Speaking of Tattoos...

So is a spot on your skin, a boil, a scab, a mark of yellowish color with white hair or any of the flaws mentioned in Leviticus 11-14 considered Leprosy? I thought leprosy was when your nerves slowly diminished so that you began to rub the endings of your digits off.? Psshhhh, Whatever...
What does this have to do with a Tattoo you ask, well obviously not much. But what better way to break the ice for a conversation about marks on your skin that caused a person to be unclean than to begin with a quick note to skin art. (remember, it's permanent - Crawl from Son-In-Law) So all throughout these chapters the identification and care for these gross little skin infections is discussed. It is even clarified more so that there be no confusion in what is a mark of uncleanness and just a mark to get you thrown out of the tent for the night. [Sidenote: Sleeping with the camels has got to be yucky. Plus the dust of a desert blowing into your wounds, as if God was saying, "be more careful about how you take care of yourself." I mean, would you rather... Have dust in open sores while sleeping outside all night, up to a week long, then have to clean them and get inspected by a priest. OR, treat your skin however you'd like and probably get skin disease, sleep inside and most likely be struck down by God in the form of thunderous lightening crashes burning the flesh off your body front of your family and friends. I know what I'd choose.]

The real point of this article is to talk about chapter 14. If you were to reference Jesus healing a leper in the gospels, Luke 8 I think, you'd find Jesus saying to the guy, "go show the priest." Or something like that. I think it is unbelievable that in His healing of the leprous guy that he was significantly pointing out this exact chapter of Leviticus. I think it was because He wanted to tell the guy, without telling the guy, who He was. You see the cleansing process is the most intriguing one i have seen thus far in the book. There is a really cool duty for the cleansed person and the priest to do together. One cool thing is the handling of the wood, scarlet string and hyssop and the two birds, showing the symbolism of the cross, and the payment of Christ on the wood. The other is the redemption of the one bird's life by the blood of the other bird. One bird is killed and its blood poured over the wood, scarlet string, hyssop and other bird while held over running water. The now blood covered and then washed second bird is set free in the forest.

Go read up to this yourself or read it again if you've passed it and read Luke 8 also if you have time. Fascinating how God is in every detail of how He acts towards His Son and His people. Nothing is insignificant in scripture.

b