Verse 34b speaks of washing one’s clothes. Clothes signify our conduct, our daily walk. Washing the clothes signifies dealing with the stains of weak points in conduct, offenses, defects, words of rebellion, and improper activities. Since we all have such things, we need a thorough washing first by the blood and then by the Spirit.
“But if the scall remains unchanged in its appearance and black hair has grown in it, the scall is healed; he is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean” (v. 37). Black hair growing in the scall is a good sign, for it signifies that the strength for one to live a normal Christian life increases in his weakness. Right at the diseased spot black hair is growing. This means that spiritual strength is coming back at our point of weakness.
Verse 38 speaks of a man or a woman having “bright spots on the skin of their flesh, white bright spots.” These white bright spots signify the disease of self-display.
“If the bright spots in the skin of their flesh are a dull white, it is a tetter that has broken out in the skin; he is clean” (v. 39). This signifies the recovery from the weakness of self-display. When one makes a display of himself, assuming honor, he will have white bright spots. These spots are a negative sign. A dull white in the skin of the flesh is a positive sign; it indicates that one has humbled himself and has been recovered from the disease of self-display.
Verse 40 says, “When a man loses the hair of his head and is bald, he is clean.” This signifies the losing of subjection to authority, yet without rebelling. Here there is no sign of rebellion, only the sign of the loss of subjection to authority.
Verse 41 continues, “And if he loses the hair from his forehead and is bald at the forehead, he is clean.” The forehead being bald signifies being neither in subjection to authority nor in rebellion before men and on public occasions.
Leviticus 13:45 and 46 tell us about the leper’s open confession of his leprosy to others. This means that a sinner makes an open confession of his sin to others.
Verse 45 says, “And as for the leper in whom the disease is, his clothes shall be torn and the hair of his head disheveled, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry, Unclean, unclean!” Here we have several aspects of the leper’s confession of his leprosy to others. The first aspect is wearing torn clothes. This signifies that a man who committed sin admits his moral bankruptcy. Tearing one’s clothes is a sign of admitting that one is bankrupt in morality.
The hair of the leper’s head was to be disheveled. This signifies that he is utterly lacking in subjection to authority, being unruly and reckless. Such a person is rebellious and does not care for any kind of authority. His disheveled hair is a sign of his unruliness; it indicates that he is disorderly and that he does not care for regulations and rules.
A leper was also to cover his upper lip. He “was to have the lower part of his face bound around with a bandage, leaving the mouth just freedom enough to make the declaration, Unclean, unclean!” (George Bush). Covering the upper lip indicates that whatever issues out of a leper (a sinner) is filthy and contagious and that he should not be contacted.
The leper had to cry, “Unclean, unclean!” This indicates self-condemnation without ceasing.
“He shall remain unclean all the days that the disease is in him; he is unclean. He shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (v. 46). Dwelling alone outside the camp signifies that, until he clears up his sinfulness, the one who has sinned should stay outside the church and be isolated from the fellowship among God’s people (1 Cor. 5:13).
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