Leprosy.
That leprosy is a type of sin is evident from David's allusion in confessing his own horrible offenses (see Psalms 51:7)? This also appears from the words of Jesus to the only leper, out of the ten cleansed by him, who returned to give glory to God: "Thy faith hath saved thee" (see Luke 17:11-19). The others had faith which availed them to remove the leprosy of the body; but this man's faith availed to remove the leprosy of the soul. Hence this plague often came as a judgment from Heaven upon sin (see Numbers 12:10; 2 Kings 5:27; 2 Chronicles 26:19), from which circumstance, perhaps, it had its name ( צרעת), tsaraath, from ( צרע), tsaro, to smite. As there is no disease whose description engages so much space in Scripture, leprosy must be regarded as a very special type of sin.
I. IT IS A PLAGUE MOST LOATHSOME.
1. So it is described.
2. Is not this a true picture of sin?
II. IT IS A DISEASE DEEPLY SEATED.
1. Surface evils may be mistaken for sin.
2. When the evil is in the flesh there is uncleanness.
III. IT IS A MALADY FEARFULLY CONTAGIOUS.
1. Such was the figure.
2. The reality answers to the figure,