Lists.
Some of us were born for lists. Others of us have a more difficult time checking off the boxes.
In these chapters of Leviticus, we see the mind of God as He gives very clearly defined lists of what is appropriate to live before a holy God. We are given exhaustive details of what affects holy living. What defiles holy living. What profanes His name. Some of these details are plain common sense, such as protecting His people from disease. Others at first seem petty and controlling.These lists in Leviticus seem impossible. Especially if you are one of those people, like me, overwhelmed by lists. Why are these lists even necessary?
I remember in the early days of my faith when I first read through the book of Leviticus, I thought, Why would anyone want to follow a God like this? There are too many rules.
At the end of these two chapters in Leviticus, God states the reason why.
“You are to keep my commands and do them; I am the LORD. You must not profane my holy name; I must be treated as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sets you apart, the one who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD.”
—Leviticus 22:31–33
“I am the LORD who sets you apart.” God is God. He is set apart from us. Other than us. These comprehensive lists contrast His holiness to our shortcomings. Because He is holy, He requires specific measures for us to approach Him. Because He is set apart, He desires us to live set apart, different from the world surrounding us.
These lists reveal His hope for His people to be set apart, to reflect His holy nature as image bearers. Through these enumerated lists that seem impossible to keep, He was outlining the promise of the covenant relationship He longed for between us. A tender relationship between a holy God and a fallen people. A relationship of contrast. A relationship of grace.
Despite our fallen nature, in Christ we are a chosen “people for His possession” designed to proclaim His praises for the mighty deeds He has done (1Peter 2:9). He called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. These impossible lists emphasize the impossibility that a God this powerful and holy would desire to have a relationship with us. He does. And the way we live, set apart for Him, will proclaim this relationship to the world.
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33 thoughts on "Holiness of the Priests"
Hallelujah to the lamb of God you healing prayers to you @taylor! Love you God bless you!
Amen
Amen!!
Taylor I’m glad to hear you’ve been feeling better. Praying it gets easier every day
I have lists for my lists… Heeheehee! And ouch! Sweet dreams, seeet She’s!
My daughter was born with a cleft lip; today you would never know by looking at her. Her older brother has multiple disabilities which won’t be healed this side of heaven, but he teaches me so much about God’s grace and mercy towards our weaknesses that I don’t want to think about who I might have been without him in my life. Even in his weakness, he is such a testimony of God’s goodness.
I’m so glad that we don’t have to be perfect to enter God’s presence. I pray I would never take for granted the freedom I have to enter his presence.
Amen
God is really scrutinizing the qualifications here and priesthood is a refined elite list. Priests have to be in tip top shape from the outside to the inside, physically to spiritually, with only a few select individuals could make the cut. But then, praise be to God, in the New Testament, grace and truth comes with the Lord Jesus. Hallelujah. He declares to us (Gentiles included), you are a nation of my priesthood, you make the lists by your faith in my Son Jesus. We become qualified, we get grafted into the nation of holy priesthood (And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. Romans 11:23 ESV). He has the power to graft us in. May we realize the magnitude of this honor of being the elite priesthood for God Most High, and continue to live blamelessly, practice righteousness, and acknowledge the truth in our heart (Psalm 26:2). Pursue peace with all people, and HOLINESS, without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Be blessed dear sisters.
In my devotional/journaling Bible I use is what is titled, “Treasure of Truth” and these Scriptures in Leviticus it reads: “ANYTHING we love more than GOD has become a god.” (The emphasis is mine.) It really makes you think doesn’t it, is there something(s) more important in my/our life/lives than the Almighty God? Then what Vina said in her devotional today, “He called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” That’s a lot to ponder and mull over today. One thing I’m sure of God’s and Christ’s love for me and you will NEVER, EVER CHANGE.
Be blessed and spread God’s love today and every day.
I’ve never been so blessed to be in Leviticus. I read it before with other Bible groups and I’ve never gotten as much out of it as I have this time – thank you so much She’s!! It’s been a wonderful and continuing wonderful journey with you all! Blessings✨✨✨
Being someone who has spent my professional life investing in and helping so many medically fragile and atypically developing children, the part about anyone “with defect” in the priestly lineage not being allowed to present offerings directly to God caused a tinge of sadness in my heart. -But then I really sat and contemplated what was happening and it wasn’t a picture of rejection of them or disapproval or God not wanting them. It was His protection for them. He is just THAT holy. He even said it over and over and other parts of the old testament, His holiness is so great in its existence that for us to just go near it would literally kill us. I see his grace over them and that even though there is some defect and imperfection, He does not cut them off from being priests and He still allows them to take part in the receiving of the offering food. They’re included. In a society that would have typically thrown them to the side, casting them out as unworthy and not useful- God includes them in His people and as people who represent Him in the priesthood. It’s beautiful… ❤️
Our youngest son was born missing a foot and most of his fingers. As I read through Leviticus this morning it reminded me of his condition and that he would never have been acceptable to approach God in the Holy of Holies. But thank goodness for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. Now there is nothing separating us from our Lord. He is our High Priest who has flung the door open wide.
Benjamin (my son) and I and you, dear SRT sisters, can boldly approach our Lord. We have been made worthy through the blood of Jesus. He has taken care of every requirement.
Good morning Father, I hear Your call to my heart. I step forth through the gates of the cross, opened by the hands of Jesus. I come to You empty. I come to You to be filled. I am a branch, abiding in the True Vine. I receive the blessing of life You delight to give. You have chosen me to me Yours (1 Peter 2:9).You have chosen me to be holy, help me pursue this holiness. I want my life to bear witness to You and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in me. If I am to bear fruit, I must abide in the vine. I must return again and again to the life source You have given me. Holy and accessible through my own spirit contained in my body as the temple where You dwell. I do not have to go far to find You. It is I who wanders away. This rhythm of wanting and returning to God for His blessing each morning revives and refreshes my soul. I must first receive Your mercy, so I can give mercy. I must first receive Your love, so I can love others. As I am filled with the sap of the Vine I am strengthened and I grow. Out of this growth good fruit will grow. I will bear fruit meant to be shared so that others will taste the sweetness of the Lord. Like a vine transplanted in a foreign soil, so I am called to live and grow in a place that is not my home. The ground is hard, and there is wounding in the wilderness where I find myself. Yet, the Word of the Lord tills the soil under my feet, my roots grow deeper in Him, and He heals and gives life as I trust Him. Slow and daily obedience as I wait for Him to fill me with the life He gives. Let there be fruit. Father, may my life declare Your praises in the wonderful, life-giving light of Your love and care. Let the fruit of my life be plentiful and let there be abundance in the harvest. Thank You Jesus, amen.
@Sharon, Jersey Girl: prayers for you and your family. God continue to be near to your hearts
@Rebecca: your post yesterday about your children touched me. I do not have children, but I feel deeply for those parents who have children who stray from the faith. I have been very good friends with people who have strayed from their parents’ faith, for whatever reason. It breaks my heart… I can imagine as a mother, it feeling so much harder. May God continue to guide you and anyone else here who struggles with this burden. May you trust your prayers are actually changing things in the spiritual realm. That every time you lift up their name, whether verbally or in the quietness of your heart, God hears and acts according to His will. He does love your children immeasurably more than you know. May we trust He will guide them and help them, but never cease praying for their souls. God, bring them people who will love them and speak as living testimonies of Your goodness. Let these wandering or confused sheep come home. Let them turn to the sound of Your voice and walk back to safety. God, guide them with your rod and staff. Let them hear You clearly amidst this generation’s noise. Let Your truth hit home and touch the deepest parts of them. Let them long for the greater things — Your will and kingdom. Let Your great love be evident to them through their jobs, family, friends, and neighbors. We believe You will save them and lead them, in Jesus’s name. Amen. I
@Mercy – yes, I have been thinking about this since being saved from New Age. It breaks my heart. But I am believing God for revival. That people will wake up and fight this darkness that pervades society– I am believing that for my future children too.
The priests had a higher standard. They were set apart. Because they were in God’s presence every Day! That struck me…Aren’t I in God’s presence every day? Shouldn’t I set my standards higher? Lay my sins at his feet and let Jesus cleanse me so that I can be in His presence. I tend to seek the God of love and healing and protection and provision more than I seek the Holy God. What a great reminder for me that I am daily in His holy presence.
Hugs to all this morning ❤️
Yes Lanie!!!
Felicia I too thought of Jesus in today’s reading. I thought about how instead of pushing away the deformed and unclean he drew closer. So thankful for that.
Lanie, amen! I found it hard to read that section. Blessings all today.
The combination of the perfect offering and the perfect offerer was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Our holy God who is love and all goodness made the perfect way for us to be in his presence, to have a relationship with him. Jesus makes me clean and perfect (righteous) before a holy God. This just makes me want to be a living sacrifice for our Heavenly Father. Thank you God that you set us apart for yourself.
I love the book of Leviticus. Interspersed in the written words I can read the promise of a coming Savior who is perfect and unblemished. A Savior who’s sacrifice torn the curtain that separated humanity from her Creator, Elohim. I thanked Jesus several times during today’s reading! Because of Him, I don’t have to follow the old list. Follow his commands of love. I pray that God helps me live a blameless and righteous life. Amen.
All I can think about today is Jesus, God on earth, walking around touching the “unclean”: the lame, the blind, the bleeding, the diseased, the prostitute, the divorced, the dead. It really is so much more special now reading it in this context.
We need rules, boundaries, guardrails to keep us safe! Thank You for loving us so, even when we don’t deserve it!
Thankful to serve a God who calls us out of darkness and into His marvelous light! Praise God I have felt some relief from my anxiety over the last two days. I was very anxious during my break with my boyfriend and honestly thought we were going to break up, but we were able to work things out and are committed to better understanding one another to try and make this work. I am still laying my relationship down at the feet of Jesus asking that His will would be done over my own. I also had a good session with my therapist yesterday morning and pray the strategies she gave me will help continue to relieve my anxiety. I hope everyone has a blessed day <3
The standards the priests faced were very high because they represented the people before the Lord and they were to be in God’s presence every day. They were the set apart from those who had been set apart — a high privilege and a high responsibility.
The priests were to honor God in their grief. This was to show reverence to God’s name and to reveal that God is the Giver of life, not death.
The priests were to be sacrosanct in their marriages. This was to show that they were set apart and to reveal that God is holy.
The priests were to honor God in their work. Therefore, no priest with a defect could work in the Tabernacle. This was to show that God is to be honored and to reveal that God is perfect.
The priests were to obey God in their worship. They were to deal respectfully with the sacrifices and offerings they were handling. This was to show that God is to be obeyed and to reveal that God is sovereign over all.
The priests were to be mindful of others in their eating. When eating from the offerings, only priests and immediate family were to eat from them. This is to show compassion toward others and to reveal that God is kind and compassionate toward us.
I am a list person. I admit it. Ha ha ha. I am actually working on releasing myself from the drive of ‘the lists’ because I am learning it has its place but it can’t be the driving nature of who I am. Working this through has actually allowed me to read today’s reading in light of Jesus and all I see is FREEDOM. Not sure I would have had the same perspective before. We serve a HOLY GOD that sees humanity and made a way for us so that we can find freedom in him. How incredible is this!
Just falling in love with the Lord of Leviticus.. so desirous for a pure relationship with His people. How could I not think this is freedom? Oh I need to first take Jesus yoke on my heart before I can really experience it.. longing for holiness from His yoke.. Come Lord Jesus!
Amen
I underlined “I am the Lord” nine times in today’s reading. I pray that becomes a drumbeat in my heart that helps me choose holiness over the desires of my flesh. Why follow a God with so many rules…if for no other reason, because He says so! And He is the Lord! Worthy and deserving of my obedience whether it makes sense or not, whether I like it or not. Humility. He is the Lord, I am not. And the reward is that He sets us apart as His people! Hallelujah!
Amen
I know that I often fail to appreciate what Jesus’ blood covers in my sin-stained nature so that I can “boldly” come into God’s presence. Not to have think about where I have been or who I have been with that may have made me “unclean” before I can worship is such a gift.
Yet even with all the guardrails the priests still sinned because they were human. As we read in Lev. 4 (day 2), their sacrifices were the most costly because they were the ones who came into God’s sanctuary.
SHARON, JERSEY GIRL – praying for you and your family. May the memorial service for your dad bring glory to God
I too used to wonder “why follow a God of so many rules” and now it always reminds me of my need for Him. The standard is holiness and perfection, one that apart from Christ I will never attain. But I’m grateful because God doesn’t just leave us there, and just like that He didn’t just leave the Israelites there, like “be holy and perfect” and that’s it; no, He gave them instruction, but He also gave a way, Jesus, He also gave hope, and grace and peace because that is His heart. God is equally holy as He is gracious and loving and His heart’s desire is for us to be near Him. I’m grateful to see how He has drawn me to Him even in the Old Testament and even through studying books like Leviticus, He is gentle and kind. Thank you Lord.
Who can come before the Lord? Even the priests who had to follow so many laws had to make atonement for themselves once a year. And I can come freely to the Lord. Anytime, anywhere.