Fri.’s Devo - The Cleansing Power of the Blood

Read: Leviticus 14:1-57; Mark 6:30-56; Psalm 40:1-10; Proverbs 10:11-12 On the day of a leper’s cleansing, he was bring two living clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop and present them and himself to the priest. The priest would examine him one last time and if he is healed then the priest would take the things he brought for his cleansing. The priest would command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water. The other objects would be dipped in the blood the bird that was killed over the running water. The man who had leprosy would be sprinkled with the blood seven times and the other bird would be set free. He would was his clothes, shave off all his hair and wash himself in water and be clean. Then he was to come into the camp but stay outside his tent seven days. *** On the seventh day, he was to shave all the hair off his head and wash his clothes again and his body and be clean. *** On the eighth day he would take two male lambs and one eye lamb and flour and oil and present it as a grain offering and a log of oil to the Lord. *** The priest shall present the man and his offerings before the Lord and take one of the lambs, the grain offering and the log of oil and wave it before the Lord. He would kill the lamb for the sin offering and the burnt offering in the holy place. The priest would apply some of the blood from the offering on the tip of his right ear, his right thumb, and his right big toe. The rest of the blood would be applied by the priest to his head. *** The house that is to be cleaned of a plague or mildew is the same ritual as for person. Instead of washing the house, it was to be scraped clean. *** The rituals of them both represent the cleansing of the cross by the blood of Jesus. Jesus is represented by the birds. The first bird represents his death. His blood is applied to our sin and we are pronounced clean. The bird that goes free is the resurrection of both Jesus and the one who is now clean. *** Jesus had sent his disciples out in pairs giving them power over unclean spirits (John 6:7). They came back telling Jesus all the things that happened while they were out. Jesus took them to rest for a while but the multitudes saw where they were going and followed them. Jesus came out and began to teach them. At the end of the day, his disciples told him to send the crowd away so they could find food. Jesus told them to feed them. They answered that they only had five loaves and two fish. So Jesus took what they had and blessed it and broke it. He let the disciples hand them out and all 5,000 people ate and there were 12 baskets of left-overs picked up. *** Jesus put his disciples into the boat to go to the other side. He sent the people home and he went to the mountain to pray. In the middle of the night, Jesus saw that the disciples were fighting a storm. He walked out on the sea and comforted them. When he stepped into their boat, the storm stopped. They marveled. *** They stepped out of the land of the Gadarene but instead of being told to leave, they were met with a multitude of people waiting to receive him with their sick. The man that had been delivered of the legions of demons had spread the word and his testimony influenced the people to accept Jesus. *** The power of a testimony is great. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that can break all fears and prejudices. *** Lord, may we walk in your resurrected power and see the miracles that you performed in our day. Thank you for the cleansing power of your blood.