The fourteenth chapter of Leviticus, verses one through seven, describes a ritual for the cleansing of a leper. The priest commands that two birds be taken. One is killed in an earthen vessel over running water. Then a cedar stick with a scarlet cloth and hyssop are dipped in the blood of the bird, and so is the living bird. Then the priest sprinkles the leper with the blood on the cedar scarlet hyssop pole seven times and releases the living bird to freedom. Then the leper is pronounced clean. copyright 2000 by H.D. Shively
A Bird in the Hand
Messianic Typology in Leviticus 14
I can picture a small child, the son of the priest, perhaps, watching this ceremony with a curious expression on his face. Afterwards, he asks his daddy, "Abba, what does it mean when you kill the bird and let the other one go free?"
The priest doesn't really know what it means. He only knows that God has told them to do it that way. He might add in his explanation, that it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul and quote Leviticus 17:11. He doesn't know exactly why. It is the command of God and that is enough.
He couldn't hope to understand what it all means back then. But now, the scenario is quite a bit different.
A modern child has read these Scriptures and comes to his father, a pastor, perhaps. The child asks, "Daddy, what does this mean? Why is the one bird killed and the other goes free?"
The father smiles. He knows the answer because the shadows of the past have been unveiled in the light of prophecies fulfilled.
"The first bird is killed in an earthen vessel because someday The Spirit of God would be in a man, the Messiah Jesus to save His creation. He would enter an earthen vessel, a human body, and be killed, and the water of His Holy Spirit would flow. The scarlet hyssop pole is symbolic of the cross He died upon in order to sprinkle His blood upon many nations, cleansing them from the leprosy of their sin. And covered by the blood of the Messiah, the captive soul is set free and can rise into new eternal life because of the other's sacrifice. Do you understand?"
The child smiles. He understands and repeats, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, because He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our sins." John 3:16, Isaiah 53:5.
There is a flutter of wings outside the window and the child looks up in time to see a bird soaring out into the daylight, free.