D. The Leper Who Was to Be Cleansed
Needing to Solve the Problem
of His Sin and Sins before God

In the matter of the cleansing of the leper, Christ is revealed not only as the two birds, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet strands but also as four kinds of offerings: the sin offering, the trespass offering, the burnt offering, and the meal offering (vv. 10-32). The offerings were presented before God on the eighth day (vv. 10-11), signifying that man is freed in Christ in resurrection from the flesh of the old creation.

1. Offering One of the Male Lambs
for a Trespass Offering, with the Log of Oil,
Both of Which Were Waved
for a Wave Offering before Jehovah

“The priest shall take one of the male lambs and present it as a trespass offering and the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before Jehovah” (v. 12). Here the Hebrew term for log denotes a certain quantity (a pint) of oil, which signifies the Holy Spirit. A wave offering is an offering of resurrection and in resurrection. Therefore, this signifies that the death of the Lord Jesus as the trespass offering deals with our sins, and His resurrection in the Holy Spirit frees us from our trespasses so that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24).

2. The Male Lamb as the Trespass Offering
to Be Slaughtered in the Place of the Sanctuary
Where the Sin Offering and
the Burnt Offering Were Slaughtered

“He shall slaughter the male lamb in the place where they slaughter the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the place of the sanctuary” (Lev. 14:13a). This indicates that Christ’s being the sin offering and the burnt offering is the base for Him to be the trespass offering.

3. The Blood of the Trespass Offering
to Be Put on the Lobe of the Right Ear
of Him Who Was to Be Cleansed,
on the Thumb of His Right Hand,
and on the Big Toe of His Right Foot

“The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot” (v. 14). This signifies that man has trespasses because his ears are wrong in not listening to God, his hands are wrong in not doing the things of God, and his feet are wrong in not taking the ways of God. Therefore, he needs to be cleansed with the blood of the Lord Jesus as his trespass offering.

4. Some of the Oil to Be Poured
into the Palm of the Priest’s Left Hand
and Sprinkled with His Right Finger
Seven Times before Jehovah

“The priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of the priest’s left hand, and the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in the palm of his left hand and sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before Jehovah” (vv. 15-16). This signifies that the Spirit of the Lord’s resurrection has laid a perfect foundation before God.

5. Some of the Rest of the Oil
to Be Put on the Lobe of the Right Ear
of the One Who Was to Be Cleansed,
on the Thumb of His Right Hand,
and on the Big Toe of the Right Foot,
upon the Blood of the Trespass Offering

“From the rest of the oil that is in the palm of his hand the priest shall put some on the lobe of the right ear of the one who is to be cleansed and some on the thumb of his right hand and some on the big toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering” (v. 17). This signifies that man can solve the problem of his trespasses only by listening to the word of God, doing the things of God, and taking the ways of God in the Spirit of resurrection, based on the redemption by the blood of the Lord Jesus as our trespass offering.

Here we have two layers: the layer of the blood and the layer of the oil. The blood signifies Christ’s redeeming blood, and the oil signifies the Spirit of resurrection. First, the blood is applied to the lobe of the right ear, to the thumb of the right hand, and to the big toe of the right foot. This is for the washing away of our trespasses and wrongdoings. Following this, the oil is applied to the places where the blood is applied. This indicates that, based upon the redemption of Christ, the Spirit comes to help us to listen to God’s word, to do the things of God, and to take the ways of God. This will keep us from any kind of trespass.

6. The Rest of the Oil in the Priest’s Palm
to Be Put on the Head
of Him Who Was to Be Cleansed

“The rest of the oil that is in the palm of the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of the one who is to be cleansed. Then the priest shall make expiation for him before Jehovah” (v. 18). Putting oil on the head signifies that the authority of the headship, the thoughts of the mind, and the control of the entire being of the sinner who is to be cleansed are dealt with in the cleansing Spirit of resurrection.

7. The Sin Offering to Be Offered to Make Expiation for Him Who Was to Be Cleansed
Because of His Uncleanness

“The priest shall offer the sin offering and make expiation for the one who is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness” (v. 19a). This signifies that the Lord Jesus was offered as our sin offering to deal with our uncleanness at the root (the sinful nature) of our sins, which are dealt with by the Lord Jesus as the trespass offering.

8. The Burnt Offering to Be Offered
with the Meal Offering

“Afterward he shall slaughter the burnt offering. And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meal offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make expiation for him, and he shall be clean” (vv. 19b-20). This signifies that the sinner who is to be cleansed, after being cleansed from the uncleanness of sin and sins through Christ as his sin offering and trespass offering, offers himself in Christ as the burnt offering to God and lives and walks absolutely for God by the life of Christ as the meal offering. Thus the sinner who is to be cleansed is fully cleansed from his uncleanness. The leper has now been healed, cleansed, and expiated.