Slices
Prepare
Give thanks for Jesus, the High Priest who intercedes for us.
Bible passage
Rules for priests
21 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: “A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, 2 except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother, 3 or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband – for her he may make himself unclean. 4 He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself.
5 ‘“Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. 6 They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the food offerings to the Lord, the food of their God, they are to be holy.
7 ‘“They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. 8 Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy – I who make you holy.
9 ‘“If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.
10 ‘“The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. 11 He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, 12 nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.
13 ‘“The woman he marries must be a virgin. 14 He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, 15 so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.”’
16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 ‘Say to Aaron: “For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. 18 No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. 21 No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. 22 He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; 23 yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.”’
24 So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.
Explore
I read an article in today’s newspaper about the problems of a large church in trouble because of its leader’s relationship problems. By the time you read these notes there will doubtless be another similar story in the news; the world expects high standards from religious leaders. In this chapter it seems that God also expects a higher standard of holiness from his priests.
Leviticus was given to a people for whom priests have a unique role. How should we apply it today? We have a sinless High Priest, who offered a perfect sacrifice, in the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 9:11,12). Christians are ‘a royal priesthood, a holy nation’ (1 Peter 2:9), so we all have an obligation to holiness. Is it reasonable to expect Christian leaders (and their families) to set an example in their lifestyle?
Do the restrictions in verses 16 to 23 seem discriminatory to our ears? Imagine the newspaper headlines if Christian denominations refused to ordain someone who was disabled. The Old Testament priests had a unique role in representing the people to God, but also of being God’s representatives. In the Holy Place only the perfect was allowed. Levites whose physical disability prevented them offering sacrifices were, however, permitted to share in the sacrificed food, along with the other Levites.
Respond
Pray for the leaders of your church to stay close to the Lord, and for those who have been harmed by the actions of church leaders.
Deeper Bible study
Confess before God today anything in your life that does not recommend the gospel to others.
Still on the theme of holiness, our focus today is on those who are called to present the people to God and God to the people. Without doubt, this is a high and privileged calling. It has its own special benefits,1 but it also entails tremendous responsibilities. Priests had to be clean before God, who sees them inside and out; and they had to be seen to be clean by the people of God, who can judge only on the basis of outward appearance. Ritual symbols, therefore, were particularly powerful at this stage of God’s revelation.
It is important not to judge the past on the basis of the present. Unlike what we would consider right and proper today, those who were physically disabled in any way were excluded from this high office (vs 16–23). The ministry of people with disabilities was perceived in those times to have a negative impact on the worshippers of those times. It would not be the same today. Interestingly, although they were forbidden to serve at the altar, their access to God’s blessings as part of God’s people was not compromised in any way (vs 22,23).
Living as we do in the age of grace following the cross, we are all called to the privileges and responsibilities of the priesthood;2 thus, we are enjoined to the same holiness as the priests of old (v 6). For us, as for them, inner holiness, which God alone can see, is not enough. Jesus Christ teaches us that our lives should be such that others seeing us would glorify our heavenly father.3 Francis of Assisi was an excellent and frequent preacher himself, but it is to him that the famous saying, though probably incorrectly, is attributed: ‘Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary use words’.
Is the criticism that Christians talk the talk but do not walk the walk true in your experience? What are you doing about it?
1 Eg Lev 7:32–36 2 1 Pet 2:9 3 Matt 5:16
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Judges 17,18; Mark 6
Pray for Scripture Union
Be More Micah – Environment is a new Faith Guide collection, for those working with young people aged 14–18. Pray for the Development Hub team as they put the final touches to the resources, and that the materials will work well for the 95.
