Leviticus 22
Don’t enter the LORD’S presence uncleanverses 1-3
And the LORD spoke to Moses
saying
Speak to Aaron and to his sons
that they SEPARATE themselves from the HOLY
things of the children of Israel
and that they PROFANE NOT MY HOLY name
in those things which they HALLOW to ME
I am the LORD
Say to them
Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations
that goes to the HOLY things
which the children of Israel HALLOW
to the LORD
having his uncleanness on him
that soul shall be CUT OFF from
MY presence – I am the LORD
Description of priest who are uncleanverses 4-8
What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper – or has a running issue
he shall NOT EAT of the HOLY things – until he be clean
And whoso touches anything that is unclean by the dead
or a man whose seed goes from him
Or whosoever touches any creeping thing
whereby he may be made unclean
or a man of whom he may take uncleanness
whatsoever uncleanness he hath
The soul which has touched any such shall be unclean until even
and shall NOT EAT of the HOLY things
unless he wash his flesh with water
and when the sun is down – he shall be clean
and shall afterward EAT of the HOLY things
BECAUSE it is his food
That which dies of itself or is torn with beasts
he shall NOT EAT to defile himself therewith
I am the LORD
Death to those who disobey instructionsverse 9
They shall therefore keep MINE ordinance
lest they bear sin for it – and die therefore
if they PROFANE it
I the LORD do SANCTIFY them
Strangers and their relation to holy thingsverses 10-13
There shall no stranger eat of the HOLY thing
a sojourner of the priest – or an hired servant
shall not eat of the HOLY thing
BUT IF the priest buy any soul with his money – he shall eat of it
and he that is born in his house – they shall eat of his meat
IF the priest’s daughter also be married to a stranger
she may NOT eat of an offering of the HOLY things
BUT IF the priest’s daughter be a widow – divorced – and have no child
and is returned to her father’s house – as in her youth
she shall eat of her father’s meat
BUT there shall no stranger eat thereof
Those unwittingly eating sacred offeringsverses 14-16
IF a man eat of the HOLY thing unwittingly
THEN he shall put the fifth part thereof to it
and shall give it to the priest with the HOLY thing
And they shall not profane the HOLY things of the children of Israel
which they offer to the LORD
or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trepass
when they eat their HOLY things
FOR I the LORD do SANCTIFY them
Burnt offerings: only those without blemishverses 17-20
And the LORD spoke unto Moses
saying
Speak to Aaron – and to his sons – and to all the children of Israel
and say to them
Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel – or of the strangers of Israel
that will offer his oblation for all his vows
and for all his freewill offerings
which they will offer unto the LORD
for a burnt offering
You shall offer at your own will a male without blemish
of the beefs – of the sheep – of the goats
BUT whatsoever has a blemish – that shall you NOT offer
FOR it shall NOT be acceptable for you
Peace offerings: only those without blemishverses 21-25
Whosoever offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD
to accomplish his vow
or a freewill offering in beefs or sheep
it shall be PERFECT to be accepted
there shall be NO blemish therein
Blind – broken – maimed – having a wen – scurvy – scabbed
you shall NOT offer these to the LORD
NOR make an offering by fire of them upon the altar
unto the LORD
Either a bullock or a lamb that hath anything superfluous
or lacking in his parts – that may you offer for a freewill offering
BUT for a vow it shall NOT be accepted
You shall NOT offer to the LORD that which is bruised – crushed
broken – cut – neither shall you make any offering thereof
in your land
Neither from a stranger’s hand shall you offer the bread of
your God of any of these – BECAUSE their corruption is in them
and blemishes be in them
they shall NOT be accepted for you
Killing of animals for sacrificeverses 26-28
And the LORD spoke to Moses saying
When a bullock – or a sheep – or a goat – is brought forth
THEN it shall be seven days under the dam
and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall
be accepted for an offering made by fire
to the LORD
And whether it be cow or ewe – ye shall kill it
and her young both in one day
Thanksgiving offeringverses 29-30
When you will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD
offer it at your own will
On the same day it shall be eaten up
you shall leave none of it until the morrow
I am the LORD
Keep the commandments because LORD is holyverses 31-33
THEREFORE shall you keep MY commandments – and do them
I am the LORD
Neither shall you PROFANE MY HOLY NAME
BUT I will be HALLOWED among the children of Israel
I am the LORD which HALLOW you
that brought you out of the land of Egypt
to be your God – I am the LORD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they SEPARATE themselves from the HOLY things of the children of Israel, and that they PROFANE NOT MY HOLY name in those things which they HALLOW to ME: I am the LORD (5144 “separate themselves” [nazar] means consecrate, dedicate, devote oneself, to abstain, treat with awe, or consecrating myself by fasting)
DEVOTION: There were times when the priests were unclean. They had touched a dead body. They had done something that the LORD would declare themselves to be unclean.
If they were in the state of uncleanness, they were not to eat the holy bread that was offered to the LORD. They were not to go near any part of the Tabernacle that was holy.
There had to be time of not causing their actions to cause a part of the Tabernacle to be profaned. It was their responsibility to know when they were unclean. It was their responsibility to act according to their present conditions.
This is true of us today as well. We need to examine ourselves before we take the communion table on the first Sunday of each month if that is the tradition of your church. Each time communion is served in a church service or if it is delivered to a hospital patient or an nursing home resident there should be a time of examination.
Examination means that an individual has to check their heart to see if there is anything that is separating them from the LORD. If there is sin in their life it needs to be confessed before taking communion. Remember that the communion elements of bread and juice are to only be taken by those who have committed their life to Jesus Christ.
There are many who enter the church and take part in the communion service without making a personal commitment to the LORD. They have to answer to the LORD for their lack of commitment. They will stand before the LORD judged for their lack of relationship with the LORD. They might say “I took communion in church” and the LORD might say “I never knew you.” It would be sad to see this happen but many people just don’t understand what it means to have a good relationship with the LORD.
Our responsibility is to instruct those who are in our circle of friends who might not understand. We need to do it in love. We need to help them understand what it means to have a genuine relationship with the LORD that affected every moment of every day. It is not just a Sunday relationship!!
CHALLENGE: The priests had to not take part if they were unclean. We need to not take part if we are unclean until we can reestablish a clean relationship with the LORD
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 11 But if the priest buy, any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat. (3701 “money” [keceph] means silver, price, silverlings, shekels, talents, a substitute for trading goods directly, though in the cases of precious metals they are often equivalent)
DEVOTION: The priests were allowed to buy servants. These servants were given the same privileges as the rest of the family. They were not treated as common. They were allowed to eat of the holy things that were brought as sacrifices to the priests. They had full privileges as anyone born into the family.
The LORD had HIS standards and they were high. So when you read about who was allowed to eat the things brought in sacrifice to the LORD it is great to hear that the LORD honored every person in the household.
Today we need to realize that the LORD is not a respecter of persons. HE wants all who have joined HIS family through a personal relationship because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross they can participate in the communion service in a local church.
To the LORD it doesn’t matter what a person’s social status is in society. In the church they have equal social status because of Jesus Christ. So no one in a local church should look down on anyone else.
Our God looks through eyes that see Jesus Christ first and then the individual who has joined HIS family through adoption. We are priests that are clean because of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
CHALLENGE: We have adoption today where when a person comes into the home we are treat them the same as the rest of the family. True adoption means true family members.
: 13 But if the priest’s daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned to her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof. (1644 “divorced” [garash] means drive out, cast out, thrust out, drive away, put away, expel, or remove.)
DEVOTION: One of the hot topics in local churches is in the area of those who are divorced. Here we find that the LORD allows those who are divorced in the priest’s family to come back home after having been divorced.
The daughter is allowed to partake of the holy things. Again, these are the offerings that are given to the LORD by individuals in the nation of Israel. They were part of the payment given to the priest.
The family received their food from the offerings offered to the LORD. The LORD received a portion and the priest and his family received a portion. So, any member of the family could eat and not be considered unclean in the eyes of the LORD. If they were unclean, they were not to partake of the offering.
So a daughter who was widowed or divorced and had no children could come back home and be considered clean by the LORD.
If the LORD considered them clean, we need to do the same. Sometimes we think anyone who is divorced has committed the unpardonable sin in the eyes of the LORD and the local church. This is not true.
There are offices in the church that should not be occupied by someone who is divorced but that doesn’t apply to those who want to serve the LORD in places where there is no standard set by the LORD.
We have to answer for our attitudes toward those who are divorced or have committed any sin that we think should cause people to not be able to serve the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Forgiveness and restoration are commanded by the LORD for any person who repents of sin. Some churches have so many standards of their own that Jesus would not be able to serve in them.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 29 And when you will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it at your own will. (3034 “thanksgiving” [towdah] means confession, praise, or hymns of praise.)
DEVOTION: The thank offering was one type of peace offering to God. The other two were called freewill offerings or offerings on the completion of a vow. These offerings were given, so that, the people could have fellowship with one another around a meal. Most of the offering was eaten by the people presenting the offering. It had to be eaten in a specified amount of time, in order to be accepted by the LORD.
This chapter is dealing with the offering that HE will accept from the children of Israel. There are many offerings that are not acceptable. HE even will not accept the offerings of strangers. HE will not allow the priests that are unclean to eat of the sacrifices.
HE has high standards for the offerings and those who partake of the offerings. One of the offerings is called a praise or thanksgiving offering. It is given just because someone wants to give something special to the LORD. When the children of Israel offered this sacrifice, it was at their own pleasure. They just wanted to give the LORD something.
In the Old Testament there were offerings that were required and offerings that were just given because the people loved the LORD.
In the New Testament we have the same thing happening. The LORD wants each believer to bring a tithe to HIM on a regular basis. This regular basis is each pay period. The first check should be given to HIM.
However, there are times when offerings were given to HIM as well. These offerings are over and above the tithe. Many times, these offerings were given to help people in need. Sometimes it was just to say “We love you LORD.”
When the LORD has blessed us, are we coming to HIM willingly and offering a gift to HIM? Remember that our gifts are supposed to be given cheerfully. When we give our gifts to the LORD today it is because we are thankful for our salvation and all the blessings, HE is giving us. When we experience an extra blessing, do we give extra to HIM? We need to do that once in a while as well. What have we given the LORD recently just because we LOVED HIM?
CHALLENGE: Invite people over to have a meal with you that will never be able to invite you to their place. Have a fellowship meal with them.
:32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord which hallow you. (6942 “hallow” [qadash] means 1 to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate. 1a (Qal). 1a1 to be set apart, be consecrated. 1a2 to be hallowed. 1a3 consecrated, tabooed. 1b (Niphal). 1b1 to show oneself sacred or majestic. 1b2 to be honored, be treated as sacred. 1b3 to be holy. 1c (Piel). 1c1 to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate. 1c2 to observe as holy, keep sacred. 1c3 to honor as sacred, hallow. 1c4 to consecrate. 1d (Pual). 1d1 to be consecrated. 1d2 consecrated, dedicated. 1e (Hiphil). 1e1 to set apart, devote, consecrate. 1e2 to regard or treat as sacred or hallow. 1e3 to consecrate. 1f (Hithpael). 1f1 to keep oneself apart or separate. 1f2 to cause Himself to be hallowed (of God). 1f3 to be observed as holy. 1f4 to consecrate oneself. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: What do you think of when you say the Lord’s Prayer? To be honest, a lot of times my mind wanders because I have said it so many times. Yet the first petition is for God’s name to be hallowed or sacred. (This is different from the image we get when we think of the use of the word “hallow” in “Halloween.”) It is as if God is saying that the first thing we should think about when we come into His presence is how holy He is. There may be times when we need to rush into His presence, but our normal time of devotion to Him should include our worship of Him as the Almighty God.
In this passage, we see first that the people are told to hallow the name of the LORD. Secondly, God tells them that as a result of doing this He will hallow them. In other words, we become more and more like the things we worship. This is true whether or not we are talking about celebrities in the media or things we see in the computer. God’s plan is that we spend more and more time in His Word so that we adopt the culture of heaven as our culture. We should want His Name to be at the top of our list for things to think about.
CHALLENGE: What do you think about when you think about worship? Do you think about Sunday services only? Plan on making worship of God a priority the first thing in your day.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Lepers not serve as priestsverse 4
Priests have to be clean of any infirmityverse 4
Priests have to be physically cleanverses 4-7
Priests sanctified by the LORDverse 9
Priest buy a person may eat of holy thingverse 11
Priest’s daughter married to stranger not eat of holy thingverse 12
Priest’s daughterverse 13
Widow
Divorced
No child
may eat
Eat holy thing unwittinglyverse 14
Oblation for vowsverse 18
Freewill offeringverses 18, 21, 23
Burnt offeringverse 18
Offerings without blemishverses 19-24
no blemished animal may be offered
list of blemishes given
Peace offeringverse 21
accomplish a vow
Further instructions offeringsverses 26-30
Sacrifice of thanksgivingverse 29
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Ordinanceverse 9
Commandmentsverse 31
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD (Jehovah)verses 1-3, 8, 9, 15-18, 22, 26, 27, 29-33
I am the LORDverses 3, 8, 31-33
I the LORD do sanctify verses 9, 16
God (Elohim)verses 25, 33
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
No stranger eat holy thingverses 10, 13
Sojourner of the priest not eat holy thingverse 10
Hired servant not eat holy thingverse 10
Married daughter married to strangerverse 12
Strangers in Israelverses 18, 25
Land of Egyptverse 33
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Profane holy nameverses 2, 9, 15, 32
Entering holy things uncleanverses 3, 6
Uncleannessverses 3, 5
Uncleanverses 4, 6
Sinverse 9
Eat holy thing unwittinglyverse 14
Iniquity of trespassverse 16
Corruptionverse 25
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Separateverse 2
Cleanverses 4, 7
Keep ordinanceverse 9
Sanctifyverses 9, 16
Thanksgivingverse 29
Keep commandmentsverse 31
Hallowverse 32
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Mosesverses 1, 17, 26
Aaronverses 2, 4, 18
Aaron’s sonsverses 2, 18
Children of Israelverses 3, 15, 18, 32
House of Israelverse 18
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Cut offverse 3
Dieverse 9
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QUOTES regarding passage
9 It was no small matter to be a priest of God. The institution was divine and not to be trifled with. The judgment on Nadab and Abihu was supernatural as it later was on Korah and his company. On the other hand, the judgment on Eli’s sons was providential. Many a faithless priest escaped catastrophe in his lifetime, but the threat of judgment was always there. (Harris, R. L. (1990). Leviticus. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (Vol. 2, pp. 618–619). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
22:3–9. Ceremonial uncleanness prevented a priest from either offering or eating a sacred offering. The punishment for priestly noncompliance was severe—he was to be cut off from God’s presence. Some sources of ceremonial uncleanness that prevented a priest from eating the sacred offerings were an infectious skin disease (cf. chaps. 13–14), a bodily discharge (cf. chap. 15), and contact with a corpse (cf. 11:39). The reminder for priestly compliance again stressed the holiness of God and His design to promote holiness in His people (22:9). (Lindsey, F. D. (1985). Leviticus. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 204). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Unclean priests (vv. 3–9). Suppose a priest became defiled but did nothing about it? How would anybody know that he was unclean? He could minister at the altar, handle the sacrifices, even eat his lawful share of the sacred offerings, and apparently get away with it. But God would know it, and the priest would be in danger of death (v. 9).
This kind of behavior would indicate that the priest was putting himself ahead of God and was more concerned about his reputation than his character. The name for this sin is hypocrisy. It worried him that the people would know he was unclean, but it didn’t worry him that he was defiling the sacred ministry for which God had set him apart. Like the Pharisees in our Lord’s day, this priest appeared to be clean but was actually “toxic” (Matt. 23:25–28).
All who serve the Lord and the Lord’s people must be open and honest before God and must minister first of all to please Him alone. We must thank God for the privilege of being called to serve, and we must treat the things of God with holy respect. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13, NIV). Joseph took that approach when he said to his temptress, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen. 39:9) This was also Paul’s approach to ministry: “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man” (Acts 24:16, NIV).
The greatest protection against professionalism and hypocrisy in ministry is the fear of the Lord as revealed in a tender conscience (2 Cor. 1:12; 4:2; 5:11). Conscience is like a window that let’s in the light. When the window becomes soiled, the light gradually becomes darkness. Once conscience is defiled (Titus 1:15), it gradually gets worse, and eventually it may be so “seared” that it has no sensitivity at all (1 Tim. 4:2). Then it becomes an “evil conscience” (Heb. 10:22), one that functions just the opposite of a good conscience (1 Peter 3:16). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Holy (pp. 97–98). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Ver. 9. They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, &c.] The observance of my word, as the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, of his word of command; either respecting the not eating of such creatures that died of themselves, or were torn by beasts; or else the not eating holy things in uncleanness, so Jarchi and Gersom; but Aben Ezra thinks the sanctuary is referred to, which was to be kept by the priests, and which seems to agree with what follows: lest they bear sin for it: the sanctuary, by neglecting it, and so be charged with the guilt of sin, and be obliged to bear the punishment of it: and die therefore if they profane it; by going into it in their uncleanness, and eating of the most holy things there when in such circumstances, and die by the hand of God, as Jarchi and Ben Gersom interpret it, as Nadab and Abibu did, and even in like manner, by fire; and so the Targum of Jonathan, “lest they die by flaming fire:” I the Lord do sanctify them; the priests, who were separated from others, and devoted to his service, and therefore ought to be holy; or the holy things separated for the use of the priests, but not to be eaten in their uncleanness; the Arabic version renders it, do sanctify that, the sanctuary, and therefore it should not be profaned, but be kept pure and holy. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 664). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
1 Corinthians 1
Paul appeals for unity among the Corinthian believers.
INSIGHT
It has been said: God does the work of God and man does the work of man. Man cannot do the work of God. God will not do the work of man. Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthian believers certainly supports this. The Corinthian church had split into factions, following different men. Some said, “I follow Paul.” Others said, “I follow Apollos.” The most pious among them disdained to follow mere men and said, “I follow Christ.” Using the imagery of a husbandman, Paul says, “I planted (brought the message of salvation), Apollos watered (taught you more advanced things), but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Pursue the work of man with all diligence. And rest in the work of God. (Quiet Walk)
OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
…if any man sin… 1 John 2:1
John is concerned fundamentally about our walk with God and our fellowship with Him, and therefore he says, “My little children, these things write I unto you…” because sin always ultimately breaks fellowship with God and therefore immediately casts us off from the source of all our blessedness. It is no use saying you want to walk with God and then deliberately sinning. The moment you sin, fellowship is broken; the moment you fall into transgression, you interrupt the fellowship. The one thing that matters is fellowship with God. I do not know what may await you. You may be tried, you may be persecuted; there may be war and calamity; there may be terrible things awaiting you. The one thing that matters is that you are right with God. That being so, do not sin because sin breaks the fellowship.
Not only that—sin is utterly inconsistent with our profession. It is totally inconsistent with our professed hatred of sin and with our professed desire to be delivered from it. Christians are people who realize and know that sin is the central problem in life, and they therefore say that they want to be delivered and emancipated from it. So if they continue to sin, they deny what they profess to believe. Such a position is completely inconsistent and self-contradictory.
And sin also leads always to an evil conscience. When men and women sin, they are under a sense of condemnation, they are unhappy. I am speaking true to experience, am I not? “Little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” Sin will rob you of happiness and joy and will give you a sense of condemnation.
A Thought to Ponder: The one thing that matters is fellowship with God.
(From Walking with God, pp. 17-18, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Sufferings (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research) |
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