Leviticus Chapter 22 Discussion

Thank you, Indeed Paul often refers to the statutes and ordinances in Leviticus in his writings to illustrate how Jesus fulfilled all that these fore-shadowed.

The Levites where appointed to prepare the tabernacle, and were in charge of moving it, while the people made their way into the promised land. Aaron, Moses brother would be the high priest, along with His sons, two of whom were devoured at the alter for disobedience. Understanding the different offerings will enlighten the reader into the writings of the Pauline letters, since we know that Paul was a Pharisee of all Pharisee's. All His writings are enhanced and illustrated with the use of this book. His words are interweaved with the sacraments of the alter, enlightening the reader of the true meaning of the blood and its purpose in sanctifying the soul of souls (the congregation) who bring it. How these sacrifices can never make us perfect, while we see Jesus who has become the perfect one from all eternity. The prophesied one. The Messiah, who would come to reconcile His people and those of the gentile nations ,once and for all .

Moses had been given a great responsibility, making sure that Gods will would be done. Sin offerings would be an important part of keeping the congregation( the future church ) in one mind, knowing the importance of the alter and the sinful nature of man! Consecrating the Nation into one!

Leviticus Chapters 21 and 22 HOLINESS IS FROM THE LORD

God sovereignly chose to set apart the priests from the others in order for them to perform special tasks. He wanted them to know that in order for them to perform these special tasks before God they had to remain undefiled because of God's innate holiness. God had a higher standard for the priests because He had sacred tasks for them to do-making sacrifices and offerings for the people and for themselves because of man's innate sinfulness. This is the reason they had a higher standard to avoid defilement. not because they were more righteous than any other Israelite, but because God is holy and both the sacrifice and the offerer must be holy before the LORD.

The Scribes and the Pharisees did not conform themselves to the Word of God. They, instead, conformed the Word of God to their liking. Rather than being aware of their persistent sinfulness and their ongoing need for a sacrifice to remove their sin, they saw themselves as having made themselves holy and were deserving of God's blessing. Rather than see themselves put in a position of privilege by God, they saw that they had this position by right. Rather than seeing their ministry as a service to God and the people, they saw it as their right to have a higher status. We are in the same way when we do not allow Scriptures to convict us but rather use Scriptures to elevate ourselves.

Both priests and sacrifices had to be perfect. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was both the perfect high priest and perfect sacrifice that these Levitical laws foreshadowed. Unlike the religious leaders in Jesus' time and us at times, He fulfilled these sacred roles and tasks perfectly, effectually, and comprehensively. His priestly sacrifice of Himself once and for all made holy all who trust in His work on their behalf. We add nothing to our holiness and right standing before God. But Jesus supplies everything for it. And we can be ever thankful to Him.

Leviticus Chapters 21 & 22 Legalism continued

Having come to this false conclusion, then one could reason, like the Scribes and Pharisees that it was one's own works that made himself righteous. It was this attitude that the Lord said characterized His opponents. Jesus used the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying to God to illustrate that the attitude of self-righteousness does not justify anyone.

The Scribes and the Pharisees were wrong on two accounts. First, they were wrong to think that they were righteous ( Mt. 5:20; 7:15). Secondly, they were wrong in attributing righteousness to their own efforts. They thought their righteousness was the results of their efforts to obey the commands of Leviticus Chapters 21 and 22.

Then what did God intend to teach the priests by giving them these commands to avoid any outward corruption or defilement in these chapters? He was teaching them that He is the one who makes them holy. " I am the LORD who sanctifies you?" God said this 6 times. It was God who set the priests apart, sanctifying them. The priests did not sanctify themselves. God commanded the priest to avoid outward defilement because He had already made them holy. They were told to avoid the things that would make them unclean not that avoiding these things would make them clean.

Salvation-cleansing from sin-is a work of God alone. Keeping ourselves pure is our duty enabled by the Holy Spirit so we do not defile what God has cleansed. That is why the Apostle John tells us that if we sin, we are to confess our sin, and God is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ( 1 John 1:9). We are to seek to stay clean, not to make ourselves clean. Only God can do that.

Holiness is not contagious. We don't acquire it from others. It cannot be transmitted by us to others nor by contact with "holy things". But defilement can be caught, and this God warns the priests about coming in contact with unholy. Holiness only comes from God.

Leviticus Chapters 21 & 22 continued..

As spiritual leaders they should have been even more sensitive to the exemplifying the mercy and love of God towards their kinsmen, at the least. Humility, not pride, was the mark of God's leaders. The commands of Leviticus 21 and 22 was given to assure a greater sensitivity to sin and corruption on the part of the priests, not to promote a sense of pride and arrogance, as though they were better people because God had required more of them.

The second error they made was that of Externalism. The things that contaminated the priests in chapter 21 and 22 and thus were to be avoided were not flaws of character or even conduct (sins) but were ceremonial defilement. It would be easy to falsely equate ceremonial purity (holiness) for ritual cleanness. the Scribes and the Pharisees thought that holiness was largely a matter of keeping away from defilement and, especially, sinners. Jesus taught that defilement comes not from without, but from within, from the heart. ( Mk 7:14-15, 20-23). Evil attitudes lead to evil actions.

We must search for meaning in O. T. that goes past the concrete, external, and literal to the heart of the matter. The Scribes and Pharisees failed to do this. This is precisely where they went wrong. They did not take the Law far enough, stopping at the level of concrete (don't touch) the obvious, and the observable. They stopped and the external without pressing in to the internal issues of the heart. God gave the law to deal with man on both of these levels, but primarily to lead to the internal. The Scribes and Pharisees stopped short of getting to the wickedness within themselves.

Their third error was that of Legalism. They had a mindset of works righteousness. One might conclude like the Scribes and Pharisees did that if one was able to avoid the defilements of Leviticus chapters 21 and 22 that he would then be holy.

Leviticus Chapters 21 and 22

These two chapters go together since they are God's commands for the priests and the high priest concerning how they are to avoid defilement. The emphasis in these commands is that those who are to present themselves before God in prayer or service must acknowledge His holiness and their own need for it also.

These commands were instructive to the Aaronic priesthood in the time of the Exodus as well as going forward through the time of Jesus. And then, for the church, there is application, as well.

In Jesus' time, the Scribes and Pharisees were the religious leaders of the Jews. Many of them were priests in the line of Aaron. Jesus and these leaders had many confrontations and Jesus exposed the false ideas of these leaders again and again.

Concerning the topic of Leviticus 21 and 22 the religious leaders adopted several false ideas concerning the priestly requirements to avoid defilement.

First among their errors was Elitism. They believed that the priests were in a class by themselves above the rest of the Jews. They avoided contact with the common folk and were fastidious about not outwardly breaking any of the commands of Moses, especially the laws concerning defilement of their bodies. They measured personal holiness in terms of keeping ceremonially and ritual purity. The holiness of God is to be manifested in obedience to God's commands and in loving their neighbor as themselves, as Jesus taught. But the Scribes and Pharisees thought that holiness was obtained by maintaining a separateness from all things that could defile them, which included most of their kinsmen. The went to great lengths to avoid contamination because they thought they were holier than the common people.

Certainly, as leaders, God holds them to higher standards because of their service to Him and the people. But this does not mean that they are holier than anyone else.But they viewed themselves as the spiritually elite and were prideful in the ways

Earl I know you love God so that being said I'm Good and as long as the outcome is Gods Will its all good.

Earl He believed the religious leaders and acted to the adversaries benefit which would have been prophecy

concerning the Messiah thank God Joseph believed what God told him and moved when he was told. That

the scriptures may be fulfilled.

Brother Jesse, I will agree, I know God can make physical things appear to only certain people, not everyone saw the physical dove that alighted on Christ nor heard the voice. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and their eyes were holden.

As I said before, whichever way it was, it was the WORKS OF GOD. This all we have to agree on.

God Bless You.

Brother Rick, if Herod didn't believe, why did he send soldiers to Bethlehem and kill all the children 2 years old and younger.

They may have been sold out religious leaders but they knew the Scriptures, they knew were the promised messiah was to be born. That's why Herod went to Bethlehem and not some other town.

The real reason Herod went and killed the children is because IT WAS WRITTEN in the prophets, and God's words will not return unto him void but will be fulfilled.

Jeremiah 3:15 Thus saith the Lord, A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, which are not.

God Bless you.

Earl,

I believe it was a physical star, not just a vision given to the Magi. As you properly indicate, Herod would not have seen this star as indicated in Matthew 2:7. This star never appeared to Herod. I believe this star only appeared to a certain group of individuals (Magi?), and the reason I come to this conclusion is from Matthew 2:7 where Herod asks "what time the star appeared," in the Greek text it literally reads "What time of the appearing star."

You might think it's being too technical to be literal, but that's literally how the Greek text reads. It was the appearing and the disappearing star. It is a word that describes what kind of star it was. So literally, in the Greek text, he says "What time of the appearing star?"

I just thought I would share this piece of information with you. I'm not trying to bounce back and forth playing dancing with the stars!

Earl Herod is not going to tell someone to follow something that he didn't believe in that makes

no sense, and the people that were giving him information were sold out religious leaders!

Earl Again you don't read what's written never said physical star, have a nice day. I f you read scripture

the way you read comments it explains a lot.

Brother Rick, if his star was a physical star it would have been visible to all people, Herod would not have ask the wise men to return and tell him where they found the Christ child, he could have followed the star as did the wise men.

Luke 2:9 And when they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they say in the east went before them, till it came and stood over where the child was.

I really don't dwell much on this, because either way, It was the WORKS OF GOD.

Earl Psalm 147:4 He telleth the number of the stars, he calleth them all by names. In Genesis 1:14 and God

said let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from night anfd let them be for sings and

for seasons and for days and for years. The word signs is the hebrew word avah [to mark something specifically]

an event to take place.

In antiquity the names of the stars were given Psalms 147:4 again he calleth the stars by names, and those

names are specific by design Gods. The greeks called stars planets wandering asteres in there close location are so close we can follow there motion. The magi over a few years time were watching a planetary conjunction that involved

mercury messenger planet with venus the bright and morning star planet with Regulus known as heart of the lion i.e.

lion of Judah and finally Jupiter which is known as the Kings planet also Hebrew name is ssedeq meaning righteousness.

these planets in the rotation got within .23 degrees of each other and would have appeared as one single bright star.

The magi would have known this because the Persians studied the heavens in depth, also some of them worshipped

the wrong way. Also this planetary conjunction happened over bethlehem in the constellation virgo i.e. virgin on the elliptical horizon. Look that one up Earl.

Amen Brother Jesse, I agree with all you said, but if it was a physical star seen by everyone, then Herod could have also seen it. Herod didn't seem to be aware of the star.

His star was revealed only to the magi, possibly IN VISION as with the prophets of old. If this was the case then it would have been by the Spirit of Christ.

l

I think you meant to say the 12 stars represent the "whole house of Israel", not just the house of Israel = 10 N. tribes.

The house of Judah = 3 S. tribes, Judah, Benjamin and Levi.

Earl,

No offence, but I don't believe you have your stars "lined up" properly. The star that the Magi followed in Matthew Chapter 2 which led them to the Christ child was not Christ. In Matthew 2:2, these Magi called it "his star." This star was not Christ Himself, but it was his star. It was not a star that was already in the heavens that used to kind of move around a little bit to get some people's attention. It was a special star that was an indication to the Magi. It was "His star." It was Jesus' star.

The star came and stood over Bethlehem and they (The Magi) actually followed the star. It was a guiding star and when it stopped over Bethlehem, they knew that that was the place where the Christ child was. They had no other way of finding their way other than to follow the star. Christ was already approximately a year old and living in a house by the time the Magi arrived in Bethlehem. I know we are getting close to Christmas and I hope I do not cause anyone to return their manger scene back to Walmart by what I'm about to say, but Jesus was not a baby lying in a manger when the wise men arrived, and it wasn't just three wise men either.

You did mention Revelation 22:16. I believe that is referring to Christ but I just don't see how you are connecting that to the star mentioned in Matthew Chapter 2? The bright and morning star is completely different than the star that led the Magi to Christ.

There is much more info on the woman clothed with the sun. Gevte DOT com

Sorry, I don't buy that the star was Christ, since the star come to rest was over where the magi visited the babe. Therefore, I believe that the star was some type of miraculous light in the heavens that could travel and then stay put.

Amen Brother Alex:

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith (of Christ) we understand that the worlds were framed by the WORD of GOD (Spirit), so the things that ARE SEEN were not made of thing which do appear.

Everything that we see was made of what we CANNOT see: everything was made OF SPIRIT (GOD).

The sun, moon, stars, planets, trees, MAN, etc., etc., are made and do consist OF and IN CHRIST. Man was created in darkness, no KNOWLEDGE that GOD created MAN out of HIMSELF.

Colossians 1:17 .....and by him all things consist.

John 1:5 And he shined LIGHT into DARKNESS and the DARKNESS comprehended it not.

Glory to our God, who in the fullness of time will DESTROY DARKNESS.

God Bless You.

Hey Bro. Earl Gbu well said but i also see a light that can be propagated in our hearts, The Manorah's were bullt with leaves and vines and such and vines can be propagated like a Biological plant as Jesus said i am the true vine etc. The

bible speaks of the Branch that is gonna build the temple. Like in the natural a Granson is a branch of his FATHER . And i

believe the H.G. is that Branch that comes out of Christ loins his seed etc His breath etc. God didn't put them ( The

Monorah ) in the most holy place for nothin, its to teach us , Its our hearts is where the most holy place is, our

intermost being , He rose at the place of a skull meaning our brains our interlect , He is gonna rise again with in us

Abide in me and i in you, As Jesus is that Light that cannot be put out ,Just like the Candle Stick cd not be permitted to

go out that was in the Most holy place of the Ark of the covenant. The H.G. is our anointing Oil spritually speaking.

But the H.G. is a living being that can only be born in us via the seed of Christ thus he is the Granson being he comes

out of Christ loins his good seed etc

There cd not be an ISRAEL OF GOD Unless the Godhead was FATHER SON AND GRANSON...Thats y God said his name

was Abraham Issac and Jacob, father son and GRANSON that is gonna be come as the stars of heaven Thus an iSRAEL

of God ,That was the great Promise MULTIPLICATION OF GOD ALMIGHTY Whosoever receiveth one such child in my

name receiveth me See the promise of multiplication via his seed etc Whosoever receiveth one such child in my name is

pure multipllcation that was the great Promise thus there is a baby Christ in our near future. Remember Jesse David and

Solomon were Father Son and GRANSON BUT 1 KINGDOM AMD Jesus said he was the ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF

DAVID.. God wd not let David the son build the temple but only Solomon the Granson Which was the wisest man

in all ISRAEL Which answers to the H.G. the wisest man in all world

OF God

Brother T. Lewis, may Christ grace us with HIS wisdom and His understanding.

There was total darkness when Christ died, because Christ is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a WOMAN clothed with the SUN (the light of the world), and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars (the house of Israel).

Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the LAMB IS THE LIGHT THEREOF.

Our physical sun burns and gives light because Christ CAUSES it, Christ is the light (sun). ( Colossians 1:17)

The star the wise men follower was CHRIST, he is the BRIGHT and MORNING STAR. ( Revelation 22:16)

T. Lewis Look up for His Star massing of Planets most important one Jupiter known as Kings Star in Leo the Lion

I.E. Jesus Christ being Lion of Judah and venus is known as the bright and morning star, also mars I believe

Mars is in the mix. There's much more to this which is why the astronomers took that far of a trip in a caravan.

Tonight I just read Luke 23:44-45 again & for the first time. I realized after seeing the total solar Eclipse on-line very recently. The moment on the cross must have been recorded as total solar eclipse. Lasting 3 hours. There may be a way to more accurately date back the timing that secular history tried destroying, hiding. Anyway very exciting. Hopefully this helps in your search. Also with the Star, Matthew 2:2,7-10 very active heavenly activity must have been recorded also. Just for thought.

Hey David,

I have not studied this other than a bit here and a bit there, we know it was not in the winter and the pagan 25th. The sheep would not be in the pastures in the cold months and not before the pastures could feed the sheep again. John was six months older than Jesus. Zechariah was of the order of Abijah, his lot was to burn incense and if I remember correctly, it was for eight days.

Knowing what time of year, he served the temple, and calculate six months later, the month Tishri very well could be the month. Thanks, I read a little this morning, but I will study this.

Thanks again.

God bless,

RLW

Hi Ronald My understanding is Jesus Christ was born on Tishri one of the judean Calender of that year.

No problem. Have a good and restful night's sleep.

Thanks. I knew those things but it is always good to recall these events. Who knows if a time may come were we will not have our Bibles in hand. So, continually refreshing our memories is a good practice.

Hello.

What is the Tisha B'av?