Believers in the New Testament have a higher and more excellent ministry than the Old Testament priests. Priests of the Old Testament were restricted to mere examination of leprosy and lepers. They could not heal any infected person. All they could do was incarcerate them to contain the disease from spreading to the rest of the people. For us today, we are not just to investigate or cast people with spiritual leprosy (sinners) out of the congregation. Christ has “obtained a more excellent ministry… established upon better promises,” which He has also handed over to us. What He did with the lepers while He was here on earth is what He has handed to us, which is to heal and cleanse them.
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We must “covet earnestly the best gifts” needed to live, minister, pray and help people like Christ did. The way He operates is “a more excellent way” than that of Old Testament procedures by the priests. As “ministers of the new testament,” our thought upon seeing sinners and backsliders should not be to investigate and cast them out. Rather, we should cleanse, counsel, lift them up and exercise the more excellent ministry on their behalf. The ceremonial laws have now been “done away” with. They have paved way for the ministry of the Spirit to the sinners, the sick and the demon-possessed. We must set our gaze on and study Christ and His ministry, His power and anointing, as well as listen to Him in order to know what He wants us to be and do in this dispensation.

In the Old Testament, anyone in whom the plague of leprosy was found was made to “dwell alone; without the camp” and without fellowship or association.

Leprosy was contagious. Therefore, the children of Israel were commanded to “put out of the camp every leper… both male and female… that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.” This happened because the priests did not have any curative virtue or power to get them healed. In order not to make matters worse for the congregation, all they could do was put out those who were affected. “And the children of Israel did so…” without partiality or respect of persons. Today, when someone goes astray, we should have an approach that is better than putting them out. Although, we do not accommodate sin, we should find a way to pray with them, help them to be convicted and to have a turnaround.

There were people in the land who observed that even the priests of the Old Testament were unable to heal, cleanse the lepers. Therefore, they lamented: “We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.” However, some prophets like Elisha distinguished themselves because they had the power the Levites and priests did not have. We can distinguish ourselves too by linking up with the Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse sinners and backsliders among us. But we need to ask God for grace to possess the nature of Christ and power with which to transform the lives of people with any kind of issue.
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God had anointed and approved of Moses, evinced by his mighty acts in Egypt and the wilderness. Instead of concentrating on their significant ministries, Aaron and Miriam focused on speaking against Moses “because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married.” For this, “the anger of the Lord was kindled against them… and, behold, Miriam became leprous.” Aaron pleaded with Moses who, harbouring no desire for vengeance, “cried unto the Lord, saying, heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.” Unlike them, we should concentrate on our ministry.

The Old Testament priests degenerated to performing their duties without grace, prayer and anointing. Since they could not make the people better, they oppressed them because they became “light and treacherous persons… (who) polluted the sanctuary and (did) violence to the law.”

• Further Reading (King James Version): Hebrews 8:6; 1 Corinthians 12:31; 2 Corinthians 3:6,11,18. Leviticus13:45. Numbers 5:1-4. 2 Kings 5:1-4,9,10,14-16; Psalm 74:9; Luke 4:27. Numbers 12:1,2,8-13; Zephaniah 3:4.
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