, let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering; for he who promised is faithful. Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. A man who disregards Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?"

PROPHETS AND NEW TESTAMENT

4 the lepers are extremely humbled. They know if they go into the city they will kill all the people but if they stay outside, the Syrians will possibly trampled them to death. They recognise their sins and wrongdoings and their dire consequences.

The 10 lepers represent the 10 lost tribes of Israel.

"But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 15:24

Yeshua heals 10 lepers. Only one gave thanks to YHWH and praised Yeshua at His feet. The lack of thanks and pride go hand in hand. The fact this person is not an Israelite means that any Gentile can be grafted into Israel.
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

When Yeshua healed those that are with leprosy, He told them to go to the priest to make sure they are inspected according to the Torah so it may be a testimony of the works of YHWH.

Yeshua has given us the power to not just able to cleanse other of leprosy and illness, but to take care of unclean spirits which are demons.

Yeshua says that there is no need to slander others found in sin, we must rebuke then and correct them and when they repent, we should be rejoicing and forgiving.

You wonder why the most demonic place on earth: Babylon, was called Babel. It is because "Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler (Baal Lashon) is no better." Ecclesiastes 10:11

The Torah alone will brings us to death, but with grace, we now can do His Torah without the cruse of breaking the law (this is sin.)

The purification of the heart makes us obedient. If you obey Torah it results in righteousness and if you obey sin, it results in death.

Shalom
Jonathon Karagiannis - 13/4/19