Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:8-9

Bird's-eye view

In these two verses, Moses delivers a sharp and potent reminder about the connection between sin, purity, and divinely established authority. The immediate subject is leprosy, a dreaded skin disease that rendered a person ceremonially unclean. But the instruction is not primarily medical; it is theological and ethical. The command to heed the Levitical priests in such matters is a command to respect God's ordained structure for dealing with defilement in the camp. To drive the point home with force, Moses summons the memory of a high profile incident: the Lord's judgment upon Miriam. Her leprosy was the direct result of her slanderous rebellion against Moses. The lesson for Israel is therefore plain. Do not trifle with uncleanness, submit to the authority God has established for dealing with it, and remember the severe consequences for those who, in their pride, challenge God's anointed servants. This is a lesson in the fear of the Lord.

Outline

Context In Deuteronomy

This passage is situated within a broader section of Deuteronomy where Moses is reiterating various laws for the covenant community as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. These are not just random rules, but rather applications of the great commandments to love God and neighbor. The laws in chapter 24 cover diverse topics like divorce, new marriages, collateral for loans, and justice for the poor. The inclusion of the law on leprosy here is significant. It is a matter of public health, yes, but more importantly, it is a matter of covenant purity. A leprous person was excluded from the camp, a vivid picture of how sin separates. This instruction reinforces the holiness God requires of His people and the seriousness with which any breach of that holiness must be treated.

Key Issues

Commentary

Verse 8

"Take care against an infection of leprosy, to be very careful and to do according to all that the Levitical priests instruct you; as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do."

The verse opens with a command to "take care" or to be on guard. The Hebrew word here is about watching closely, being vigilant. The threat is an "infection of leprosy." In the Old Testament, leprosy was not just a medical condition; it was a profound symbol of sin's corrupting, isolating, and defiling nature. It was a walking picture of death. So, the command is to be vigilant against the kind of defilement that gets you put out of the camp, out of fellowship with God and His people.

How are they to do this? By being "very careful" to follow the instructions of the Levitical priests. Notice the authority structure. When it comes to diagnosing and dealing with this ceremonial uncleanness, the people are not to lean on their own understanding. They are not to form committees or take a popular vote. God had appointed the priests as the arbiters in this matter. Their word was to be law, because their word was supposed to be a faithful application of God's law. This points forward to the authority of the elders in the New Covenant church, who are charged with guarding the purity of the body through the ministry of the Word and church discipline.

And the basis of this priestly authority is explicitly stated: "as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do." The priests do not have a blank check. Their authority is derived and delegated. They are under command just as the people are. They are to teach what God has commanded, and the people are to obey what God has commanded through them. This is the essence of biblical authority. It is not autocratic; it is ministerial. But it is real authority nonetheless, and to disregard it is to disregard God.

Verse 9

"Remember what Yahweh your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt."

To ensure the previous command is not taken lightly, Moses brings in a historical thunderclap. "Remember..." This is a central verb in Deuteronomy. Israel is constantly called to remember God's mighty acts of salvation and judgment. Forgetting is the path to apostasy. And what are they to remember here? They are to remember what God did to Miriam.

The story is found in Numbers 12. Miriam, a prophetess and a leader in her own right, along with Aaron, spoke against Moses. The presenting issue was his Cushite wife, but the root sin was envy and a lust for power. "Has Yahweh indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" (Num. 12:2). This was a direct challenge to God's chosen mediator. It was a sin of the tongue, a slanderous rebellion against God-ordained authority.

And what was God's response? The anger of Yahweh was kindled against them, and when the cloud of His presence lifted, Miriam was leprous, "white as snow." The judgment fit the crime perfectly. Her words sought to poison the community against Moses, and God made her physically poisonous to the community. Her slander made her unclean, and God marked her with the ultimate sign of uncleanness. She was put outside the camp for seven days. This was not some private affair. It happened "on the way as you came out of Egypt," a public and foundational event in their history. The memory of Miriam's white face was to be a permanent warning against the kind of pride that questions God's appointed leaders.

So when an Israelite was tempted to grumble against the priest's diagnosis of his skin condition, he was to remember Miriam. When he was tempted to think he knew better, he was to remember Miriam. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and the memory of His past judgments is a powerful tutor in that fear.

Application

The direct application of ceremonial laws regarding leprosy has passed away with the Old Covenant. We are not to inspect skin diseases and excommunicate people based on them. Christ, our great High Priest, has fulfilled all the ceremonial law. He is the one who cleanses the true lepers, those whose hearts are defiled by sin. He touched the leper and did not become unclean, but rather made the leper clean.

However, the principles here are permanent. First, sin is a spiritual leprosy. It defiles us, it isolates us from God, and it spreads. We must be vigilant against it, both in our own lives and in the life of the church. Second, God has established authority in the church for our good. We are to submit to our elders who keep watch over our souls (Heb. 13:17). When they instruct us from the Word of God, we are to obey. To rebel against their biblical instruction is not just a personal disagreement; it is to challenge the order God has established.

Finally, we must take with utmost seriousness the sin of slander, gossip, and grumbling, particularly when it is directed against those in authority. Miriam's sin is alive and well in the church today. People murmur against pastors, question their motives, and seek to undermine their leadership. This passage commands us to remember what God thinks of such behavior. He does not take it lightly. The leprous judgment on Miriam stands as a stark warning to all who would use their tongues to attack the shepherds of God's flock. We are to guard our hearts against such pride and our tongues against such wickedness, and instead pursue the peace and purity of the church, all under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.