In this section, the LORD teaches the priests how to diagnose infectious skin diseases. When a man has a skin disease, he must visit a priest (2). The priest examines him to see whether the disease is infectious or not. If the sore has white hair, and the sore is deeper than the skin, it is infectious (3). If the diagnosis is unclear, the person is isolated for seven days. If the disease has not progressed but the condition has also not improved, the person is isolated for another seven days. If the condition is still the same or better, it’s not an infectious disease: no isolation is needed (11). But if it is infectious, he is isolated until he is healed (46).

God established the Israelite community. To keep it holy and healthy, the LORD taught the priests how to diagnose infectious diseases. To prevent the spread of such diseases to other people, God wisely prescribed periods of quarantine until the person was healed.

Contagious skin diseases can be compared to sin. The spread of skin diseases would cause the community to suffer. Likewise, the spread of sin causes God’s community to also suffer. Unlike skin diseases, no period of quarantine can remove sin. Only Jesus can take away sin.
Application: Father, thank you for Jesus who alone can take away our sin. Please heal us from sin’s effects.
One Word: Keep the community holy