Leviticus 22
Leviticus • Sermon • Submitted
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· 377 viewsHandling the Holy things, and acceptable offerings
Notes
Transcript
The Priests and the offerings -
The Priests and the offerings -
The Priests and the offerings -
The Priests and the offerings -
The Priests and the offerings -
The Priests and the offerings -
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they do not profane My holy name by what they dedicate to Me: I am the Lord. Say to them: ‘Whoever of all your descendants throughout your generations, who goes near the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has uncleanness upon him, that person shall be cut off from My presence: I am the Lord.
What were the “holy things”?
What were the “holy things”?
hint:
“Of the children of Israel”
“dedicated to the Lord”
animals for sacrifice, grain, baked unleavened cakes, money (Shekel of the sanctuary) etc.
It was what the children of Israel offered to the Lord in the way of worship
(Reminder from Last week:)
you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
What do we offer up as spiritual sacrifices?
What do we offer up as spiritual sacrifices?
Prayer
Praise
Thanksgiving
Worship
Tithes and offerings
The priests were to treat the sacrifices of the people that they were in charge of handling - in a holy way
not profane (common)
not in a state of being unclean...
Do we treat prayer, worship, thanksgiving, tithes and offerings as holy to the Lord?
or is it just some common, ordinary aspect of our lives that we can take or leave?
Are they important in our lives?
Are they a priority?
Prayer is one of the things we offer up in worship to the Lord.
slide (Prayer graphic)
Leviticus 22:4-7
Leviticus 22:4-7
‘Whatever man of the descendants of Aaron, who is a leper or has a discharge, shall not eat the holy offerings until he is clean. And whoever touches anything made unclean by a corpse, or a man who has had an emission of semen, or whoever touches any creeping thing by which he would be made unclean, or any person by whom he would become unclean, whatever his uncleanness may be—the person who has touched any such thing shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat the holy offerings unless he washes his body with water. And when the sun goes down he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat the holy offerings, because it is his food.
What are the holy offerings?
What are the holy offerings?
hint:
It is what the Priests ate.
It was a portion of the meat from the animal sacrifices
The unleavened cakes and wafers offered to the Lord
(end of Vs. 7) “it is his food”
picture...
The sacrifices of worship are offered up to the Lord
He in turn gives food to the Priests
to sustain them, so they can continue ministering.
What is our spiritual food?
What is our spiritual food?
In the Bible, “food” is almost always literally food - no subliminal messaging...
However...
in New Testament there are a few places where food is used as a metaphor:
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
Solid food and milk were metaphors of Paul’s teachings
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
Slide baby
Milk is a metaphor for some very basic Biblical concepts
God is love
Slide meat
We w
Solid food is a metaphor for the word of God in its totality
Jesus also spoke of food metaphorically:
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
Our Spiritual food:
The word of God
The will of God
In otherwords - we offer up our worship to Him
He in turn speaks to us through His word, and by His Spirit
It is what sustains the believer’s life...
All of these things then, point to our communion, our relationship, our fellowship with God
Do we treat our relationship with the Lord as Holy?
Is it a priority
or is it a common, ordinary thing? Just something we fit into our lives when convenient?
If the priest somehow defiled himself in some way described here,
He was unclean until evening
He was to wash himself with water
And when the sun went down, he would be considered clean
afterwards he could once more eat the holy offerings
I think this uncleanness is a picture of sin in the believer’s life
we become defiled through sin, and it has a negative impact on our relationship with the Lord
When that happens:
But washing with water is a metaphor for reading God’s word
It describes what takes place as we read, personalize, and obey God’s word
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
When we sin, we defile ourselves - our fellowship with the Lord is hindered
When that happens:
We need to do what the Priest did
Be washed
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Not only is God’s word metaphorically pictured as food
But washing with water is a metaphor for what takes place as we read, personalize, and obey God’s word
It describes what takes place as we read, personalize, and obey God’s word
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
slide water on face
that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
We need a brain wash !! - Get back into the Word of God
We need a brain wash !! - Get back into the Word of God
Why was the Priest clean in the evening?
Why was the Priest clean in the evening?
Jewish day started and ended in the evening (Our’s midnight)
So IF the priest for some reason became defiled during the day
Could not handle or come near the holy things
Could not partake of the holy offerings
Worship and communion with God was broken, until...
He was washed… And the start of the new day - fellowship was once more restored...
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Leviticus 22:8
Leviticus 22:8
Whatever dies naturally or is torn by beasts he shall not eat, to defile himself with it: I am the Lord.
He wasn’t to eat just any food… only the food provided by God through the sacrifices
For you and me....
Be Careful What You Feed On !
Be Careful What You Feed On !
Where do you go for advice and counsel?
Is it Godly? Is it Biblical?
Is it God’s counsel or someone else?
Vs.10-13 describe who is permitted to eat of the holy offerings
Leviticus 22:10-13
Leviticus 22:10-13
‘No outsider shall eat the holy offering; one who dwells with the priest, or a hired servant, shall not eat the holy thing. But if the priest buys a person with his money, he may eat it; and one who is born in his house may eat his food. If the priest’s daughter is married to an outsider, she may not eat of the holy offerings. But if the priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food; but no outsider shall eat it.
It boils down to… it was meant only for the priest and his immediate family
details of what constitutes his immediate family...
It was meant for the priest, not just anybody...
The Lord has food to give YOU...
Don’t try to sustain yourself on other people’s food...
Don’t try to sustain yourself on other people’s food...
If you are someone who only takes in what other people have gleaned
what other people have mined from God’s word....
You are missing out on what the Lord wants to show YOU for your particular situation - for your life !!
The Lord has food for you !
The Lord has food for you !
Leviticus 22:14-16
Leviticus 22:14-16
‘And if a man eats the holy offering unintentionally, then he shall restore a holy offering to the priest, and add one-fifth to it. They shall not profane the holy offerings of the children of Israel, which they offer to the Lord, or allow them to bear the guilt of trespass when they eat their holy offerings; for I the Lord sanctify them.’ ”
Precept of restitution
restoring what was taken and adding 20%
Restoration provides healing to both the victim and the perpetrator of the crime
Leviticus 22:17-23
Leviticus 22:17-23
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, who offers his sacrifice for any of his vows or for any of his freewill offerings, which they offer to the Lord as a burnt offering—you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf. And whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. Those that are blind or broken or maimed, or have an ulcer or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to the Lord. Either a bull or a lamb that has any limb too long or too short you may offer as a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
The required sacrifices, whether for:
fulfillment of a vow
Sacrifice associated with the freewill offering
Sacrifice of a peace offering
If it is was one of the required sacrifices - it was to be perfect without blemish or defect
The only exception - didn’t have to be entirely perfect - was the freewill offering itself (not the required sacrifice that accompanied it)
Otherwise - it was all to be perfect, without blemish
Slide - Lamb of God
Because Jesus Christ was typified in these sacrifices
The Lamb of God without spot/blemish
And because God is worthy of our very best !!
Malachi 1:6-14
Malachi 1:6-14
“A son honors his father,
And a servant his master.
If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor?
And if I am a Master,
Where is My reverence?
Says the Lord of hosts
To you priests who despise My name.
Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
“You offer defiled food on My altar,
But say,
‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying,
‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’
And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is it not evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is it not evil?
Offer it then to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he accept you favorably?”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“But now entreat God’s favor,
That He may be gracious to us.
While this is being done by your hands,
Will He accept you favorably?”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Who is there even among you who would shut the doors,
So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain?
I have no pleasure in you,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“But you profane it,
In that you say,
‘The table of the Lord is defiled;
And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’
You also say,
‘Oh, what a weariness!’
And you sneer at it,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;
Thus you bring an offering!
Should I accept this from your hand?”
Says the Lord.
“But cursed be the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished—
For I am a great King,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“And My name is to be feared among the nations.
Malachi 1:6-14
slide Pastor Chuck Smith
I read a story one time of a farmer who came into his wife all excited, and as he sat down, he said, "Well, a cow calved this morning and they're twins. I'm just so excited I decided to give one of them to the Lord. So we'll raise them together, and when they get old enough or big enough to sell, then one of them is the Lord's, and whatever comes from it we'll just give to the Lord." So she said, "Oh that's fine, honey. I think that's a wonderful idea." So she went out and looked at them, and she said, "Oh that's great, now which one's the Lord's?" He said, "Oh, it really doesn't make any difference." So a few months went on, and he came in one morning. He wasn't looking so good, she said, "What's wrong?" He said, "Oh, the Lord's calf died."
slide Old bed mattress “donated” to our church
Old bed mattress “donated” to our church
Leviticus 22:24-25
Leviticus 22:24-25
‘You shall not offer to the Lord what is bruised or crushed, or torn or cut; nor shall you make any offering of them in your land. Nor from a foreigner’s hand shall you offer any of these as the bread of your God, because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them. They shall not be accepted on your behalf.’ ”
4 different methods of castration in the ancient world
In otherwords.... no castrated animals
Don’t offer up worship to the Lord what man has modified....
slide
Tradition vs. Faith
Man’s laws vs. God’s law
making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
Leviticus 22:26-28
Leviticus 22:26-28
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day and thereafter it shall be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord. Whether it is a cow or ewe, do not kill both her and her young on the same day.
Even in the sacrificial system of the old covenant - there was a sense of mercy
With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Leviticus 22:29-30
Leviticus 22:29-30
And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord, offer it of your own free will. On the same day it shall be eaten; you shall leave none of it until morning: I am the Lord.
True thankfulness is not coerced or contrived.... it is a free choice...
Having said that.... for the Priest who offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving, his portion wasn’t allowed to be set aside until the next morning
It was to be eaten fresh that same day
It was not allowed to become stale and spoiled.... it was to be partaken of fresh
The Prophet Daniel understood that concept - and practiced it....
The Prophet Daniel understood that concept - and practiced it....
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
his custom since early days.... praying and giving thanks daily
Has the Lord given you something to thank Him for?
another sunrise - a new day to live for Him
forgiveness from sin again and still another chance to serve Him
food to eat - a job to work - loved ones around you - your health
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
The Bible describes what can happen to people who neglect to be thankful...
because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Our thoughts can become fuitle
Our hearts can be darkened...
Leviticus 22:31-33
Leviticus 22:31-33
“Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the Lord. You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the Lord who sanctifies you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord.”
Let’s respond in Prayer !!