Despite the fact that this matter is clearly explained in 1 John, it is still not easy for us to understand because the human concept does not have this thought and because it is very deep, mysterious, and abstract. In the Old Testament, however, this thought can be seen in the type of the cleansing of the leper. Leprosy does not begin from the outside but from within; then it appears outwardly to become an uncleanness. Leprosy signifies sin. Sin does not first harm our outward actions. Rather, it first enters our nature to corrupt it, and then it breaks forth from our nature and is manifested outwardly to also corrupt our outward actions.
A leper was condemned before God, and his person was unclean. Therefore, he needed God’s forgiveness on the one hand and the cleansing of his being on the other hand. Leviticus 14 says that before he could be cleansed, he had to offer a trespass offering and a sin offering (vv. 12, 19). The trespass offering was for the outward deeds, the trespasses, and the sin offering was for the inward nature, the sin. Fallen man has contracted leprosy, having an inward sinful nature that is manifested as the outward sinful deeds. Moreover, he is unclean before God. Therefore, he must be forgiven before he can be cleansed. This is why he first needs to offer to God two kinds of offerings-the sin offering and the trespass offering. These two offerings typify the Lord Jesus as our Redeemer who accomplished redemption for us.
Leviticus 14 shows that when the one asking for cleansing had been forgiven through the offering of the sacrifices, the priest took the blood shed from these two sacrifices and put it on the person’s ear, thumb, and toe (v. 14). The ear is for hearing, the hand is for doing, and the foot is for walking. Man commits sins because of these three members. For example, a young student first hears his classmates at school describing how they stole their fathers’ money, and the sinful nature within him rises up in response. Then he walks home and uses his hands to do the same thing. Thus, he successfully commits a sin, and the leprosy has come out into the open. We thank the Lord that Christ died for us, for our sin, and for our sins, our trespasses. Now through the offering of the Lord Jesus as our sin offering and our trespass offering we are redeemed from sin. However, we are still not cleansed, so we must apply the redeeming blood on our ear, thumb, and toe to obtain cleansing.
After the cleansing, the priest brought the oil and sprinkled it seven times before God. Then he put it on the ear, thumb, and toe upon which the blood had been applied; that is, he put the oil upon the blood. Following this he poured the remainder of the oil on the person’s head (vv. 15-18). In this way, the person became a son of oil (Zech. 4:14). Because he had been washed by the blood and then anointed with the oil, he was cleansed.
The natural man cannot understand this kind of truth and finds it very strange. Generally people think that Christianity instructs people how to worship God, fear God, and honor God. Then it teaches people to be faithful, righteous, and peaceable. It also teaches people to have filial respect, brotherly affection, and benevolence. It is true that the Bible does mention these things and even says much about them; nevertheless, the basic concept of the Bible is focused on the blood and the oil. God wants to sprinkle us sinners with the blood; then He wants to anoint us with oil. Wherever the blood is sprinkled, there the oil is applied. In this way we have become those who are sprinkled by the blood. Furthermore, we have become those who have the anointing; that is, we have become sons of oil. Thus, we are cleansed and can enter into the fellowship of the eternal life.
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