Leviticus 21-22 / Brainstorm

Quotes:

Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of the Book of Leviticus Introduction

The only effective and lasting safeguard in God’s Presence must necessarily be authentic holiness; hence chapters 17–27 of Leviticus.

Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of the Book of Leviticus Introduction

As a consequence of the Day of Atonement Israel is now able to participate in God’s holiness—a prospect with a view to full and lasting communion with YHWH God.

Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of the Book of Leviticus Narrative Strategy

Understanding holiness from the angle of Israel’s cult, holy means belonging to God. Entering into the Sabbath regularly, Israel was steadily to grow in its calling of belonging to God.

Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of the Book of Leviticus Understanding Israel’s Call to Holiness (Lev. 17–22)

Leviticus 21–22 addresses matters specifically related to the priesthood, detailing restrictions related to mourning, marriage, physical defects and sacrificial animals. The aim of this legislation, as discerned by the references bookending this section, is to keep God’s holy name from profanation (21:6; 22:32), which may be understood alternatively as maintaining the purity of the cultic approach to God.

The more we get what we now call ‘ourselves’ out of the way and let Him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become. There is so much of Him that millions and millions of ‘little Christs’, all different, will still be too few to express Him fully. Lewis - Mere Christianity p. 225

If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? - Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Notes:

What are priests?

Priests - ritual/cultic. New human who returns to eden on behalf of other humans they confront death and confer God’s presence to people

A special representative who goes into God’s presence on behalf of others.

They needed to put on an identity (clothes/family/lifestyle) that reflected their service. (Exodus 28)

What is holiness?

Holiness - belonging to God.

Holiness is the byproduct of becoming more intimate with God.

Holiness = intimacy because it implies both proximity and substance

So the reason God says I am YAHWEH who sanctifies you is because he is helping us know who he is so we can grow closer to him and become more like him and become more holy because that’s his character. This is logical and intuitive: My wife played soccer… as I grew closer and closer to her i began to like soccer and she began to like my taste in shows because you begin to share the essence of the person you are intimate. Because God is God, sharing the essence of him is its own category - HOLINESS. And this means that growing in holiness is growing in intimacy and fellowship with God. This also means that holiness is very personal And so this passage is very personal. It’s talking about us having to give things over to God that feel too personal But that’s the nature of intimacy.

The day of atonement granted us access, now we’re offered intimacy if we’re willing to give ourselves more and more to him.

Grace (Day of Atonement), Obedience (Holiness code), Blessing (intimacy with God)

Meditation:

How can this lead me to: 

adore God?

I Am Yahweh who sanctifies you (Lev. 21:8, 12, 15, 23; Lev. 22:3, 8, 9, 16, 30, 31-33)

confess sin? (What does the text show me about my sin that I should confess and repent of? What false attitudes, behavior, emotions, or idols come alive in me whenever I forget this truth?)

We don’t experience or convey God’s presence when we don’t reflect his holiness.

petition for grace?

Become holy to remain in God’s presence.

To move from access to intimacy by becoming holy.

specific obedience? (How would this change my life if I took it seriously - if this truth were fully alive & effective in my inward being? Why might God be showing this to me now? What is going on in my life that he would be bringing this to my attention today?)

I would mourn with hope

My family would be something that reflects God’s holiness and also encourages my own.

I would apply God’s standard to myself and not just others (22:1-9)

I would care about God’s holy character and not neglect what might not be valuable or worthwhile to me. (22:10-16)

Like small twisting of the truth. Or pet dispositions and attitudes about some people.

I would offer God what reflects his worth (22:17-30)

I wouldn’t cut corners that reflect my total lack of awareness of the greatness and love of God.

The Message of Leviticus: Free to Be Holy c. Sacrifices that Were Not Acceptable (22:17–33)

Worshippers were not doing God a favour by giving him these gifts. He was doing them a favour by accepting them and making atonement because of them. It was essential, therefore, that the quality of gifts presented was determined not by the worshipper but by God himself.

And how is Jesus the ultimate: 

revelation of this attribute?

Jesus is our high priest who sanctifies us.

solution for this sin?

We are not perfect, in fact all the high-priests not, but it requires a perfect man offering a perfect sacrifice. Jesus, the perfect man, offering himself as the perfect sacrifice. Jesus the perfect priest and sacrifice (Heb. 7:26 and 1 Pet. 1:19)

source of this grace?

We have access to the intimacy of a son, boldly drawing near to God because of Jesus work (Heb. 4:14-16)

model of this obedience?

Jesus was perfected as a high priest because he conveyed the Father’s presence to us through his own obedience. We as his priests are asked to do the same, convey God’s presence through our own obedience.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5

Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. 9 After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 and he was declared by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Outlines

Passage Outline:

21:1-15 - Priest’s family life

Priest’s personal life (1-9)

Mourning (1-6)

Marriage (7-9)

High-priest (10-15)

Mourning (21:10-12)

Marriage (21:12-15)

21:16-24 - Priests Physical Perfection

22:1-30 - Professional Conduct

Don’t excuse yourself from God’s holy standards (22:1-9)

Don’t become careless with God’s holy character (22:10-16)

Don’t offer less than God’s holy worth (22:17-30)

22:31-33 - Exhortation and Redemptive motivation

Why? Because I am Yahweh who sanctifies you and redeems you.

Sermon Outlines:

We all want intimacy (with God)

But we don’t find intimacy without meeting God’s standard for all of life (Lev. 21

For our motivations

Excusing yourself from God’s holy standards (22:1-9)

Becoming careless with God’s holy character (22:10-16)

Offering less than God’s holy worth deserves (22:17-30)

Intimacy is found in pursuing the God who pursued you (Holiness) (Lev. 22:31-33)

What does that look like? (How and results

When we become holy

our personal relationships become holy

the parts of our lives we can’t control become holy

our motivations become holy.

We look like Mephibosheth > Lame because of his family issues > David gave him his inheritance but he said someone else can take care of it so that I can eat at your table and have intimacy with you.

But Jesus! makes it all possible

Sometimes you come to church and you hear something about you but most of the time,

Holy priests belong to God.

Sin is belonging to something else and disrupts communion with God.

But God promises to sanctify us as we become more intimate with him, even in our sinful state

Who are holy priests?

Why do we want to be holy priests?

How do we become holy priests?

We Remain in holiness when we give God access to the intimate parts of our life

We Remain in holiness when we give God our

We Remain in holiness when we give God our Best

The argument of the sermon

We don’t want to give God access because it’s going to change us

We are also afraid of what he will say when he sees those parts of us. But Jesus removes that concern because he was perfect on our behalf

But there is still another concern, once we given God access and we aren’t afraid of our own short comings anymore we begin to take it for granted and stop giving our best. When we give God access and our sense of worth and our best we are continually made holy and we remain in a place of intimacy with God.

Write the Sermon:

Putting on an identity that connects you with your service. (Exodus 28)

Proposition: Grow in holiness to grow intimate with God.

Dilemma:

What is profaning God’s name?

We don’t experience or convey God’s presence when we don’t reflect his holiness.

Our sin is simply not as offensive to us as it is to God.

Illustrations & Persuasion

God’s presence = the sun. It’s good and dangerous.

Holiness is reflected by wholeness. If other cultures have standards of right and wrong that are hard for us to understand then doesn’t it make sense that God definitions of right and wrong (holiness) would offend us at some points?

We are offended by what the Bible says about us rather than marveling at what it says about God.

We learn to see things from his perspective.