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Transcript 142A
The Cleansing of Lepers [Lev 8:23-24]
HC: Good evening. Welcome to Open Forum.
CALLER: It's good to talk to you again. I'm curious about a passage that I read in Leviticus. It's in Leviticus 8, and it's also recorded in Chapter 14, about the cleansing and restoring of the lepers. And it says that Moses was to put the blood of the lamb of ordination on the tip of Aaron's right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot. And I thought that there might be a deeper spiritual meaning. And the only thing I could think of is, Could it be that he was to glorify God as a priest in what he touched, heard, and where or how he walked in the faith?
HC: What verse is that, incidentally?
CALLER: That's Leviticus 8:23 and 24.
HC: Your question is: What does this mean that they were to take the blood and touch it on the tip of the right ear, the thumb of his right hand and on the great toe of his right foot? I think that your answer is correct. I think that the ear represents that which is heard. Jesus said again and again, you know, in the New Testament, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Those whose ears have been opened, you see.
Remember when we talked about Israel, we learned that their ears have been closed. But those who are going to be born again, the remnant chosen by grace out of any nation, they have been given ears to hear.
Now the thumb of his right hand would have to do with his will, or the fact that his will has been surrendered to God.
And the great toe, remember what we do with the Gospel. "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel." The toe would be related to the foot, of course, and would tie in with the idea of going, as well as walking. I like what you said about walking, walking in the will of God.
CALLER: You were the one that sort of inspired this, because I heard you and someone else talk about leprosy a few months ago. And you were saying how leprosy is a figure of sin. And in Leviticus he's talking about the restoring of lepers. And he also gives these same verses, about the ear, etc. And I wondered if that could be saying, Yes, this is a figure of sin. You were cut off from your people. You're being restored now, but this is how you are to live.
HC: Yes, that's in Leviticus 14:14. It's the same kind of an idea, that once they have been restored, they are to listen to the Word of God carefully. They are to have their will surrendered to God. They are to walk in His way and go to do His bidding.