God appointed, anointed, consecrated, and ordained certain men as the mediating priests who would stand in the gap between the unholy sins of Israel and Holy God. God’s priestly order would begin with Aaron and the sons of Aaron.  Aaron is the brother of Moses who was surely not without the propensity to sin.  We remember that it was Aaron who caved to the crowd while Moses was getting instructions from God on the mountain. (Exodus 32). 

Forty days with God’s detailed training for Moses was just too long for the people waiting on Moses’ return.  The people assumed Moses wasn’t coming back, presumed Moses to be dead, and so reverted back to the sin of worshiping manmade gods and wild partying—as was their habit learned from the Egyptians.  Holy Cow!  No, seriously, gold was melted down by Aaron who then formed a calf from it, then put it on a platform for all the people to bow down and worship!  It got the people off his back, so to speak, but ended up with God anger becoming the anger of Moses who destroyed it, ground the gold down to power and made the partiers drink it! It’s been said that it takes 40 days to form a new habit; but God’s people merely fell back to old habits. God’s people need help.

We have been learning from the message of Leviticus of God commands His People to live differently and distinctly in the culture that surrounds them for their good and His glory.  “I will make you holy” promises our Holy God.  God was with them always but would not come near their sins until the priests mediated on their behalf by God’s detailed direction so that the unclean could be ceremonial clean by atonement for sin through sacrifice.  Only God is completely perfect and holy.  It is only Holy God whom they must trust and obey.

We learn today that God’s Mediators must be held to high standards for they are the ones who represent all God’s people; seeking God’s forgiveness of all their sins—as well as their own sins.  God knows his priests will not be perfect as they are human.  The priest must be atoned for his own sins before bringing the sins of the people to God to be forgiven.

Leviticus 21

Rules for Priests

21 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, ² except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother, ³ or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband—for her he may make himself unclean. ⁴ He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself.

⁵ “‘Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies. ⁶ They must be holy to their God and must not profane the name of their God. Because they present the food offerings to the Lord, the food of their God, they are to be holy.

⁷ “‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God. ⁸ Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the Lord am holy—I who make you holy.

⁹ “‘If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.

¹⁰ “‘The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. ¹¹ He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, ¹² nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord.

¹³ “‘The woman he marries must be a virgin. ¹⁴ He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, ¹⁵ so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.’”

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷ “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. ¹⁸ No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; ¹⁹ no man with a crippled foot or hand, ²⁰ or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles. ²¹ No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any defect is to come near to present the food offerings to the Lord. He has a defect; he must not come near to offer the food of his God. ²² He may eat the most holy food of his God, as well as the holy food; ²³ yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.’”

²⁴ So Moses told this to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God gave instructions to Moses about the priesthood and sacrifices and gave a code of moral principles.  Those who serve God must be totally dedicated, because God deserves only the best.  God is the best.

But over the centuries, the human priestly system became so sinfully flawed that a “course correction” for the cleansing of sin would need to be made.  The Source of all that is good and holy stood ready at just the right time to make this course correction.  Interestingly, the intent The Law didn’t change; it was fulfilled by a Savior, who was God’s Son.  He came down to earth to save the world.  God knew before Creation that the ultimate Plan to save people from their sins would be needed and God was ready.  God’s love for His created all over the world prompted His perfect plan to save an imperfect people once and for all by one perfect sacrifice. God loves. He always has and always will!  God is the Source of real love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

God gave His people a glimpse of the glorious coming of the Messiah through the prophets. God gave them the words to say to tell how He would save His people—but many would not listen to understand for most people are very impatient in waiting. (Remember the golden calf debacle, for instance!)

Before Jesus came, the priests still stood and read of God’s Plan out loud in the synagogues; but they did not fully understand because of their well-formed arrogance coupled with their desire to always have the final say with power over the people in any given community.

As for me; I am grateful for The Plan.  I am humbled by Jesus who demonstrated God’s love, taught us what real love is with how to live a more holy life through repentance of our sins to Him and who gave us a greater understanding of who God is with what God expects. God still wants us to be holy as He is holy.  God gives us all the help we need to seek His holy ways.  God knows we are not perfect. God knows our hearts.  His expectation for us is to seek His holy ways.

Real life begins with Jesus, our High Priest, who is without sin, who sacrificed His life for ours, who stood in the gap between our sins and God’s holiness. We simply and sincerely repent to our Savior who has already taken our punishment and paid the debt of sin in full.  Jesus made us right with God—closing the gap between God and us!  

We who believe and repent to Jesus are made clean by God who is holy.  Our sins are erased, gone, remembered no more! Jesus stands ready as our Advocate to God because Jesus is God.  Pause to thank God for sending His Son to save us and make us holy before Him!  Jesus did what we cannot do for ourselves—remove all sin and make us holy before a Holy God.

Jesus’ plunge into the Jordan is a picture of his plunge into our sin. His baptism announces, “Let me pay.”  And He did.  So, to arrive at holiness we must trust in Jesus Christ. Every area of our lives must be placed in subjection to His lordship, every decision made with him, and every word said honoring to him. Believe, repent, and be set free to love God and others with the love God who now takes up residence in the hearts of those fully committed to Him who saved us. 

“Blessed are those who believe without seeing,” says Jesus. (John 20:29) He was talking about us!  As we trust and obey; we live with expectancy, following Jesus’ adventures that build and expand our faith, hope, and love—all from Him who loved us first!

Lord,

Thank you for your message of “standards” that when studied and translated leads us to seeking your holy ways of living. Thank you for the help we need every day to live a more holy life with you in the lead.  Cleanse our hearts and remove all that does not belong.  Renew our minds, transform our behaviors by your power working in us.  Refresh our souls with your tender mercies.  Continually restore the spring of joy of you in us and us in you.  Thank you for your gift of peace that transcends all.  Be our wisdom and strength for today.

In Jesus Name, Amen

Since Jesus, we who believe are appointed to go and teach of Jesus who saved us.  We are the “priests” who proclaim and point people to Jesus, the Highest Priest, who is the only Way to God. (1 Peter 2:9; Matthew 28:20; 2 Corinthians 5:20)  Do our standards for living match our Holy God desires for us?  Pondering…