The Leper’s Anointing

THE LEPER’S ANOINTING

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There are three different anointings described in the Old Testament. They are natural examples or types of spiritual experiences which God wants you to have: Leviticus 14:1-32

The first of these is the leper’s anointing. Leprosy is a dreaded disease which slowly consumes the flesh of its victim. The toes, fingers, and other body parts eventually rot and fall off. In Old Testament times a person with leprosy was banned from his community because the disease was contagious. To keep others from coming in contact with him he was required to cry out “unclean” wherever he went. Leprosy ate away the physical body and the leper died a painful death.

In the Bible, God uses natural examples to illustrate spiritual truths. Leprosy is used as an example of sin. Just as leprosy destroys the physical body, sin destroys you spiritually and will destroy your ministry.

Leviticus 14 teaches that the leper remained outside the camp and that the priest was to go out to him and apply the blood of the sacrifice, bring him into the camp, apply the blood once again, and then apply oil, making “atonement for him before the Lord.”

Every born again believer has experienced the “leper’s anointing”, which deals with salvation. Leprosy in this case is a type of sin, incurable in the natural, but curable only by God. Sin is the same; man can do nothing to remove it and its effects.

The ceremonial cleansing of the Old Testament, the blood of the sacrificial animals was applied. In the New Testament, we find that the only cure for sin, then and today, is the blood of Jesus Christ. The animal sacrifices of Leviticus merely looked forward to the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God. They were a shadow; Jesus was the substance.

In John 1:29, John the Baptist sees Jesus approaching and declares, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Those who came to know Him, Jesus was that Lamb of God. Jesus was the only sacrifice that would atone for the sin of the world.In the ceremonial cleansing of Leviticus, the blood was applied, then the oil. The application of the sacrificial blood is symbolic of the blood of Christ, while the application of the oil is symbolic of the touch and influence of the Holy Spirit upon a life.

Just as the blood of Jesus flows out to all who call upon His name, so the leper’s anointing crosses all national and denominational barriers.

For when anyone experiences the grace of Jesus Christ, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts him of sin and assures him of God’s forgiveness.Thus it is that at salvation you experience the first anointing-the leper’s anointing-which reveals the power of the blood through the oil of anointing that pours over you.

In the Old Testament law, God gave specific instructions for the cleansing of a person with leprosy. Read these in Leviticus 14 in your Bible before proceeding with this lesson. Each of the instructions you just read are symbolic of the cleansing you must experience spiritually:

A Bird Bearing Away The Guilt Of Sin: This is symbolic of Jesus shedding His blood to bear away your sin.

Repentance And Confession: This is what you must do to be born again and cleansed from sin.

Running Water: This is symbolic of water baptism.

The Anointing Of Oil: This is symbolic of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Note that the oil was to be placed on the ear, thumb, and toe of the leper. Applying this to leadership, we must experience a similar spiritual anointing of…

The Ear: To be able to hear God’s voice.

The Hand: To be able to serve Him.

The Toe: To walk in proper relationship with Him.

If you are to emerge on the forefront of the end-time move of God, then you must experience the leper’s anointing!

Make this declaration:

The leper’s anointing enables me to hear God’s voice, serve Him, and walk-in a proper relationship with Him.

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