GOSPEL NUGGET # 50

Le 14:4 "then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds...

Le 14:5 "And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed...

Le 14:6 "As for the living bird, he shall take it...and dip...the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed...

7 "And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field.

The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were symbols of the coming Christ. They were God's object lesson to prepare the Jews for the coming of the Savior. They were shadows of the real thing---the death of Christ for our sins.

The two birds were a picture of the One Christ, who died and resurrected. The one bird which was killed (verse 5) speaks of Christ's death on the cross for our sins. The living bird (verse 6) dipped in the blood of the bird that was killed speaks of the Christ who resurrected after shedding His blood on the cross.

The living bird loosed in the open field (verse 7) speaks of Christ who ascended to heaven after making a perfect sacrifice for the sins of sinners. The sprinkling of the blood "seven times" speaks of Christ's perfect atonement for man's sins, seven being the number of perfection in the Bible.

Here is the lesson behind these verses:

There is a coming Savior, who will make a perfect sacrifice for your sins by His death, who will resurrect and ascend to heaven where He came from. And He did come and did all of the above.