In discussing Leviticus 13, commentator Jay Sklar notes some things that the chapter does not mention. Most notably, there is no explanation of why certain skin conditions lead to ritual impurity. Moreover, there is also no discussion in Leviticus about how people dealt with the great suffering that can go with skin conditions.
Sklar observes that we can get a sense of this suffering from another part of the Bible---the Psalms. There we find prayers made in times of suffering. Sklar lists Psalms 6, 13, 38, 41 as examples.
These psalms give a sense of the magnitude of suffering involved. They also show a firm trust in God's help---see 6:8-10; 13:5-6; 38:15; 41:11-12.
Another lament of this type is in Psalm 88. At Church of the Messiah, Kyle Kettering gave a sermon on this psalm on September 27, 2925.
Psalms of this type remind us that life includes lots of suffering, and in our worship we should not ignore this part of life. As Ecclesiastes 3:4 says, there is a time to mourn.
No comments:
Post a Comment