Leviticus 21-23
We are misreading Leviticus 21-22 if we imagine God to be prejudiced against priests with disabilities and deformities (Leviticus 21:17-20). No, all of these “qualifiers” for those who serve in the temple are there for the same reason as the “qualifiers” for acceptable sacrifices toward the end of Leviticus 22. And what reason is that? Both the priests and the sacrifices are to be pictures of the perfection and holiness of God! Listen to Leviticus 21:8, “Regard [priests] as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I am holy.”
Every time a priest offered up a lamb in sacrifice to God, both were to be a close to perfect as possible. We know, of course, that they weren’t perfect, that our perfect Sacrifice and our perfect Priest were One and the Same: Our Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus’ perfection means perfection for us. The writer of Hebrews says: “By one sacrifice, he [Jesus] has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14)
Leviticus 23 re-introduces the Sabbath and several of the Feasts. One NEW Feast makes its first Bible appearance here: The Feast of Trumpets, today called Rosh Hashanah or Jewish New Year. Trumpet blasts mark this day, as it will mark the day of Christ’s return!
Until Monday,
Pastor Gary
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