Leviticus 13: 47-59

Rachel Nixon

There are some parts of the Bible that are notably easier to understand than others. You know the ones. The ones where people seem to take a deep breath in when we mention we're working through them, and then subsequently start to recommend several books or study guides to help us! It's a definite thing though; some books of the Bible are easier to read and do become more familiar to us. Others we perhaps read through every so often. Leviticus is probably one of those books for me.

Read Leviticus 13: 47-59

Seems like a strange passage to ask to you to read but I'd like make a few parallels. On finishing it, it's easy to become confused: "Do I burn the article if it's been washed but not grown back or do I wash it again?" "How long do I show it to a priest for again?" I'm not about to tell you how to look after your clothes! Neither am I to write a Bible study on it, but the meticulous nature of this passage shows us how very careful you had to be at the time this was written. There was no nicely packaged air freshener, washing power or detergent! People were, however, very concerned about looking after their things properly and were obviously very aware that things could spread.

And here's the point. So often in our own lives we can become a little bit lazy. Due to the nature of how things work today we don't have to be as meticulous, we can just throw it away or buy a new one. This sometimes can escalate on to our spiritual life too. I'm not about to give a list of spiritual disciplines that we should do as Christians, but I'd like to point out a few things that, on reading this passage made me automatically begin to wonder. Is there any mildew hiding in my life?

"If any clothing is contaminated with mildew- any woollen or linen clothing, any woven or knitted material of linen or wool, any leather or anything made of leather- and if the contamination in the clothing, or leather, or woven or knitted material, or any leather article, is greenish or reddish, it is a spreading mildew and must be shown to the priest." (verses 47-49)

- Think about the things that maybe hiding somewhere in your life, the patches of 'greenish and reddish' that need sorting out. Don't leave the mildew, it will spread and could begin to affect other parts of your life. Maybe without you knowing, that is the nature of mildew! If there is something, take it to a friend, priest, pastor, teacher and get help in working through it. Accountability is the key!

"On the seventh day he is to examine it, and if the mildew has spread in the clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or the leather, whatever its use, it is a destructive mildew; the article is unclean. He must burn up the clothing, or the woven or knitted material of wool or linen, or any leather article that has the contamination in it, because the mildew is destructive; the article must be burned up." (Verses 51-52)

- Share those things in your life with somebody you trust ask them to pray about it for you and with you. See how things go from there and keep a journal so you can remember when God answers your prayers. If it keeps bothering you and you can't seem to work through it, I'm not going to say burn yourself! But maybe it does need to be removed from your life altogether? Maybe its something simple like moving the TV from a room where you may be tempted to watch too much instead of reading the Bible or spending time with God? Maybe it's something more, but don't let it stew.

"But if, when the priest examines it, the mildew has not spread in the clothing. he shall order that the contaminated article be washed. Then he is to isolate it for another seven days. After the affected article has been washed, the priest is to examine it, and if the mildew has not changed its appearance, even though it has not spread, it is unclean. Burn it with fire, whether the mildew has affected one side or the other." (Verses 53-55)

- Maybe after prayer with somebody about those 'greenish and reddish areas of your life' you can see an improvement. Don't let you're guard down though, keep praying and asking God to help you. Stay close to Him and let Him take away the mildew, like in the passage. Even though it's not spread, and seems to be cleared up get rid of it anyway, it's not healthy!

"If, when the priest examines it, the mildew has faded after the article has been washed, he is to tear the contaminated part out of the clothing... But if it reappears in the clothing it is spreading, and whatever has the mildew must be burned with fire. The clothing, that has been washed and is rid of the mildew, must be washed again, and it will be clean." (Verses 56-58)

- Really get to grips with those annoyingly little patches of mildew! Tear it out of your life. Don't just pray once about it, keep washing yourself! Keep asking God to help you. Don't give the enemy a foothold. God has the ultimate power and wants to be with you in every part of your life not just the good, non-mildewy (not sure that's even a word!) bits! Spot the mildew and let God clean it up, don't let it grow!