Leaven or Leprosy

What do you have dwelling in you? When we look into the Old Testament we see that there are two words that often speak about evil and sin. These are leaven and leprosy. The interesting thing about both of these is that they are recognized in modern science today as micro-organisms. A microorganism is simply an organism that is microscopic and cannot be seen by the unaided eye. What is interesting is that these are pictured by the Bible as a type of sin. (Leviticus 14,Matthew 16:12) Leaven or Yeast is classified as a eukaryotic micro-organism which is the fastest known type of a micro-organism. Leprosy is classified as Mycobacterium leprae micro-organism which is said to be the slowest known type of a micro-organism. I know much of this is going over your head and it is mine too, just know that leaven is the fastest growing and leprosy is the slowest growing. It is fascinating to note that even today with advances in modern medicine that is is no known cure for leprosy or Hansen's disease, however there are medicines that can stop its effects. Even though it is incurable God still allowed opportunity for Him to move and work among His people. If you read in Leviticus chapter fourteen you will see the process the priest was to go through for the cleansing of a leper even though it was incurable. The priest was to take two birds and kill one of them and pour out its blood into an earthen vessel, the priest would then dip the live in the blood and sprinkle the blood seven times on the leper to cleans him and then the live bird would be let loose to then fly into the heavens. What a beautiful picture of our Lord Jesus as He was killed and His blood was sprinkled on us for our redemption and then He ascending into Heaven just as the living bird did. God made a window for Himself to do the impossible. We also see Jesus curing a leper in the gospels (Matt 8:1-4, Mark 1:40-45, Luke 5:12-16). Leprosy is a disease that infects from the inside out and can last for many years. Yeast or leaven on the other hand has an immediate effect and only needs a very small amount to take that effect. We see this clearly in Galatians 5:9 "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." As mentioned before both of these are typified as sin in the Bible. We know as well with sin that it is an infectious disease that is incurable and can have either a very fast or very slow effect in our lives and that effect only needs a very little amount to have an eternal affect. But the beautiful part about this is that God also made a way for Him to move inside what is incurable. We know that the result of sin is death and eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23). God sent His only Son to die on the cross to become sin for us and die in our place in order to make us clean and cure us of the sin that is in our lives if we would just call upon Jesus and declare Him as our Savior. Just as the bird in Leviticus 14 flies to the heavens alive, so too Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is alive today in heaven seated at the right hand of God the Father (Ephesians 1:20). Note He is seated because the work is "Finished" and need not be repeated (John 19:30). So the question remains, What is dwelling in you? Is it a type of leaven that is quickly and uncontrollably ruling your life in rebellion to God, or is it that leprosy that is inside you that no one will see until many years later as it begins to effect you outer being, that slow secret sin that leads into rebellion and you don't even realize it? I ask you today to purge the evil from your midst and trust in the only cure that is available, and that is Jesus Christ the true and living God!