Leviticus 6:8-7:38


Offerings are sacred, as are those who care for these offerings.  God made provision for the priests who worked in the temple through the sacrifices that were brought to them.  This was certainly not a means of getting rich, but it was a way that these servants of the Lord could have their needs met since they could not work in fields in order to be able to grow their own food.  These same principles continue to hold true in some ways today.  Obviously there are different applications but the truths taught in this passage are the basis for many of our teachings on giving to support our ministers today.
THE OFFERING WAS SHARED WITH THE PRIEST: There were certain kinds of offerings and certain portions of the offerings that God permitted the priest to eat.  This was a means of supporting the physical needs of the priests.  God is very considerate of His servants and made provision for each of their needs.  It seems that it can become common in our churches today to go to one extreme or the other.  There are some who do not support their spiritual leaders at all; while there are others who support leaders with an extreme extravagance.  Certainly the ministry should not be viewed as a means of attaining great wealth.  However, the ministry should not be synonymous of depravation and poverty.  I think that as members we must willingly contribute to the needs of those who minister to us.  At the same time, ministers must learn to be content with that which God provides.
THE OFFERING WAS SACRED TO THE PRIEST: The task of offering sacrifices was a sacred one and should never have been taken lightly.  The portion of the sacrifice that was offered to the pries was also to be considered as sacred.  These offerings were not to be abused or treated lightly.  Many of them were required to be eaten on the same day as the sacrifice in order to keep the priest from stocking up on food or selling that which might have been left over.  The priest was never to use the sin of the people as a sort of marketing strategy to promote his own wealth.  Only the priest was allowed to eat the portion so it could not be sold to others or shared by others.  The ministry is truly a sacred privilege that should never be taken lightly by any of us.

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