Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Mark 1:43-44 commentary: telling the healed man to say nothing


43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away; 44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Since Jesus is still under the Law and has placed Himself so here He requires that the healed follow the law. See Leviticus 14. Note that there are two birds and one has to die. Note the earthen vessel which is a type of Jesus’ body. Note, too, that the living bird is set free in the field which in type is the world.

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest: 3 And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; 4 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: 5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water: 6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water: 7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

This verse is more reinforcement for the dispensational aspect of Mark’s gospel. If you tried to copy this verse as a literal command for Christians you’d be telling people not only not to tell others what Christ had done for them but to show reverence and obedience to a priest, following the Law of Moses. Now, what church organization would benefit from that, I wonder?

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