Leprosy

Why Good Kings Fall

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

In this study today I want to remember the words of the Lord Jesus in Revelation 1:6; “…and has made us kings and priest unto God, and His Father…”  Only those who are in Christ Jesus have been made kings and priests through the cross of Jesus – His death, burial, and resurrection.

Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper. vv. 3-5
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.  But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
2 Chronicles 26:3-5, 15-16

Why do good kings fall? That is a question that is answered in looking at the lives of the good kings of Judah (There were no good kings in the northern kingdom of Israel), all the kings of Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD.

We look at King Uzziah today. He “did that which was right in the sight of the LORD.” Verse five says, “…As long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” In verses fifteen and sixteen we read, “…He was marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction…”

We can look at this one king, and begin to see how we should live, as the kings and priests of the Lord Jesus. We also see how we should not live. In the first place we need to be continually seeking the LORD, to know Him better, to love Him more, and to be a better servants to God, and our neighbor.

In the second place we need to always remember that when God has prospered us, where that prosperity comes from. God prosper us.  Let us always thank Him for His blessings. When we are truly thankful to Him, then we will less likely to fall. Uzziah became full of arrogance and pride. He took on himself an act of service that he was fit for, and he ended up with the curse of leprosy on his body until the day of his death.

As a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, I must guard my heart and mind through the reading and study of the word of God with the guidance of the Spirit of God to do so. I must also remember that I am still subject to the Lord, and I answer to Him for any sin in my life. I am not beyond His judgment, or consequences of my sin in this life. That is why I am thankful that we are told, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Do you know God? Do you know His Son Jesus Christ? If you do not, you need to know that you are a sinner. You have sinned against God your Creator, and that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you and me while we were yet sinners. He became sin for us, and gives us His righteousness when we come to Him. Jesus Christ died on a cross for us, He was buried, and He arose and came out of that grave alive forever more.

You can trust Him. Call on the name that is above every name – that name is Jesus. He will hear you and will deliver you from your sin.

Words of Jesus; Son of God, God the Son – 082720

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“And it came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, ‘Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.’ And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying,
‘I will: be thou clean.’
And immediately the leprosy departed from him. And He charged him to
‘Tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.’
But so much the more went there a fame abroad of Him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.”  Luke 5:12-16  (KJB)

Words Of Jesus; Son Of God, God The Son – 071820

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“When He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him, and, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.’
And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be thou clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, ‘See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.’ ”  Matthew 8:1-4

The Law…

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

“This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall, and for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house, and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot: to teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.” Leviticus 14:54-57 (KJV)

There are all kinds of medical issues. Some relating to heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and one of the big ones is cancer. None of us are immune to disease, or its consequences.

Leprosy is a plague which may hit the victim, and cause great alarm, and fear. It is a dreaded disease, and no one wants to get it.

In the Bible leprosy is a likeness of sin. Unlike sin though, people are not born with leprosy. Sin is a human problem. No one misses out on the sin problem. With leprosy we can envision how horrid sin is to God.

The oozing sores have a great stench that makes one want to cover their nose, and mouth, and run away. It changes the appearance of the victim. It changes the way the person lives. Sin is also like that with God.

He is appalled by sin. He is grossly offended by sin. With God, for His crown of creation to fellowship with Him, sin must be dealt with. In chapters 13-14 we find how God gives Israel the pattern of dealing with leprosy. It involves blood.

Only the sacrifice of a perfect spotless Lamb can cleanse us of our sin. That Lamb, that ultimate Lamb is God’s own precious, and only begotten Son Jesus Christ.

God hates sin. It is a stench in the nostrils of God. Without coming to Him His way, you will not come at all; because your sin has not been dealt with any other way. Jesus is the only way.

Jesus Touches the Unclean

/ Tim A. / Leave a comment

“When He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.  And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.’  And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be thou clean.’  And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  And Jesus saith unto him, ‘See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.’”  Matthew 8:1-4

Jesus – Ministry

/ Tim A. / 2 Comments

The Gospel of Mark has for a theme, “I came not to be ministered [served]; unto, but to minister and give My life a ransom for many” and that is what Jesus did all of His three years of ministry.  Jesus defines service, by His life, and work.

Mark 1:21-45

VV. 21 – 34  —   PROOFS AND EVIDENCE OF THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF OUR LORD.

In these verses we find religious leaders who are amazed and the people who are amazed by the teachings of Jesus.  He did not teach theories, and philosophy.  He taught the teachings and Word of God like He knew it.  He was the One who had spoken the world into existence, and hung the stars and planets in place and gave them order in their revolutions.  No one can speak the Word of God with authority except they have received it from God and His Son.

We see the uselessness of intellectual knowledge in religion.  The demons cry out to Jesus in recognition of who He is.  Jesus commands their silence.  Someone so holy can not be rightly announced by what is unholy.  Satan, the enemy of God and man – especially saved men and women – know who Jesus is, but they are not redeemed.   The demons  “Believe and tremble” (James 2:19), so when a man or woman say they believe in God, they are doing no more than the demons.  It does not mean they have been redeemed by the life blood of Jesus Christ.  You would not ever find a more “religious” lot than the demon lot condemned to Hell.  Knowledge of who Jesus Christ does not save.  Without trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord of one’s life you stand condemned.

Jesus commanded this “unclean spirit” to come out and he came out.  This man who was possessed by this “demon” was brought to the right person.  Have you ever asked yourself why a demon possessed man was at the synagogue in the first place.  Could it be that the man still had some sense of the need of deliverance, and the providence of God put him there that very day for his deliverance and salvation?  Could be.

The Lord provides complete and perfect cure when He heals Simon’s [Peter’s] mother in law.  As soon as she is raised from her sickness she is in full health, and goes to serving the guests.  Jesus has a heart for serving the people and giving them health.  The most important health He provides and gives is spiritual/soul health.  There is no better health than a healthy soul, and heart that is in tune with Jesus.

Jesus went about after these things and healed the sick and delivered captured souls.  What a wonderful Servant/Savior we have.

VV. 35 – 39  —   LOOK AT OUR LORD’S PRAYER LIFE.

To look at His prayer life is to get a perfect example of what a prayer life ought to be.  First of all,

“His very perfection was a perfection kept through the exercise of prayer”. J. C. Ryle study of Mark’s Gospel

We ought to learn from that and realize that if we would pray we would become stronger against Satan and sin, and temptation.  Secondly,

“To be prayerless is to be Christless, Godless, and in the high road to destruction”. J. C. Ryle study of Mark’s Gospel

It is by God’s Word that we can keep from sin through the power of prayer.  The Word of God, hidden in our heart, and the commitment of prayer will strengthen us against sin.

The Lord came into this world to ultimately provide salvation for sinners by dying for mankind’s sin on the cross, being buried, and rising  from the dead.  He came to minister by preaching the truth of God.   The Lord Jesus would have been the greatest preacher to ever live.  He gave honor to the position of the preacher.  It is sad that there are some who cause that honor to stink, and then it is no more honor.  Our Lord was a preacher, and that gives it the highest honor possible, no matter what some may do.

VV. 40 – 45  —   JESUS CARES FOR THE UNCLEAN.

The disease of leprosy was a dreaded, even feared disease.  It would cause sores on the body, and the skin and flesh would rot on the body.  The Old Testament condemns them as “unclean”.  The person who had leprosy was not allowed to live with his or her family, they became “outcast”.  Of course, family often cared for them, without getting near them; providing them food, and probably clothing and needed items.  Here Jesus does something that was ceremonially forbidden.  He touched the “Unclean”.  Jesus was guilty.  He was guilty of loving and giving His life.  That is what He was guilty of.

As soon as Jesus touched the leper, and said, “I will; be thou clean”, the leprosy was gone and he was clean.  The power of Jesus’ healing is wondrous, it is Almighty.  It is great knowing that such a Man even cares for those who are “Unclean”.  We were unclean by sin.  We were as the leper.  We were vile, desparate, and in need of healing, then Jesus came and He touched us, healed us and cleansed us.  Notice, the leper came to Him.  He was drawn by what he had heard.  He was delivered by faith in the Lord, not by any work he had done.  It was the Lord who touched him, and He was clean.  He was healed.  He was made whole.  What a Savior.  What a Great Physician.

When Jesus had healed and cleansed the leprous man, He told him to be silent about what had taken place in his life.  Rather than being silent about it, though, he went and told every one he saw.  Doing this crippled the ministry of Jesus to the people.  There is a time for silence.  Since the resurrection of Jesus we have been commanded to go and tell all that we have seen and heard of Jesus.  The day of silence is over when it comes to talking about Jesus.  There are still times we should remain silent.  Jesus even told us not to cast our pearls before swine.  Would that not be giving the gospel to those who do not want to hear it?  Those who are imprisoned in self-righteousness?  Those who are enamored in their own goodness, thinking God will have a scale and weigh their good deeds against their bad deeds, and the good will out weigh the bad?  Those who are enjoying their wickedness are not ready for the truth of God’s Word, nor the gospel. These are the people who bask in their self righteousness.

-Tim A. Blankenship

He Took Our Infirmities

/ T. A. Blankenship / 2 Comments

He Took Our Infirmities

Matthew 8:1-17

We begin now to see the accounts of Jesus’s healing ministry. He is showing Himself as the Prophet, Priest, and King, though the message of Matthew rest upon His being King of kings.

We see in Jesus that He is unafraid of touching the sick, even lepers, for in this passage He does exactly that. He touches the leper. Jesus touches the “Unclean leper”, because He sees a man who is healed. We have a Roman Centurion coming to Jesus seeking for healing of his servant who is sick of “Palsy”, and “grievously tormented” and the Centurion is a Gentile. The third individual who is healed is a woman, Peter’s mother-in-law. We see Jesus touching and healing three of the “outcasts” of society of that day.

In these miraculous healings we see Jesus taking the infirmities upon Himself. He was touching the untouchable according to ceremonial laws. Even before the cross He is taking our sin upon Himself. Of the evening following the healing of the three individuals there are many brought to Him for the casting out of demons (these are all first mention for Matthew’s Gospel) with only “His Word”, and healed all that were sick.

 

Jesus operates His ministry without any racial prejudice, without any fear of contracting disease, and shows no favoritism toward the gender of any individual.

“When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” 8:1-4 (KJV).

According to Old Testament Law when an individual was afflicted by lepersy they were pronounced “Unclean”. They even had to wear a protective cover over their mouth when in public and cry out “Unclean, unclean” (Leviticus 13:44-46). Lepers were “outcasts” the Jewish society. It played no cultural or societal favorites, nor according to gender or race. They were forbidden to mingle with the healthy people. There is one disease, which socially is similar to leprosy in today’s society; and that is AIDS.

According to Warren Wiersbe “Leprosy is an illustration of sin”. It is deeper than the skin (Lev. 13:3), it spreads (Lev. 13:8), it defiles and isolates (Lev. 13:45-46), it is worthy only of fire (Lev. 13:52, 57). AIDS has similar likenesses as a disease. It seems that there is no direct known cause for leprosy, while AIDS has come upon us as an affliction, mainly upon the sexually immoral. It still passes on – spreads – through blood into “Innocent” victims. None are left untouched by sin.

This leprous man came to Jesus. This of itself broke the law of the leper. We are told that the leper “Worshipped Him”, and in worshipping Him he is recognizing His deity, and His sovereignty. This man has been greatly humbled, and is submissive to the sovereignty and power of Jesus, as he says, “If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean”. He is willing to accept the will of Jesus, and he is not demanding, but humbly asking. Jesus heals this leper, and gives him commandment to go and obey the law of Moses concerning the matter of the law of the lepers. This was in order to fulfill the law. Lepers were rarely if ever healed. There is really only one Biblical account of any Jewish individual being healed in the Old Testament, and that was Mirriam (Numbers 12:10. Read chapter 12 Numbers to see why she became leprous). In my thinking it would almost seem that by Jesus sending the healed leper to the religious leaders He is making a statement, and they will be approving the healing, in that they recognize the healing. This would give them no excuse not to believe Jesus is genuinely their Messiah. By keeping the law and sending a healed leper for ‘cleansing’ He stifles their hypocrisy, and shows it as death.

“And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” 8:5-13 (KJV)

A Roman soldier shows a great faith, and in behalf of a servant of his household, who is suffering from a palsy with great pain and suffering. The Gentiles were hated and despised by Jewish culture; as were slaves. Here we have a Gentile praying for his slave. The Centurion is commended by Jesus, for his faith. Jesus warns of willful ignorance and eternal judgment upon those who have seen, written, interpreted, and yet have no faith. He, as Messiah, was in the midst of His people doing His mighty works, yet they did not believe (John 10:37-38). He warns them, that just because they are physical descendants of Abraham, does not make them his spiritual descendants.

The very hour Jesus spoke healing the slave/servant was healed. In this instance it was according to this man’s faith. This is usually not the standard, but it can apply.

The “children of the kingdom” mentioned here are the children of Israel who have refused to believe the message and that He is the Messiah. The only place for all who will not believe Jesus is to “be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”. “That many shall come” are evidently the Gentile masses who would come and believe Jesus and His Word that He speaks. “East and West” is from around the globe.

We know that due to this man’s faith his servant was healed that same hour. The man understands the principle of authority, and trust the authority which he sees in Jesus. His recognition is one that shows the deity of Jesus; because who but deity has authority over sickness and disease? There is none but God.

“And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.” 8:14-15 (KJV).

The final individual who is mentioned is a woman in bed with a sickness, and this woman is Peter’s Mother-in-law. A common prayer for Jewish males in Jesus’s day was, “I thank Thee that I was not born a slave, a Gentile, or a woman”. Of course, no one would desire to get leprosy. Women held no honored position in Jewish society.

Peter’s Mother-in-law is very sick, and she must have been really ill, because she is in bed. People of that era did not stop working just because they felt a little ill, with an upset stomach or something like that: they kept to their work. She seems to have been sick, even possibly to the point of death.

Jesus touched her hand in a special way, a special touch, a healing touch. She was a Jewish woman. Jesus may have been stating by this touch, “I have not forsaken my people. They are sick, but in Me there is healing”. By healing the Gentile’s slave, and the leper He showed an open door to sinners and Gentiles of every land. Israel in her illness will be touched again by her Messiah. The woman, being healed, arose and served Jesus and the disciples. It was an immediate healing.

“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” 8:16-17 (KJV).

By all these healings it seems that Jesus is making a point to say to one and to all, “I am the King of all people”. We find it stated in these verses a quotation of Isaiah the prophet from Isaiah 53:4, “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted”.

Here we find Matthew’s first mention of Jesus delivering people from demon possession. It is called “Possessed with devils”, and He did it by His Word. He did not use a method of any ritual. He did not even use any prayer. He simply spoke the Word. When we are confronted by demons and demonic activity it has been given to us to speak His Word to the people. Where His Word is heard, accepted, and believed demons must flee.

Jesus may have been heckled by the demons as He was suffering on the cross, but it was not for long. He crushed the head of the devil at that same cross, and the evidence of it is the resurrection. The stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and Jesus is alive forever more.