Christ in all the scriptures Cleansing the congregation

 Christ in all the scriptures

Cleansing the congregation   Numbers 5

"For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy"-Leviticus 11v44; "As it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy"-1st Peter 1v16; "Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, forever"-Psalm 93v5.  

Redeemed Israel, in association with God, require to maintain holiness.  This necessitates measures of cleansing from time to time.  Jesus made it clear to His disciples, that association with Him meant they were "clean every whit"-John 13.  However, defilement by the way required cleansing.  God is holy, that is He is perfect in every way, and demands His people strive to that standard.  The excuse of the day is that no one is perfect, no church is perfect.  This is just an excuse for continuing in imperfection, an attitude that is foreign to holy scripture-refer Ephesians 4v13; 2nd Corinthians 7v1.  The Shekinah cloud that rested on the tabernacle symbolised the presence of God in the camp, producing reverential fear among the people.

The redeemed people of God today, have no such visible presence, but we are assured that God is among us.  Our bodies are said to be the temple of God, with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us (1st Cor. 6v19-20); our churches are said to be the temple of God (1st Cor. 3v17); the global church, the body of Christ is the temple of God (Ephesians 2v21-22). We are cleansed by the blood of Christ, but in practice we have to maintain that as far as is possible.  God no more condones sin among His people, than He does in the world.  He will judge the world in the future, He judges His people in the present.

There are three actions to be taken if sin defiles the camp:

V1-4 Ceremonial uncleanness   All three examples are such that the contagious nature of their condition can affect the whole congregation.  Answer EXCOMMUNICATION.

"Put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue (bodily discharge), and whosoever is defiled by the dead"-5v2.

Those in this condition were to be put out of the camp, no doubt to dwell for a time apart from the main body.  This excommunication was until time elapsed, in the case of touching the dead, or a cure was found for the condition.  Sadly no leper was cured in Israel until the time of Jesus.  Examples exist in the New Testament for this extreme discipline as in 1st Corinthians 5.  Note there, that the judgment was pronounced "...in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"-1st Cor. 5v4.  He will not permit individuals to gather with Him who are indulging in fornication, or covetous behaviour, or extortion, or drunkenness, or idolatry, or railing false accusation.  He will not have His name associated with this behaviour.  This is a temporary measure pending repentance.

V5-10 Social uncleanness  This involves unjust dealings between individuals.  Answer CONFESSION and RESTITUTION.

"When a man or woman shall commit any sin, that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty; then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it to him against whom he hath trespassed"-5v6-7.

No doubt a financial transaction that has gone wrong and a person has been defrauded.  Note the sin is against a person but it is a trespass against the Lord.  All sin is against the Lord-refer Psalm 51, where David acknowledged that his sin which had affected so many including himself, was, in the first instance against the Lord.  Confession is to be made to the individual and restitution made plus compensation to remedy the situation.  We dare not sweep matters "under the carpet", for all are known to God.  Remember there was no carpet in the floor of the tabernacle!  Reverence to the Lord suggests we put matters right between us, the Lord is among us.  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"-1st John1v9; "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy"-Proverbs 28v13.  Attention needs to be given to this in association with the Lord.

V11-31 Domestic uncleanness  This comes closer, the sacred relationship between a man and his wife.  This is the ultimate tragedy, the breakdown of the marital home.  The sacred bond that is a marriage reflects the eternal union of Christ and the church.  

"If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him, and a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her..."-5v12-13.

The sin of adultery is heinous in the sight of God.  In Malachi 2v14 He describes it as "treachery against the wife of thy youth", your closest companion on earth, and the one to whom you vowed faithfulness for better or worse.  He likens it to the treachery of Judah and Israel who sought after other gods.  In this case the woman wilfully sought out another man, and an opportunity where neither her husband nor anyone else knew.  This would be extremely difficult in the close knit dwellings of Israel.  If, in the course of time, the husband suspected, the spirit of jealousy would arise (a very normal and legitimate reaction).  This matter had to be dealt with, as it was known to God, and only God could fix it.  An investigation took place between the couple and a priest, when a Divine test was enacted, something similar to a modern lie detector test.  If no resolution was found the Lord instructed the priest to make up a drink potion which (miraculously) revealed the truth as the Lord either withheld judgment or imposed it, the result would be evident in the woman's health.  This is just Old Testament rhetoric for the Lord to judge or to withhold judgment.  The point is that everyone was aware of the truth.  If not guilty the matter was settled, if guilty the consequences were permanent.  Application to present day church life is difficult; enough to say that the Lord abhors such behaviour and there will be discipline.

The marriage of a man and a woman is a most sacred union as it reflects the union of Christ and the church-Ephesians 5v25-32.

All this goes to Peter's warning in 1st Peter 4v17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ?"

Those who fail to act when sin of any form inflicts the congregation invite the displeasure of God, who must act to preserve His holy name.