Leviticus
chapter 21 provides special responsibilities required of the priests
of Israel. The chapter begins, “A
priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his
people that die, except a close relative“.
Priests were not only prevented from touching the dead, but they
were not even permitted to be in the same room. These laws symbolized
the purity and separation from sin required of God’s representatives.
Remember death was not part of God’s perfect creation; it only
entered the world after Adam’s sin. Death reminds us of mankind’s
fall from perfect fellowship with God. Before the age of modern
mortuary techniques the dead body would decay very rapidly- what a
vivid example of how sin destroys. In today’s world we are spared
from seeing this uncomfortable reminder. The priest were not allowed
to mourn as the pagans mourn, “They
must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their
God… because they present the offerings made to the Lord by fire“.
Anyone who represents God before men must be aware of that
responsibility. Those that publicly announce they are followers of
Christ have a responsibility to represent Christ in their daily
lives.
Interestingly,
the Priest is required to marry a virgin. He is prohibited from
marrying a widow or a divorced woman or a prostitute. Note to young
ladies, the text only gives 4 options; there is no category for being
sexually active and unmarried except prostitute. The priest was also
to choose his wife from among God’s people, “So
he will not defile his offspring“.
2 Corinthians 6:14 likewise reminds us, “Do
not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and
wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with
darkness?”
As
a believer, it is essential to marry one that submits to the
authority of Christ as Lord and Savior to have a marriage that
flourishes and promote mutual spiritual growth. This becomes even
more evident when children enter the mix.
Finally
the chapter commands, “No
descendant of Aaron who has any defect is to come near to present the
offering to the Lord“.
The list of “defects” includes, being blind, lame,
disfigured, deformed, cripple foot or hand, dwarfs and having
festering sores. He may eat of the priest’s offering, but he is not
fit for the public ministry of making the offering. While the ACLU
would have a field day with lawsuits over this, God says simply, “I
am the Lord who makes him holy“.
As believers, the glorious result of accepting Christ as Lord is
that God no longer sees our defects. Through the perfect sacrifice
of Jesus, all who believe become the body of Christ. “So
we who are many are one body in Christ”
(Romans 12:5). What ever your “defect”, you can be made
holy through Christ. May you be renewed and refreshed by His Holy
Spirit again today.