141 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 2 'This is a law of the leper, in the day of his cleansing, that he hath been brought in unto the priest, 3 and the priest hath gone out unto the outside of the camp, and the priest hath seen, and lo, the plague of leprosy hath ceased from the leper, 4 and the priest hath commanded, and he hath taken for him who is to be cleansed, two clean living birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. 5 'And the priest hath commanded, and he hath slaughtered the one bird upon an earthen vessel, over running water; 6 'as to' the living bird, he taketh it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and hath dipped them and the living bird in the blood of the slaughtered bird, over the running water, 7 and he hath sprinkled on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and hath pronounced him clean, and hath sent out the living bird on the face of the field. 8 'And he who is to be cleansed hath washed his garments, and hath shaved all his hair, and hath bathed with water, and hath been clean, and afterwards he doth come in unto the camp, and hath dwelt at the outside of his tent seven days. 9 'And it hath been, on the seventh day—he shaveth all his hair, his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, even all his hair he doth shave, and he hath washed his garments, and hath bathed his flesh with water, and hath been clean.
10 'And on the eighth day he taketh two lambs, perfect ones, and one ewe-lamb, daughter of a year, a perfect one, and three tenth deals of flour 'for' a present, mixed with oil, and one log of oil. 11 'And the priest who is cleansing hath caused the man who is to be cleansed to stand with them before Jehovah, at the opening of the tent of meeting, 12 and the priest hath taken the one he-lamb, and hath brought it near for a guilt-offering, also the log of oil, and hath waved them—a wave offering before Jehovah. 13 'And he hath slaughtered the lamb in the place where he slaughtereth the sin-offering and the burnt-offering, in the holy place; for like the sin-offering the guilt-offering is to the priest; it 'is' most holy. 14 'And the priest hath taken of the blood of the guilt-offering, and the priest hath put on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot; 15 and the priest hath taken of the log of oil, and hath poured on the left palm of the priest, 16 and the priest hath dipped his right finger in the oil which 'is' on his left palm, and hath sprinkled of the oil with his finger seven times before Jehovah. 17 'And of the residue of the oil which 'is' on his palm, the priest putteth on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt-offering; 18 and the remnant of the oil which 'is' on the palm of the priest, he putteth on the head of him who is to be cleansed, and the priest hath made atonement for him before Jehovah. 19 'And the priest hath made the sin-offering, and hath made atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness, and afterwards he doth slaughter the burnt-offering; 20 and the priest hath caused the burnt-offering to ascend, also the present, on the altar, and the priest hath made atonement for him, and he hath been clean.
21 'And if he 'is' poor, and his hand is not reaching 'these things', then he hath taken one lamb—a guilt-offering, for a wave-offering, to make atonement for him, and one-tenth deal of flour mixed with oil for a present, and a log of oil, 22 and two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, which his hand reacheth to, and one hath been a sin-offering, and the one a burnt-offering; 23 and he hath brought them in on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the opening of the tent of meeting, before Jehovah. 24 'And the priest hath taken the lamb of the guilt-offering, and the log of oil, and the priest hath waved them—a wave-offering before Jehovah; 25 and he hath slaughtered the lamb of the guilt-offering, and the priest hath taken of the blood of the guilt-offering, and hath put on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot; 26 and the priest doth pour of the oil on the left palm of the priest; 27 and the priest hath sprinkled with his right finger of the oil which 'is' on his left palm, seven times before Jehovah. 28 'And the priest hath put of the oil which 'is' on his palm, on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt-offering; 29 and the remnant of the oil which 'is' on the palm of the priest he doth put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him, before Jehovah. 30 'And he hath made the one of the turtle-doves, or of the young pigeons (from that which his hand reacheth to, 31 'even' that which his hand reacheth to), the one a sin-offering, and the one a burnt offering, besides the present, and the priest hath made atonement for him who is to be cleansed before Jehovah. 32 This 'is' a law of him in whom 'is' a plague of leprosy, whose hand reacheth not to his cleansing.'
33 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, and unto Aaron, saying, 34 'When ye come in unto the land of Canaan, which I am giving to you for a possession, and I have put a plague of leprosy in a house 'in' the land of your possession; 35 then hath he whose the house 'is' come in and declared to the priest, saying, As a plague hath appeared to me in the house; 36 and the priest hath commanded, and they have prepared the house before the priest cometh in to see the plague (that all which 'is' in the house be not unclean), and afterwards doth the priest come in to see the house; 37 and he hath seen the plague, and lo, the plague 'is' in the walls of the house, hollow strakes, very green or very red, and their appearance 'is' lower than the wall, 38 and the priest hath gone out of the house unto the opening of the house, and hath shut up the house seven days. 39 'And the priest hath turned back on the seventh day, and hath seen, and lo, the plague hath spread in the walls of the house, 40 and the priest hath commanded, and they have drawn out the stones in which the plague 'is', and have cast them unto the outside of the city, unto an unclean place; 41 and the house he doth cause to be scraped within round about, and they have poured out the clay which they have scraped off, at the outside of the city, at an unclean place; 42 and they have taken other stones, and brought 'them' in unto the place of the stones, and other clay he taketh and hath daubed the house. 43 'And if the plague return, and hath broken out in the house, after he hath drawn out the stones, and after the scraping of the house, and after the daubing; 44 then hath the priest come in and seen, and lo, the plague hath spread in the house; it 'is' a fretting leprosy in the house; it 'is' unclean. 45 'And he hath broken down the house, its stones, and its wood, and all the clay of the house, and he hath brought 'them' forth unto the outside of the city, unto an unclean place. 46 'And he who is going in unto the house all the days he hath shut it up, is unclean till the evening; 47 and he who is lying in the house doth wash his garments; and he who is eating in the house doth wash his garments. 48 'And if the priest certainly come in, and hath seen, and lo, the plague hath not spread in the house after the daubing of the house, then hath the priest pronounced the house clean, for the plague hath been healed. 49 'And he hath taken for the cleansing of the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop; 50 and he hath slaughtered the one bird upon an earthen vessel, over running water; 51 and he hath taken the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and hath dipped them in the blood of the slaughtered bird, and in the running water, and hath sprinkled upon the house seven times. 52 'And he hath cleansed the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet; 53 and he hath sent away the living bird unto the outside of the city unto the face of the field, and hath made atonement for the house, and it hath been clean.
54 'This 'is' the law for every plague of the leprosy and for scall, 55 and for leprosy of a garment, and of a house, 56 and for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot,— 57 to direct in the day of being unclean, and in the day of being clean; this 'is' the law of the leprosy.'
51 And lo, one of those with Jesus, having stretched forth the hand, drew his sword, and having struck the servant of the chief priest, he took off his ear. 52 Then saith Jesus to him, 'Turn back thy sword to its place; for all who did take the sword, by the sword shall perish; 53 dost thou think that I am not able now to call upon my Father, and He will place beside me more than twelve legions of messengers? 54 how then may the Writings be fulfilled, that thus it behoveth to happen?' 55 In that hour said Jesus to the multitudes, 'As against a robber ye did come forth, with swords and sticks, to take me! daily with you I was sitting teaching in the temple, and ye did not lay hold on me; 56 but all this hath come to pass, that the Writings of the prophets may be fulfilled;' then all the disciples, having left him, fled.
57 And those laying hold on Jesus led 'him' away unto Caiaphas the chief priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together, 58 and Peter was following him afar off, unto the court of the chief priest, and having gone in within, he was sitting with the officers, to see the end. 59 And the chief priests, and the elders, and all the council, were seeking false witness against Jesus, that they might put him to death, 60 and they did not find; and many false witnesses having come near, they did not find; and at last two false witnesses having come near, 61 said, 'This one said, I am able to throw down the sanctuary of God, and after three days to build it.' 62 And the chief priest having stood up, said to him, 'Nothing thou dost answer! what do these witness against thee? 63 and Jesus was silent. And the chief priest answering said to him, 'I adjure thee, by the living God, that thou mayest say to us, if thou art the Christ—the Son of God.' 64 Jesus saith to him, 'Thou hast said; nevertheless I say to you, hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming upon the clouds, of the heaven.' 65 Then the chief priest rent his garments, saying,—'He hath spoken evil; what need have we yet of witnesses? lo, now ye heard his evil speaking; 66 what think ye?' and they answering said, 'He is worthy of death.' 67 Then did they spit in his face and buffet him, and others did slap, 68 saying, 'Declare to us, O Christ, who he is that struck thee?'
69 And Peter without was sitting in the court, and there came near to him a certain maid, saying, 'And thou wast with Jesus of Galilee!' 70 And he denied before all, saying, 'I have not known what thou sayest.' 71 And he having gone forth to the porch, another female saw him, and saith to those there, 'And this one was with Jesus of Nazareth;' 72 and again did he deny with an oath—'I have not known the man.' 73 And after a little those standing near having come, said to Peter, 'Truly thou also art of them, for even thy speech doth make thee manifest.' 74 Then began he to anathematise, and to swear—'I have not known the man;' and immediately did a cock crow, 75 and Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, he having said to him—'Before cock-crowing, thrice thou wilt deny me;' and having gone without, he did weep bitterly.
(Read Matthew 26:47-56)
No enemies are so much to be abhorred as those professed disciples that betray Christ with a kiss. God has no need of our services, much less of our sins, to bring about his purposes. Though Christ was crucified through weakness, it was voluntary weakness; he submitted to death. If he had not been willing to suffer, they could not conquer him. It was a great sin for those who had left all to follow Jesus; now to leave him for they knew not what. What folly, for fear of death to flee from Him, whom they knew and acknowledged to be the Fountain of life!
(Read Matthew 26:57-68)
Jesus was hurried into Jerusalem. It looks ill, and bodes worse, when those who are willing to be Christ's disciples, are not willing to be known to be so. Here began Peter's denying him: for to follow Christ afar off, is to begin to go back from him. It is more our concern to prepare for the end, whatever it may be, than curiously to ask what the end will be. The event is God's, but the duty is ours. Now the Scriptures were fulfilled, which said, False witnesses are risen up against me. Christ was accused, that we might not be condemned; and if at any time we suffer thus, let us remember we cannot expect to fare better than our Master. When Christ was made sin for us, he was silent, and left it to his blood to speak. Hitherto Jesus had seldom professed expressly to be the Christ, the Son of God; the tenor of his doctrine spoke it, and his miracles proved it; but now he would not omit to make an open confession of it. It would have looked like declining his sufferings. He thus confessed, as an example and encouragement to his followers, to confess him before men, whatever hazard they ran. Disdain, cruel mocking, and abhorrence, are the sure portion of the disciple as they were of the Master, from such as would buffet and deride the Lord of glory. These things were exactly foretold in the fiftieth chapter of Isaiah. Let us confess Christ's name, and bear the reproach, and he will confess us before his Father's throne.
(Read Matthew 26:69-75)
Peter's sin is truly related, for the Scriptures deal faithfully. Bad company leads to sin: those who needlessly thrust themselves into it, may expect to be tempted and insnared, as Peter. They scarcely can come out of such company without guilt or grief, or both. It is a great fault to be shy of Christ; and to dissemble our knowledge of him, when we are called to own him, is, in effect, to deny him. Peter's sin was aggravated; but he fell into the sin by surprise, not as Judas, with design. But conscience should be to us as the crowing of the cock, to put us in mind of the sins we had forgotten. Peter was thus left to fall, to abate his self-confidence, and render him more modest, humble, compassionate, and useful to others. The event has taught believers many things ever since, and if infidels, Pharisees, and hypocrites stumble at it or abuse it, it is at their peril. Little do we know how we should act in very difficult situations, if we were left to ourselves. Let him, therefore, that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall; let us all distrust our own hearts, and rely wholly on the Lord. Peter wept bitterly. Sorrow for sin must not be slight, but great and deep. Peter, who wept so bitterly for denying Christ, never denied him again, but confessed him often in the face of danger. True repentance for any sin will be shown by the contrary grace and duty; that is a sign of our sorrowing not only bitterly, but sincerely.
