Leviticus

Chapter
21

"Defilement Relations; the Family. [1 - 15]"
"Blemishes. [16 - 24]"

This Bible Study is provided by http://www.theseason.org/ with permission from it's author, R. Christopherson.

Leviticus chapters 21 and 22 are instructions that are given strictly for the priesthood. Those members of the priesthood and their families were discussed in detail from Leviticus 8:1 to Leviticus 10:20. The Levitical priesthood was build around Aaron and his sons, of the tribe of Levi. These were the men that God instructed Moses to consecrate with the anointing Olive oil, make the sin offerings and place the garments of the priest upon. God set Aaron and his sons aside to be the spiritual leaders of the children of Israel, and come before Him with and intercede on behalf of the people. Then in Leviticus 8:36 "So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses."

Then in a matter of a very short time, we read that the first to go against God in the tabernacle was the two older sons of Aaron, when they put strange fire, or hot coals in the censer and put incense on those hot coals. This went against the orders that God gave to the priest, and these two men, Nadab and Abihu paid for their carelessness with their lives. So now in this chapter Moses will give to Aaron and his son the guidelines for their duties in the priest hood, what is expect of both them and their families. This is getting into the holiness of the priests and the requirements that God placed upon them. God expects far more from those that He has placed in authority over His people, than the common man.

As we say in the first few chapter, there were a variety of sacrifices that had to be offered on behalf of the people, as well as for themselves. Sacrifices had to be offered for different sins, and the Levitical priests were to carry out all the communication between YHVH our heavenly Father, and the people. The Levitical priests were the government at this time, as they carried out the duties of marriages, and conflicts within the community. Then in the next chapter we will see how God demanded complete reverence for His holy things. It is the same today, for those that God places in the leadership of His people, He expects more from them. He will hold teachers and pastors more accountable than the common people; and what they teach and preach better be the truth from the Word of God, from His holy Word.

Leviticus 21:1 "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:"

God expected the priests to follow the law in detail, and give reverence to His Word.

Leviticus 21:2 "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,"

Though the priest will be held in high esteem, and must follow the law to the letter, his kin, those that are related by their flesh were another matter. Moses is telling the priests that unlike in Leviticus 10, where they could not defile themselves for dead bodies, here they may defile themselves for the sake of their next of kin, an immediate family member.

Leviticus 21:3 "And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled."

This also applies to a sister, a virgin that lives in the same household [nigh], and for her death, the priest may also defile himself, or come in contact with his kin. In this verse it shows that the priest must maintain the responsibility of the head of the household.

This brings to mind the passage from Ezekiel 44:15 "But the priests of the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge [watch] of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me, and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat of the blood, saith the Lord."

We know from I Corinthians 15:50-52 that at the sounding of the seventh trump Our Lord will return to this earth, and we shall all be changed into our spiritual incorruptible bodies, to live for the next thousand year Millennium reign of our Lord Jesus Christ here on earth. So the dead spoken of here in Ezekiel dealing with the dead, the fat of the blood in not speaking in the physical sense as we know it in this earth age of flesh man. The verses prior to verse fifteen dealt with those priests that did not keep the charge and commandments that God gave to the priests in this earth age of flesh man. They maintained the duties of priests but in a lower form. They could not go into the presence of the lord as the Zadok priesthood could.

The fat and the blood will belong to YHVH, but the Father of the Godhead will not be here on earth at this time, until the end of this Millennium period.

Ezekiel 44:16 "They shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge."

These priests of the Zadok will enter into the sanctuary of Jesus Christ, as He is reigning on earth at this Millennium period of time. There were may other that felt that they should be able to come into this area, but when they knocked on the door, it was forbidden for them to enter. They were the ones that went whoring after the false christ, Satan, when he arrived at the sixth trumpet. They did not have the oil of truth to keep them to the time of entering into the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Zadok will hold a very high position of honor in that Millennium kingdom. These of the Zadok are of the first resurrection, and they will not be subject to the second death that shall come at the end of the Millennium age. As we know from Ephesians 1:4-6, these people have already been judged way back in the first earth age, before the time of this earth age of flesh man, and they were included in the first resurrection.

Ezekiel 44:17 "And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within."

We know from Revelation 19:8 that those that are clothed in white linen, are clothed with the linen made up of their righteous acts. The point to this verse is that the priest would wear nothing that would cause sweat.

Ezekiel 44:18 "They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat."

The Zadok will be well rewarded for their faithfulness to our Lord, and it goes right down to the cloths the Zadok will wear. There is contention when there is sweat, and when you have the Word of God sealed in your mind, you will not be drawn into the stress of worry over the signs of the end times, as they pass before you daily.

Ezekiel 44:19 "And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the People, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the People with their garments."

The people on the outside are not sanctified to see the garments until after this thousand year time of testing, and the great white throne judgment is over and done. Those on the outside at this time are still subject to the second death, and will be judged after the Millennium age is over, as we read in Revelation 20:11-15.

Ezekiel 44:20 "Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads."

"Poll" in this case, is what we call "clip" their hair.

Ezekiel 44:21 "Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court."

This is the same as we read of in Leviticus 10:9, following the death of Aaron's two sons that God took their lives. There will be no sign of remorse for the taking of the life of loved ones that turn against the ways of our Lord, even in the Millennium.

Ezekiel 44:22 "Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before."

No divorcees in the temple at this time: But they must be of the seed line of the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 44:23 "And they shall teach My People the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."

This is the reason for the entire book of Leviticus, that of instructing God's people to know the difference between the holy things of God and the profane that goes against God's ways. To cause God's people to know the difference between the clean and unclean things in their lives, discerned from God's Word. Do you see what the Millennium is all about? Its a time of teaching and discipline, and then the judgment by the works of those souls that have been taught, as kept from the records kept by God in heaven.

Ezekiel 44:24 "And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to My judgments: and they shall keep My laws and My statutes in all Mine assemblies; and they shall hallow My Sabbaths."

In strife, they will stand in judgment according to Jesus instructions. God set forth what is likes and dislikes in his Word, and He is going to test those souls to see if they can follow instructions.

Ezekiel 44:25 "And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves."

Remember that we are talking about spiritual life here, for at the seventh trump the physical bodies and things of this earth age are gone. So the dead person is spiritually dead, or are in a soul that is likely to die. They will be living in an immortal spiritual body, but their soul will still be mortal, or liable to die. Do you now see that the instruction that we will have in the Millennium will be the same set of instructions that we are reading of here in Leviticus dealing with the priests of this earth time of human man. This verse is the same as those first three verses of Leviticus 21. The whole reason for leaving the temple at this time was to talk to their family to get them to follow the laws that were given them, so that they would be judged worthy at the close of the Millennium age. Just as they are able to defile themselves under the Levitical law, that same reason is there for the Millennium age.

Leviticus 21:4 "But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself."

However when under Levitical law when a priest defiles themselves there is a seven day cleansing period for the priest to become purified before he could go back into the inner court. Just as when the Zadok priest went out with the family and people that were spiritually dead and defiled himself, he had that seven day purifying period also before he could enter back into the inner court to minister to Jesus.

There is some controversy as to how this fourth verse should be interpreted. In the first three verses, the point was that the priest were to go to their dead spiritual immediate family members. The "chief man" in any household is the head of the household. As the priest assumes that role as head of the household, he is not to defile himself. Others feel that it is talking about the relations between him and his wife, and in that relationship, he should not defile himself. However this verse is tied directly to verse seven, and is related to the taking of a wife in the first place. He must be cautious in the manner that he takes a wife. Once the husband and wife are married they become on flesh.

Leviticus 21:5 "Then shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh."

Remember that in the wilderness, all Israelite men were forbidden from shaving, but when they were in Egypt it was considered a disgrace not to shave off the beard. In Genesis 41:14, the Pharaoh had Joseph's shave himself before he came before the Pharaoh. It was considered a disgrace not to shave. The "cuttings in their flesh" were signs of mourning, and the priest was told not to show such signs in their duties.

Leviticus 21:6 "Then 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."

This "bread of their God" is the food of their God; the point here is that the priests are not allowed to be around the dead, but we serve a God of the Living, and not the dead. The priest is to be set apart from the people, and focused in mind on his duties before God.

Leviticus 21:7 "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."

The priest could not take a wife that was a prostitute, or profane [bad character].

Leviticus 21:8 "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."

The People themselves must look upon the priest, and treat him with the respect required of a holy person, for he is the one that brought their sacrifices before God. God is the one that is holy and because He is the one that set the priest apart, he shall be treated as one holy also.

Leviticus 21:9 "And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire."

We see in Joshua 7:25 that they would stone the person to death, and then burnt their bodies in fire. So this was not like the medieval times of burning a person alive at the stake.

Leviticus 21:10 "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;"

This is addressing only the high priest in the tabernacle, and he is expected to be a step higher than all the other priests. So this is talking about Aaron at this time, and Eleazar, his son in the next generation. We discussed these garments in Leviticus 8:7-12. He was not allow to allow his hair to fly loose, nor put himself in a place of mourning. The high priest was not allowed to do any of these things himself.

Leviticus 21:11 "Neither shall he go in to any dead body: nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;"

We say in verse two that the priest could show mourning for his immediate family, but in the case of the high priest, that right was not extended to him. The high priest was held to a much higher standard the all the other priests.

Leviticus 21:12 "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"

"Crown" as given here is "nazar" in the Hebrew text and it is where we get the word "Nazariteship", an oath taken by many, including John the Baptist, Paul and others. It means to set apart or being consecrated. This did not mean that the high priest was to stay in the sanctuary all of the time, but the subject is about defiling himself at the death of an immediate family member. So this verse applies that the high priest was not even to attend the burial service for a close family member. The High priest was anointed with the anointing oil, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and life; and thus he was not allowed to go close to the dead to defile himself.

Leviticus 21:13 "And he shall take a wife in her virginity."

This is talking only of the High priest, for he could only take a wife that was a virgin. The scope of selection of another priest was limited to another woman from Israel, but not a whore, nor divorced woman.

Leviticus 21:14 "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."

So this high priest could not marry outside the tribe of Levi, and she must be a virgin. In the case of Mary the mother of Jesus, we know that because Zacharias, Elizabeth's husband was serving the feast of Abia, he was a Levite, as was his wife Elizabeth. Mary was from the lineage of Levi, and also a virgin, when our Lord and Savior was conceived when the Holy Spirit of God came upon her. We can see through God Levitical laws how He laid down the ground rules for the future coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The high priest had to take a wife of the tribe of Levi.

Leviticus 21:15 "Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the Lord do sanctify him.' "

This is referring to the keeping the seed line of the Levitical priesthood alive and perpetual into future generations. Taking a wife outside his own tribe would be dissolving his own priestly tribe of the sons of Aaron.

Leviticus 21:16 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, "

We will now address a new subject. This addresses those sons of Aaron that have bodily defects from taking part in the offering of sacrifices of the tabernacle, to the altar of God.

Leviticus 21:17 "Speak unto Aaron, saying, `Whosoever he be of the seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God."

Any son of Aaron that has a blemish is not to approach the altar of God to offer the bread of his God; which are the sacrifices that are offered on the altar of God. This is talking about a priest with a physical blemish, who is in the posterity, or blood line to Aaron.

Leviticus 21:18 "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,"

This man with a blemish is not to enter into the holy of holies, or at the altar of God for burnt offerings. In the case of the man being either blind or lame, or with a deformity of his nose; or anything long or excessive; such as six fingers on a hand, or no toes.

Leviticus 21:19 "Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,"

This gets into the person being crippled, which would hinder his duties in performing his duties as a priest.

Leviticus 21:20 "Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;"

"Crookbackt back" is being humped backed. The blemish in his eye is a cataract or defective vision, which would also hinder his service. "Dwarf" as used here means very thing, or a shriveled arm. These are defects that would also hinder his duties. Stones broken, is meaning a rupture of the man's testicles, preventing him from lifting.

Leviticus 21:21 "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."

The sacrificed animals had to be without blemish, just as the one making the offering must also be without blemish. The reason for this was that these are types for the coming Messiah, for our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was without spot and blemish, and He was the perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 10:10 "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." The priest also were to be a type for Christ, and thus this requirement of no blemishes.

Leviticus 21:22 "He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy."

This priest of the seed line that has a blemish shall eat of the bread of his God; those of the wave offering and heave offerings were given to the priest's families to eat, and this person could take part in the eating of these offerings, but not in the preparation of the sacrifices. What ever the other priests could eat of the offerings, so could this handicap priest.

Leviticus 21:23 "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.' "

The priest that entered into the holy of holies had to be sanctified and without defect before he could enter in, and go behind the vail of the holy of holies. He could not prepare of go near the altar of sacrifices either, for this would profane the altar of God.

Leviticus 21:24 "And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel."

This ends the portion dealing with the man that is blemished of the sons of Aaron, prohibited from any of the duties of the priesthood of our Heavenly Father.

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