The Cedars of Lebanon: Tall & Lofty

Cedars of Lebanon are a symbol of power and durability

Assyria is likened to be a cedar of Lebanon by God in Ezekiel 31. Assyria had a tremendous amount of power and wealth. During its height, it was the ruling empire of the world. The rulers of the empire believed they could not be toppled. Like the cedar of Lebanon, they would stand tall and would last many centuries. God, on the other hand, speaks about what he will do to the Assyrian empire using the cedar of Lebanon as an analogy.

3Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon
With beautiful branches and forest shade,
And very high,
And its top was among the clouds.
4The waters made it grow, the deep made it high.
With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place,
And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
5Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field
And its boughs became many and its branches long
Because of many waters as it spread them out.
6All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs,
And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth,
And all great nations lived under its shade.
7So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches;
For its roots extended to many waters.

8The cedars in God’s garden could not match it;
The cypresses could not compare with its boughs,
And the plane trees could not match its branches.
No tree in God’s garden could compare with it in its beauty.
9I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches,
And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, were jealous of it.

10‘Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness, 11therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it. According to its wickedness I have driven it away. 12Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land. And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and left it.

13On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell, and all the beasts of the field will be on its fallen branches 14so that all the trees by the waters may not be exalted in their stature, nor set their top among the clouds, nor their well-watered mighty ones stand erect in their height. For they have all been given over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit.” (Ezekiel 31:3-14)


In the last days, God will destroy everything which is lifted up and highly exalted. This includes nations which view themselves as the cedars of Lebanon.

12For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning
Against everyone who is proud and lofty
And against everyone who is lifted up,
That he may be abased.

13And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up,
Against all the oaks of Bashan,
14Against all the lofty mountains,
Against all the hills that are lifted up,
15Against every high tower,
Against every fortified wall,
16Against all the ships of Tarshish
And against all the beautiful craft.
17The pride of man will be humbled
And the loftiness of men will be abased;
And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
18But the idols will completely vanish.

19 Men will go into caves of the rocks
And into holes of the ground
Before the terror of the Lord
And the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to make the earth tremble.
20In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats
Their idols of silver and their idols of gold,
Which they made for themselves to worship,
21In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs
Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty,
When He arises to make the earth tremble.
22Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils;
For why should he be esteemed? (Isaiah 2:12-22)


Lastly, God compares a righteous person to be like a cedar of Lebanon in Psalm 92.
12The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13Planted in the house of the Lord,
They will flourish in the courts of our God.
14They will still yield fruit in old age;
They shall be full of sap and very green, (Psalm 92:12-14)

Using Psalm 92 as a springboard, let’s look at what it means to yield fruit or to put it another way, to bear fruit.


To bear fruit
A  tree needs the proper environment to produce fruit. One of the biggest factors in determining if a tree will produce fruit is the supply of water available. Fruit contains a high percentage of water. Oranges are 87% water. Peaches are 88% water. Grapefruit are 91% water. For a tree to yield fruit, a water source must be in an abundant supply.

The importance of the man being told he will bear fruit in season is that a water source (i.e., God’s instruction) will be abundant. If a man keeps to God’s word, he will bear fruit.

This idea of bearing fruit should be extremely familiar to us. The very first command God gives Adam and Eve is to be fruitful and multiple (Genesis 1:28). Many believe when God said to be fruitful, He meant to have lots of offspring. One could translate this as bearing the fruit of one’s loins, but if this was so, God would not have needed to say “and multiple”. Words are precious. An alternative translation is the fruit God is speaking about is having deeds in your life which bear witness to Him.

To bear fruit means to have things in your life which bear witness to your study of God’s word.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)


Where do we get fruit?
In the Book of Hosea, God is chastening Israel for being disobedient. God compares Israel to being an adulteress. After many chapters of sharp rebukes, chapter 14 gives hope to Israel that if he returns to God, he will be fruitful and have prosperity.

1Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
For you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity
And receive us graciously,
That we may present the fruit of our lips.
3Assyria will not save us,
We will not ride on horses;
Nor will we say again, ‘Our god,’
To the work of our hands;
For in You the orphan finds mercy.”
4I will heal their apostasy,
I will love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from them.
5I will be like the dew to Israel;
He will blossom like the lily,
And he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
6His shoots will sprout,
And his beauty will be like the olive tree
And his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon.
7Those who live in his shadow
Will again raise grain,
And they will blossom like the vine.
His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like a luxuriant cypress;
From Me comes your fruit.
9Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right,
And the righteous will walk in them,
But transgressors will stumble in them. (Hosea 14)

Things to note:
Verse 5, God says He will be like dew. Again, dew is essential water needed by plants. In Israel, the climate is very dry. The plants rely heavily on dew for their water source.

As air heats up, its ability to hold water increases. Air which is 80 degrees can hold far more water than air which is 50 degrees. During the day, as the sun heats up the air, the air sucks up moisture from the Mediterranean Sea, Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, etc. The upper atmospheric winds distribute the air throughout Israel. At night, when the sun sets, the air temperature decreases. The ability for the air to hold water decreases. When air comes in contact with an object warmer than the air temperature, condensation forms on the warmer object. This is referred to as dew. Since Israel is a dry climate, dew is an essential water source for plants and animals.

When God says he will be like dew to Israel, it means He will be their main source of water. He will keep them alive in the dry summer months when rain in scarce.

Verse 5-7 speaks about Israel being a cedar, olive tree, vine, etc. These are all main plants in Israel and are highly valuable. (There is uncertainty about the word translated as “lily” here, what that actually referred to. So I will not speculate what the significance is for the plant species.)

Verse 8 tells us it is God who gives the fruit. This is incredibly important. If we are not seeing fruit in our lives—love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.—it may be that we are not following God’s word or are not applying the word. When we walk in God’s ways, our lives should produce fruit. If we do not produce fruit or are producing bad fruit, we need to re-examine our lives.

In Galatians 5, Paul writes about what the fruits of the Spirit are versus what the fruits of the flesh are.

14For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:14-24)


In short, if you want to bear fruit, you need to follow God’s word which Paul sums up as being Leviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

The Righteous are Like Trees Planted By Streams of Water

In the Bible, people are often referred to as trees, and the wicked are often categorized as grass or weeds. Before exploring the Bible, let’s take a look at grass versus trees.

Life cycle: Grass
Grasses generally spring up quickly and are at their full height in 6-8 weeks. They are very temperature sensitive. If the weather is not right, the seeds will not germinate. Also, the grass is sensitive to temperatures as it grows. Grass grows best in temperatures 70-90 degrees. Once temperatures reach above 95 degrees, the plant goes dormant. Many grasses cannot tolerate temperatures below 60 degrees. Once the daytime highs are consistently below 60 degrees, the grass dies and becomes dormant.

Grasses are also water dependent. If you do not water grass, it will die after 7-10 days of no water. Grasses have shallow roots and have little ability to pull water from deep soil reserves. Grasses also cannot tolerate too much water. If you receive an abundance of water or over-water the grass, it will drown and die.

With a shallow root system, grass is very susceptible to wind. The wind will pull up the grass and blow it away. The wind will also dry out the grass and cause it to wither.

In short, grasses are very water and temperature dependent. They cannot tolerate changes in their environment.


Life cycle: Trees
When a tree is trying to germinate, it too needs favorable conditions. It needs proper sunlight, water and temperatures. Once it germinate and grows, it becomes a sapling.

During the sapping phase (when the tree is less than 4 inches tall), the tree is very delicate. It has a shallow root system. Too much wind can uproot the sapling. Too much or too little water can kill the plant. Temperatures too cold can freeze the plant.

Once the tree has grown to be over 4 inches tall, it can start to pull water and nutrients from the soil. It has an advance root system. Wind and temperature variations have some effect of the young tree, but it is much more durable than the sapling.

Mature tree: This is a tree which has a fully developed root system, branches and bark. The tree can withstand extreme temperatures and water conditions. The root system is very deep meaning it can pull water for deep within the earth. Mature trees live decades to centuries in this phase. They are strong, sturdy and are at little risk from dying from temperatures being too cold or too hot.

Grass versus trees
Grasses are extremely vulnerable during its entire lifecycle. It takes just 6-8 weeks to reach maturity. Grasses have a lifespan of a few months. After which, they will go to seed and die. If the environment is favorable, the new seeds will germinate and being the process all over again.

Tress are also very unstable during the their early life. The seeds need a favorable environment to germinate. The sapling is very susceptible to wind, water and temperature. The young plant needs to be protected and cared for. Once the sapling becomes a young tree, the tree is much sturdier and needs very little care. Once the tree becomes mature, the tree can live decades to centuries. When God refers to people being righteous, they are called mature trees and/or cedars of Lebanon.

Cedars of Lebanon
The cedars of Lebanon are a tree species in the pine family. They are native to the mountains of the eastern Mediterranean basin. They are endemic to Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. However, they have been transplanted all around the world. They are widely used as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens.

Cedars of Lebanon can reach 130 feet in height and can be up to 8 feet 2 aches in diameter.

The cedar of Lebanon is the national emblem of Lebanon. It is displayed on Lebanon’s national flag and on its coat of arms. It is also the logo for Middle East Airlines, which is Lebanon’s national carrier.

Cedar wood is prized for its fine grain, attractive yellow color and fragrance. It is exceptionally durable and immune to insect infestations. Wood from the cedars of Lebanon are used for furniture, construction and handicrafts. Cedar resin and cedar essential oil are prized extracts from the timber and cones of the cedar trees.


Cedars of Lebanon in the Bible
There are many places the cedars of Lebanon are mentioned in the Bible. It states in Psalm 104 that God planted the cedars of Lebanon. Psalm 104 is a praise about how God cares for all the earth.

16The trees of the Lord drink their fill,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17Where the birds build their nests,
And the stork, whose home is the fir trees. (Psalm 104:16-17)


Cedars were known to be a sign of luxury and wealth. David uses cedars to build his palace.

11Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and they built a house for David. 12And David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel. (2 Samuel 5:11-12)


Cedars of Lebanon are most notably used in the construction of the both the first and second temples.

Cedars of Lebanon used in the construction of the first temple
1Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David. 2Then Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, 3“You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’ 6Now therefore, command that they cut for me cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

7When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” 8So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent me; I will do what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. 9My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place where you direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry them away. Then you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household.” 10So Hiram gave Solomon as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. (1 Kings 5:1-10)

Cedars of Lebanon are used in the construction of the second temple
1Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. 2Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. 3So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening. 

4They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; 5and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the fixed festivals of the Lord that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the Lord. 

6From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid. 7Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the permission they had from Cyrus king of Persia. (Ezra 3:1-7)

Adam: The First Man to Speak Evil

The Torah uses the word  אדם (Adam, man, mankind) instead of the more common word איש (ish, man), to identify the leper.

“When a man (adam)  shall have a rising in his body’s skin, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of his body the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons, the priests…”
Leviticus 13:2

While “adam” can and does mean “man,” (and has a connection to the word “red”), it hearkens back to Adam HaRishon, the First Man, who sinned in the Garden of Eden. Adam’s sin caused a shock wave effect of spiritual leprosy throughout creation, causing untold suffering in the world. When Adam was confronted about his sin by God, he immediately points at the woman, and says, “the woman YOU gave to be with me gave it to me.” Instead of owning up to his disobedience, he shifts the blame onto Eve (and God!), and speaks lashon hara, the evil tongue, malicious slander or gossip. The cause of tzara’at is ascribed to lashon hara, and the one who experiences tzara’at is called a metzora (leper). In Aramaic, the word for leper is “chivra,” which literally means “white”.

Brief Background about “adam”
“Adam” means man. It also means dust of the earth. Using different vowel points, “adam” becomes “edom”. (Remember Hebrew does not have vowels. The vowels are implied.) “Edom” means red. In Genesis 25, Esau is given the name “Edom” 

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a civilized man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 When Jacob had cooked a stew one day, Esau came in from the field and he was exhausted; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a mouthful of that red stuff there, for I am exhausted.” Therefore he was called Edom by name. 31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore an oath to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and got up and went on his way. So Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:27-34)

“Edom” means red. Esau wanted the “red stuff” to eat. Esau was red and hairy when he was born. “Edom” also means dirt or earth. It is a play on words that Esau is a “man of the field” (verse 27).

Sacrifice for the Leper
The book of Leviticus describes the sacrifice of the metzora,
“This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall go forth out of the camp. The priest shall examine him, and behold, if the plague of leprosy is healed in the leper, then the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. The priest shall command them to kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water. 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. He shall sprinkle on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird go into the open field.”
Leviticus 14:2-7

What is the meaning of this sacrifice?
The following elements are:
Two Living Clean Birds
Cedar Wood
Scarlet
Hyssop
Earthen Vessel
Living (Running) Water
The message to the metzora is clear. His lashon hara will be atoned for by sacrificing the animal who “chatterers” throughout creation. On a deeper level, the clean tzippor (bird), is identified as either a Tor (turtledove) or a Yonah (dove). Both the “Tor” and the “Yonah” are names for the Mashiach. The word ‘tzippor’ (bird) has the gematria of ‘zehu Mashiach’ (this one is Messiah):
צפר = זהו משיח = 370

Two animals sacrificed
For the sacrifice of the metzora, one bird is to be killed while the other one is to be set free. This same sacrifice happens on Yom Kippur. Two identical goats are brought together, one is killed, and the other released. 

 5 And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two male goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering. 6 Then Aaron shall offer the bull as the sin offering, which is for himself, so that he may make atonement for himself and for his household. 7 He shall then take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. 9 Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a [l]sin offering. 10 But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat. (Leviticus 16:5-10)

The exact same scenario played out with Yeshua and a man named “Yeshua bar Abba”, popularly known as Barabbas. One was killed while the other one was set free.

15 Now at the Passover Feast the governor was accustomed to release for the [f]people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was because of envy that they had handed Him over.

19 And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas, and to put Jesus to death. 21 And the governor [i]said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate *said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all *said, “Crucify Him!” 23 But he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” Yet they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”
24 Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.” 25 And all the people replied, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified. (Matthew 27:19-26)

Bird sacrificed: Blood and Water
As the bird is sacrificed, its blood joins the water flowing from the jar of clay. The human body is likened to a jar of clay, and God is the Potter.
But now, Lord, You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter,
And all of us are the work of Your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

When Jesus was crucified, we are told that water and blood came forth from His body.

31 Now then, since it was the day of preparation, to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath ([r]for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews requested of Pilate that their legs be broken, and the bodies be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but after they came to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. (John 19:31-34)


Hyssop
In the Torah, the hyssop and cedar create a connecting thread between the Sacrifice of the Leper, the Red Heifer, and the blood of the Lamb for Passover. The Midrash Rabbah says,
“The hyssop, for instance, appears to man to be of no worth, yet its power is great in the eyes of God, who put it on a level with cedar in numerous cases,-in the purification of the leper, and the burning of the Red Heifer; and in Egypt too He commanded a precept to be performed with hyssop, as it says: AND YOU SHALL TAKE A BUNCH OF HYSSOP. Of Solomon, also, does it say: “And he spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springs out of the wall” (I Kings 5:13)- to teach you that the small and the great are equal in the sight of God. He performs miracles with the smallest things, and through the hyssop which is the most lowly of trees, did He redeem Israel.”
Exodus Rabbah 17:2, Soncino Press Edition

It is fascinating that the Gospel of John mentions “hyssop” at the execution stake of the Messiah. It may be possible that the stake itself was made of cedar wood.
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, *said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (John 19:28-30)

Like the cedar and the hyssop, the scarlet yarn formed a part of the korbanot of the Red Heifer, and the goats of Yom Kippur.

Messiah himself was cloaked in a garment of scarlet.
So Pilate then took Jesus and had Him flogged. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and placed it on His head, and put a scarlet cloak on Him; 3 and they repeatedly came up to Him and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and slapped Him in the face again and again. (John 19:1-3)

Jesus and Lepers

As we read Scripture, we can often gloss over many details. When we read about Jesus cleansing lepers, we often do not understand what leprosy was or how it affected an individual. It was a spiritual affliction which exiled the person. The person was not allowed to live in cities. The person had to dwell alone away from others. Before Jesus, no Israelite afflicted with leprosy was ever healed. Once a person was declared unclean with leprosy by a priest, the person remained that way for the rest of his life. Knowing all this, we can now begin to understand the implications for Jesus and His ability to cleanse a person from leprosy. We begin to understand how a person who was given a life sentence of exile now had hope of re-entering society. 

Many people believe and teach Jesus did not follow Torah, and Jesus did whatever He wanted. However, this is not so. Even Jesus follows Torah and its protocols in regards to leprosy (tzara’at).

Mark 1:40-45
40And a leper *came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and *said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44and He *said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.


Matthew 8:1-4
1When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. 2And a leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4And Jesus *said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”


Things to note:
1. Jesus told the lepers to go show themselves to the priest. The priest would be the one who would make the declaration of a person being cleansed from tzara’at.

2. Jesus told the lepers to present the offerings Moses commanded. Again, this emphasizes Jesus did not tell people to break the Torah. Instead, Jesus is upholding it.

3. Jesus did not heal the lepers. Many erroneously believe the lepers needed healing. No, they needed cleansing. Why? Because tzara’at was a spiritual affliction. When a person repented and/or renewed their faith with God, they went to a place called a mikvah. They completely submerged themselves into the water. When they came up, it is said they had a new birth. They were born again.


Washing was a requirement for cleansing the leper. In Leviticus 14, we read on the first day and on the seventh day, the person who has been declared free from tzara’at must bathe. Please note, this is not taking a shower; the person is not bathing because he is dirty. It is a ritual washing.

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the priest, 3and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper, 4then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop for the one who is to be cleansed. 5The priest shall also give orders to slay the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water. 6As for the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood and the scarlet string and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was slain over the running water. 7He shall then sprinkle seven times the one who is to be cleansed from the leprosy and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird go free over the open field. 8The one to be cleansed shall then wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe in water and be clean. Now afterward, he may enter the camp, but he shall stay outside his tent for seven days. 9It will be on the seventh day that he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. He shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and be clean.


Does tzara’at still exist?
The short answer is no. Tzara’at seemed loonily be an affliction which plagued the Israelites (and also Naaman the Syrian). Priests are needed to declare someone unclean with the affliction. However, priests are needed to declare some cleansed from tzara’at. Then, offering must be brought to the Temple. As long as there is no Temple and no priesthood, there can be no tzara’at.

Although there is no tzara’at, that does not mean God does not use other means to punish use for evil speech. We may have financial struggles, car troubles, failed friendships, broken marriages, etc. God can use many things to teach us lessons. Moreover, evil speech is a poison which will create its own punishment. How many times have your own words spoken in secret come back to you? King Solomon warns about this in Ecclesiastes.

21Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. 22For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others. (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22)

Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known. (Ecclesiastes 10:20)

Scripture gives us many reprimands about speaking evil about one another.

12A worthless person, a wicked man,
Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth,
13Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet,
Who points with his fingers;
14Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil,
Who spreads strife.
15Therefore his calamity will come suddenly;
Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.
16There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers. (Proverbs 6:12-19)


We need to strive to speak well of one another. Scripture gives us many verses to meditate on as we try to let love and peace flow from our mouths.

17‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. 18You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:17-18)


23Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
24Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
25Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:23-27)


6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will be ruined.
9He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.
10He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.
11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions. (Proverbs 10:6-12)


18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 19We love, because He first loved us. 20If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. (1 John 4:18-21)


12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:12-17)

Evil Speech: Being Placed Outside the Camp

Tzara’at Punishment
The punishment for tzara’at was to be isolated outside the camp. If a person was immediately declared unclean, the exile was permanent. However, if the priest was not sure if the person did or did not have tzara’at, the person was isolated seven days and potentially seven more days. If the person was declared clean, he was allowed to go back into the camp. If he was declared unclean, his isolation was permanent (until he was declared clean by the priest, brought offerings, cleansed himself and did the other obligations set forth by the Torah).

Many believe if the lashon hara was severe, only then would the person be immediately declared unclean with tzara’at. However, most lashon hara is done without much conscious thought. For this reason, many believe that is why there is a waiting period of up to two weeks before being given a definite decision about having or not having tzara’at. During this time, the person was outside the camp. He had time to think about his actions. If he repented, it is believed the tzara’at would not spread. If he was starting on the path to change his heart and ways, God would allow the person to continue the process back in the camp. If the person was not going to repent, God would make the isolation permanent.

What does it mean to be outside the camp
Being outside the camp meant a person was in exile. People inside the camp were not allowed to go to the people outside the camp and socialize with them. Being outside the camp was punishment. The people were not allowed to attend worship services or festivals. Being placed outside the camp was supposed to give the person time to reflect on his actions. If he repented, turned back to God and changed his ways, he would have to seek out leadership and ask to be re-instated in the camp.

Some examples of being set outsider the camp:

Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. (Exodus 12:15)

Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. (Exodus 12:19)

“For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.’ (Leviticus 17:14)

‘As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. (Leviticus 20:6)

If there is a man who lies with a menstruous woman and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her flow, and she has exposed the flow of her blood; thus both of them shall be cut off from among their people. (Leviticus 20:18)



Once declared clean, offerings and rituals
Once a priest declared someone free from tzara’at, the person has to bring a number of offerings and go through 8 days of specific tasks.

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the priest, 3and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper, 4then the priest shall give orders to take two live clean birds and cedar wood and a scarlet string and hyssop for the one who is to be cleansed. 5The priest shall also give orders to slay the one bird in an earthenware vessel over running water. 6As for the live bird, he shall take it together with the cedar wood and the scarlet string and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was slain over the running water. 7He shall then sprinkle seven times the one who is to be cleansed from the leprosy and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird go free over the open field. 8The one to be cleansed shall then wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe in water and be clean. Now afterward, he may enter the camp, but he shall stay outside his tent for seven days. 9It will be on the seventh day that he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. He shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and be clean.

10“Now on the eighth day he is to take two male lambs without defect, and a yearling ewe lamb without defect, and three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil; 11and the priest who pronounces him clean shall present the man to be cleansed and the aforesaid before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 12Then the priest shall take the one male lamb and bring it for a guilt offering, with the log of oil, and present them as a wave offering before the Lord. 13Next he shall slaughter the male lamb in the place where they slaughter the sin offering and the burnt offering, at the place of the sanctuary—for the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14The priest shall then take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 

15The priest shall also take some of the log of oil, and pour it into his left palm; 16the priest shall then dip his right-hand finger into the oil that is in his left palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord. 17Of the remaining oil which is in his palm, the priest shall put some on the right ear lobe of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering; 18while the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s palm, he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the Lord. 19The priest shall next offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterward, he shall slaughter the burnt offering. 20The priest shall offer up the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he will be clean.

21“But if he is poor and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one male lamb for a guilt offering as a wave offering to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil, 22and two turtledoves or two young pigeons which are within his means, the one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. 23Then the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, at the doorway of the tent of meeting, before the Lord. 24The priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall offer them for a wave offering before the Lord. 25Next he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering; and the priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 

 

26The priest shall also pour some of the oil into his left palm; 27and with his right-hand finger the priest shall sprinkle some of the oil that is in his left palm seven times before the Lord. 28The priest shall then put some of the oil that is in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering. 29Moreover, the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s palm he shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement on his behalf before the Lord. 30He shall then offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, which are within his means. 31He shall offer what he can afford, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. So the priest shall make atonement before the Lord on behalf of the one to be cleansed. 32This is the law for him in whom there is an infection of leprosy, whose means are limited for his cleansing.” (Leviticus 14:1-32)

Things to note:
One the first day, the person had to go through a special ceremony of being sprinkled with the blood of a bird. The man has to wash his clothes and bathe in water. He is now free to come back into the camp. However, he cannot enter his tent. He must remain outside his tent for seven days.

On the seventh day, he must shave off all his hair, wash his clothes and bathe. Then he is clean. Now he can go back to his tent.

In the eighth day, the cleansed person now makes offerings. Eight represents new beginnings. Making these offerings signifies a new start to this person. He overcame tzara’at and thus he hopefully learned how to better guard his speech. Also, a person must be declared clean to making offerings. Thus, the person cannot make an offering before day 8, or he will have offered them while unclean and violated the Torah.


Cedar and Hyssop
The Torah prescribes an elaborate ritual for the cleansing of a leper after his symptoms have abated. The ritual involves several components including two live birds, scarlet wool, living water, hyssop and cedar wood. Jewish tradition provides meanings for each of the symbols.

Why did the cleansing of the leper require cedar wood? Rashi suggested that the purification ceremony employed cedar wood because the cedar, as a tall and lofty tree, represents the haughty spirit. The metaphor of a cedar as a haughty person comes from the words of the prophet Isaiah.
The LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud and lofty and against everyone who is lifted up, that he may be abased. And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up. (Isaiah 2:12-13)

A haughty spirit finds it difficult to tolerate other people's character flaws. The haughty person fails to recognize his own shortcomings. Instead, he focuses on the shortcomings of others. Most often, when we speak ill of others, it is because we are defending our own pride. People elevate themselves by stepping on other people. By putting someone else down, we think we are lifting ourselves up. 

 

The Proverbs contrast two kinds of people: a person who guards his words and a person with a haughty spirit:
He who guards his mouth and his tongue, guards his soul from troubles. "Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names, who acts with insolent pride. (Proverbs 21:23-24)

The Psalms also equate haughtiness with evil speech. Psalm 101 warns that God punishes the slanderer and does not endure haughtiness:
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; no one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure. (Psalm 101:5)

The big, tall, haughty cedar is the most likely tree in the forest to be cut down. As the saying goes, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling" (Proverbs 16:18). The Bible says that God's "eyes are on the haughty to bring them low" (1 Samuel 22:28).

In our attempts to elevate ourselves by stepping on others, we inevitably lower ourselves. This is part of what Jesus meant when He taught that if a man lifts himself up he will be humbled, but if he humbles himself he will be lifted up.

Hyssop is also used in the ceremony. Hyssop is a plant which lies close to the ground. It is believed hyssop represents being lowly and humbled. The person with tzara’at was sprinkled with the hyssop to remind him that he should be lowly and humble like the hyssop.

Metzora
A person who is afflicted with tzara’at is called a metzora. Metzora can be broken down into two words: motzi and ra. These translate into to bring forth evil. So the person afflicted with tzara’at is called a metzora or one who brings forth evil.

The punishment for being afflicted with tzara’at was being placed outside the camp either permanently or temporarily.

In Leviticus 13, we read about the requirements for priest to determine if someone has tzara’at. In verse 3, we read about sores which are automatically considered leprous.

 3The priest shall look at the mark on the skin of the body, and if the hair in the infection has turned white and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is an infection of leprosy; when the priest has looked at him, he shall pronounce him unclean. (Leviticus 13:3)

Once a person was declared unclean, his punishment was to be exiled outside the camp and to live in isolation. However, if the person had an affliction which was not immediately known if it was a leprous sore, he was placed outside the camp for seven days. After seven days, the sore would be re-examined. If it still was unclear if it was a leprous sore, the person would be placed outside the camp and re-examined in another seven days.

Verses 4-6 we read:
4But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and it does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair on it has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate him who has the infection for seven days. 5The priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the infection has not changed and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for seven more days. 6The priest shall look at him again on the seventh day, and if the infection has faded and the mark has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

As we read the text, one thing which should jump out at you is that the person after seven and 14 days may still have the scab or sore, but if it has not changed, then he is free to return back to the camp. If these sores were about infection control, this would make absolutely no sense to send someone who has not fully recovered back into the camp. Again, this is another example that tzara’at is not a medical condition but it is a physical affliction (if you will a mark) God has placed on someone for his/her behavior.


The first cases of tzara’at recorded in the Bible
Besides the strong correlation of metzora being broken down into the words motzi ra (to bring forth evil), the first two people recorded in the Bible to have tzara’at did so for speaking poorly.

Moses
Moses is at the burning bush speaking to God. Moses asks God what happens if the people do not believe him? Moses doubts God. God gives Moses three signs, one of which is a leprous hand.

1Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” 2The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4But the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5“that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8“If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. 9But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”(Exodus 4:1-9)

As we read farther in chapter 4, we read Moses did the signs for the people and they believed. God could have chosen any signs to show the people of Israel, but He gave the sign of a leprous hand. This could have been a signal to Moses that he should not doubt God and should watch his speech.

Miriam
In Numbers 12, both Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses. God is not happy. God turns Miriam into a leper.

1Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); 2and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the Lord heard it. 3(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) 4Suddenly the Lord said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, “You three come out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them came out. 5Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, 6He said,

“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision.
I shall speak with him in a dream.
7Not so, with My servant Moses,
He is faithful in all My household;
8With him I speak mouth to mouth,
Even openly, and not in dark sayings,
And he beholds the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant, against Moses?”

9So the anger of the Lord burned against them and He departed. 10But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous. 11Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother’s womb!” 13Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “O God, heal her, I pray!” 14But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.” 15So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again. (Numbers 12:1-15)


Miriam’s punishment for bad speech was being afflicted with leprosy. Moses intercedes and says the shortest prayer recorded in verse 13. God listens and removes the leprosy. Despite Miriam not being afflicted any more, she was still required to be isolated; she had to live outside the camp.

If God would not have listened to Moses and his prayer, Miriam’s leprosy could have been permanent. This means, Miriam would permanently have been outside the camp. She would have been cut off from her family and friends. She would have lived her life in exile.


Tzara’at Requirement
For someone, a piece of clothing or a building to be declared afflicted with tzara’at, it must be done so be a priest. No one else can say a person has tzara’at. The priest is the one who must render judgment, and his judgment is final.


The three types of tzara’at
It is often taught that the three different items which could be afflicted with tzara’at indicates three different levels of lashon hara. If a person has a skin affliction, he can hide it with clothing. The priest are not going around looking at each person to check for tzara’at. No, the person must go to the priest. Either he must voluntarily go or a family member, friend or someone in the congregation must see the blemish and insist the person be examined by the priest. It is easy for the tzara’at to go unnoticed and/or hidden for a long time.

If the skin affliction is hidden, it is taught the tzara’at will start afflicting the person’s clothing. This is more difficult to hide. If you see the spot, you can tear out the spot, wash it or wear a different garment. This is harder to do because garments were expensive and in short supply.

If a building as afflicted with tzara’at, this was a public spectacle. Before the priest went into the house to check fro tzara’at, the house must be emptied of its possessions.

33The Lord further spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying:
34“When you enter the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession, 35then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, ‘Something like a mark of leprosy has become visible to me in the house.’ 36The priest shall then command that they empty the house before the priest goes in to look at the mark, so that everything in the house need not become unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to look at the house. (Leviticus 14:33-36)

Having to clean your home of all your possessions is very time consuming and embarrassing. Imagine having all your things on your front lawn fro the whole world to see. Everyone would know your house was suspected of having tzara’at. Furthermore, people would be suspicious of you and your household because something was causing the tzara’at.

Evil Speech: Preventing Good Fruit from Coming Forth

Lashon hara is literally translated into English as the evil tongue or more loosely translated as evil speech. Lashon hara are any words which harms a person emotionally, financially, physically or damage the person’s reputation.

Gossip vs. slander vs. lashon hara
In our culture, electronic communication is rapidly expanding. People comment on Facebook, post tweets, send text messages often more than they actually communicate orally with people. The inclination to give in to lashon hara can be great.

Gossip
There is a difference between gossip, slander and lashon hara. Gossip is telling information to others. The information may be factual or distorted. Gossip can occur as follows. You see an ambulance at a neighbor’s home. When you see another neighbor (neighbor B), you tell neighbor B, “Did you see an ambulance was at our neighbor’s house last night? I wonder what happened. You do know John has a bad heart. I wonder if he had a heart attack.”

Gossip often continues from person to person. Neighbor B may now take the information that John has a bad heart and make that the cause of the ambulance at the house. Neighbor B may now tell another neighbor, “John had a heart attack and an ambulance had to be called to take him to the ER.”

Gossip can be negative or positive. The intent of gossip is often to show others we possess information about the world around us. We know everything and are like an encyclopedia. Unfortunately, the information is often tainted with our own emotions and slant we give the story. Gossip is information shared which does not have the approval of the person of whom it is being told about.

For example, if a friend cannot attend Sunday School, she may ask you to tell the group she will be missing the event. If you tell the Sunday School group the friend will be absent, that is not gossip. If you find out from your friend’s husband the reason the friend’s absence, it would be gossip to tell the Sunday School class your friend is missing class because her son is sick in the hospital.


Slander
Slander is intentionally taking information and negatively distorting it. Slander is lying. An example of slander would be knowing Tom graduated as valedictorian of your high school class. You know Tom achieved high marks in all his classes. However, you decide to tell people Tom slept with the female teachers and that was the reason he graduated at as first in the class. The purpose of slander is to tear down the subject.


Lashon Hara
Lashon Hara is taking information, even true information, and presenting it in a negative way. Lashon hara is meant to hurt three people—it affects the person speaking it, the person who is the subject of the speech and the person hearing it.

One of the best examples of lashon hara is the ten spies being sent into the land of Canaan.

Numbers 13;1-3; 17-33

Questions Moses asks in verses 18-20:
What is the land like
Is the land good or bad
Are the cities like camps or strongholds
Is the land rich or poor
Are there forests in the land

The spies come back and do answer Moses questions in verses 26-29. Were the spies words untrue? Were there giants in the land? Did the land flow with milk and honey? What was wrong with the report?

Verse 32 tells us what wrong: it was an evil report. The ten spies told the Israelites in a negative way about the land. The words were true, but they way they fashioned them was evil.

We are guilty of this too. We can have an experience and give others all the details, but we can fashion our story to cast a bad light on the events.

The stories which often come to mind are stories about eating at restaurants or going to a hotel. Let’s explore going to restaurant.

Facts:
waited 25 minutes to be seated
arrived at a table which was dirty
server did not deliver our drinks until the end of the meal
took 45 minutes to pay for the meal

Just taking these details, we can spin a lot of stories from it. We can say how we had to wait 25 long minutes to be seated. The table was filthy and we were expected to sit at a dirty table. The server was lazy and did not bring our drinks until we were ready to leave. The staff didn’t know how to run a credit card through the register. These are all truths, but what if the framing was all wrong?

The wait was 25 minutes because the restaurant was extremely busy. The hostess actually had moved you up in the list because there were only two of you. She was able to separate some tables to get you a seat faster. Your table was dirty because the busboy was coming to clean off the table, but he slipped and dropped the bin of dirty dishes. He was cleaning that up and didn’t have time to tell the hostess your table was not cleaned off. The server did not bring your drinks because there was an issue with the soda dispenser. A manager worked on it and was finally able to get it working again. Your received the drinks at the end of the meal, but the drinks were on the house. It took 45 minutes to ring up the credit card because the high volume at the restaurant took down the phone line used to process the credit cards. An employee worked with IT and was able to get the credit cards back up and operating. You were given the option to pay with cash, but you did not have enough money in your wallet to cover the bill.


The evil of lashon hara
Lashon hara is considered the worst sin to commit according to Jewish scholars. There are three sins which are punishable by death: idolatry, adultery and murder. It is taught lashon hara is worse than these three sins. You may wonder why this is so.

When God created the world, He spoke it into existence. He used words to create the heavens and the earth. Everything God created was good. Man is created in the image of God. We are to use words to speak things into existence. However, the things we speak may be good or evil.

Lashon hara has the power to kill people. Our words can tear down other people. Our words can mentally abuse a person and cause the person financial ruin. Our words can even kill people. If we tell a child over and over again he is worthless and can’t do anything right, his future is often hampered by the constant abuse. If we continue with this evil speech over and over again, the child may find a way to end the suffering by killing himself.

Any time we cause harm to another human, we are harming God and His image. By speaking negatively about a person, we create evil.

Proverbs 18:19-21
19A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.
20With the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Verse 21 of Proverbs 18 should make us aware that whatever comes out of our mouths, is the fruit of our lips. The fruit can be good or bad. Verse 21 tells us whatever we love, that is the fruit we will eat. This should startle us and make us take note. If we are prone to evil speech, we will devour not only what comes out of our mouth but also evil speech which comes out of other people’s mouths. If we are not careful to guard our speech, we will be likely to fall into the temptation of listening to other people’s lashon hara and believing the words which come forth from their mouths.

The Book of James warns us about the power of the tongue James 3:2-12:
 2For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. 3Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.

See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

Again, we see the pattern of labeling the words of our mouths as its fruit. Verse 12 gives us a warning that if our mouth is evil, we cannot expect it to produce good fruit. If we speak things which produce figs, we should not expect olives. Thus we can see, if we speak evil, we should not expect our fruit to produce love. Our fruit should be pleasing and good for everyone. It should be in line with what God create—things which are good.

Jesus says similar words, when he speaks about good trees bearing good fruit and bad trees bearing bad fruit:

43For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. (Luke 6:43-45)

Galatians 5 tells us what our fruits will be if we allow our fleshly selves rule, which includes speaking lashon raha

Galatians 5:19-21
19Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

We are told in the next verses of Galatians five what the fruit of seeking after the Spirit (and thus seeking to speak well of our brethren).

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)


The punishment for lashon hara
At the moment, there is no direct punishment for lashon hara. We should guard our tongues, but if we speak evil against one another, nothing immediately happens. This has not always been the case.

God used to have a visible punishment against speaking evil. It was called tzara’at. Tzara’at may not be familiar to you because it is the Hebrew for a skin affliction which is often erroneously translated as leprosy in our English Bibles. Tzara’at is not leprosy. In the world of medical, the condition called leprosy has now been renamed Hansen’s Disease. Hansen’s Disease is a bacterial infection. The infection affects the nerves, respiratory tract, skin and eyes. Often, the bacteria damages the nerves and leaves the person unable to feel. Repeated damage to the skin will lead to skin infections.

If you read the conditions for tzara’at, Hansen’s Disease would not be considered tzara’at. Tzara’at includes many different skin manifestations such as having a sore turn white, if the sore is deeper than the skin, a scab, a swelling or a bright spot.

Moreover, tzara’at is not limited to the skin and is not a medical condition. Tzara’at can affect a person’s clothing and his home. A doctor did not diagnose a person with tzara’at, but the priest did. This again emphasizes tzara’at is not a health condition but something much deeper. Moreover, we will see from the text, people were allowed to return to the camp and return to their homes if they had a sore or skin marking, as long as it had not changed. If tzara’at was a medical condition like Hansen’s Disease, this would be the worst thing to do. Hansen’s Disease is caused by a bacteria. It can be spread from person to person.