Leviticus 15 Issues

Intro: There are certain chapt.s in the bible that you wouldn’t choose to teach on or preach from / Tonight is one of those Chapters

A)It deals w/ issues that are rather personal & some what embarrassing

B) But every part of God’s word has an amazing way of being applicable to our lives from day to day in a personal way

1) I think that we will find that true of this passage tonight – so hang in there as we work our way thru it – TURN LEV. 15

C) Now in Lev. 13,14 – we saw the law of the Leper / noted that Leprosy was a type of SIN – starts small below surface / spreads

1) Eventually has outward MANIFESTATIONS - that which is Obvious

D) The Uncleanness of Leprosy dealt w/ OBVIOUS SINS

1) Here in Ch. 15 – We are dealing w/ that which is not OBVIOUS

Uncleanness in the Private parts

E) That which you know is there but maybe no one else knows is there

BUT - It is every bit as damning and destructive

David prayed in Ps.19 : 22 cleanse me Lord from Secret faults

A)In other words cleanse me from the stuff that you see that no one else does / David man after God’s own heart – cleanse me in the inward man

B) In Psa. 51:6 ⁶ You desire truth in the inward parts,

And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

C) David understood that It is not just how I present myself on the outside that matters / what people think of me reputationally

1)But it is what is going on / on the INSIDE THAT REALLY MATTERS

So David went on to say :

⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Well this Ch. Deals w/ that which is not necessarily seen outwardly but a person is cognizant of Inwardly / Personally - / ISSUES read v.1,2

A) DISCHARGE OR running issue

There is much debate as to what this running issue is

B) MOST commentators / As well as Rabbinical tradition believe that this Discharge mentioned in v.2-15 is speaking of a VENEREAL DISEASE –

1) A Chronic Discharge or A running issue in the private part of a man that renders him Unclean - I think the text support this as we will see

V.3 ³And this shall be his uncleanness in regard to his discharge—whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is stopped up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness.

C) So whether it is being discharged at that time of not doesn’t matter if it is still in him – he is considered Unclean !!!!

1) READ V.4-11

Now it is interesting in dealing w/ this Chronic discharge in the Uncleanness – the key phrase that comes up over & over – be a washing

A)A CLEANSING W/ WATER - Now this is interesting that – this was written thousands of yrs before modern Medicine

B) This is very interesting in light of what Dr. McMillan writes in his book: "None of These Diseases"

1) It wasn't until the 1800's that doctors began the practice of scrubbing

Thoroughly & washing w/ bacterial soaps

C) Prior to that Doctors were kind of like football & baseball players

1) The dirtier the Better / Playing Ball – Uniform dirty – really played hard

D) A doctor who had blood on clothes & blood on hands – meant that he was in demand - he was working hard / earning your money

Dr. McMillian points out how this one doctor began to recognize the NECESSITY of washing began to observe a phenomena in his hospital

A)See The surgeons would come in during the morning and do autopsies

B) Then They would go from doing autopsies to doing deliveries

1) The doctor noticed how many babies were dying shortly after birth and how many mothers were experiencing problems

C) They were dying of the same diseases & problems that the person who died the night before – the diseases were being carried by the doctors

1)Because the Doctors weren’t washing / autopsy room to the delivery room

They would NOT wash all day long

D) So this doctor noticed a connection between the doctors doing autopsies and then delivering babies and the death rate of new borns

1) So he ordered those doctors to SCRUB

The mortality and complication rates dropped drastically

E) It then became mandated that EVERY doctor wash after EVERY procedure and examination

BUT at first The doctors at the hospital were enraged by the demands and kicked him out of the hospital

A)They black-balled him from going anywhere else This doctor who made such a break-through observation ended up in an insane asylum

1) because no one believed what he knew was a major medical revolution

B) BUT - Here we see the Lord telling His people of the importance of CONTINUAL washing

1) Thousands of years before the medical community caught on

Again - A proof that the author of this Book is the all-wise God

But SPIRITUALLY - There is an application

A)HOW do we deal with the HIDDEN sins that defile us

We are to be WASHED with the Water of the Word

B) David who prayed Cleanse from my secret faults – also said Psa 119

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

C) Paul talked about in Eph. 5 – Being washed w/ the water of the word

Jesus said in Jn.13 You are clean because the word I have spoken to you

D) There is a cleansing that happens as we take in the scriptures / eat the word / learn more about the word

1) Hearts & minds are cleansed

Rom.12 Not conformed… but transformed by the renewing of our minds

E) How are our MINDS RENEWEWED ? THE WORD

Now I can relate a little bit w/ that doctor who went insane because no one would listen to him –

A)Because we see people come in – w/ issues – tears broken – problems & pain / always ask ARE YOU IN THE WORD ? How’s devotional life

B) So often – it is NON EXISITENT – not happening

We Assign them passages to read – encourage them to get into the word

1) But so often they won’t do it – they remain in that infected condition – It drives you nuts – People suffering unnecessarily

C)God has made it OVEREWHELMINGLY clear by means of repetition that God's means of cleaning my life up is to SOAK and SATURATE 1) and STUDY the Word of God

D) THAT is why we have the emphasis of Bible study here at CCV

That is why we are studying tonight - V.12

Interesting – Touches an earthen vessel – made of clay – Broken

A)Spiritual App – Earthen vessels in scripture are an illustrations of ours lives – We are earthen vessels – clay pots / from earth / return

B) Paul said we have this TREASURE in earthen vessels – Christ in you & in me - He is the Treasure –

C) Now here is what is interesting to me – is when a man who is infected w/ that disease touches an earthen vessel there is a breaking

1)Again we have seen that here – a person comes in w/ a broken heart because they have just found out – spouse recently married has VD / STD

D) The result of their Promiscuous lifestyle prior to getting married

Now I bring this up to remind you that there is a price to pay for Promiscuity – single people listen

A)Part of that price is this : earthen vessels get broken / hearts shattered because that person that you love – is infected by your past sins

B) 1 out of 3 unmarried people over the 16 in the U.S. is infected w/ a STD

1) Danger in Promiscuity – Reap what you sow down the line / Leave those whom you love - Broken hearted by your sin

C) Be Wise – God’s way is right / God’s word is True – Don’t mess around

V.13-15

A)Now this explains why the majority of commentators & Rabbis believe that this is speaking about a V.D. – Sin offering / when cleansed

1)Dealing w/ a sin issue – and so a sin offering is required / admission of

B)Two offerings / ALSO Burnt offering – Consecration of Self – fully giving myself to you Lord / learned my lesson / not live that way any more

C) When the Burnt offering was placed on the ALTAR – you were implying LORD I WANT TO HAVE AN ALTARED LIFE !!!

Note the cleansing involved water = the word & the blood of the Sacrifice which speaks of Calvary which is always the case

A)Blood & the water – winning combination – came out of Jesus side

B) Blood speaks of Justification – Positional

1) The water of Sanctification / the practical

C) So that is the process for the person who has a chronic discharge a running flow – due to some V.D.

Now in v.16-18 – instructions for that which is not a Chronic discharge that is from a STD / but a sporadic discharge of a man's seed – READ

A)So this is not a Chronic discharge that comes from a disease but that which is natural & right that takes place in the sexual relationship in marriage

B) Why then is this rendered unclean ? Understand – not implying that sex is dirty – Heb. 13 Marriage bed is undefiled

1) God invented Sex – it is His idea – that which is meant to be beautiful and honoring

C) Not dirty – not sin – notice there is no need of a sin offering here

Just washing – obvious physical reasons I don’t need to go into

D) Implication here as well that even natural & beautiful things are unclean

1) Everything has been tainted by the fall - / polluted by sin !!!

Rom. 8:22 All of nature groans waiting for the day of redemption

Nature is beautiful / most beautiful places & aspects are not what they were intended to be / what they once were

A)When Adam sinned all of nature crashed / computer crashing everything is affected

B) Adams sin left everything tainted – so beyond the obvious physical reasons for washing after sex – the Lord says unclean – reminder tainted

Now in v.19 –24 woman’s issue of blood – part of her 7 day cycle / not read but comment – Unclean Affects

A)V.20 wherever she lies / V.21 sits / v.22 whoever she touches /

v.24 man lies w/ her

B) AGAIN – this not a sin issue – no sin offering mentioned here – just a natural issue – part of the fall - Need to wash

v.25- 30 deals w/ a woman who has a STD – Chronic discharge / an issue that is not natural – if cleansed same procedure as a man

A)Washing – Burnt offering for Consecration / Sin offering – Identification

v.31-33

Note here The issue isn’t just hygiene – that is a given – but something else here that grabs my attention

A)In this issue – of issues – the Lord says that what comes out of the man – seed – blood from woman– can cause a defiling in God’s tabernacle –

B) His congregation is defiled The result can be death !!!

1) So a loving father says to his kids – it is not just about hygiene – but

there is a spiritual issue/ God’s Tabernacle is at stake

We all deal w/ ISSUES / There are issues that can be defiling – dangerous – deadly

A) Issues that poor out of a man – issues that flow out of a woman –

Not physical but spiritual

B) Issues that can defile the Tabernacle – personally – congregationally

1^st – Personally –

C)There are those who come to this tabernacle – issues –

those who have chronic issues – which is sin!

People who come into the Tabernacle – issues against the church

A)Mad at him / upset at her / bummed at the pastor or pastors

B) Roots of bitterness- whereby many become defiled – whoever they talk to

They become defiled –

1) Talk to some one else about a person who you are bitter against / can’t

look at that person the same anymore/ view is defiled

C) Parents – turn kids off to church – talk about the service – the message – the people

1) Pastor Rob - - so long today – music was awful – see what so and so

wearing

D) Your kids – develop a cynical attitude about Church - planting bad seed cynical seed – corrupting seed

1) What happens is there is death

E) Congregations sapped of their vitality – robbed of what they once were – because of that Kind of stuff

Marriages often destroyed by ISSUES - stuff that just comes leaking out all the time – My wife Historical -

A) Marriages destroyed / friendships are Ruined / Churches are weakened all because of issues – that go undealt w/

B.) There is a runny issue – doesn’t matter how much is poured in by the Lord – never fills up because leak

Listen: Before God ever fills something – He forms it

A.) He formed THE EARTH then filled it with vegetation life

He formed the OCEAN – then filled with fish

He formed the AIR – then filled with birds

He formed MAN out of dust – then breathed life – became living soul

B)The Tabernacle was formed – built – then the glory of the Lord filled it

C) See God doesn’t waste His breath by filling that which is not formed

1) Here is the problem: People want to be filled but they don’t want to be

formed

D) They want to be filled but they don’t want to deal with the issues/ the leaks

So People pray – Lord fill my marriage / bless this thing / but there are issues / there are leaks – there is sin

A)The Lord says – I would love to bless your marriage but first I need to form You – Need to Fix you – deal w/ the Leaks / Issues

B) We say what do you mean Lord ? he says look You’re leaking all over

1.) always Popping off – always blowing top – complaining about this – irritated at them/ Bitter toward so & so

C)Pride and selfishness is oozing out of your life & it is defiling you

1)Defiling your marriage / it is destroying the Church / wrecking the

Friendship - Lord says I need to Fix the leaks / deal w/ the issues

Not going to fill you because you leak all over – willing to let me form you – so there are not leaks

A)But people just don’t want to deal with those things

B) Before He fills you / He wants to form you – You need to be willing to be formed – then He will fill