Dishonorable Discharge
Numbers 5:1-4

God tells Moses to oust people who make the camp unclean. These include people we talked about before: contagious skin desease carriers, anyone who has a "discharge" of any kind, or anyone made unclean by contact with a dead body. Much of this was covered back in Leviticus 13.

This may qualify as one of the world's worst jobs. "Excuse me, I'm checking for skin diseases...any discharges I should know about?"

Two things of note here- God isolates them. He gives them a little direction for re-purification procedures back in Leviticus 21- but at least for now- they're not to be physically part of the camp. God apparently treats the camp as holy, and imperfections have no place.

However, this next phrase says a lot. He wants them out of the camp- beyond defiling range "where I will be with them." He doesn't desert them. He's there on the journey back to purification.

When we're in that state- he does no less. When I mess up (over and over...and over), I'm still His child, He's still my Dad. I'm not banished from His presence. He takes us as we are and loves us in every state we're in.

Festering sores and all.