This research paper by Benjamin W. Traynor, submitted to Dr. Richard Belcher, Jr. for OT5200 – Genesis–Deuteronomy at Reformed Theological Seminary – Charlotte, explores Leviticus 13:45–46 as a theological lens through which to understand social distancing, masks, and quarantine during the COVID-19 era. Traynor argues that these Levitical commands were not merely hygienic but served as a visual reminder of sin’s corrupting power and its effect of separating humanity from the holy presence of God.
Through exegetical study, Traynor identifies three symbolic acts in the text—wearing torn clothes, covering the lower face, and dwelling outside the camp—as reflections of mourning, shame, and exile. He connects these ritual acts to Genesis 1–3, showing that the leper’s exclusion from the camp mirrors Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Eden. The paper situates Leviticus within the Pentateuch’s larger narrative of restoring communion between God and His people, emphasizing that uncleanness represents humanity’s spiritual exile from divine fellowship.
Traynor concludes that the biblical concept of quarantine reveals the theological truth that sin isolates and defiles, while cleansing restores access to God’s presence. Applying this insight to a world ravaged by disease and separation, he exhorts readers to view physical isolation as a picture of humanity’s greater need for repentance and reconciliation through Christ, the true High Priest who alone can make sinners clean.
Course and semester: OT5200 Genesis–Deuteronomy — Fall 2020
