Leviticus 22
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Be separate from the holy things
Offer perfect offerings
Text
Comments
 1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
 2  Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.
 3  Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.
.4  What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
 5  Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;
 6  The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.
  3 - That goeth unto the holly things "The multitude of minute restrictions to which the priests, from accidental defilement, were subjected, by keeping them constantly on their guard lest they should be unfit for the sacred service, tended to preserve in full exercise the feeling of awe and submission to the authority of God. The ideas of sin and duty were awakened in their breasts by every case to which either an interdict or an injunction was applied. But why enact an express statute for priests disqualified by the leprosy or polluting touch of a carcass (Le 22:4), when a general law was already in force which excluded from society all persons in that condition? Because priests might be apt, from familiarity, to trifle with religion, and in committing irregularities or sins, to shelter themselves under the cloak of the sacred office. This law, therefore, was passed, specifying the chief forms of temporary defilement which excluded from the sanctuary, that priests might not deem themselves entitled to greater license than the rest of the people; and that so far from being in any degree exempted from the sanctions of the law, they were under greater obligations, by their priestly station, to observe it in its strict letter and its smallest enactments." (JFB)
 7  And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.
 8  That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.
 9  They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.
  7 - Sun is down ... be clean At sundown the sanctuary was closed so being unclesn until evening meant waiting until the next day do serve.
 10 ¶ There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.
 11  But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.
 12  If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.
 13  But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.
 14  And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.
 15  And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;
 16  Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
  10 - Eat of the holy Priests ate largely food that had been sanctified.
 17 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
 18  Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
 19  Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.
.20  But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
.21  And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
.22  Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
 23  Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
 24  Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.

  20 - Blemish ... not offer The Messiah would be the perfect lamb of God. To offer corrupt sacrifices would teach the wrong lesson 1pe0119.
  24 - Bruised An accidentally injured animal.
 25  Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.
 26  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
.27  When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
 28  And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.
 29  And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.
  25 - Bread of your God The priests depended on special sacrifices from the people for their food.
  27 - Under the dam Newborn animals were to be with their mothers. See ex2230.
 30  On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.
.31  Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
 32  Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,
 33  That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.
  31 - Keep my commandments and do them We may see "keeping" as holding them as important and "doing" as our behavior of obedience.

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