February
14th Leviticus 21 The holiness of priests
1: And the LORD said unto Moses,
Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none
be defiled for the dead among his people: 2: But for his kin, that is near unto
him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his
daughter, and for his brother, 3: And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh
unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled. 4: But he shall
not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself. 5:
They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the
corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. 6: They shall be
holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings
of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore
they shall be holy. 7: They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane;
neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his
God. 8: Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy
God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.
9: And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore,
she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire. 10: And he that is the
high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured,
and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor
rend his clothes; 11: Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile
himself for his father, or for his mother; 12: Neither shall he go out of the
sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing
oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD. 13: And he shall take a wife in her
virginity. 14: A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these
shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife. 15:
Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify
him. 16: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 17: Speak unto Aaron, saying,
Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him
not approach to offer the bread of his God. 18: For whatsoever man he be that
hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath
a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, 19: Or a man that is brokenfooted, or
brokenhanded, 20: Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye,
or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; 21: No man that hath a
blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings
of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer
the bread of his God. 22: He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most
holy, and of the holy. 23: Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh
unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries:
for I the LORD do sanctify them. 24: And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his
sons, and unto all the children of Israel.
Leviticus
22 The holiness of the offerings
1: And the LORD spake unto Moses,
saying, 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. 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. 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; 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; 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. 7: And
when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy
things; because it is his food. 8: That which dieth of itself, or is torn with
beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD. 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. 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. 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. 12: If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may
not eat of an offering of the holy things. 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. 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. 15: And they shall not profane the holy things of the
children of Israel,
which they offer unto the LORD; 16: Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of
trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them. 17:
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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; 19: Ye shall offer at your own will a male
without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20: But
whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be
acceptable for you. 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. 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. 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. 24: Ye shall not offer unto
the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye
make any offering thereof in your land. 25: Neither from a stranger's hand
shall ye 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. 26:
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 27: 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
unto the LORD. 28: And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her
young both in one day. 29: And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving
unto the LORD, offer it at your own will. 30: On the same day it shall be eaten
up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD. 31: Therefore
shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. 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, 33: That
brought you out of the land
of Egypt, to be your God:
I am the LORD.
Leviticus
23 D. Holy days The Feasts of the Lord
1: And the LORD spake unto Moses,
saying, 2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy
convocations, even these are my feasts. 3: Six days shall work be done: but the
seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work
therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. 4: These are the
feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their
seasons. 5: In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's
passover. 6: And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of
unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. 7: In
the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work
therein. 8: But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven
days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work
therein. 9: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 10: Speak unto the children
of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto
you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the
firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 11: And he shall wave the sheaf
before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the
priest shall wave it. 12: And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an
he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
13: And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour
mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour:
and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. 14:
And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the
selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a
statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 15: And ye
shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye
brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16:
Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and
ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. 17: Ye shall bring out of
your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine
flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
18: And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first
year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering
unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an
offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD. 19: Then ye shall
sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first
year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20: And the priest shall wave them
with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the
two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21: And ye shall
proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye
shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your
dwellings throughout your generations. 22: And when ye reap the harvest of your
land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou
reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt
leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God. 23: And
the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 24: Speak unto the children of Israel,
saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a
sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. 25: Ye shall
do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto
the LORD. 26: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 27: Also on the tenth day
of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy
convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering
made by fire unto the LORD. 28: And ye shall do no work in that same day: for
it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
29: For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he
shall be cut off from among his people. 30: And whatsoever soul it be that
doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his
people. 31: Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever
throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32: It shall be unto you a
sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month
at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. 33: And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, 34: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day
of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the
LORD. 35: On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile
work therein. 36: Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the
LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall
offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye
shall do no servile work therein. 37: These are the feasts of the LORD, which
ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire
unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink
offerings, every thing upon his day: 38: Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and
beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill
offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. 39: Also in the fifteenth day of the
seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a
feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the
eighth day shall be a sabbath. 40: And ye shall take you on the first day the
boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees,
and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven
days. 41: And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It
shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the
seventh month. 42: Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites
born shall dwell in booths: 43: That your generations may know that I made the
children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of
Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 44: And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the
feasts of the LORD.
In these chapters the Lord outlines
the way in which the priests and the offerings were kept holy. Then in chapter
23 we have the beginning of a section which describes the feasts of the Lord
but first let’s get back to chapter 21. The Lord specifies that none of the
priests are to be unclean among the people. The priest is only bound to take
care of the death of close family. He is not to defile himself with contact
with the dead because he is a chief man among the people. Priests are not to
shave their heads or cut the corner of their beards. And they are not to make
cuts in their flesh. They are to be holy devoted to their God in the flesh and
they are not to offer sacrifices that are an abomination to the Lord’s name.
The priests are not to marry a prostitute, or an unholy person, or a divorcee.
If a daughter of a priest became profane by becoming a prostitute then she is
to be executed by fire. The high priest who has on him the anointing oil and
holy garments must never have his head uncovered and he must not tear his
clothes. (When Caiaphas was questioning Christ and Christ claimed deity, the
high priest rent his clothes and thus ended his ministry) He must not defile himself
by ordinary contact with men – even his parents and he must remain holy to
serve the Lord within the Tabernacle. If he takes a wife she is to be a virgin.
His seed is to be kept holy throughout generations. A man that has a deformity
is not to be a priest. This includes a blemish on his body, blindness,
lameness, flat nose, or any growth. A priest must not have a broken foot, or
broken hand, or a crooked spine, or a dwarf, or something wrong with his eye,
or scurvy, or scabbed, or deformed testicles. Next the Lord describes the
holiness of the offerings. And the holiness of the people. The leper is to be
cut off from the people. He is not allowed to eat of the holy things of the
Tabernacle. The children of Israel
are not to touch anything that is dead. If he does then he must wash under
running water and not touch anyone until the evening. These things caused many
of the Jewish doctors to refrain from examining women after being in contact
with the dead and thus prevented the large number of deaths in the hospitals.
The Lord continues to explain the regulations regarding holiness and he
explains that all offerings are to be animals that are without blemish or
fault. Now although none of these rituals and principles are obligatory for
christians we can learn a lesson in the holiness that these men had in the
flesh. Can NT believers not have a holiness in their soul from keeping from
those things that defile a christian man. Next Moses describes the importance
of keeping the Sabbath for the Israelite. Next he describes the feast of
Passover and Pentecost. The Passover celebrated their deliverance from bondage
but Pentecost celebrated the institution of the Mosaic covenant. The Lord
describes the feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. All Israel was to fast on the Day of
atonement and if any man refused to fast then he was executed. Then the Lord
describes the feast of Tabernacles. All these feasts were obligatory for the
Children of Israel.
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