LEVITICUS 51
We will begin this lesson in Leviticus 22:1 "And the LORD spake
unto Moses, saying," Leviticus 22:2 "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 unto me: I [am] the LORD."
The only way that I can understand this, is if they have been
defiled or made unclean, then the priests or high priest are not to
function in his usual duties until his uncleanness is gone. When they
are ceremonially unclean in any way, they are not to handle the holy
things of God.
Leviticus 22:3 "Say unto them, Whosoever [he be] of all your seed
among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the
children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon
him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I [am] the LORD."
In this verse, we can see what the punishment would be for
committing this sin. {This separation was not for just a short time,
but was a permanent situation.} This would be showing lack of respect
for the things of God.
Leviticus 22:4 "What man soever of the seed of Aaron [is] a
leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things,
until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing [that is] unclean [by]
the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;" Leviticus 22:5 "Or
whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean,
or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he
hath;" Leviticus 22:6 "The soul which hath touched any such shall be
unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he
wash his flesh with water."
We see, in these few verses above, the length of time that the
priests would be unclean for this type of situation. We, also, see the
necessity of washing when they had come into contact with something,
or someone, who was unclean.
Leviticus 22:7 "And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and
shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it [is] his food."
The high priest and his family live of the things of the temple.
We can easily see the necessity for them being restored to eating of
this food as soon as possible.
Leviticus 22:8 "That which dieth of itself, or is torn [with
beasts], he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I [am] the
LORD." Leviticus 22:9 "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."
The ordinances for the priests would be different than for the
congregation, because they were serving in the sanctuary. To sin
against God, by a priest would be a defilement punishable by death.
Leviticus 22:10 "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." Leviticus 22:11 "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."
In the previous verses, we have read under what conditions the
priest could not eat of the things of the sanctuary. Now we are
getting to just who can eat of the things of the sanctuary. We have
been told in a previous lesson that the high priest, the priests and
their families were to live of the things of the sanctuary, but how
far does this go? In the verses above, we see that a stranger could
not eat. In verse 11 above, we see that someone bought with money
becomes part of the family and can eat. Even the children of servants
who were bought would, also, be able to eat. To buy a servant made
that servant of your family. Isn't it interesting that Jesus bought
the Christians with a price, and we have become part of the family of
God. We are adopted children of the Father and joint heirs with Jesus.
This verse following shows that we are adopted. Romans 8:15 "For ye
have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also
glorified together."
Leviticus 22:12 "If the priest's daughter also be [married] unto
a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things."
The reason for this is, if she is married to a stranger, that
makes her a stranger as well, since she and her husband are one flesh.
Leviticus 22:13 "But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or
divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house,
as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall
no stranger eat thereof."
We see in this Scripture that the explanation above is true. When
she lives at home with her father and has no husband, she is part of
the father's family, and can eat of his food. The fact that the
stranger can not eat of these things is because these things are holy.
Leviticus 22:14 "And if a man eat [of] the holy thing
unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth [part] thereof unto it, and
shall give [it] unto the priest with the holy thing."
A person who ate of this unwittingly, would be committing a
trespass, as if he had found it and not returned it. This would be
subject to 20% penalty. This all belonged to the priestly family. They
must be restored for their loss.
Leviticus 22:15 "And they shall not profane the holy things of
the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;" Leviticus
22:16 "Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat
their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them."
We know that David, when he and his men were very hungry, ate the
shewbread in the sanctuary. God excused them, because they were very
hungry and had no other place to get bread. In a circumstance as this
God would allow this. Possibly, God allowed this because David was the
annointed of God. We do see here though, that things given for God's
use should not be used for personal things.
Leviticus 22:17 "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Leviticus 22:18 "Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the
children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever [he be] of the house
of Israel, or of the strangers in 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;" Leviticus 22:19 "[Ye shall
offer] at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the
sheep, or of the goats."
There are some beautiful symbols in this. Notice, that the
offering is not restricted to just the house of Israel, but is to
whosoever will. This offering is symbolic of the beautiful offering
that Jesus made for all of us. We Christians, like the offerers above,
must of our own free will accept this offering as our payment. Notice
too , that this offering was to be without blemish. Jesus was without
blemish, and since this symbolizes the great sacrifice that He made
for us, it must also be without blemish. We have gone into the
offerings so many times, we will not do that here.
Leviticus 22:20 "[But] whatsoever hath a blemish, [that] shall ye
not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you."
One more time, this shadows Jesus as the Lamb of God, and must be
free from all blemish.
Leviticus 22:21 "And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace
offerings unto the LORD to accomplish [his] vow, or a freewill
offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there
shall be no blemish therein." Leviticus 22:22 "Blind, or broken, or
maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer
these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the
altar unto the LORD."
God will not accept second best. The most important reason any
offering must be perfect, however, was because the perfect sacrifice
of Jesus Christ {shadowed here} was perfect.
Leviticus 22:23 "Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing
superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer [for] a
freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted."
It seems there was some leniency shown, when it was a freewill
offering instead of a required offering.
Questions 51
1. Who was Moses to give the message to in verse 2?
2. If the priest has been unclean for any reason, he is not to
function in his usual duties, until when?
3. What happens to his seed who go unto the holy things while
unclean?
4. Who does verse 4 say cannot eat of the holy things?
5. What are some of the things that make the priest unclean?
6. Whosoever touches something unclean, shall be unclean until
______.
7. What must the person who had touched something unclean, do after
he had waited the proper length of time, before he could eat of
the holy things?
8. Verse 7 tells us why it is necessary for him to eat the holy
things, why is it?
9. Who lives of the things of the temple?
10. What are two things he must never eat?
11. Who sanctifies them?
12. To sin against God, if you were a priest, would be punishable by
_____.
13. What three are mentioned in verse 10, who can not eat of the holy
things.
14. Why is it permissible for someone, who was bought by the priest,
to eat of holy things?
15. Who live of the holy things?
16. What are Christians allowed to call the Father, that shows they
are His adopted children?
17. What does chapter 8 verse 17 of Romans say we have in common with
Jesus, if we are Christians?
18. Why would the priest's daughter, married to a stranger not be able
to eat of the holy things?
19. Why can a daughter, who has been divorced or widowed, eat the holy
things?
20. If a man eat unwittingly of the holy things, what shall he do?
21. Offering is not restricted to the house of Israel, but is open to
_______ ____.
22. Why must this offering be without blemish?
23. What are some blemishes mentioned in verse 22 that are not
acceptable?
24. There is some leniency shown in what offering?
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