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Leprosy



When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days :And the priest shall look on him the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague in his sight be at a stay, and the plague spread not in the skin; then the priest shall shut him up seven days more: And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day: and, behold, if the plague be somewhat dark, and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is but a scab: and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.

Leviticus 13:2-6

            Social distancing is nothing new. The Lord gave the command not only for leprosy but for issues of open blood flow and the like in the Old Law. While we are not bound to the Old Covenant, we can appreciate the fact that God gave these commands millennia before the discovery of the germ. He gave these warnings for the good and safety of His people. For what kind of God dramatically rescues people from slavery only to allow them to become infected and die in a wilderness?

            We can certainly learn a lot about this, can we not? Our elders, within their God-given authority, have made the decision not to cancel our service but rather to move the location to our own homes. This decision was not made lightly and was made for the sake of our health, the health of others, and our obedience to the directions of God's ministers within the government (cf. Romans 13:4). We are all aware of how this disease is community spread, and the less interaction with one another in public is better. It helps to increase our chances of meeting together, as we all want that to happen soon. 

            God saw fit to give provisions for His people in the past for their health and well-being. We must trust God now and heed the words of our overseers in the church and the higher powers in our local, state, and federal governments. May we always remember them in our prayers as they make the best decisions with the best information they have available.

Grace and Peace,
Ryan


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