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 broken-footed, or broken-handed,
20 Or crookbacked, 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.
The book of Leviticus is the third book of the Old Testament and the third book in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). It is primarily a book of laws and regulations given by God to the Israelites through Moses. Chapter 21 of Leviticus focuses specifically on the laws and regulations for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who were responsible for carrying out the religious duties in the tabernacle and later the temple. This chapter outlines the requirements and restrictions for the priests in regards to their conduct, appearance, and eligibility for serving in the priesthood.
The main theme of chapter 21 of Leviticus is holiness. The word "holy" is mentioned 15 times in this chapter alone. God emphasizes the importance of holiness in the priesthood, as they were the ones responsible for carrying out His holy work in the tabernacle. The priests were to be set apart from the rest of the Israelites, and their actions and appearance were to reflect this holiness. This concept of holiness is intertwined with the concept of purity, as the priests were to be pure in order to approach God and perform their duties in the tabernacle.
The first half of chapter 21 outlines the requirements for the priests in terms of their conduct and appearance. God specifies that the priests were not to defile themselves by coming into contact with the dead, except for close relatives such as their mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or virgin sister. If they were to come into contact with a dead body, they were considered unclean and were required to undergo a purification process before they could serve in the tabernacle again.
The priests were also not allowed to shave their heads or trim their beards, as these were symbols of mourning and were associated with pagan practices. They were to maintain a neat and clean appearance as representatives of God. Additionally, they were not allowed to marry a prostitute or a woman who had been divorced, as this was considered a defilement of the priesthood.
The second half of chapter 21 outlines the restrictions for the priests in terms of their physical impairments or defects. God specifies that the priests were to be physically perfect and without any disabilities in order to serve in the priesthood. This was to ensure that the priests were able to perform their duties effectively and without hindrance. Any priest who had a physical defect, such as being blind, lame, or having a broken hand or foot, was not allowed to offer sacrifices or come near the altar. However, they were still allowed to eat the holy food and receive their portion from the offerings.
Chapter 21 of Leviticus emphasizes the importance of holiness and purity in the priesthood. The priests were to be set apart and free from any defilement in order to serve God in the tabernacle. This was a reminder that the work of the priesthood was holy and should not be taken lightly. The restrictions on physical impairments also serve as a reminder that God expects His servants to be whole and without any hindrance in order to effectively carry out His work.
Furthermore, this chapter also highlights the importance of maintaining a holy and pure appearance as representatives of God. The priests were not only responsible for their own actions, but also for how they were perceived by the people. By maintaining a clean and respectable appearance, they were able to reflect the holiness of God to the people.
While the laws and regulations outlined in chapter 21 of Leviticus were specific to the priesthood in ancient Israel, there are still relevant lessons that can be applied to modern day. As Christians, we are called to be a holy people, set apart for God's work. This means that we should strive to live a life that is free from defilement and impurity. We are also called to be representatives of God, just like the priests were. This means that our actions and appearance should reflect the holiness of God to those around us.
Additionally, this chapter serves as a reminder that God expects us to be whole and without hindrance in order to serve Him effectively. This is not limited to physical impairments, but also to any spiritual or emotional hindrances that may prevent us from fully carrying out God's work. We should strive to be whole and pure in all aspects of our lives in order to effectively serve God and reflect His holiness to the world.
Chapter 21 of Leviticus emphasizes the importance of holiness and purity in the priesthood. The requirements and restrictions outlined in this chapter serve as a reminder to the priests, and to us as Christians, that we are called to be set apart and free from defilement in order to effectively serve God. This chapter also highlights the importance of maintaining a holy and pure appearance as representatives of God. As we continue to strive for holiness in our own lives, may we always remember the lessons and principles found in chapter 21 of Leviticus.
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