The Book Of LEVITICUS
Leviticus 27:34 "These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for
the children of Israel in mount Sinai."
CHAPTER 21:
Thus far in Exodus and Leviticus, God’s exhortations to holiness have been directed primarily to the people. Now, in chapters 21-22, God turns his attention back to Aaron and his sons and continues that call to holiness by prescribing laws that cover three categories: 1) restrictions on mourning and marriage for ordinary priests; 2) restrictions on mourning and marriage for the high priest; 3) physical impediments to the exercise of priestly office. There are two primary purposes to these two chapters. 1) The high priest and his sons are held to a higher standard of holiness than the rest of the nation. 2) The tabernacle, which is God’s dwelling place among His chosen people, is to be kept undefiled precisely because of God’s presence there. Therefore those who serve in His holy place are to also be undefiled. Verses 1-4: The priests cannot defile themselves by touching anyone who has died except for immediate family. (Ezekiel 44:25) Verses 2-3 list those exceptions: father, mother, brother, sister (who is still a virgin and unmarried), son, and daughter. (Curiously, the wife is not mentioned, so it’s unclear if the priest is allowed to prepare her body for burial or not.) Verse 4 gives the reason: the priest is the spiritual leader of the people, and thus he must remain separate and consecrated to the Lord. To handle any other corpse besides those listed above to profane himself and, by extension, profane the holiness of God. Verses 5-6: The command to not shave their heads, or to trim their beards in a specific manner, or to make any marks or cuttings in their flesh is repeated here. (v.5) (Leviticus 19:27-28, Deuteronomy 14:1, Ezekiel 44:20) Aaron and his sons are consecrated to God’s service as mediators on behalf of the Israelites. Doing any of these things to themselves is to profane the name of God. (v.6) (Exodus 22:31, Isaiah 52:11) The phrase “…the bread of their God…” (also in verse 21) is an ancient sacrificial term for “flesh”, according to my study Bible. (Leviticus 3:11, 16) Verses 7-8: The priest is to marry only a virgin. No other exceptions are allowed, not even a widow. (v.14) (Ezekiel 44:22) This applies to the high priest as well. (v.14) The reason for this is that a woman who has either been with a man outside of marriage, i.e. a prostitute, or has been previously married is considered defiled and therefore is ineligible for the role of the priest’s wife. (Deuteronomy 24:1-2) Again, this goes back to the holiness of God which extends to the tabernacle and those who serve within that holy dwelling. They are set apart and consecrated for a specific purpose. (Leviticus 11:44-45) Because of this, only a virgin, pure and innocent, is allowed to marry the priest. Verse 9: The daughter of a priest that defiles herself by being a prostitute is to be executed by fire. (Deuteronomy 22:21) Her actions profane not only herself but her father also. As noted earlier, it’s not just the priest that must be careful to keep himself holy and undefiled. His family, too, must adhere to a strict standard of holiness before all of Israel, for they set the example of what it means to serve and obey God. Verses 10-15: The same commandments of holiness that were given to the ordinary priests in verses 1-8 are repeated here for the high priest. There is one exception, though. Where the other priests are allowed to defile themselves by handling the dead bodies of their immediate family members, the high priest cannot touch the corpse of even his father or mother. (v.11) (Numbers 19:14) Nor is he allowed to mourn according to custom by rending his clothes and pouring ashes upon his head. (v.10) (Leviticus 10:6-7) He is also forbidden from even leaving the tabernacle to comfort his family and grieve. (v.12) This seems especially harsh and unloving of God to demand such devotion and service that one cannot even take a few hours away from the tabernacle to properly grieve and receive comfort from one’s family. But this echoes Jesus’ statement to the man who wanted to first go bury his recently deceased father before following Christ. Jesus responded, saying, “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” (Matthew 8:22) God is demanding absolute lordship over the high priest, to the point that nothing else – not even one’s own family – interferes with his worship, service and obedience to God. It’s not that God is unloving. It’s that His holiness is such that it cannot be defiled by sin. Since the consequence of sin is death, the high priest cannot go near a dead body for fear of defilement. It’s also because anyone who touches a corpse is declared unclean for seven days (Numbers 19:14), which means that they cannot come near the tabernacle. We today are held to the same standard when we surrender ourselves and our lives to Christ. He is Lord, and He must have first place above all else, including our family. Verses 16-24: These last set of instructions prohibit any man with any physical deformities from serving as priest or high priest. Again, this relates to the holiness of God. The priests must reflect the original perfection of God’s creation before Adam’s fall. This is why He demands that any animal being brought to the tabernacle for sacrifice be without blemish or spot. (Leviticus 1:3) But even if they couldn’t serve as priests, those who are deformed or handicapped in any way may still eat of the provisions given to the priests by the people as tithes and offerings. (v.22) The word “crookbackt” in verse 20 refers to any man that is hunchbacked. The phrase “stones broken” is an ANE euphemism for an issue or deformity of a man’s testicles, according to my study Bible. CHAPTER 22: God continues His commands to Moses regarding the priests and their service in the tabernacle. In this chapter, He turns His attention to the holy things: the brazen altar, the utensils, the altar of incense, the lampstand, and the table of the shewbread. The commandments here also extend to the bread itself, as well as all the other food that was part of the priests’ allotment from the tithes and offerings brought by the people. Verses 1-9: If the priest is ceremonially unclean in any way, i.e. an issue of bodily fluid, or leprosy, or has come into contact with anyone in his house that is currently unclean, he must follow the prescribed laws regarding his defilement. (Leviticus 15) That means refraining from coming near the holy things of the tabernacle. (Exodus 28:38, Leviticus 7:20-21, 16:19, Numbers 18:32, 19:13, Deuteronomy 15:19) That includes the shewbread. (v.4) Depending on the defilement, he is to isolate himself for the prescribed amount of time and then bathe himself before he is allowed to resume his normal duties in the service of the Lord. (Leviticus 15:5) Anyone who touches or eats of the holy things while he is unclean will be cut off from God’s presence. (v.3) Verse 8 makes it clear that the reference in verse 3 is referring to death, not merely permanent exile from the congregation. The example of Nadab and Abihu also reinforces the principle behind this commandment. (Leviticus 10:1-2) In the case where the priest has accidentally touched a dead body or the corpse of an animal that has died from natural causes, he is ceremonially unclean only until sundown. (v.5-7) After he thoroughly bathes himself he may eat of the bread that is provided for his sustenance. (v.7) While the demands of God’s law are strict, His love and mercy are also evident in that He always provides a way for atonement, and the punishment is never more than what fits the crime. The priest does not have to go more than day without eating what God provides for him, even when he accidentally violates the law. As long as the priest displays genuine repentance and follows the prescribed remedy for atonement and cleansing, his fellowship with God is restored. All of this reinforces what was introduced in chapter 21. Those who lead God’s people must be spiritually clean and upright, or else they are not worthy of their leadership role. How can the people be expected to obey God’s law when their appointed leaders are unclean and defiled? That is the theme of these two chapters. God expects Aaron and his descendants to set the example for all of Israel, just as our pastors and deacons are expected to do in the church today. Verses 10-16: Strangers, visitors and/or hired servants who are staying with the priest and his family are not allowed to eat the holy food. (v.10) (Exodus 29:33, Numbers 3:10) But a slave that has been bought by the priest, thus making him a member of the household, is allowed to partake of that food. (Exodus 12:44) If the priest’s daughter is married to a stranger, meaning a gentile (a.k.a. non-Israelite), then she is also forbidden from eating the holy food. (v.12) But if she’s divorced or widowed and childless, and living in her father’s house again, then she is permitted to do so. (v.13) If anyone who is not part of the priest’s household accidentally eats of the sacred food, then he is to repay the priest what was eaten plus a tithe of twenty percent. (v.14) Once again, the point of these restrictions is so that God’s holiness and His name are not profaned among His chosen people. For it is He that has called and sanctified them unto Himself. (v.15-16) Verses 17-25: Just as with the physical condition of the priests themselves, any animals that are brought to the tabernacle for the sacrifices and offerings must be perfect. (Malachi 1:8) Verses 22-24 give a detailed list of what God considers to be defective. They may not be blind, or crippled, or have any sickness whatsoever – including any open sores or issues of bodily fluid or blood – or be lame, or have cuts or bruises anywhere on them. (v.22) Even minor blemishes such as scabs on the skin or bad teeth are forbidden. Nor are they allowed to be castrated or have any damage at all to their reproductive organs. (v.24) Verse 23 does give a minor exception for the freewill offering. A bull or a lamb that has an overgrown limb or stunted limb is acceptable, but not for a votive offering. Even the stranger that is among the Israelites that desires to worship God must adhere to these restrictions when bringing his animal to the priest. (v.25) In short, the sacrificial animal is to be the absolute best of the herd, for that is what God requires. His holiness demands nothing less. The Moody Bible Commentary sums up these verses as such: “What folly to act in pious hypocrisy and to give God something worthless! An astute person might figure that he could take a business loss on a deformed animal and give it to the Lord in an act of spiritual beneficence. The apparent reason for the reiteration of the rules pertaining to these sacrifices here was to reinforce that the imperfect cannot be presented when God requires what is perfect. The sacrifices must reflect the condition of the offerers’ hearts, and the priest was charged with ensuring and reinforcing this condition.” Verses 26-28: No animal younger than eight days is acceptable for a sacrifice, nor are the mother and child to be killed on the same day. (Exodus 22:30) This could be related to the command God gave them earlier about boiling a young goat in his mother’s milk (Exodus 34:26), or it could simply be a preventive measure to guard against losing too many of the livestock before more can be reproduced. Verses 29-30: God gives a closing reminder about the heart condition of His people when it comes to giving the offering of thanksgiving, a.k.a. the peace offering. (Leviticus 7:12, Psalm 107:22, 116:17, Amos 4:5) Again, the emphasis is that this offering is of one’s own free will, and that it should be offered in a sincere desire to please God through proper worship. Anything less is a sin. Verses 31-33: As He has done throughout the giving of this law, God reminds Moses and the Israelites why they are to obey His statutes and honor His holy name. (Leviticus 10:3, 19:37, 20:8, Numbers 15:40, Deuteronomy 4:40) He is their God, the Lord God that has called them out of Egypt, brough them to this mountain, sanctified them, and will give them a home in the land that He promised to their father Abraham. They are His chosen people, and because of who He is and what He has done for them they are expected to worship and obey Him. God is our creator, the Lord of heaven and earth, the one, true God. For that reason alone all of creation is expected to bow down before Him and worship Him as such. Those who surrender and obey, who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, will receive not only eternal life but also blessings, providence, and dominion over our enemies. All things will work together for our good (Romans 8:28), even the trials and the tribulations that He calls us to pass through. Our endurance will purify our faith, strengthen our walk with Him, and earn us many crowns of glory that we may cast at His feet when the shadows of this life are eventually exchanged for the glories of Heaven. God is giving the law to His people here as a way of sanctifying them and setting them apart from the heathen nations around them. The law is for their own good, same as for us today. In this fallen and broken world, infected by sin, we need to strive for holiness in all areas of our lives, just as the Israelites were called to do. Obeying God’s law brings blessings and peace, as well as keeping us from the deadly consequences of sin. This is a hard lesson that the children of Israel never fully grasped, and it brought them much sorrow and suffering as a result.
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