Leviticus 15 – Outside the Camp

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Lev 15:19 If a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. 20 And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. 21 And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 22 And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. 23 And if it be on her bed, or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the even.

Women remain amongst the set-apart during their menstruation, which is true but Lev 15:2 states, “When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.” So, this pertains not just to women but to anyone who has a discharge from any part of their body.

Nu 5:2 Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead.

Why must they be removed from the camp? So “that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell” (vs 3). Read this next verse.

Nu 19:13 Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of Yahweh; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.

Anyone unclean from a sin such as this “defileth the tabernacle of Yahweh,” which of course was in the middle of the camp and as Yahweh said above in Nu 5:3 “in the midst whereof I dwell.” Anyone unclean in this way defiles the camp, thus the tabernacle and thus Yahweh Himself because He dwells in the tabernacle. This does not necessarily mean men and women with an involuntary issue would “defileth the tabernacle,” especially if they obeyed the procedures outline for them.

Now look at this passage.

De 23: 12  Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad: 13  And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee: 14  For Yahweh thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.

They had no outhouses or toilets to use so they were told to designate a place outside the camp where they would bury their human waste. But what is most interesting about this passage is what Yahweh says He does, He “walketh in the midst of thy camp, therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee.”

Now then, the camp in time was fixed in one place, the city of Jerusalem, with the tabernacle becoming Yahweh’s more permanent home in the temple. Many questions now come up that are very difficult to answer. Did the laws in Lev 15 pertain to those outside the camp or outside Jerusalem or only when they were residing there? We see in Numbers chapter 9 where Moses inquired of Yahweh what to do about some men who were unclean at the time of the Passover. Yahweh told them if anyone is at that time unclean “or be in a journey afar off” they could keep the Passover the following month. But look at what He adds.

Nu 9:13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth (refuses) to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.

It appears there are two excuses for not keeping the Passover, being unclean or being away from Jerusalem, in both cases the individual would not “bear his sin.” So, would Lev 15 also apply while away from the camp? Why I am asking is because most of us are outside the camp of Jerusalem. If being unclean in the camp “defileth the tabernacle of Yahweh” is it possible to do this while not in the camp? My answer would be no because they were put outside the camp for that very reason.

Please look at this passage in Hebrews.

Heb 13: 9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Yahshua also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Here is what I garner from it. Verse 9) Grace is better then meat sacrifices that have not helped the Jews (Ho 6:6; Heb 10:4). 10) Our altar, Yahweh’s in Heaven, has no benefit to those who refuse to believe. 11) The bodies of the sin sacrifices were destroyed outside the camp. 12) So also was Messiah, for his blood was brought into the Heavenly sanctuary. 13) We are then to leave the camp and the earthly tabernacle behind. 14) Our home is not Jerusalem or here on earth. 15) We must worship in spirit and in truth through praise. 16) Worship is the true sacrifice that pleases Yahweh.

Worship and praise now replaces animal sacrifices (He 10:8; 1Pe 2:5 Ps 40:6, 69:31). We no longer are confined to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem but are able to worship Yahweh anywhere on earth, “Yahshua saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father” (Joh 4:21).

Heb 9: 23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Messiah is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

The danger of any believer to “defileth the tabernacle of Yahweh” is past for the tabernacle is in heaven and we could now say all the earth is outside the camp of heaven.

Heb 10:10 By that will (Yahweh’s vs 9) we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Yahshua Messiah once for all.

We are sanctified by Yahshua’s blood once and all. In 1Co 6:11 Paul says “But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified.” He says in Ep 5: 26-27 that we, the assembly, is “sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

If we are holy and without blemish we must be clean.

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Yahshua, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

We are so clean in fact we can, like the high priest did once a year, enter into the Holy of Holies. By a new way, a new door, not through the curtain in the temple but through the door of Yahshua’s body. Through faith our bodies are “washed with pure water.” Now what is this pure water, does it make us clean from the things of Lev. 15? How can we stay clean if we are daily rubbing shoulders with the world?

1Co 5:9-10 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with immoral men; not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.

In Heb 9:13-14 we are told the blood of animals made them fleshly clean in the OT how much more must the blood of Messiah make us still cleaner. What a testament to the power, purity and holiness of the sacrifice of our Saviour Yahshua Messiah.

Let us go forth, outside the camp, taking the message of his suffering and sacrifice and the power it has to cleanse us of all ungodleness.