LEVITICUS 13 – EXAMINING THE SKIN AND THE IMPURITY OF THE HEART
- Pr Enos Mwakalindile
- Jul 25
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 28
Drawing Close to God: Visit Leviticus and Look to Jesus
❓Can skin spots, falling hair, or spreading sores be God’s message about the state of a person’s heart?
🪔 Introduction and Context
Leviticus 13 deals with saraat (types of skin diseases). This was not a discussion of medicine alone; it was a prophetic sign of the inner state of the nation . God showed through these signs that the sin of the heart could not be hidden from Him (Jeremiah 17:9–10). Those who were seen with these signs were excluded, not because they were considered personally guilty, but because the sign would affect the purity of the entire community (Leviticus 13:45–46).
Israel, a nation of priests (Exodus 19:6), was called to live in the presence of a holy God. Thus, saraat was a symbol of a heart defiled by sin and in need of true purification (Matthew 23:25–28). Isaiah made it clear: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13).
📖 Read First: Leviticus 13
The priest was an examiner of the signs of the body rather than a medical doctor. This showed that the greater issue that needed to be addressed was spiritual and ritual rather than merely physical. Jesus, when he healed lepers and reinstated them (Luke 17:11–19), taught that God looks beyond the outward appearance and provides for the healing and restoration of an entire nation (Ezekiel 36:25–27).
📖 Study Outline for This Chapter
1. EXAMINING THE SKIN: OUTWARD SIGNS – VV. 1–8
Here we encounter a detailed examination by the priest, examining the skin marks—white, red, or spreading. This was a legal and ritual act, not just a medical one. The outward signs were considered signs of a person’s inner state and purity before God and society (Leviticus 13:1–8). This idea is connected to the message of the prophets who condemned the outward hypocrisy that hid hearts filled with wickedness (Isaiah 1:5–6; Matthew 23:27–28).
In the context of all scripture, the skin signs represented the outward appearance of sin through actions and behavior, while its source was a defiled heart (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus emphasized that true purification begins within the heart and spreads to outward actions (Mark 7:14–23).
Message : God tests the inner state of the heart and also looks for signs of repentance and purity evident in daily life (Amos 4:12–13).
Group Questions : What outward signs in our lives—such as words, actions, or attitudes—reveal the inner state of the heart? What steps can we take to allow Jesus to sanctify us from the inside out?
2. ISOLATION FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY – VV. 9–46
This passage refers to a person who was judged by the priest to have a discharge. He was ordered to live outside the camp, crying out: “Unclean! Unclean!” (Leviticus 13:45–46). This step was legal and medical but also prophetic: physical separation indicated spiritual separation between the individual and God and between the individual and society. Isaiah described this situation: “Your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2).
Taking this step protected the community from the spread of impurity, but also allowed for repentance and healing for the affected. This is a picture of the church today: maintaining the spiritual purity of the community without sparing compassion for the wounded (Galatians 6:1–2). It also takes us back to the gospel, where Jesus came to seek and save the lost and to bring back the outcast (Luke 5:12–15).
Message : When sin separates us from God, the goal is not permanent punishment but an opportunity for repentance and restoration (Ezekiel 36:25–27).
Group Questions : What are the circumstances today that keep people away from church or community fellowship? How can we provide space for repentance and healing while maintaining a common spiritual purity?
3. SARAAT IN OBJECTS AND HOUSES – VV. 47–59
These laws extend the scope of examination from the human body to objects and homes. Clothes or walls of houses with signs of mold or decay were viewed as uncleanness that could spread (Leviticus 13:47–59; 14:33–53). From a prophetic perspective, this is a picture that sin and uncleanness are not limited to the individual but can affect families, jobs, institutions, and even the social system (1 Corinthians 5:6–7).
Environments can bear the imprint of the spirituality of those who inhabit them. The prophet Haggai rebuked people who neglected to build the Lord’s house and ended up reaping little because of their spiritual uncleanness (Haggai 1:2–11). Similarly, our homes and our lives are called to be places of God’s presence (Joshua 24:15).
Message : Spiritual impurity, if left untreated, can spread like a fungus and affect entire generations and systems of life. God calls for the purification of every aspect of our lives (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Group Questions : What things in our environment—home, work, school—affect spiritual purity? How can we sanctify them and transform our everyday spaces into places of worship and testimony of God’s grace?
🛡️ Theological Reflection
The Saraat was a symbol of the state of a corrupted heart, reminding us that sin is visible and brings separation from God .
God’s holiness required that every impurity be removed because impurity destroys the fellowship of life (Leviticus 11–16).
Christ touches and cleanses (Mark 1:40–42), promising the complete cleansing of the world (1 John 1:7; Revelation 21:5).
For Further Study : Read 2 Kings 5 (Naaman), Luke 17:11–19, Ezekiel 36:25–27, and Revelation 21:27.
🔥 The Voice of Leviticus 13 Today
This is the Lord's message: "I set before you a cleansing and restoration. Do not hide your filth, for I will uncover it and cleanse it. Come, let us reason together—though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18).
The church and the nation are called to return to God so that cities and families will not be under the filth of sin but will receive the fresh breath of the Holy Spirit. The time for the purification of hearts and homes is now.
🔥 Life Application
Self-examination : Are there areas of your life that need to be touched by God's grace?
Seeking Healing : Jesus is the High Priest who cleanses us and changes our hearts.
A Graceful Society : The church should be a place of healing and restoration for all who seek renewal in their lives.
🙌 Blessings
May the Lord give you the grace to see your inner state and run to Him for cleansing. May He touch you and bring you back into His family. May His healing overflow into your heart and into your entire life. Amen.
Feedback & Partnership
What areas do you feel God is looking at today? Share with others right here at Maisha-Kamili.com for prayer and discussion.
➡️ Next Study: Leviticus 14 – Purification and True Restoration
How does Leviticus 14 show how God cleanses and restores those healed?
Annotated Bibliography
Jacob Milgrom , Leviticus 1–16 – A scholarly explanation of the laws of purification and their rationale for Israel.
John Walton , The Lost World of the Torah – An explanation of the meaning of the Torah as the wisdom of the order of life.
L. Michael Morales , Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? – The relationship between the temple, sacrifice, and the presence of God.
Ellen G. White , Patriarchs and Prophets – A spiritual explanation of the sanctification system and the work of Christ to fulfill it all.
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