TODAY’S READING: LEVITICUS 21-24
OVERVIEW:
The qualifications of priests; God sets the dates of the Jewish feasts; the death penalty instituted and carried out.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
In I Peter 2:5, we learn that God has set Christians apart as “an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”. Every born-again believer is a priest, not in the Old Testament (OT) sense or the Roman Catholic sense, but in a biblical sense. A New Testament (NT) priest teaches unbelievers to worship God properly (evangelism) and offers up “spiritual sacrifices” pleasing to God. Some of the spiritual sacrifices that a Christian offers to God are faith (Phil.2:17), money (Phil.4:18), praise and giving (Heb.13:15, 16), people led to Christ (Rom.15:16) and finally, his/her life (Rom.12:1, 2; II Co.2:15). All of these spiritual sacrifices are symbolically represented by physical offerings in the Old Testament.
Priests are ambassadors for God, and as such, have been called to God’s standard of holiness. Since God is a holy God, we must approach Him in holiness. In Leviticus 21, we find a list of physical blemishes that prevent an OT priest from offering the bread of God (Lev.21:16, 17). These blemishes represent spiritual blemishes (Eph.5:27) in the life of a Christian, a NT priest. When we are spiritually handicapped by these sinful actions or attitudes, we are hypocrites and we cannot offer the Word of God (bread of God) to a lost world. Let’s examine a few of these blemishes to discover their spiritual applications.
- A blind man (vs. 18). In the NT, a blind man is one who is not maturing spiritually (II Pet. 1:5-9).
- A blemished eye (vs. 20). A blemished eye prevented the OT priest from seeing his reflection in the bronze laver where he was to wash himself (Ex. 30:18) in preparation for service. In the NT, a blemished priest is one who hears the Word of God, but does not obey it (James1:22-25).
- A flat nose (vs. 18). A flat-nosed OT priest cannot smell the incense on the golden altar (a picture of prayer). A flat-nosed NT priest neglects prayer, and therefore experiences no power in his walk with God.
- A lame man (vs. 18). A lame man cannot walk. A lame NT priest is a believer who does not walk in obedience to God’s Word or in the fullness of the Spirit (Gal.5:16, 17, 22, 23).
- A superfluous or extra body part (vs. 18). An extra body part is numb, not functional, and interferes in service. A NT priest who carries superfluous bitterness, unforgiveness, malice, or anger interferes with the worship of God (Eph.4:31,32).
- A brokenfooted or brokenhanded man (vs. 19). A brokenfooted priest cannot walk straight, he has no balance, and he cannot run. A brokenfooted NT priest constantly wanders in and out of sin and worldliness (James 1:8). A brokenhanded man cannot hold a knife, censer, bread, sacrifices, etc. A brokenhanded believer does not hold fast to the profession of the faith (Heb.10:23) or the Word of God (II Tim.1:13).
- A man with broken stones (vs. 20). A man with broken stones cannot physically reproduce. A NT priest with broken stones is someone who does not spiritually reproduce, i.e. make disciples (II Peter 1:8).
Please understand that if you have any of these blemishes, it doesn’t mean that you have lost your salvation; you are still a son of the High Priest by birth. However, it does mean that you have sinful blemishes in your life that need to be repented of and corrected. Otherwise, you are a hypocrite when you offer the Word of God to the lost world. Remember that Jesus healed the lame, the blind, the deformed, etc. and He is willing and able to do the same for you.
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As our PERFECTLY SPOTLESS HIGH PRIEST – Lev.21:16-23 (Heb. 8:1). As the UNREVEALED REALITY of the eternal feasts ofIsrael– Lev. 23:2,21,42 (Col. 2:16,17).