Mildew from God

Leviticus 14:33-34 NLT (with a more complete passage below)

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When you arrive in Canaan, the land I am giving you as your own possession, I may contaminate some of the houses in your land with mildew. 
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A problem with the bathroom plaster.

Leviticus has a lot of instructions in it. I've been reading through the book and finished chapter 14 this morning. So far there have been been rules about sacrifices, rules about blood, rules about sex, rules about eating and rules about skin diseases. In each case there are two considerations. One, how does this effect my me and others practically? What do I need to do to do the right thing or remedy the situation?

Two, how does this affect my relationship with God? What do I need to do to make sure ceremonially I can participate among God's people so I can be close to God and right before him.

As I was reading along it really stuck out to me, that God said he would give some people's houses mildew.

Now from experience, I can tell you mildew is not nice and I've pasted below more of God's instructions concerning mildew. But suffice it to say mildew can wreck your home.

So, I was a bit surprised that God so clearly took credit for this unexpected 'gift' of mildew. I think it is important to note this in no way appears to be a curse for sin. It is not connected with other commands or disobedience. Mildew isn't a reminder of an event in the people’s history. Mildew may or may not be easily recoverable from, but since you always have to remove all your belongings from your house it is always going to be an imposition.

Strangely there is no clever explanation, there isn't any lesson to be learned on the subtext.

Simply, some people will have mildew of varying degrees and it comes from God. It will always be an imposition and it could result in having to tear down the house and build a new one.

I want you to understand this is a rule that for the most part won't come into play for at least another 40 years since they'll wander living in tents for four more decades. So, this is a rule for the Promised Land.

In the animated classic film, An American Tale, Fival Mousekawitz's family and whole European Jewish 'cat'  ghetto sings that 'there are no cats in America'. But after many trials along the way the promised land of America turns out to have cats. Promised lands on this earth and in this time still have problems.

God sends mildew on people.

We're not ever going to be completely comfortable in this world. We are meant to look forward to another home, another city whose builder and maker is God.

A problem with the bathroom plaster.

Then we'll live mildew free.

Hebrews 11:9-10 NLT

And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

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Leviticus 14:33-48 NLT

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When you arrive in Canaan, the land I am giving you as your own possession, I may contaminate some of the houses in your land with mildew.  The owner of such a house must then go to the priest and say, ‘It appears that my house has some kind of mildew.’ Before the priest goes in to inspect the house, he must have the house emptied so nothing inside will be pronounced ceremonially unclean. Then the priest will go in and examine the mildew on the walls. If he finds greenish or reddish streaks and the contamination appears to go deeper than the wall’s surface, the priest will step outside the door and put the house in quarantine for seven days. On the seventh day the priest must return for another inspection. If he finds that the mildew on the walls of the house has spread, the priest must order that the stones from those areas be removed. The contaminated material will then be taken outside the town to an area designated as ceremonially unclean. Next the inside walls of the entire house must be scraped thoroughly and the scrapings dumped in the unclean place outside the town. Other stones will be brought in to replace the ones that were removed, and the walls will be replastered. “But if the mildew reappears after all the stones have been replaced and the house has been scraped and replastered, the priest must return and inspect the house again. If he finds that the mildew has spread, the walls are clearly contaminated with a serious mildew, and the house is defiled. It must be torn down, and all its stones, timbers, and plaster must be carried out of town to the place designated as ceremonially unclean. Those who enter the house during the period of quarantine will be ceremonially unclean until evening, and all who sleep or eat in the house must wash their clothing. “But if the priest returns for his inspection and finds that the mildew has not reappeared in the house after the fresh plastering, he will pronounce it clean because the mildew is clearly gone.