Bodily Discharges From a Man
September 5, 2019
Commentary
In this chapter we have reference to certain bodily functions, discharges from the body, which many feel are so personal that it is not proper to read this in public nor to refer to it openly. But I like pastor Ray Stedman’s answer to this when he says: “If this chapter should not be read then it should never have been written.” “Every word of God is pure” (Proverbs 30:5). These bodily functions are absolutely essential to our lives, and there is nothing wrong with them. Let’s examine this chapter where certain normal and even unavoidable discharges from the body are dealt with: First those concerning men, in (vv. 1-18), You can’t read the book of Leviticus without seeing how intimately God is concerned with every minor and trivial detail of our lives.
The Lord told Moses and Aaron to say to the community of Israel (v. 1): Any man with an infected part of his body is unclean (v. 2), whether it is stopped up or keeps dripping (example – diarrhea or runny noses) (v. 3). So for these kinds of discharges a very strict quarantine was imposed upon them (vv. 4-12). Anything that he sits or touches is also unclean (v. 4), and if you touch or carry either these or him, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening (vv. 5-11). Any clay pot that he touches must be destroyed, and any wooden bowl that he touches must be washed (v. 12). There is no question but that these restrictions and regulations saved the nation of Israel from many dangerous plagues.
Seven days after the man gets well, he will be considered clean, if he washes his clothes and takes a bath in spring water (v. 13). On the eighth day he must bring either two doves or two pigeons to the front of the sacred tent and give them to a priest (vv. 14-15). The priest will offer one of the birds as a sacrifice for sin and the other as a sacrifice to please the Lord. There was a second type of discharge which was concerned with sexuality, (vv. 16-18): Here we are dealing with married sex. It would be a great mistake to judge from this passage that the Bible suggests in any way that sex in marriage is immoral or wrong.
Application
The Lord controls every aspect of my life, even if I have a drippy nose I need to praise Him.
Leviticus 15:1– 18 (NET)
1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. 3 Now this is his uncleanness in regard to his discharge —whether his body secretes his discharge or blocks his discharge, he is unclean. All the days that his body has a discharge or his body blocks his discharge, this is his uncleanness.
4 “‘Any bed the man with a discharge lies on will be unclean, and any furniture he sits on will be unclean. 5 Anyone who touches his bed must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 6 The one who sits on the furniture the man with a discharge sits on must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 7 The one who touches the body of the man with a discharge must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 8 If the man with a discharge spits on a person who is ceremonially clean, that person must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 9 Any means of riding that the man with a discharge rides on will be unclean. 10 Anyone who touches anything that was under him will be unclean until evening, and the one who carries those items must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 11 Anyone whom the man with the discharge touches without having rinsed his hands in water must wash his clothes, bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 12 A clay vessel which the man with the discharge touches must be broken, and any wooden utensil must be rinsed in water.
13 “‘When the man with the discharge becomes clean from his discharge he is to count off for himself seven days for his purification, and he must wash his clothes, bathe in fresh water, and be clean. 14 Then on the eighth day he is to take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and he is to present himself before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent and give them to the priest, 15 and the priest is to make one of them a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. So the priest is to make atonement for him before the Lord for his discharge.
16 “‘When a man has a seminal emission, he must bathe his whole body in water and be unclean until evening, 17 and he must wash in water any clothing or leather that has semen on it, and it will be unclean until evening. 18 As for a woman whom a man goes to bed with, then has a seminal emission, they must bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
Illustration: All The People I’m Going to Bite
A woman bitten by a rabid dog looked like she was going to die from rabies. The doctor told her to put her final affairs in order. So the woman took pen and paper, and began writing furiously. In fact she wrote and wrote and wrote. Finally the doctor said, “That sure is a long will you’re making.” She snorted, “Will, nothing! I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite!.” (Russell Brownworth – Sermon Central)