Leviticus 15 shows that we have a problem of discharges. These discharges are altogether unclean. Furthermore, the uncleanness that issues from us is contagious and causes others to be unclean.
According to the Bible, our body is our embodiment. Our body is our being, our constitution. Whatever comes out of our body, out of our constitution, as a discharge, is unclean and contagious.
“When one who has the discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count seven days for himself for his cleansing; then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water, and he shall be clean” (v. 13). This signifies that we need to deal repeatedly with our outward living and behavior and with our natural life until our natural life is fully terminated. In addition, we need the washing of the Spirit as the water of life in the word of God for us to be cleansed.
“On the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and come before Jehovah at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and give them to the priest. And the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make expiation for him before Jehovah for his discharge” (vv. 14-15). Here Christ is typified by the two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One of these birds is a sin offering, and the other is a burnt offering. The function of Christ as the sin offering is to deal with our sinful nature. The function of Christ as the burnt offering is to be our life so that we may live a life that is absolute for God. Only Christ can meet our need in these two aspects. When we have Christ as our sin offering and as our burnt offering, the problem of our discharges is solved.
The Bible uses human birth, leprosy, and discharges to speak concerning man’s uncleanness in various aspects and man’s filthiness in different conditions. The uncleanness of the human birth coming out of the woman signifies that the source of all mankind is unclean.
Moreover, this uncleanness comes from within mankind. We are unclean by birth. We were unclean even when we were in our mother’s womb. We were born in uncleanness and live in uncleanness. The way for us to be cleansed from human uncleanness is by being circumcised. This means that our flesh must be put aside through the death of Christ so that we may be brought into the resurrection of Christ, not only to be cleansed but also to have a new beginning of life. Furthermore, we need to offer Christ as a burnt offering and a sin offering to redeem us from our sin of not living for God and to be one with Him that we may become a burnt offering offered to God.
Our uncleanness not only issues from birth, but it is also intensified by sin, which is signified by leprosy. Leprosy is the outcome of man’s rebellion against God’s authority, God’s deputy authority, God’s regulation, and God’s economy. Hence, leprosy signifies the sin that dwells and does evil in man. The denotation of sin in the biblical sense is rebellion. This rebellion was invented, inaugurated, by Satan. Through the fall of Adam the very leprosy invented by Satan entered into us and remains in us all the time. Having entered into us, this sin, this leprosy, was mingled with our fallen nature as one. Hence, it is not easy to be cleared away; rather, it kills man. A leper has to openly confess his leprosy, indicating that a sinner must make an open confession of his sin. Furthermore, he has to dwell alone outside the camp, signifying 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.
Furthermore, we have a problem of discharges. These discharges are altogether unclean. Moreover, the uncleanness that issues from us is contagious and causes others to be unclean. The way for one who has a discharge to be cleansed is to wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water. This signifies that we need to deal repeatedly with our outward living and behavior and with our natural life until our natural life is fully terminated. In addition, we need the washing of the Spirit as the water of life in the word of God for us to be cleansed. We also need to experience Christ as the sin offering and the burnt offering to deal with our sinful nature and to be our life so that we may live a life that is absolute for God. In this way the problem of our discharges is solved.