The Covid - 19 years taught our current world to large-scale quarantine. This idea was nothing new. During the 1918-1919 Great Influenza epidemic era (aka the misnomer The Spanish Flu), the people either voluntarily and/or were enforced to quarantine and isolate in attempts to slow and eradicate the virus. Again, it was nothing new.
The Israelites of Old Testament fame were commanded by the LORD to...
"...send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge of any kind..." (Numbers 4:1 & 2).
It seems somewhat discriminatory to be so rudely shoved and sent away. But each of us who went through Covid knows and understands the need for isolation; at least the more wise among us realize.
Other stipulations and regulations regarding infectious skin diseases can be seen in Leviticus 13. There was a process and a determination of diagnosis admininsitered and declared by the Levitical priests.
Thank God for Leviticus 14 that allows for the cleansing of infectious diseases. Again, the priests would be the ones to pronounce a person clean and to be allowed back into the general community.
Similarly for the bodily discharges as seen in Leviticus 15. Certain washings, ceremonies and sacrifices had to be made in order to be pronounced, "Clean" thereby admitting the person back into the general community of Israelites.
Many believers in Jesus will relate this to sin in our lives. It's usually a case of "give an inch but take a mile," when we allow various sins in our lives. The consequences and repercussions won't stay small and to ourselves. They will affect and infect others. That's why we have verses like 1 John 1:9.
"IF we confess..." [emphasis mine]
The onus is on the one who sinned. It is the individual's decision and choice to confess their sin. Then and only then will Jesus,
"...forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The willing and repentant heart will be pronounced "clean" by Jesus our High Priest (It would be helpful to read the book of Hebrews). Many believers know this as progressive sanctification.
The apostle Paul was also very concerned about 'infectious diseases and discharges' among the Galation believers. He wrote,
"A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough" (NIV).
Or as the ESV states,
"A little leaven leavens the whole lump" (Galations 5:9).
The leaven Paul spoke of was false teaching. The wise and discerning believers were to do something about it as well as addressing the false teachers that had gotten in among them. They needed to identify both the false teachers and the false teaching before it took hold and spread throughout the whole congregation and beyond.
It may seem harsh to take action and cause someone to become homeless and put outside the camp until further notice. However, it is the way to prevent further infections.
Remember there were cleansing procedures that would allow those who were infected and/or who may have caused the infections to return to the Israelite community. So too, for those who are gathered together in the fellowship of believers in any given assembly or church.
For example, the brother who was referred to, who was sent out of the Corinthian church due to his incest. Later, in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul admonished the congregation to reinstate the brother because of his repentance and to not make him grieve overmuch. In this way, they would affirm their love for the man (see 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 and 2 Corinthians 2:5-11).
Too often we 'righteous' ones will exact every teeny tiny last drop of repentance with an over zealous fervor that is almost manical. Are we going to be responsible to God for our unbending judgments upon others? Even, Jesus recognized that the woman who had been brought to Him due to her supposed adultery, must have had repentance in her heart and therefore He forgave her and 'let her go' with the admonition,
"Go now and leave your life of sin" (see John 8:1-11).
Our God of grace and mercy shows us the way.
Jesus also didn't ask where that man was who had supposedly been with the women caught red-handed in an adulterous act. The accusers should have brought both the man and the woman as they should have been responsible to bring him along too.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe we should let wrong and error have their sway but if we lack wisdom and discernment, ask of God to give it to you. Have the mindset of Christ, not an unbending spirit of ugly legalism.
Instead, when any one of us returns back to the Lord, may the whole community of believers be accepting of them. In this way, not only will there be healing from the "infectious disease" but healing of the wounds inflicted by enforced isolation from other believers will take place. Relationships restored. How blessed that would be! Maybe the feelings and acceptance don't come instantly or overnight, but to build up with determined mutual trust. What's more, our relationship with our Heavenly Father can be re-established.
To God be the glory.
~ERC February 2024~
Based on Numbers 5:1-4.
Sing, To God Be the Glory, along with Northern Baptist Association.
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