The Mystery of Healing – Tazriah/Metsora – April 18

Lev. 12:1 – Lev. 15:33

We as human beings long for wholeness and fullness of health.  Pain and sickness are reminders to us all of our fallen state and our mortal existence.  It is almost as if we possess a natural instinct to pursue health and healing and to do all that we can to be free from sickness and pain.  For some, health and wholeness are a natural part of life and they rarely consider that life could be any different.  For others, everyday is a quest to be free of pain and to be made whole again.

This week’s Torah Portion touches on the subject of the depravity of the human condition and how we are made unclean in various ways.  Our unclean state is an affront to God’s holiness and He demands purity and wholeness.

“Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by their defiling My tabernacle (dwelling) that is among them.” (Lev. 15:31)

Uncleanness defiles the Tabernacle of God, the dwelling of God in the midst of His people.  God desires a holy and sanctified people.  A people who distinguish between the clean and the unclean.  This is not for the sake of being a proud people but rather for the sake of honoring God’s holiness.

Uncleanness as defined in this week’s Torah Portions occurs through a flow of blood, a skin disease, a bodily discharge of any kind, or even through mildew in the home.  Just as sin separates us from God so does being in an unclean state.

The various states of uncleanness remind us of our separation from God.  The chapters and verses in this week’s Torah Portion clearly states that a person can be made clean and healed from these various states of uncleanness.  The woman with the flow of blood was made clean through a time of purification and offering the sacrifices required for atonement (Lev. 12).  In a similar way, a person defiled by a bodily discharge was considered unclean until evening and generally had to count seven days, bath, and offer sacrifices and only then be considered clean (Lev. 15).  All states of uncleanness demanded a time of separation along with sacrifices for atonement.

God provided ways for His people to be made clean but there was one area of uncleanness that demanded something more.  In the heart of this week’s Torah Portions are two chapters (Lev. 13 & Lev. 14) that deal with the unclean state of leprosy, or more accurately a skin disease.  The person with a skin disease had an additional step in his or her cleansing process, he or she needed to be healed from his or her skin disease (Lev. 14:3).

What is the source of healing?

What is the source of healing from a skin disease?  The Bible never tells us explicitly.  Although the Bible doesn’t give us specific instructions regarding the healing of a skin disease (like leprosy), it does illustrate how a person is cleansed.  Let’s look at a few illustrations from the Bible of being healed from a skin disease.

Miriam

The first illustration of healing from a skin disease was in the account of Miriam.  Aaron and Miriam had spoken against Moses because Moses had married a Cushite woman and they also questioned Moses’ authority, asking if God only spoke through Moses (Num. 12:1-2).  God’s anger burned against Aaron and Miriam and Miriam was struck with leprosy.  Aaron confessed to Moses that they had sinned by speaking against him and begged Moses to do something about Miriam’s leprous state.  Moses cried out to God to heal her and God said that Miriam should stay outside of the camp for seven days and then she was received back into the camp again (Num. 12:1-15).

Miriam was healed from her leprosy through the intercession of Moses and the mercy and power of Almighty God.

Naaman

Another well-known account in the Bible involving healing from a skin disease is the story of Naaman.  Naaman was captain of the army of the king of Aram and as the Bible records it, “The man was also a valiant warrior but he was a leper” (2 Kings 5:1).  In the course of his life Naaman had acquired an Israeli girl that became a servant to Naaman’s wife.  The Israeli servant girl spoke to her mistress about “the prophet who is in Samaria,” who was able to cure Naaman of his leprosy. This prophet was Elisha.  Naaman’s wife spoke to Naaman about this and he in turn talked to the king of Aram.  The king of Aram sent Naaman to Israel with a letter to the king of Israel on behalf of Naaman requesting healing.  Naaman went out on the journey and also brought with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes.  Naaman was a wealthy man.

The king of Israel received the letter from Naaman and tore his clothes when he read the request as he knew that he did not have the power within himself to do anything.  Elisha heard of the letter and its request and told the king to send Naaman to him “and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel” (2 Kings 5:8).  Elisha knew that the power to heal was not in man but in God alone.

Naaman arrived at the house of Elisha and Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman and instructed him on how he would be made well: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:10).  Naaman was furious at Elisha’s instructions and stated that the rivers of Damascus are better than the waters of Israel.  Naaman assumed that Elisha would simply cure him by some other means and since Elisha didn’t cure him as he presumed he went off in a rage.  Naaman’s servants, however, came to him and persuaded Naaman to fulfill this simple request.  Naaman went down to the Jordan river, dipped himself seven times in it, and his flesh was restored to him like the flesh of a child (2 Kings 5:11-14).

Naaman went back to Elisha and stated, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel;” (2 Kings 5:15).  Elisha was a faithful prophet of God who fully carried out the word of the LORD.  Naaman was a foreigner who had come to test the power of the God of Israel and found him to be faithful.  There was no cure for the skin disease that Naaman had but he found healing in the God of Israel.

The Significance of the Jordan River

Why did Naaman have to go to the Jordan River?  What was the significance of Elisha’s request for Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River?

Naaman was right, the Jordan River is not the best river if one wants to go and wash himself.  The Jordan River is a small river compared to most.  Today it is little more than a stream but even in the days of Elisha it more than likely was not a large river.  Naaman was a “great man” in the eyes of men and he had great power, wealth, and authority, however, he had leprosy and he had no way to cure himself.  He had more than sufficient wealth to buy whatever he needed (2 Kings 5:5) but he couldn’t buy health or wholeness.  Even after he was healed he tried to give Elisha a present but Elisha wouldn’t accept it (2 Kings 5:16).  It was only the power of God that would give Naaman his life restored to him in all of its fullness.

The price that Naaman had to pay was obedience to the word of the prophet of God and humility to act on it.  The name “Jordan” comes from the Hebrew word “ירדן” (Yarden) and literally means “descender” or “one who goes down.”  It comes from the Hebrew word “לרדת,” (Leredet) which literally means “to go down.”  In essence, Naaman was asked to humble himself, go down to the Jordan, and confess that he was not in control of his life.  God was asking Naaman to acknowledge that he could not do it by himself and that there is only one true God, and He is the God of Israel.  Naaman hesitantly obeyed and in his obedience he was healed.  Naaman then knew that there is no other God but the God of Israel (2 Kings 5:15).

God’s Ability to Heal

When Yeshua walked this earth as God in the flesh He showed us that God’s power resided in Him.  A leper once came to Yeshua and said, “If You are willing, You can make me clean” (Mark 1:40).  This leper knew that there was no hope outside of a Divine miracle.  He knew that only God could heal him and make him whole.  This leper had faith that God was able to heal him and he believed that the power of God was flowing through Yeshua.

Yeshua was moved with compassion, He touched the leper, and healed him.  The leprosy left the man immediately and Yeshua told the man to go to the priest and offer the proper sacrifices as Moses commanded (Mark 1:41-44).  The man didn’t listen to what Yeshua said and instead went about and told everyone what had happened, which made it difficult for Yeshua to be in public places (Mark 1:45).  People started coming to Him from everywhere.  Were the people searching for God or for man?

I find it ironic in our day that whenever someone is healed or there are miracles performed by God’s servants on earth people will drive and fly from all over to experience this for themselves.  We all desire wholeness, healing, miracles, and the power of God to be displayed in our lives.  We need to be careful, however, to never focus on man but only on the power and presence of God.  God can use anyone and anything and we must always pursue God and not man.

The Mystery of Healing and the Power of God

Healing is always mysterious and I believe God has planned it this way.  When Elisha walked this earth he walked with God and God’s power was displayed through his life.  Elisha healed the leper (2 Kings 5), raised the dead (2 Kings 4:18-37), and took food enough for a few and set it before many with an abundance leftover (2 Kings 4:42-44).  When Yeshua was on earth He did the same and more.  Yeshua healed the leper (Mark 1:40-45), raised the dead (John 11), and multiplied food with an abundance leftover (Mark 6:33-44).  Yeshua, just like Elisha, showed with His life that the power of God was working through Him for the glory of God.

We live in a day and age when we have cures for many diseases, including leprosy.  At the same time there are so many sicknesses and diseases that are still out of our control.  We are constantly reminded that we are finite and mortal and God alone is in control of all things.

There is no magic wand for healing when we suffer but God does gives us clear instructions with how we are to seek Him today regarding healing:

Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. – James 5:13-16

God wants us to look to Him and work through His authorities on earth.  Let us all learn the lesson of Naaman and humble ourselves before the God of Israel and listen to His voice.  In the midst of suffering and pain we have a faithful God who sees us.  There is much mystery in this life but we have hope in the God of Israel.  Let us not lose heart but continually turn to Him.

Shabbat Shalom!

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Torah Portion: Lev. 12:1 – Lev. 15:33

Hafatara: 2 Kings 4:42 – 5:19; 2 Kings 7:3-20

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