The Cleansing of Leprosy
读经∶利十三～十四
壹 麻风表征从人里面发出来严重的罪，就如明知故犯、任意妄为、定意顶撞神的罪─利十三：
I. Leprosy signifies the serious sin issuing from within man, such as willful sin, presumptuous sin, and opposing God with determination—Lev. 13:
一 在米利暗（民十二1～10）、基哈西（王下五20～27）和乌西雅（代下二六16～21）的事例中我们看见，麻风起因于背叛神的权柄、背叛神的代表权柄、背叛神的法则以及背叛神的经纶。─引用经文
A. As seen in the cases of Miriam (Num. 12:1-10), Gehazi (2 Kings 5:20-27), and Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:16-21), leprosy issues from rebellion against God's authority, against God's deputy authority, against God's regulation, and against God's economy.
二 罪在圣经里的意思就是背叛；因此，麻风表征罪─约壹三4。
B. In the biblical sense, sin is rebellion; thus, leprosy signifies sin—1 John 3:4.
三 圣经中头一个罪的事例，乃是撒但背叛神；因此，背叛的罪是由背叛的天使长路西弗所发明、开创的─结二八13～18，赛十四12～15。
C. The first case of sin in the Bible was Satan's rebellion against God; hence, sin as rebellion was invented, inaugurated, by the rebellious archangel Lucifer—Ezek. 28:13-18; Isa. 14:12-15.
四 至终，这罪，这麻风，经由亚当进到人类里面；罪既进到人里面，就从人里面发出许多种的罪行，就是许多背叛的表显─罗五12、19上，七20。
D. Eventually, this sin, this leprosy, entered into mankind through Adam, and having entered into man, it issues from within man as many kinds of sins, that is, many manifestations of rebellion—Rom. 5:12, 19a; 7:20.
五 因此，患麻风者代表堕落的亚当子孙，他们都是患麻风的；人在肉皮上的肿块、癣或火斑，是麻风的记号，表征人表现于外的任性、与人不和、骄傲和高抬自己─利十三2。
E. Hence, a leper represents the fallen descendants of Adam, all of whom are lepers; as signs of leprosy, a swelling, eruption, or a bright spot on the skin of one's flesh signifies man's outward expressions in unruliness, in friction with others, and in pride and self-exaltation—Lev. 13:2.
六 利未记十三章二十四至二十五节的光景，表征得救的人凭肉体行事，如发脾气、称义自己、不肯赦免人，乃是属灵麻风的征兆。─引用经文
F. The condition in Leviticus 13:24-25 signifies that a saved person's acting by the flesh, that is, his losing his temper, his justifying himself, and his not being willing to forgive others, is a sign of spiritual leprosy.
贰 利未记十四章患麻风者得洁净，描绘神在基督里已经为我们预备并成就之丰富、完整且广阔的救恩；在这救恩里，基督是那经过种种过程的包罗万有者，也是我们得洁净所需要的一切：─引用经文
II. The cleansing of the leper in Leviticus 14 portrays the rich, complete, and extensive salvation God has prepared and accomplished for us in Christ; in this salvation Christ is the all-inclusive One who has passed through a number of processes and is everything we need for our cleansing:
一 “〔祭司〕就要吩咐人为那求洁净的，拿两只洁净的活鸟、香柏木、朱红色线和牛膝草来。祭司要吩咐人用瓦器盛活水，把一只鸟宰在上面。至于那只活鸟，祭司要把它和香柏木、朱红色线并牛膝草，一同蘸于宰在活水上之鸟的血中，用以在那患麻风求洁净的人身上洒七次，就定他为洁净，又把那只活鸟放到田野里”─4～7节：
A. "The priest shall command that two living clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet strands and hyssop be taken for the one who is to be cleansed. And the priest shall command that one of the birds be slaughtered in an earthen vessel over running water. As for the living bird, he shall take it and the cedar wood and the scarlet strands and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the running water. And he shall sprinkle it on the one who is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times and shall pronounce him clean. Then he shall let the living bird go into the open field"—vv. 4-7:
1 两只洁净的活鸟乃是基督的预表；基督是洁净的，没有任何玷污，并且满有生命，能飞翔在地面之上；这里鸟表征基督从诸天而来，是属于诸天并超越地的。
1. The two living clean birds are types of Christ, who is clean, without any defilement, and full of the life that is able to fly above the earth; the birds here signify that Christ came from the heavens and that He belongs to the heavens and transcends the earth.
2 被宰的鸟表征钉十字架的基督，祂为我们死，使我们的污秽得以除去─彼前二24。
2. The bird that was killed signifies the crucified Christ, who died for us that our filthiness might be taken away—1 Pet. 2:24.
3 放到田野里的那第二只鸟，表征复活的基督，祂为我们从死人中复起，使我们凭祂复活的生命─神那神圣、永远、非受造之生命─的大能、力量和能力，得以蒙拯救脱离我们的软弱─罗八2。
3. The second bird, which was let go into the open field, signifies the resurrected Christ, who rose from the dead for us that we might be delivered from our weakness by the power, strength, and energy of His resurrection life—the divine, eternal, uncreated life of God—Rom. 8:2.
4 香柏木（参王上四33），表征耶稣尊贵、拔高的人性，使祂能作我们的救主；牛膝草是一种最微小的植物，表征主耶稣自甘卑微，“成为人的样式”（腓二7），使祂可以就近人，成为人的救主（参太八2～3）；朱红色是一种暗红色，表征流血，也含示君王职分（二七28～29）。─引用经文
4. Cedar wood (cf. 1 Kings 4:33) signifies the honorable and uplifted humanity of Jesus, which enables Him to be our Savior; hyssop, being one of the smallest plants, signifies that the Lord Jesus was willing to become lowly in His "becoming in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7) that He might be near to man and become man's Savior (cf. Matt. 8:2-3); scarlet, a dark red color, signifies the shedding of blood and also implies kingship (27:28-29).
5 这一切表征主为使我们的麻风得洁净，降卑自己成为一个标准高而身分低的人，为要实行神的旨意，在十字架上流血救赎我们，而在祂的复活里得荣，成为尊荣至高的王─腓二5～11。
5. All of this signifies that in order to cleanse us from our leprosy, the Lord lowered Himself to become a man of high standard but of low status that He might do the will of God and shed His blood on the cross for our redemption, thereby being glorified in His resurrection and becoming the honorable and high King—Phil. 2:5-11.
6 麻风得痊愈的人（利十四3），仍需要在神面前求洁净，表征有麻风罪的病人，虽然因着里面神圣的生命得了痊愈，还需要在神面前对付他的短缺和玷污，使他能得洁净；我们寻求得洁净，乃是与神的恩典和爱合作。─引用经文
6. The one who had been healed from leprosy (Lev. 14:3) still needed to seek to be cleansed before God, signifying that the one who is sick of the sin of leprosy, although he has been healed by the divine life within, still needs to have his shortcomings and defilement dealt with before God that he might be cleansed; our seeking to be cleansed is our cooperation with God's grace and love.
7 瓦器表征耶稣的人性（参林后四7），活水表征神那活而永远的灵（约七37～39，启二二1）；鸟要宰于瓦器里的活水上面，表征主耶稣在祂的人性里经过死，借着在祂里面那永远的活灵，将自己献给神（来九14）。─引用经文
7. The earthen vessel signifies the humanity of Jesus (cf. 2 Cor. 4:7), and the living water signifies the living and eternal Spirit of God (John 7:37-39; Rev. 22:1); the bird being killed in an earthen vessel over living water signifies that through His death in His humanity the Lord Jesus offered Himself to God through the eternal and living Spirit who was within Him (Heb. 9:14).
8 记载于利未记十四章六至七节的事，表征主完全的救赎，不仅使人客观地在地位上得洁净，并且使人在圣灵里，主观地经历主在祂尊贵、拔高而卑微的人性里的流血受苦，并经历祂的死、复活、升天和得荣（弗二5～6，腓三10、21，西三1～4）；这些都包含在两只鸟、香柏木、牛膝草和朱红色线的意义中。─引用经文
8. The things recorded in Leviticus 14:6-7 signify that the Lord's perfect redemption not only causes man to be cleansed objectively in his position but also causes man to experience subjectively, in the Holy Spirit, the Lord's suffering in the shedding of His blood in His honorable, uplifted, and yet lowly humanity and to experience His death, resurrection, ascension, and glorification (Eph. 2:5-6; Phil. 3:10, 21; Col. 3:1-4); these things are all implied in the significances of the two birds, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet strands.
9 将被宰之鸟的血洒在患麻风求洁净的人身上，表征基督所流的血洒在我们罪人身上（彼前一2），这样的洒就把我们联于基督这位救赎者；洒血七次，表征主血的洗净是完全的（约壹一7、9）。─引用经文
9. The sprinkling of the blood of the slain bird on the leper who was to be cleansed signifies that the blood shed by Christ was sprinkled on us, the sinners (1 Pet. 1:2), and this sprinkling connects us to Christ, the Redeemer; the sprinkling of the blood seven times signifies the completeness of the cleansing of the Lord's blood (1 John 1:7, 9).
10 基督的升天由活鸟在空中飞翔所表征；把活鸟放到田野里，表征活的基督使得了洁净的罪人不仅经历基督的死与复活，也经历祂的升天─林后五14～15，弗二5～6，西三1～4。
10. Christ's ascension is signified by the living bird soaring in the air; letting the living bird go into the open field signifies that the living Christ causes the cleansed sinner to experience not only Christ's death and resurrection but also His ascension—2 Cor. 5:14-15; Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 3:1-4.
二 剃患麻风者的毛发以得洁净，表征对付己这基督身体之仇敌的难处；剃刀表征十字架─利十四9：
B. The shaving of the hair of the leper for his cleansing signifies dealing with the difficulties of the self, which is the enemy of the Body; the razor signifies the cross—Lev. 14:9:
1 头发表征人的荣耀；每一个人都有他所夸耀之处；有人夸他的出身，有人夸他的学问，有人夸他的美德，也有人夸他的热心爱主；几乎每一个人都能在自己身上找出一些可夸的地方，引以为荣，而显扬在人面前。
1. The hair of the head signifies the glory of man; everyone has his boasts in certain areas; some boast of their ancestry, some of their education, some of their virtues, some of their zeal in their love for the Lord; almost everyone can find an area in which to boast, to glorify himself, and to make a display before man.
2 胡须表征人的尊贵；有的人自尊自夸，或自居他的身家，或自居他的属灵，总觉得他自己比别人高超。
2. The beard signifies the honor of man; people esteem themselves honorable with regard to their position, their family background, or even their spirituality; they always have a superior feeling that they are above others.
3 眉毛表征人的美丽；每一个人都有天然的长处和优点，不是来自对神救恩的经历，而是从人天然的出生而来。
3. The eyebrows signify the beauty of man; we have naturally good and strong points, which did not issue from the experience of God's salvation but from natural birth.
4 全身的毛表征人天然的能力；我们满有天然的能力、办法、主张，以为能为主作这个，能为主作那个，觉得什么都能。
4. The hair of the whole body signifies the natural strength of man; we are full of natural strength, natural methods and opinions, thinking that we can do this or that for the Lord and that we are capable of doing all things.
5 当十字架的“剃刀”对付了己的一切方面，当我们一无所有，一无所是，我们就是洁净的─参腓三7～11。
5. When all the aspects of the self are dealt with through the "razor" of the cross, and when we have nothing and are nothing, we shall be clean—cf. Phil. 3:7-11.
6 我们该经过十字架并凭着那灵作每件事，以彻底拒绝己，为着基督身体的缘故，彼此分赐基督。
6. We should utterly reject the self by doing everything through the cross and by the Spirit to dispense Christ into one another for the sake of the Body of Christ.
三 患麻风者在等候并儆醒七天之后，要再剃去全身的毛，洗衣服，并用水洗身（利十四9），表征求洁净的罪人，需要负责对付他天然生命和日常行事为人的每一部分；这表明我们若以确定、彻底并绝对的方式，认真地对付我们的罪和罪恶的己，我们就必得着洁净。─引用经文
C. The leper's shaving of his entire body, washing his clothes, and bathing his flesh a second time after waiting and watching seven days (Lev. 14:9) signifies that a sinner who is to be cleansed needs to bear the responsibility for dealing with every part of his natural life and daily walk; this shows that if we deal with our sin and our sinful self seriously, in a definite, thorough, and absolute way, we shall be clean.
叁 在利未记十四章三十三至五十七节里，房屋预表召会是我们真正的家；房屋里的麻风，表征召会中的罪行和邪恶；祭司表征主或祂的代表权柄，而察看房屋不是为着定罪，乃是一种恩典为着使人得医治─林前一11：
III. In Leviticus 14:33-57, the house typifies the church as our real home, and the leprosy in the house signifies the sins and evils in the church; the priest signifies the Lord or His deputy authority, and the examining of the house is not for condemnation but is a grace for healing—1 Cor. 1:11:
一 七天之后把那有灾病的石头挖出来（利十四40），表征经过一段完整时期的观察后，召会的难处若还在发散，就要把卷入难处的信徒，从召会的交通中挪开，视为不洁，像外人一样；这样作是要阻止疾病的扩散，并要消除那疾病（罗十六17，多三10）。─引用经文
A. The removing of the infected stones after seven days (Lev. 14:40) signifies that after the observation of a complete period of time, if the problem of the church is still spreading, the believer or believers involved in the problem should be removed from the fellowship of the church and be considered unclean, like the outsiders; this is done to stop the spread of the disease and to eliminate the disease (Rom. 16:17; Titus 3:10).
二 用别的石头代替那挖出来的石头（利十四42上），表征用别的信徒（彼前二5）填补空隙；另用灰泥墁房子（利十四42下），表征用对主恩典工作的新经历，来更新召会；召会生活中要有新的起头，就需要如此。─引用经文
B. Putting other stones in the place of the removed stones (Lev. 14:42a) signifies using other believers (1 Pet. 2:5) to fill in the gap; the replastering of the house with other plaster (Lev. 14:42b) signifies the renewing of the church with new experiences of the Lord's gracious works; this is needed for a new start in the church life.
三 麻风灾病再次发作后，要拆毁房子（45），表征一个召会的光景若到了无可救药的地步，那个召会就该结束（参启二5）。─引用经文
C. The breaking down of the house after the infection of leprosy returns (v. 45) signifies that if the situation of the church reaches the point where it cannot be cured, healed, that church should be terminated (cf. Rev. 2:5).
四 召会对主恩典的工作有新的经历，因而得着更新之后，罪若没有扩散，召会就洁净，没有问题了；全召会需要凭基督永远有功效的宝血，和祂永远的活灵得洁净，使召会完全洁净，得以成为神与人相互的居所─利十四48～53，来九14，十22，约壹一9，多三5，约十四2、23。
D. If no sin is spreading after the renewing of the church with the new experiences of the Lord's gracious works, the church is clean and has no problem; the whole church needs to be cleansed with the eternally efficacious blood of Christ and His eternal and living Spirit so that the church is fully clean to be the mutual dwelling of God and man—Lev. 14:48-53; Heb. 9:14; 10:22; 1 John 1:9; Titus 3:5; John 14:2, 23.