Front matter (continued, part 19)
Note also that the investigation included not only persons (vv. 1–46), but also clothing (vv. 47–59) and even houses (14:33–57). Here the priest was looking for a mildew or fungus that, if allowed to spread, could do serious damage. Once Israel was in their land, these fungi could even destroy their crops (Deut. 28:22; Amos 4:9).
Since disease is an illustration of sin in the Bible, as you read these verses, you will learn a great deal about the "symptoms'' of sin.
For nearly fifty years, Alexander Whyte preached God's Word at Free St. George's Church in Edinburgh, Scotland, and gained a reputation for exposing the sins of the human heart and bringing them under the scrutiny of the Word of God. "Surgical preaching'' people called it. At one time, he had an assistant named Hugh Black who preached at the evening service and was much more liberal and optimistic in his message. The congregation said they were blackened by Whyte on Sunday mornings and whitewashed by Black on Sunday evenings!
Sin is "deeper than the skin'' (13:3–4, 25, 30–32, 34). "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?'' (Jer. 17:9). The word translated "wicked'' in this verse means "sick''; the niv translates it "beyond cure.'' Sin is not a surface problem that can be solved with simple remedies, like trying to cure cancer with hand lotion. Sin comes from within, from fallen human nature; unless the heart is changed, there can be no solving of the sin problem. "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells'' (Rom. 7:18 nkjv). Those who talk about the "innate goodness of man'' know neither the Bible nor their own hearts.
But when the church has a superficial view of sin, this attitude affects everything the church believes and does. If men and women are basically good and not sinners under the wrath of God, then why preach the gospel? Why send out missionaries? For that matter, why did Jesus even die on the cross? If people are good, then what they need is counseling and consoling, not convicting; we should give them encouragement, not evangelism.
In eighteenth-century England, if you were convicted for stealing, the judge could order the authorities to chop off your right hand. If you were convicted a second time, they could cut off the left hand. I recall reading about a pickpocket who lost both hands but managed to succeed in his career because he perfected picking pockets with his teeth! Even if the authorities had pulled all his teeth, it wouldn't have solved the problem, because sin is deeper than the skin. Jesus said, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man'' (Matt. 15:19–20).
Sin defiles (vv. 44–46). The word "unclean'' is used fifty-four times in Leviticus 13—15. It describes the ceremonial defilement that makes the victim unfit for social life or for participation in worship at the house of God. The prophet Isaiah confessed that he was "a man of unclean lips'' (Isa. 6:5), and then he spoke for all of us when he wrote, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy
In Jeremiah's day, the false prophets were like physi-
Leviticus 13—14
The Jews had no cure for leprosy. Thus, if the victim became well, it was a gift of God's mercy and grace. "And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet,'' said Jesus, "and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian'' (Luke 4:27). "Salvation is of the Lord'' (Jonah 2:9). If we aren't saved by God's grace, then we aren't saved at all, for nobody deserves to be saved.
rags'' (64:6). Whatever sin touches, it defiles; only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away that defilement (1 Cor. 6:9–11; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5).
When you read Psalm 51, David's prayer of confession, you can't help but notice how his sins defiled every part of his being: his eyes (v. 3), his mind (v. 6), his ears (v. 8), his bones (v. 8), his heart (v. 10), and his mouth (vv. 13–15). His hands were stained with Uriah's blood (v. 14), and all he could do was throw himself on the mercy of God and cry out, "Wash me'' (vv. 2. 7).
The steps in the leper's cleansing and restoration picture to us what Jesus Christ has done for sinners.
The priest goes to the leper (vv. 1–3). Since the unclean leper wasn't permitted to enter the camp, the priest had to go outside the camp to minister to him or her. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost'' (Luke 19:10). When He ministered here on earth, Jesus was called "a friend of publicans and sinners'' (Luke 7:34); He compared Himself to a doctor helping his needy patients (Matt. 9:10–13). As God's Great Physician, Jesus makes "house calls'' and comes to sinners right where they are. In the case of the Jewish leper, the priest went out to investigate and determine if indeed the victim was healed, but Jesus comes to us that He might heal us of the sickness of sin.
Sin isolates (v. 46). What solemn words: "He is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.'' He had to tear his clothes, put a covering on his upper lip, cry "Unclean, unclean!'' whenever anybody approached him, and remain outside the camp until either he died or was healed. "Free among the dead'' is the way Heman described it in Psalm 88:5. God struck King Azariah (Uzziah) with leprosy, and he had to dwell in a "separate house,'' literally "a free house,'' which was isolated from everybody else (2 Kings 15:5 niv). He was free— among the dead!
If you've done any witnessing, you've probably met people who seem to have no concept of the tragedy of sin and the awfulness of hell. "I don't mind going to hell,'' they say rather flippantly. "I'll have lots of company.''1 But there is no company in hell, because hell is a place of eternal isolation and loneliness. Like the lepers outside the camp, lost sinners will dwell alone; they will be alone forever.
The victim offers the two birds (vv. 4–7). This unusual ritual pictures to us what Christ did to save a lost world. Birds don't belong in clay jars; they belong in the heavens. Jesus came down from heaven and became a man (John 3:13, 31; 6:38, 42). As it were, He put Himself into a clay jar so that He might die for our sins. The running water over which the bird was killed reminds us of the Holy Spirit of God (John 7:37–39), for Jesus offered Himself to God "through the eternal Spirit'' (Heb. 9:14). When the blood-stained living bird was turned loose, it pictured our Lord's resurrection, for the resurrection of Christ is as much a part of the gospel message as is His death (1 Cor. 15:1–4). Only a living Savior can save dead sinners.
Sin is fit only for the fire (vv. 52, 55, 57). A defiled garment was to be burned in the fire; it was not to be purified but destroyed. When Jesus spoke about hell, He used the word gehenna, which referred to the garbage dump outside Jerusalem "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched'' (Mark 9:44; see Isa. 66:24). Hell is God's eternal garbage dump prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41) and for those who follow the devil by rejecting Jesus Christ. It's a lake of fire (Rev. 19:20; 21:10, 14–15) where Satan and his associates will suffer forever along with people whose names were not found in the Book of Life because they hadn't trusted Jesus Christ and been born again into God's family.
The blood of the bird that was sacrificed was in the jar and on the living bird, but it also had to be applied to the healed leper. Using the hyssop (Ex. 12:22; Ps. 51:7), the priest sprinkled the blood on the leper seven times and then pronounced the leper clean.2 "Without shedding of blood is no remission'' (Heb. 9:22). How did the victim know he was clean? The priest told him so! How do believers today know that God has saved us? He tells us so in His Word! No matter how the leper felt or what he looked like, God said he was clean, and that settled it.
The consequences of leprosy were temporal, but the consequences of sin are eternal. The Jews knew no cure for leprosy, but there is a remedy for sin—faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Have you trusted Him? If you have, are you telling others the good news that they don't have to be lepers and live forever in the fiery garbage dump of hell?
The person cleanses himself (vv. 8–9). On the day of his cleansing, he had to wash himself and his garments and shave off all his hair. He was then permitted to enter the camp, but he wasn't allowed to enter his tent. He had to stay outside for another week.
Salvation (Lev. 14:1–32) I find it discouraging to read chapter 13, with its emphasis on uncleanness and isolation. But chapter 14 brings us that happy ray of hope that we need: A leper can be cleansed and restored! We need the bad news of judgment before we can appreciate the good news of salvation.
Why wash when the priest had already pronounced him clean? Because he had to apply personally what God said was true positionally. The man was ceremonially clean and had the right to live in the camp, but he needed to be made personally and practically clean so he
Leviticus 14—15
would be fit to live in the camp. "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean'' (Isa. 1:17 nkjv). "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God'' (2 Cor. 7:1). Perhaps Paul had Leviticus 14 in mind when he compared the new life in Christ to a change of clothes (Col. 3:1–14).
four times. It simply means a flow of liquid, whether water in nature or a fluid discharged from the human body. The human discharge may be natural (vv. 16–18, 25–30) or unnatural (vv. 1–15, 19–24), but it's still considered unclean and must be dealt with according to the law of God. Personal hygiene and God's concern for women are certainly involved in these regulations, but the main thrust seems to be that of enforcing personal sanctity. Not everybody is a leper, but all of us have occasional "discharges'' that defile us and could defile others.
The person cleanses himself again (v. 9). This takes place a week later. The man had to wash, shave his body again, and put on clean clothes. The dual shaving left his skin like that of a baby, perhaps symbolizing a new birth. The shaving and washing didn't kill the germs of leprosy—God had done that—but they symbolized the newness of life that had come to the former leper.
Unnatural male discharges (vv. 1–15). These could be anything from diarrhea to discharges caused by a venereal disease such as gonorrhea. Anything the afflicted man touched or spat upon was unclean. In fact, those defiled by touching him had to wash themselves and their clothes, and they remained unclean until evening. Clay vessels that he touched were to be broken and wooden vessels washed. The possibility of infection was taken very seriously.
The person offered the required sacrifices (vv. 10–32). It's now the eighth day since the priest first visited the leper, and eight is the number of the new beginning. The cleansed leper must bring to the door of the tabernacle a male lamb for a trespass (guilt) offering, a male lamb for a burnt offering, a ewe lamb for a sin offering, as well as fine flour and oil for a meal offering.
By the goodness of the Lord, the man with a discharge could get well; when that happened, he had to wait a week and, like the cleansed leper, wash himself and his clothes. On the eighth day, he brought a sin offering and a burnt offering, but he wasn't required to bring expensive sacrifices, since a bodily discharge wasn't as serious as leprosy. After that, the man was free to worship the Lord and live a normal life in the camp.
On the basis of these sacrifices, the priest had pronounced the man clean (Lev. 14:7), because these sacrifices picture the person and work of Jesus Christ. The sin offering shows Christ atoning for a person's sin. The trespass offering reminds us that Christ paid the debt we owed to God because, like the leper, we were unable to serve Him during our days of uncleanness. In the burnt offering, the man dedicated himself completely to God, and the meal offering displayed the perfections of Christ accepted for the imperfections of the worshipper.
In recent years, we've heard a good deal about "toxic people'' and even "toxic churches.'' Stephen Arteburn and Jack Felton have written a book called Toxic Faith (Oliver/Nelson, 1991) that describes "cultic'' churches and the religious addiction they quietly spread among unsuspecting people. The image is a biblical one, for Jesus warned about people like the Pharisees who pretended to be holy but were really transmitting defilement to the people who followed them (Matt. 23:25–28). In fact, Paul wrote about people in his own day whose religion was "toxic.'' "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene'' (2 Tim. 2:16–17 niv).
The unique thing about this ceremony is that the priest treated the cleansed leper like a fellow priest! He put the blood of the trespass offering on the man's right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. He sprinkled oil on the man seven times and then put the oil on the blood that was already on his ear, thumb, and toe.3 After that, he poured the oil on the man's head. This is similar to the ceremony Moses used when he ordained Aaron and his sons (chap. 8).4 What grace that God should treat a former leper like a priest! Six times in this section the Lord declares that the priest "made atonement'' for the man (vv. 18–21, 29–31), which means that his sins were forgiven.
Natural male discharges (vv. 16–18). This paragraph doesn't even suggest that sexual intercourse within marriage is impure or defiling. As the traditional marriage ceremony puts it, "God established marriage for the blessing and benefit of mankind.'' Within the holy and loving bonds of marriage, the husband doesn't defile his wife nor the wife her husband. "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral'' (Heb. 13:4 niv).
Since the leper had been an outcast, unable to work and earn money, perhaps he wasn't able to bring all three animals for sacrifices. Thus God permitted the poorer man to bring birds for the sin offering and the burnt offering (vv. 21–23, 30–31). In addition, the Lord didn't require any restitution along with the trespass offering. God makes it as easy as possible for sinners to be forgiven and restored. But sinners act as if salvation is so difficult, that they can't possibly respond to God's call.
Moses is dealing here with ceremonial uncleanness, not moral uncleanness. Since intercourse involves bodily fluids, and bodily fluids made a person unclean, the husband and wife had to take pains to wash themselves and maintain ceremonial purity. Perhaps the Lord is telling us that, even in a beautiful experience like married love, there is opportunity for our sinful nature to
Sanctity (15:1–33) The key word in this chapter is "issue,'' used twenty-
Leviticus 15—16
or excommunication, commentators don't agree, but whatever the penalty was, it was serious.
go to work and defile it. The Jewish couple had to consider God as well as their own desires, and this helped sanctify their relationship. No sacrifices were required for their cleansing, only washing in water. Thus there was no sin that needed to be atoned for.5
God's people today don't live under the threat of such judgments, although "there is a sin unto death'' (1 John 5:16; see 1 Cor. 11:30). But there should be no area in our lives from which God is excluded, and every relationship should be under His control.
Natural female discharges (vv. 19–24). Once again, God wasn't condemning or punishing the woman for experiencing her normal monthly period, because He made her that way so she could bear children. This regulation declares only that the woman's discharge made her unclean and therefore she could make others unclean. Rachel used this ploy when she deceived her father about his household gods (Gen. 31:26–35). During the time of her period and for a week afterward, a woman was unclean and had to be careful where she sat and slept and what she touched. But this confinement was a blessing in disguise since it allowed her to enjoy rest and quiet when she needed it most. If her husband was too aggressive sexually, this law kept him from taking advantage of her at a time when intercourse wouldn't be especially pleasant to her. If he forced himself on her, both he and the marriage bed would be unclean for a week, and this would separate him from everybody in the family and the camp! It wasn't worth it.6
His words to us are still, "Be holy, for I am holy!''
1 Anybody looking forward to the "company'' in hell needs to learn who they are. "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone'' (Rev. 21:8 nkjv). "But outside [the heavenly city] are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie'' (22:15 nkjv). Contrast that crowd with the company the children of God will have in heaven (Heb. 12:22–24). 2 The number seven shows up frequently in Jewish ceremonies. It symbolizes completeness and fullness. The number eight suggests a new beginning. 3 It's worth noting that God doesn't put the anointing oil on man's flesh but on the blood. The Holy Spirit goes only where the blood has been applied. 4 The priest followed a similar ritual when he cleansed the house infected with mildew or fungus (Lev. 14:49–53). 5 It's likely that this law also applied to a man's uncleanness from a nocturnal emission (Lev. 22:4; Deut. 23:10–11). The mark of the covenant was on the male member, and God had every right to give laws concerning it. 6 The rabbis taught that verse 24 did not refer to a husband willfully forcing himself on his wife, but to the possibility of the wife's period beginning while they were engaged in intercourse. They couldn't believe that a Jewish man would deliberately defile himself and disobey God just for pleasure.
Certainly God created sex for pleasure as well as for procreation, but pleasure that isn't disciplined soon becomes bondage and then torture. Unmarried people must exercise self-control lest they commit fornication and invite the judgment of God (Heb. 13:4), but married people also need self-control lest they take advantage of one another and leave God out of their most intimate relationship. God created sex, and wise is the person who permits the Creator to make the rules.
Unnatural female discharges (vv. 25–33). A prolonged hemorrhage would be both physically painful and religiously disastrous, for the woman would be perpetually unclean. The unknown woman who came to Jesus for help had suffered with this affliction for twelve years (Mark 5:25–34; Luke 8:43–48). Strictly speaking, everybody she touched in that big crowd was defiled by her whether they knew it or not; when she touched our Lord's garment, He was also defiled. How gracious of Him to heal her and give back to her the normal life she longed for! The ritual for her cleansing reminds us of the ritual for the restoration of a mother after the birth of a baby (Lev. 12:6–7).
CHAPTER SIX Leviticus 16 ISRAEL'S HIGH AND HOLY DAY T
D.The day of Atonement—16—17
he most important day of the year for the Old Testament Jew was the day of Atonement—Yom Kippur—when God graciously atoned for all the sins of all the people and gave the nation a new beginning. Because today they have neither a temple nor a priest (Hos. 3:4), Israel can't celebrate Yom Kippur in the appointed way, but those who have received Jesus Christ can see in this ancient ritual a picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross.
These regulations for personal sanctity weren't just pious suggestions from the religious leaders of the nation. They were holy commandments from the Lord, and it was a serious thing to disobey them (15:31–33). For an unclean person to go to the tabernacle would be to defile the tabernacle and invite judgment (v. 31). God warned the Israelites that a violation of the law given in Leviticus 15:24 would cause the couple to be "cut off from among their people'' (20:18). Whether "cut off'' meant death (it's used that way in Gen. 9:11)
An appointed time (16:1–2, 29) The deaths of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10) must have put the fear of God into Aaron and the priests so that they wondered whether it was even safe to enter the tabernacle's precincts to do their work. God made it clear that the priests needed not be afraid to serve, but that only
Leviticus 16
The sacrifices offered on the day of Atonement brought a threefold cleansing: to the high priest and his family (Lev. 16:6, 17), to the people of Israel (v. 17), and to the tabernacle (vv. 16, 20, 33). It seems strange to us that the holy sanctuary would be defiled and need cleansing, but such was the case. The sins of the people not only defiled themselves, but they also defiled the tabernacle of God. The sacrifices made on earth purified the earthly sanctuary, but our Lord's sacrifice purified "the heavenly things'' with the blood of a better sacrifice (Heb. 9:23).
the high priest was to enter the Holy of Holies, and that only once a year on the day of Atonement. It wasn't a matter of human choice; it was a matter of divine appointment. Any priest who disobeyed would die.
The appointed day was the tenth day of the seventh month (16:29; 23:26–32; 25:9; Num. 29:7–11). The Jewish calendar is described in Leviticus 23, and we'll study it in detail in chapter 10, but we need to notice now the importance of the seventh month (our midSeptember to mid-October). On the first day of the seventh month, the trumpets were blown to announce the beginning of a new year (Rosh Hashanah; 23:23–25).1 The tenth day was the day of Atonement (23:26–32), and then came the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths), which started on the fifteenth day of the month and lasted a week (23:33–44).
An afflicted people (16:29, 31) Regardless of the day of the week on which it fell, the annual day of Atonement was considered a Sabbath, and the people weren't allowed to do any work. God commanded them to "afflict themselves'' ("deny yourselves,'' niv), a Hebrew word that means "to humble or oppress.'' It's used to describe the pain that the Egyptians inflicted on the Hebrews (Ex. 1:11–12) and the suffering Joseph felt in prison (Ps. 105:18). The "affliction'' on the day of Atonement is usually interpreted to mean fasting and the confession of sin.
The blowing of the trumpets announced the new year, but only the shedding of the blood could give the people forgiveness and a new beginning. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness'' (Heb. 9:22 niv). There was certainly sin in the camp. In addition, not every offender had brought the required sacrifices the previous year, and the sanctuary itself had been defiled in ways only God could see. It was time for a new beginning.
On that day, God called His people to get serious about sin; the church needs to heed that call today. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up'' (James 4:8–10 nkjv).
The high priest had to repeat the ritual of the day of Atonement year after year, but Jesus Christ came at the right time (Gal. 4:4–5) to finish the work nobody else could do. "Once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself'' (Heb. 9:26 nkjv). The death of Christ on the cross has fulfilled the day of Atonement.
"Repentance is almost a lost note in our preaching and experience,'' said Vance Havner, "and the lack of it is filling our churches with baptized sinners who have never felt the guilt of sin or the need of a Savior.… We are trying to get young people to say, 'Here am I' before they have ever said, 'Woe is me!'"
An announced purpose (16:30–34) The Hebrew word kapar, translated "atonement,'' is used sixteen times in Leviticus 16, and it basically means "to ransom, to remove by paying a price.'' The priest placed his hands on the head of the sacrifice, symbolizing the transferring of the nation's sins to the innocent victim who died in their place. Atonement means that a price is paid and blood is shed, because life must be given for life (17:11). John Stott says it magnificently: "We strongly reject, therefore, every explanation of the death of Christ which does not have at its center the principle of 'satisfaction through substitution,' indeed divine self-satisfaction through divine self-substitution.''2
The fact that the people weren't to do any work reminds us that we are saved wholly by God's grace, through faith, and not because of our character or our good works (Eph. 2:8–9). The forgiveness that the people received that day was the gift of God.
An assigned procedure (16:3–28) It wasn't enough that the high priest serve on the right day, for the right purpose, and that the people have the right heart attitude. It was also important that the high priest follow the right procedure that God gave to him. The day of Atonement was not a time for innovation because too much was at stake.
The word "blood'' is used nine times in this chapter and thirteen times in chapter 17. If the day of Atonement teaches us anything about salvation, it's that there can be no salvation from sin apart from the shedding of blood. Those who reject this view and claim that they want "only the loving religion of Jesus'' had better listen to what Jesus Himself said: "For this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins'' (Matt. 26:28 nkjv). "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many'' (Matt. 20:28 nkjv).
The high priest prepares (vv. 3–5). First of all, the high priest had to make sure the proper sacrifices were available: a bull and a ram for himself and his family, and two goats and a ram for the people. These animals had to be examined to make sure they had no defects.
The high priest then took off his glorious garments, washed at the laver, and put on the simple linen garments of an ordinary priest. He left his special
Leviticus 16
death and escaped into the desert.3 The Hebrew word is azazel, which could be a compound of the two Hebrew words "goat'' and "to go away.'' Some Hebraists connect it with an Arabic word that means "to remove, to banish.'' Regardless of the origin of the word, the meaning is clear: The releasing of the goat symbolized the sins of the people being carried away, never to be held against them again. "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us'' (Ps. 103:12 nkjv). "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'' (John 1:29 nkjv) Remember that the two goats were considered one sin offering (Lev. 16:5). One goat died because there must be blood sacrifice before there can be forgiveness. The other goat lived but was "lost'' in the wilderness, having "carried away'' the nation's sins. Because the living goat was part of a sin offering, the man who led the goat out of the camp had to wash himself and his garments before he could return to the camp (v. 26).
garments in the holy place, where he would return later to put them on again. Laying aside his glorious robes was an act of humiliation, and washing at the laver was an act of sanctification. He was setting himself apart to serve the Lord and His people on this special day.
In a much greater way, our Lord Jesus Christ did all of this for us. "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth'' (John 17:19). He never needed to be cleansed from sin because He was sinless, but He did set Himself apart to serve us. He laid aside His glory and came into this world as a poor baby. As God's Suffering Servant, He humbled Himself and died on the cross (2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:5–11). His work completed, He returned to heaven and "dressed Himself'' once again in the glory that is rightfully His (John 17:1, 5).
The high priest offers his own sin offering (vv. 6, 11–14). Being now properly washed and dressed, the high priest then went to the altar where he sacrificed the bull as a sin offering for himself and his family, which probably included all the priests (Lev. 16:11). Taking some of the blood of the bull, plus a censer of coals from the altar and a supply of the special incense, he entered the Holy of Holies. He put the incense on the coals so that the cloud would cover the mercy seat upon the ark (v. 13), and then he sprinkled some of the blood on the mercy seat and some of the blood seven times before the mercy seat (v. 14).
The high priest washes himself and puts on his official garments (vv. 23–24). Once he was sure that the scapegoat was officially lost in the wilderness, the high priest went into the holy place of the tabernacle, took off the linen garments, bathed, and put on his official robes. This reminds us of our Lord's return to heaven, where He received the glory He had laid aside when He was here on earth.
Since the cloud of incense symbolized the glory of God, the high priest put God's glory ahead of everything else. It reminds us of Christ's first request in His high priestly prayer, "Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee'' (John 17:1). We need to remember that the ultimate goal of God's great plan of salvation is not the good of people but the glory of God (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). The high priest needed a sacrifice because he was a sinner, but Jesus didn't need a sacrifice for Himself because He is sinless (Heb. 7:23–28).
The high priest offers the burnt offerings (vv. 3, 5, 24). He offered a ram for himself and a ram for the people, each a symbol of total devotion to the Lord. At the same time, he burned the fat of the sin offering (see 4:8–10). "But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared'' (Ps. 130:4 nkjv). Forgiveness and the fear of the Lord go together, for the privilege of forgiveness carries with it the obligation of commitment and obedience. Jesus offered Himself up to the Father in total obedience, and we cannot do less than follow His example.
The high priest offers the sin offering for the people (vv. 7–10, 15–22). The two goats together constituted one sin offering ("two kids of the goats for a sin offering,'' v. 5), even though only one goat was slain. The high priest cast lots over the goats, and one of them was chosen to die. He killed the goat and took some of its blood into the Holy of Holies, where he sprinkled it on the mercy seat and seven times before the mercy seat, just as he'd done with the blood of the bull. But he also sprinkled the goat's blood in the holy place of the tabernacle and applied it to the horns of the brazen altar, along with the blood of the bull. Thus he purified the tabernacle and altar "from the uncleanness of the children of Israel'' (v. 19).
Once the burnt offerings had been presented, and the fat of the sin offerings burned, the high priest supervised the carrying of the sin offerings outside the camp to be burned (Lev. 4:1–12; see Ex. 29:13–14). The man who did the job had to wash before he could return to the camp.
An appropriate picture (Zech. 12:10—13:1) Many see in the annual day of Atonement a picture of Israel's future cleansing when their Messiah appears to deliver them, cleanse them, and establish them in their kingdom.
The seventh month begins with the blowing of the trumpets, and there is a future "trumpet call'' for Israel to gather the people together. "And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall thresh, from the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel. So it shall be in that day. That the great trumpet will be blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the
The high priest then put both hands on the head of the living goat and confessed "over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins'' (v. 21 niv). This goat was led out of the camp and released in the wilderness, never to be seen again.
This goat is called "the scapegoat'' (vv. 8, 10, 26), short for "escape-goat,'' that is, the goat that escaped
Leviticus 16—17
have spent all my life under a Communist regime, and I will tell you that a society without any objective legal scale is a terrible one indeed. But a society with no other scale but the legal one is not quite worthy of man either.''
land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem'' (Isa. 27:12–13 nkjv). Jesus also referred to this future gathering of the Jews (Matt. 24:29–31).
Just as the day of Atonement was a day of personal "afflicting'' for the Jews, so they will mourn when they see their Messiah (Zech. 12:10–14). God will give them "the spirit of grace and supplication'' (v. 10), and they will repent of their sins and believe in Him. "They will look on Me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child'' (v. 10 niv).
With all due respect to hardworking legislators, judges, law-enforcement officers, and lawyers, I agree with Solzhenitsyn; it takes more than good laws to make good people and a good society. In our world today, not everything that's legal is moral or biblical. Some human activities that courts sanction and society defends, God will one day judge as abominable sin.
Leviticus 17—20 constituted a legal code for the people of Israel, touching on many areas of their personal and public life. The emphasis isn't simply on justice or civic righteousness, as important as they are, but on holiness. After all, Israel was God's people and the law was God's law. The Lord said to them, "Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you'' (20:7–8 nkjv).
Israel's repentance and faith will lead to their cleansing. "On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity'' (13:1 niv). Their Messiah who died for them will be their sin offering and burnt offering, and they will make a new beginning as a forgiven people, beloved of the Lord. What the Lord said about the Jewish remnant returning home from Babylon will be true of the nation in that great day: "Search will be made for Israel's guilt, but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah, but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare'' (Jer. 50:20 niv).
The motivation for Israel's obedience had to be more than fear of punishment. The people also needed in their hearts a desire to please God and a determination to be a holy people who would bring glory to His name (Ex. 19:3–6). Obeying the law and having holy character aren't necessarily the same thing.
The annual day of Atonement was followed by the Feast of Tabernacles, Israel's most joyful time of celebration, and Israel's future "day of Atonement'' will be followed by the establishing of the kingdom God promised to His people (Isa. 11–12; 32; 35). Creation will be delivered from the bondage of sin (Rom. 8:18–22); Jesus will reign as King, and "in his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more'' (Ps. 72:7 niv).
Twenty-four times in these four chapters you find the declaration, "I am the Lord!'' God was giving His people divine laws that expressed His holy will, laws that He expected them to respect and obey. While obedience to the law isn't God's way of salvation (Rom. 3:19–20; Gal. 3:21–29), a love for holiness and a desire to obey and please God are certainly evidences that we are the children of God (1 John 3:1ff.).1
These chapters deal with four special areas of life that must be respected and kept holy: the sanctity of blood, or life (chap. 17); the sanctity of sex (chap. 18); the sanctity of the law (chap. 19); and the sanctity of judgment (chap. 20).
1 Israel began her religious year with Passover (Ex. 12:1–2) and her civil year with the Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23–25). Unlike our modern New Year's Day, Rosh Hashanah for the Jews is a day of fasting, confession, worship, and prayer. We would do well to follow their example instead of the example of the world. 2 John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1986), 159. 3 Tyndale used this first in his translation of the Pentateuch, "the goote on which the lotte fell to scape'' (Lev. 16:10). Today, a scapegoat is a person who gets blamed for something he or she didn't do, or who willingly takes the blame in order to spare somebody else.
The sanctity of blood (17:1–16) According to Leon Morris, the word "blood'' is used 460 times in the Bible, 362 of them in the Old Testament.2 In Leviticus 17, you find the word "blood'' thirteen times; you also find in this chapter the key text in biblical theology on the significance of the blood in salvation: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul'' (v. 11 nkjv).
CHAPTER SEVEN Leviticus 17:5—20 HOLINESS IS A PRACTICAL THING I
Long before medical science discovered the significance of the circulation of the blood in the human body and its importance for life, Scripture told us that the blood was the life. When a sacrifice was offered and its blood was shed, it meant the giving of a life for the life of another. The innocent victim died in the place of the guilty sinner. Throughout Scripture, it's the blood that makes the atonement. Any theology that ignores
n his famous commencement address given at Harvard University on June 7, 1978, Russian novelist and social critic Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, "I
Leviticus 17—18
(Lev. 3:17; 7:26–27; Deut. 12:16, 23–25; 15:23). The early church included this regulation in its instructions to Gentile converts (Acts 15:23–29). In many heathen religions, it was a common practice to use blood for food, which explains why God warned even the nonJews in the camp not to violate this law. How easy it would be for a Jew to follow the bad example of his heathen neighbor and thus incur the wrath of God!
or minimizes the blood isn't founded on the Word of God.
The offering of food (vv. 1–7). The Jews didn't eat a great deal of meat because it was too costly to slaughter their animals. The law stated here prohibited them from killing their animals for food anywhere inside or outside the camp. Any animal used for food had to be brought to the altar and presented as a fellowship (peace) offering to the Lord.
Before preparing his meal, a Jew out hunting had to be careful to drain out the blood of the animal or bird he had caught. The blood then had to be covered with earth, giving it a decent burial, as it were. Orthodox Jews today are very careful to purchase kosher meat from which the blood has been drained in the prescribed manner.
This law accomplished several things. To begin with, it kept the people from secretly offering sacrifices to idols out in the fields. If they were discovered and questioned, they could claim that they were killing the animal only for a feast. But if that were the case, they should have taken the animal to the tabernacle altar. The blood of an animal must be offered only to the Lord and only at His altar.
The eating of animals found dead (vv. 15–16). Since meat was scarce and expensive, the chance finding of a dead animal in the field might appear to be a favorable event. But the carcass was obviously unclean because the blood hadn't been drained out, and it had been exposed to whatever vermin were available. No Jew would want to take a chance in becoming unclean by eating the meat. If he did, he had to stay out of the camp until evening, then bathe himself and his clothing to be made clean.
Second, by this law the Lord dignified ordinary meals and made them a sacred experience. The slain animal wasn't just a piece of meat; it was a sacrifice presented to the Lord. According to verse 4, slaying an animal away from the altar was the same as murdering the animal, and God wants us to treat His creation with greater respect. When we thank God at the table for our food, we're not acknowledging only His goodness; we're also sanctifying the meal and making eating it a spiritual experience.
Believers today need to appreciate the importance of the "precious'' blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:19). Among other things, through His blood, we are justified (Rom. 5:9), redeemed (Eph. 1:7), washed (Rev. 1:5), sanctified (Heb. 13:12), brought near (Eph. 2:13), and cleansed (1 John 1:7). The church was purchased by the blood of Christ and therefore is very precious to God (Acts 20:28).
Third, by bringing the animal to the altar, the offerer was seeing to it that the Lord (3:1–17) and the priest (7:11–18) each received their rightful portion. To be sure, the offerer wouldn't get as much meat for himself and his family, but the principle behind Matthew 6:33 would compensate him in other ways. The fellowship meal at the house of God would glorify God and satisfy the needs of the offerer and those who ate with him.
IV. A Holy Land (18—20, 23—27) A.Immorality—18
The sanctity of sex (18:1–30)
We live in a sex-saturated society. It smiles at monogamous marriages, encourages abortion as a means of birth control, promotes and endorses kinky sex as a means of entertainment, claims that moral absolutes don't exist, and really believes that people can violate moral standards and escape the consequences. Fulton J. Sheen was right when he said, "The Victorians pretended sex did not exist; the moderns pretend that nothing else exists.''
The offering of sacrifices (vv. 8–9). This is a further application of the first law; even if you were bringing a legitimate sacrifice to God, it had to be brought to the altar and the blood shed there. No Jew was ever allowed to offer a sacrifice in the fields or at his tent. There was one tabernacle, one altar, and one ordained priesthood, and the people had to respect God's orders.
These laws were modified slightly when the nation went into the land of Canaan (Deut. 12:1–16). In the camp of Israel, nobody would be too far from the door of the tabernacle. Thus bringing an animal for a fellowship offering wouldn't pose a problem. But in the land of Canaan, distance would create a problem. Therefore, the Lord allowed the people to kill animals for food at home without having to bring them to the altar (vv. 15–16). However, all sacrifices had to be at the altar, and nobody was permitted to eat the blood.
Authority (vv. 1–5). There are several reasons why the Lord gives clear instructions concerning personal sexual hygiene, sexual morality, and marriage. For one thing, we're created in the image of God, and the Creator knows what's best for His creation. God certainly wants married couples to enjoy the beautiful gift of sex, but He also wants them to avoid the terrible consequences that come when His laws are violated.
God had chosen Israel to be the channel through which His Son would come into the world, and it was important that the channel be sanctified. The breakdown of marriage in the Jewish society and the adopting of pagan practices could threaten the plan of God for their redemption. This seems to be the emphasis of Malachi 2:15. The Lord was "seeking
The eating of blood (vv. 10–14). Because the blood is the life of the creature and the God-ordained means of atonement, it must not be treated like ordinary food. This prohibition goes all the way back to Noah (Gen. 9:1–4) and was repeated often in the law
Leviticus 18—19
Leviticus 18:16 did not prohibit what is known as "levirate marriage.'' ("Levir'' is the Latin word for "husband's brother.'') This occurred when a deceased husband's brother married the widow so as to beget sons who would continue the family name and protect the family inheritance (see Deut. 25:5–10). The law stated in Leviticus 18:16 prohibited only illicit relations between brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
godly offspring'' (niv) that can come only from godly marriages.
A Christian marriage should be a witness to the world of the love Christ has for His church (Eph. 5:25–33), but if that marriage isn't pure and faithful, the witness is destroyed. If husbands and wives can't love each other as Christ loves the church, why invite their unsaved friends to be saved and share in Christ's love?
The seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery'' (Ex. 20:14 nkjv), is expressly stated in Leviticus 18:20 (see Deut. 5:18). A man might argue, "I can enjoy my neighbor's wife because she isn't a relative, so it's legal.'' But God said it was wrong, and that settled it. The Bible repeats the stern warnings against adultery (see Prov. 2:16–19; 7:5–22; Matt. 5:28; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:19; James 2:11). The warning about Molech (Lev. 18:21) will be dealt with when we study 20:1–5.
Three times in this passage God said, "I am the Lord'' (Lev. 18:2, 4–5). The phrase is used forty-two times in Leviticus 18—26. That's all the authority we need for the standards that we hold! The Lord warned Israel not to look back and imitate the sins they saw in Egypt, nor to look around and imitate the sins of the Gentile nations (18:3). When the Jews entered Canaan, they would discover that the people there were unspeakably immoral; Israel would have to maintain a position of separation in order to be pleasing to the Lord. The church today must maintain that same position (2 Cor. 6:14–7:1; Eph. 5:1–14; Col. 3:1–7).
This section climaxes with prohibitions against homosexuality (18:22) and bestiality (v. 23; see Ex. 22:19; Deut. 27:21), with the warning that these sins are defiling, detestable (niv), and a perversion (niv). The best commentary is Romans 1:24–32 (see also Gen. 18:16—19:38; Judg. 19; Deut. 23:17–18, where a male cult prostitute is called a "dog'').
Obedience to God's commandments brings life (Lev. 18:5). Indeed, other biblical writers often quoted this verse (see Neh. 9:29; Luke 10:28; Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:12). If people could perfectly obey God's law, their obedience would save them, but, of course, nobody can. Therefore, salvation is wholly by faith, totally apart from the works of the law (Rom. 3:19–31). However, after we're saved, our obedience to the will of God, as revealed in the Word of God, is the basis for fellowshipping with God and enjoying the abundant life He wants us to have.
That people who have committed any of these sins can be forgiven and become God's children is clear from Matthew 12:31 and 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; that God expects them to repent and forsake their old lifestyle is clear from 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 5:1–10; and Colossians 3:1–7. Consequences (vv. 24–30). The picture here isn't a pretty one. Sexual perversions are like disease germs; they make a society and a nation sick. Then the land itself becomes sick and must vomit out its filthy people the way a human body vomits out poison. How tragic that people made in God's image should end up as vomit! Please note that these were Gentile nations that were judged—peoples with whom God had not made any covenants, but He still held them accountable for their filthy deeds against nature (Rom. 1:18ff.).
Standards (vv. 6–23). Since God invented sex and ordained marriage, He has every right to establish the regulations that control them, and our obedience will help protect these wonderful blessings from the defilements of the world. The laissez faire attitude of the humanistic world that says "anything goes'' is not for the Christian. When it comes to moral standards, we're becoming more and more of a persecuted remnant, but we dare not retreat.
If God so dealt with Gentile nations, to whom He'd never given His law, how much more will He hold accountable those who claim to know Him and possess His Word? There are dire consequences to sexual sins, and the judgment is greatest where the light has been the brightest. Alas, the nation of Israel disobeyed God, defiled their land, and were vomited out into captivity. Today, there are both secular and religious organizations that openly espouse an immoral lifestyle contrary to God's Word; in God's eyes, they're making society sick.
The repeated phrase "uncover the nakedness'' simply means "to have sexual relations with.'' These laws would apply not only to marriage but also to casual contacts that were immoral. The prohibitions are listed in this chapter; the penalties are spelled out in chapter 20.
Leviticus 18:7–18 deal with incestuous relationships. These regulations are based on the fact that, in marriage, the man and woman are one flesh (Gen. 2:21–25; 1 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 5:31). A person who had relations with his stepmother, for example, would be "uncovering the nakedness'' of his father; for the father and stepmother would be one (Lev. 18:8; see 1 Cor. 5:1ff.). Most modern societies prohibit consanguineous marriages, not because of what the Bible says but because of the consequences of such unions. There is a tendency for their children to inherit the recessive detrimental genes and bring out the worst in the family tree rather than the best.
B.Idolatry—19
The sanctity of law (Lev. 19:1–37) In chapter 19, the Ten Commandments are applied to various areas of life; in chapter 20, the penalties are stated that must be imposed on those who disobey His commandments. God expected His people to take His law seriously and to apply the penalties obediently and without favoritism.
Leviticus 19
live better lives. God is also concerned for strangers in our midst (vv. 33–34), and He often reminded the Jews that they had been strangers in Egypt (Ex. 22:21; 23:9; Lev. 25:23; Deut. 10:19). When you consider the thousands of foreign students who attend our colleges and universities, a mission field at our doorstep, this admonition becomes even more significant.
The regulations given in chapter 19 aren't arranged in any discernible order, but the one thing that ties them together is their relationship to the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1–17), which is the basis for all Jewish law and should be the basis for all moral law. Perhaps the easiest way to classify these laws is to see them in their relationship to God, to others, and to things.3
God's concern for the poor and needy is seen in the "harvest laws'' (Lev. 19:9–10; see 23:22; Deut. 23:24–25; 24:19–22; Ruth 2). It is also seen in the regulation about wages (Lev. 19:13). Since workers were paid daily, any delay would cause hardship (Deut. 24:14–15; James 5:4), and employers must never take advantage of their employees. Rich and poor stand equal before God and the law, and justice must not be partial (Lev. 19:15; see Ex. 23:3), because God hears the cries of the poor when they are oppressed (Ps. 82:3–4). The nation must be careful to have just weights and measures, lest unscrupulous merchants rob innocent people (Lev. 19:35–36; see Prov. 11:1; 16:11; 20:10, 23; Amos 8:5; Mic. 6:10–11). The eighth commandment says, "You shall not steal'' (Ex. 20:15 nkjv); the ninth commandment warns against lying (v. 16), and both are included in Leviticus 19:11. Respect for truth and for property is the foundation for a just and orderly society. The liar and talebearer (v. 16) is a menace to public safety and peace, particularly if he or she is a lying witness in court.
Precepts relating to God. Since He is a holy God, we must be a holy people (Lev. 19:1–2). We've noted that the phrase "I am the Lord your God'' is repeated over forty times in Leviticus 18—26 to remind us that we belong to Him. He warns us, "Fear your God: I am the Lord'' (19:32 nkjv). Note that God calls these laws "my statutes'' and "my ordinances'' (v. 37), that the Sabbath is "my Sabbath'' (vv. 3, 30) and the tabernacle is "my sanctuary'' (v. 30). The law brings sinful people into the presence of a sovereign God who has every right to tell us what is right and wrong.
Honoring the Sabbath (vv. 3, 30) reminded them of the fourth commandment (Ex. 20:8–11) and of the fact that the Sabbath was a special "sign'' between God and Israel (31:13–17; Neh. 9:13–14). When we study Leviticus 23, we'll discover that Jewish life was based on a system of sevens, beginning with the seventh day.4 Violating the Sabbath Day was a capital offense (Num. 15:32–36). The law against idolatry (Lev. 19:4) focuses on both the first and second commandments (Ex. 20:2–6), and it carried the death penalty (Lev. 20:1–5). We could include here the prohibition against indulging in the occult (vv. 26, 31), a form of idolatry that Scripture clearly condemns (Deut. 13:1–5; 18:9–22).
Sexual morality is demanded in verses 20–22 and 29. The phrase "she shall be scourged'' is translated "there must be due punishment'' in the NIV, which could mean the offender had to pay the woman's fiance an amount of money. It is difficult to understand why a Jewish father would want his daughter to become a prostitute in a pagan temple (v. 29; Deut. 23:17). Both of these laws apply to the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery'' (Ex. 20:14 nkjv).
Leviticus 19:5–8 emphasizes the importance of following God's instructions for worship. He told them how to present the peace offering (3:1–17; 7:11–21), and He expected them to obey. We can also include 19:27–28, which are prohibitions against imitating the practices of unbelievers. Christians today may consider styles and fashions morally neutral, but this isn't always the case. While Christians shouldn't look like they came from "out of this world,'' they certainly ought not to imitate the world. "Be not conformed to this world'' (Rom. 12:2).
Getting along with people, especially our neighbors, isn't a matter of obeying laws but of having love in our hearts (Lev. 19:18). "Love is the fulfilling of the law'' (Rom. 13:10). The new commandment to love one another helps us handle human relationships and treat people the way God treats us (John 13:34–35).
Precepts relating to things. The strange regulation in Leviticus 19:19 seems to prohibit imitating practices related to heathen worship, or, it may simply be a reminder that Israel is a separated people. Hebrew scholar R. Laird Harris translates the first clause, "Do not make your animals fall down with an unequal yoke.'' This would parallel Deuteronomy 22:10. It would be cruel to yoke to the same heavy load two animals of unequal stature and strength.
The name of the Lord (v. 12) is sacred and must never be used blasphemously or in an oath that the person has no intention of fulfilling. This is the import of the third commandment (Ex. 20:7). If we fear the Lord, we'll respect His name and sincerely pray, "Hallowed be Thy name'' (Matt. 6:9).
Precepts relating to others. These begin with respect for one's parents (Lev. 19:3), which is the fifth commandment (Ex. 20:12; Matt. 15:3–6; Eph. 6:1–4). Related to this is respect for the aged (Lev. 19:32), for God is concerned about the elderly (Isa. 46:4; 1 Tim. 5:1–2, 4, 8; 1 Peter 5:5), and we should be too. God is also concerned for those with physical handicaps (Lev. 19:14). Jesus healed the blind and the deaf; we can't do that, but we can help protect them and enable them to
That God is concerned about ecology is seen in Leviticus 19:23–25, and note also Deuteronomy 20:19–20. Fruit, of course, can't be "circumcised''; the word simply means "forbidden.'' By the fourth year, the fruit would be more mature, since it would be the third crop since planting; this belonged to God. The firstfruits should always be His (Prov. 3:9–10).
Leviticus 20—21
The sanctity of judgment (20:1–27) This chapter states the penalties imposed on those who broke God's law. The same Lord who declared the precepts also declared the penalties.
While law can be a light that exposes evil and a guard that restrains evil, it can never change the human heart. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can do that. God has ordained authorities to keep peace and order in society (Rom. 13); Christians should obey the law, do good, and pray for those in office. God's moral law is the revelation of His holy will for humanity, and individuals and nations can't despise God's law and escape judgment.
C.Capital offenses—20
Fifteen offenses in Israel were capital crimes: striking or cursing a parent (Ex. 21:15, 17); breaking the Sabbath (31:14); blaspheming God (Lev. 24:10–16); engaging in occult practices (Ex. 22:18); prophesying falsely (Deut. 13:1–5); adultery (Lev. 20:10); rape (Deut. 22:25); unchastity before marriage (vv. 13ff.); incest (Lev. 20:11–12); homosexuality (v. 13); bestiality (vv. 15–16); kidnapping (Ex. 21:16); idolatry (Lev. 20:1–5); false witness in a case involving a capital crime (Deut. 19:16–21); killing a human intentionally (Ex. 21:12). The people of Israel were the covenant people of God. Therefore, the law of God was the law of the land. Except perhaps in some Muslim societies, there isn't a crime in the above list that would merit capital punishment in most nations today, including murder. But the biblical view of law is different from the modern view. God gave His law to restrain sin, not to reform sinners; the penalties He imposed were for the purpose of upholding His law, not improving the offenders. However, this doesn't mean that Christians today should lobby for the death penalty for all these offenses. While we want to do what we can to see just laws enforced justly, our main task is winning people to Christ and our main weapons are the Word of God and prayer (Acts 6:4).
Over two centuries ago, the American patriot Thomas Jefferson wrote in his Notes on the State of Virginia, "Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.''
Sober words for us to reflect on today.
1 Believers today aren't under the law of Moses (Rom. 6:14; 7:4; Gal. 2:19), but this doesn't mean we're allowed to be lawless. As we walk in the power of the Spirit, the righteousness demanded by the law is fulfilled in us (Rom. 8:1–4). The old nature knows no law, but the new nature needs no law. The law reveals the holiness of God, the awfulness of sin, and the great need we have for God's grace if we are going to please Him. 2 See chapter 3 of The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross by Leon Morris (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1955). 3 Since God is the author of divine law, every disobedience is an offense against Him, even if committed against people or things (Ps. 51:4). However, some offenses are more directly related to our relationship with God, people, or things. The classification is merely a convenience, not a theological statement. 4 We sometimes hear people calling Sunday "the Christian Sabbath,'' but there's no warrant in Scripture for this term. The Sabbath is the seventh day and speaks of rest after works. Sunday is the Lord's Day, the first day of the week, the day of resurrection, and speaks of rest before works. The Sabbath belongs to the old creation; the Lord's Day to the new creation.
The Jews usually stoned capital offenders to death (Lev. 20:2; Deut. 13:10; 17:5; 22:21, 24), but Leviticus 20:14 and 21:9 speak of offenders being burned with fire. We're not sure what the phrase "cut off'' means (20:3, 5–6, 17–18); in some places, it seems to be equivalent to being killed. It may also have meant expulsion from the camp and the loss of all covenant privileges. Some offenders God inflicted with childlessness (vv. 20–21), and of others He said, "They shall bear their iniquity'' (v. 19).
C.Qualification—21—22
CHAPTER EIGHT Leviticus 21—22 THE COST OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP W
Molech (vv. 1–5) was the god of the Ammonites. His metal image was heated red hot and little children were placed in his arms and burned to death (see 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chron. 33:6; Jer. 32:35). People who practiced such idolatry were inhuman, and their presence in the camp defiled God's sanctuary and profaned His holy name. Idolaters were not tolerated because they influenced others and led people away from the worship of the true God.
hether it's manufacturing cars, waging wars, selling computers, or building the church, everything depends on leadership. God's people are "all one in Christ Jesus'' (Gal. 3:28) and equal before God, but we're different in our gifts, abilities, and our special callings.
The offenses mentioned in this chapter have been dealt with in our study of Leviticus 18—19, particularly those relating to sexual sin. Note that this chapter closes with another reminder that the sins of the people can defile the land (20:22–27). This warning looked forward to the time when Israel would enter Canaan and claim her inheritance. As a chosen and separated people, they were obligated to make a difference between the clean and the unclean and not to live like the pagans around them.
The spiritual leaders in the nation of Israel were the priests. "He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people'' (Lev. 21:4 nkjv). They were in charge of the sanctuary of God; they taught the people the Word of God; they offered the sacrifices on God's altar; when called upon, they determined the will of God for the people. Apart from the ministry of the priests, Israel had no way to approach God.
Leviticus 21
neighbors would encourage the Jewish people to disobey God's law and follow his bad example. It was indeed a privilege for him to know God and serve at God's altar. To disobey God would mean dishonoring God's name and defiling God's altar and sacrifices.
The priests had to meet the qualifications God gave for the priesthood, and they had to serve Him according to His directions. In their personal conduct, physical characteristics, and professional concerns, they had to meet God's approval. There's a price to pay if you want to be a spiritual leader.
Whenever I'm asked to participate in the ordination of a pastor or the commissioning of a missionary, I've tried to encourage the candidate to focus on the privileges of ministry and not on the burdens and sacrifices. Jesus Christ is not a hard taskmaster and "his commands are not burdensome'' (1 John 5:3 niv). No priest should have complained because of these restrictions. After all, he was serving the Lord and the Lord's people, a privilege well worth any sacrifices he might have to make.
Personal conduct (21:1–15) The privilege of leadership brings with it the responsibility of maintaining a life that's above reproach. In their devotion and obedience to God, the priests were to be examples to the rest of the nation.1 Unfortunately, the priesthood in Israel declined spiritually and led the people astray. "They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds'' (Hos. 4:8–9 niv).
As for marriage, the priests were forbidden to marry prostitutes and divorcees. In the pagan religions, there were temple prostitutes serving with the priests, but prostitution was forbidden in Israel (Lev. 21:9; see 19:29; Deut. 23:17). Since a priest's sons would hold a special place in the nation, he would have to be careful not to marry a woman who might bring alien progeny into the family. The only way to be sure the priestly line was kept pure was for him to marry a virgin.
There were qualifications and requirements not only for the priests but also for every member of the priests' families. The important thing for all of them was that they remain ceremonially clean before the Lord. The word defile is used four times in this chapter, and the word profane is used eight times. You will notice that at the end of each major paragraph in chapters 21—22, the Lord says, "I am the Lord who sanctifies you,'' or words to that effect (Lev. 21:8, 15, 23; 22:9, 16, 32). The high priests's sons (vv. 1–8). There was only one high priest, but since his sons served with him, they were also ordained and required to meet the qualifications given by the Lord. Other Jews in the camp could plan weddings and funerals pretty much as they pleased, but God told the priests how to express their grief (vv. 1–6) and how to select a wife (vv. 7–8).
When you read the qualifications for pastors (elders, bishops) and deacons in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, you can't help but see that a church officer's wife and family are an important part of his ministry. During more than forty years of ministry, I've met more than one Christian worker who's had to "go it alone'' in his service because his wife had no interest in spiritual things. All believers must be careful in choosing mates (1 Cor. 7:39; 2 Cor. 6:14–18), but those who have been called to serve Christ must be even more vigilant.
The priest's daughter (v. 9). If his daughter became a prostitute and lived a wicked life, the priest didn't lose his ministry, but the daughter lost her life. She was probably stoned to death (Deut. 22:21) and then her corpse humiliated by being burned like common trash (Josh. 7:25; see Lev. 20:14). In the church today, the elder must be one whose "children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient'' (Titus 1:6 niv). This requirement may appear to be unnecessarily severe, but "if anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?'' (1 Tim. 3:5 niv).
During Bible times, expressing grief was an art form practiced by people who were specialists in mourning (Gen. 50:7–11; 2 Chron. 35:25; Mark 5:38). While God expected the priests to show sorrow at the death of a loved one, He also expected them to act like the servants of God.2 Anyone who touched a dead body, or even went into a tent where somebody had died, was defiled for a week, and defilement would prevent the priest from serving the people (Num. 19:11–14). Therefore, the priests could defile themselves only for their parents, their children, and their brothers and unmarried sisters, but all other deceased were off-limits for them. Obedience had to take precedence over affection.
The high priest (vv. 10–15). Since the high priest was especially anointed and clothed with holy garments (8:7–12; 16:4), he had a greater obligation to serve the Lord faithfully and honor His name. The ordinary priests were permitted to be defiled by the dead bodies of their immediate family, but the high priest wasn't allowed to do even that. Nor was he allowed to manifest grief in the usual ways or to leave the tabernacle precincts for a burial (see 10:6–7). Aaron and his sons had their tents on the east side of the tabernacle (Num. 3:38), and they were expected to stay on duty and not become involved in other activities in the camp (see 2 Tim. 2:4).
But the Lord even regulated the manner of their grief (Lev. 21:4–6; see 19:27–28). These forbidden practices were the customs of the pagan peoples around Israel, and God's people aren't supposed to "sorrow … as others which have no hope'' (1 Thess. 4:13). Even in our grief, we must seek to glorify God.
Any priest who shaved his head and his beard and who cut his body (1 Kings 18:28) was acting like the heathen and thereby profaning God's name and defiling God's altar. A priest who acted like his pagan
Leviticus 21—22
words for the defects named in this paragraph, but "blind or lame, disfigured or deformed'' seems to summarize them (21:18 niv). Some of these would be birth defects; others might be the sad consequences of sickness or accidents. The ancients weren't as skillful in setting broken bones or dealing with diseases as physicians are today. The "broken stones'' in verse 20 refers to damaged testicles. Eunuchs weren't permitted in the worshipping community of Israel (Deut. 23:1) and certainly wouldn't be allowed to minister at the altar. The begetting of children was important to the Jews, and it was especially important that the priestly line be perpetuated.