L14-5: The awesome connection between the purification rituals and 8th day circumcision!

“On the eighth day he is to take two male lambs without defect, one female lamb in its first year without defect and six-and-a-half quarts of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with olive oil, and two-thirds of a pint of olive oil. The cohen purifying him is to place the person being purified with these items before Adonai at the entrance to the tent of meeting.”-Leviticus 14:10-11

We are deep in the thick of studying the MESTORA (Skin Disease Carrier) purification rites.

In my last post, I went over the series of steps the METSORA had to go through to go from a state of UNCLEAN to CLEAN.

Following those steps, we are told that on the 8th day, finally, the first step in the sacrificial procedures towards becoming HOLY begin.

There is an awesome connection here we should not overlook.

What other significant event took place on the 8th day?

Male circumcision, right?

Recall that from God’s perspective, a METSORA or any unclean person for that matter is spiritually dead.

What happens during the METSORA purification process is that new life is literally being breathed into somebody who was spiritually dead.

So what in the world does this have to do with circumcision?

Here’s the thing.

A male child was and still is NOT a member of Israel until he is circumcised.

Until circumcised, the male is OUTSIDE THE CAMP of Israel.

According to the Abrahamic covenant, male circumcision on the 8th day was the non-negotiable sign of joining the covenant and the Mosaic covenant reaffirmed this.

Here’s the pattern:

On the 8th day after birth, the male child is officially accepted into the camp of Israel via the circumcision ceremony.

On the 8th day, the METSORA is spiritually resurrected from the dead and accepted back into the camp of Israel.

By the way, my use of the word “resurrected” here is actually quite deliberate.

There are many interesting connections between the METSORA purification rituals and resurrection back from the dead.

And keep in mind, that Yeshua was also crucified OUTSIDE THE CAMP.

The spiritual significance of all this is mind-blowing.

OUTSIDE THE CAMP of Israel equaled death, both spiritual and physical.

INSIDE THE CAMP of Israel equaled life!

I hope you’re catching this pattern and connection.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

“Remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and
called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision”
(which is done in the body by human hands)— 
remember that at that time you were separate from Messiah,
excluded from citizenship in Israel
and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, 
without hope and without God in the world. 
But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far away
have been brought near by the blood of Yeshua.”
-Ephesians 2:11-13