In our study of Leviticus chapter fifteen, we see that the effects of original sin are still with us today with infections and bodily functions.
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ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, the discharge is unclean. The discharge is unclean no matter whether it continues flowing or has stopped; it is still his uncleanness.
Now, God begins to give instruction concerning discharges from a man's body and it does not get more specific at this time as the text simply says that whether the discharge is running or stopped it is still unclean. This may be speaking of infections or other diseases that cause some sort of discharge from the body.
Every bed which the person with the discharge lies on is unclean, and everything he sits on is unclean. Whoever touches his bed is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening. Whoever sits on anything the person with the discharge sat on is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening. Anyone who touches the body of the person with the discharge is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening.
Now, we see that the things that the man with the discharge lays on or sits on becomes infected and is considered unclean. If anyone touches one of those objects or the man himself, then, they become unclean from the contact. As we saw in the last chapter, the remedy for this is for the person to be immersed in living water (water that is running) and they we be unclean until evening.
If the person with the discharge spits on someone who is clean, the latter is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening. Any saddle that the person with the discharge rides on will be unclean. Whoever touches anything that was under him will be unclean until evening; he who carries those things is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening. If the person with the discharge fails to rinse his hands in water before touching someone, that person is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening. If the person with the discharge touches a clay pot, it must be broken; if he touches a wooden utensil, it must be rinsed in water.
In this passage, we see several ways that a person could be infected by the uncleanness from accidentally being spit on (like when someone does so while they are speaking) to touching something that the unclean person touched without washing their hands. We see that it does not matter how the contact occurred as the one that comes into contact is made unclean as well. Then, we see that objects that the unclean person comes into contact with must also be dealt with and the manner is based on what type of material they are made of.
"'When a person with a discharge has become free of it, he is to count seven days for his purification. Then he is to wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water; after that, he will be clean. On the eighth day, he is to take for himself two doves or two young pigeons, come before ADONAI to the entrance of the tent of meeting and give them to the cohen. The cohen is to offer them, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering; thus the cohen will make atonement for him on account of his discharge before ADONAI.
When the man has become free of the discharge physically, we see that he is still required to be purified spiritually and the process is much the same as we saw in the case of leprosy. After seven days without any discharge, the man is to bathe and wash his clothes in living water and then present two doves or pigeons as an offering for sin and a burnt offering. Just because someone has this discharge and a sin offering is required, it does not mean that this discharge was related to a sinful act performed by the man; this relates to the original sin and the fact that, before the fall of man, there was no sin and that original sin affects us even to this day.
"'If a man has a seminal emission, he is to bathe his entire body in water; he will be unclean until evening. Any clothing or leather on which there is any semen is to be washed with water; it will be unclean until evening. If a man goes to bed with a woman and has sexual relations, both are to bathe themselves in water; they will be unclean until evening.
This passage speaks of mans emission of semen and we see that, no matter what circumstance causes the release, the man is unclean until evening. We also see that anything that comes into contact with the semen (even a woman) becomes unclean and they are required to be washed in living water and they will be unclean until evening.
"'If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she will be in her state of niddah for seven days. Whoever touches her will be unclean until evening. Everything she lies on or sits on in her state of niddah will be unclean. Whoever touches her bed is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening. Whoever touches anything she sits on is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening. Whether he is on the bed or on something she sits on, when he touches it, he will be unclean until evening.
This passage refers to a woman's monthly period which occurs while she is of child bearing age and it is significant to see that the Hebrew word for the uncleanness is different than we have seen before. In this case the word is niddah and it is different because it has to do with blood and it lasts for a period of seven days. We see that anyone that touches her during that time is unclean until the evening of the day that they touch her. A man that touches her bed or anything that she sits on must wash his clothes and his body in living water and he will be unclean until evening.
If a man goes to bed with her, and her menstrual flow touches him, he will be unclean seven days; and every bed he lies on will be unclean.
Now, we see that, if they have sexual contact during that time, he becomes in the same situation as the woman and he is unclean for seven days as well as the bed he lies on.
"'If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days not during her period, or if her discharge lasts beyond the normal end of her period, then throughout the time she is having an unclean discharge she will be as when she is in niddah - she is unclean. Every bed she lies on at any time while she is having her discharge will be for her like the bed she uses during her time of niddah; and everything she sits on will be unclean with uncleanness like that of her time of niddah. Whoever touches those things will be unclean; he is to wash his clothes and bathe himself in water; he will be unclean until evening.
Now, we see cases where the normal period does not end or if it happens at a different time and in these cases the uncleanness is not niddah but it is the same word that we saw with leprosy and with male discharges. Although the word is different, this uncleanness is handled in the same manner as with niddah.
"'If she has become free of her discharge, she is to count seven days; after that, she will be clean. On the eighth day, she is to take for herself two doves or two young pigeons and bring them to the cohen at the entrance to the tent of meeting. The cohen is to offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering; thus the cohen will make atonement for her before ADONAI on account of her unclean discharge.
Again, we see that, after the physical healing has happened, there is still the need for spiritual purification with the same process and offerings. Once again, the woman did not commit a sin but the sin offering is made because of the effects of the original sin.
"'In this way you will separate the people of Isra'el from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in a state of uncleanness for defiling my tabernacle which is there with them. "'Such is the law for the person who has a discharge; for the man who has a seminal emission that makes him unclean; for the woman in niddah during her menstrual period; for the person, man or woman, with a discharge; and for the man who has sexual relations with a woman who is unclean.
This passage speaks of the fact that purity is required to enter the presence of God for worship and because of that fact God gave rules to ensure the purity of His people. We are also reminded that impure worship of God leads to death as well as the fact that our impurity can have an impact on others and their ability to worship God.
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