The Cleansing - No. 37

Leviticus 14:51-52, “And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times; and he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water…"

Last week we learned the principles of how to eradicate infectious plagues from our homes. Once we have destroyed these creeping molds, we must then receive by faith the cleansing of the blood of Jesus. Our homes must be cleansed by the power of the blood of Jesus and the “running water” of the living Word of God. These are the two most powerful cleansing agents in the world. We need them in our hearts. We need them in our homes. They bring salvation, healing, protection and deliverance. Through them we conquer the enemy! Revelations 12:11 says, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

If you have been going through a purging in your home, make sure you plead the precious blood of Jesus over member and every room in your home. Honor the blood of Jesus in your home. Sing songs and hymns about the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is your only access into the presence of God.

And don’t forget the cleansing water of the Word of God. Speak it out loud in your home. Read it personally. Read it together as a family when you sit at your family meal table. Memorize Scriptures and confess them in every situation. The blood and the Word of God will keep your home washed clean. (John 15:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:26) They will deter all future contaminating molds that would try to take over your home again.

However, you cannot use the precious blood of Jesus flippantly. It is holy. It will not cover unconfessed sin. It will not cover unrepentant anger, maliciousness, uncleanness, adultery and such contamination that continue in the home. Leviticus 14:33-53 tells us that the house could not be cleansed until the leprosy was totally scraped out. But once we have confessed, repented, and dealt with the sin, we can receive total healing through the blood of Christ.

After the home was healed, the priest had to take two birds. The first one he killed and the blood was shed. He then dipped the living bird, plus the cedar wood, the hyssop branch and scarlet in the blood of the slain bird and sprinkled the house seven times.  After this, he took the living bird (that had been dipped in the blood) outside the city and let it go into the open fields. Was this just for fun? No, everything that God ordained in the old covenant has a type for us today. It was written for our learning and admonition.

Letting the bird fly away is similar to what happened on the Day of Atonement, which you can read about in Leviticus chapter 16. On that day, God commanded them to bring two goats to the door of the tabernacle and cast lots. One received the Lord’s lot and the other the lot of the scapegoat. The Lord’s goat was slain and Aaron took the blood of this goat into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it seven times upon the mercy seat to atone for the sins of the people.

By the way, do you know how many times the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement? It was three times. First of all, he went in wearing his linen clothes (speaking of the righteousness of Christ) and carrying a censer of burning coals in his right hand and fragrant incense in his left. The incense filled the Most Holy Place and covered the Mercy Seat to protect Aaron in the holy presence of God. He then returned for the blood from the bullock, which he sprinkled on the Mercy Seat to atone for his own sins and the sins of his own household. He then entered the third time with the blood of the goat to atone for the sins of the nation.

After this he came forth, laid both his hands upon the scapegoat, confessed over it all the sins of the children of Israel, and then like the bird that was let go, the goat was sent away. God commanded in Leviticus 16:21-22 to “send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness… unto a land not inhabited, and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”

This goat represents the efficacy of the blood of Jesus in taking our sins away. This goat was taken into an uninhabited wilderness and lost – never to be seen or heard of again! This is what the power of Jesus does with our sins – they are taken out of sight! Because Jesus bore our sin upon His own body, we go free – like the bird that flew into the open fields. Isn’t that amazing?

I wonder why the cedar, hyssop and scarlet were also used in the cleansing? I wish I had the deeper understanding that Solomon had. When talking about Solomon’s wisdom it says, “He spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall…”

Scarlet represents the blood of Jesus. The hyssop was used to sprinkle blood on the home (as they also did at the time of Passover, Exodus 12:22). What about the cedar? The cedars of Lebanon are strong, firmly rooted, evergreen trees. The wood is reddish color and they are fragrant. Most interesting of all, insects will not attack them! When you are cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and live by faith under the covering of His blood, the insects of evil will not be able to eat into your home. You will emanate the sweet fragrance of Jesus into your home and to your husband and children.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh Lord, I thank you for the power of the blood of Jesus and the power of your living Word to cleanse my heart and cleanse my home. I thank you that your blood that avails for me in every circumstance. It avails for me today as much as 2000 years ago. I thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

QUOTE:

Precious blood, by this we conquer

   In the fiercest fight,

Sin and Satan overcoming

   By its might.

 

Frances Ridley Havergal