The laws of becoming clean were quite explicit and to be followed in exact detail, however the sacrifices made allowed for people of all levels of wealth to participate. Today from chapters 14 and 15 we read of the laws of cleansing a leper, his house, and the cleansing of unhealthiness.
Chapter 14 –
The importance and solemn nature of the ritual to restore a person cured of a skin disease was indicated by yet another repetition of the words. The Lord spoke to Moses. Following these procedures allowed a person to rejoin the community.
The cleansing process involved several stages. A person who believed he ad been cured of his disease would send for the priest who would go outside the camp and examine him. If the priest verified the cleansing had taken place he them offered a sacrifice.
Though the person was clean again, there were sacrifices to be offered on the eighth day as part of the restoration. This included the various types of sacrifices presented earlier in the book such as grain, guilt burnt, and sin offerings.
Here to the provision is made for what he could afford.
There were also laws for cleansing mildew which these regulations were similar to those cleansing their garments. Again the responsibility was that of the priests for inspection and certifying it was clean.
Chapter 15 –
This chapter outlines the laws of cleansing the body. The subject of cleanness and uncleanness is further covered through laws regarding what to do for periodic discharges for both men and women. Anyone being touched or touching an unclean person must bath and be unclean until the evening.
There are specific instructions given for both men and women. These verse provide a summary and signal the close of the discussion on uncleanliness. God’s regulations were to keep the Israelites from their uncleanliness, so they do not die by defiling (God’s) tabernacle that is among them. God’s holiness and his demand for holiness from His people, gave laws life and death importance.
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