Leviticus 21:1-24

God separated the priests from all the children of Israel as a group of men who were chosen to represent the people before God.  They were ministers in the tabernacle and in charge of burning the sacrifices before the Lord.  They had a special position amongst the people and as such they were held to a special standard.  Leadership is a privilege, but it is also a responsibility and it implies that those who are given positions of leadership will agree to the terms of this office.  Leadership requires the limitation of liberty.

LEADERS WERE LIMITED IN THEIR MOURNING: Since the bodies of dead people were considered to be unclean for the children of Israel, the priest was not to make himself unclean by touching the body of a dead person unless it was a parent, spouse or child.  Death is a time for mourning for all people.  We love one another and when someone dies it is only natural for us to express our sorrow for that death.  However, the priest had a job to do that was unique before the Lord and it was so important for the good of the entire community that he was limited in the way he could express his grief.  Spiritual leaders today do not have to worry about being ceremonially clean, but they are still called to be leaders amongst the people of God in times of sorrow.  We are called upon to minister to those who are in grief and to maintain an eternal perspective on the death of God’s people even when they are members of our own family.  Grief is permitted, but spiritual leaders should never become overcome by hopelessness in light of death.

LEADERS WERE LIMITED IN THEIR MARRIAGE: Priests were clearly permitted to get married.  However, their marriage partners were limited to those who were still virgins.  Those who had been married before but were no longer married because of the death of a spouse or divorce were not candidates for a priest to marry.  A woman who had been raped was also not a suitable spouse for the priest.  In general, it seems that the general population was free to marry in these circumstances but the priests were required to submit to this higher standard.  Spiritual leaders are expected to be examples for their people.  Once again we are made clean by the blood of Christ so the ceremonial issues are not a part of our limitations today.  However, we must recognize that we are called to set an example for the body of Christ and our marriages are certainly an area that requires that we provide a godly example both in whom we marry as well as how we relate with our spouses.  As leaders we must devote ourselves to having a godly family.

LEADERS WERE LIMITED IN THEIR MALFUNCTIONS: The priests were also not allowed to come into the holy place and offer sacrifices for the people if they had some sort of physical defect.  Sin has caused man’s body to be tormented by disease and defect.  Many times these problems have nothing to do with the sinfulness of the person who suffers from the defect.  The presence of a physical hardship does not imply guilt on the part of the person who suffers from it.  However, as a priest, those who suffered from these handicaps were not permitted to stand in God’s presence and make sacrifices for the people of God.  Once again, in Christ spiritual leaders are not required to meet these physical qualifications.  However, I do believe that God expects that the spiritual leaders of today take good care of the bodies they have been given.  A proper diet, adequate exercise and sleep are a part of taking care of the instruments that God has set apart for His service.  We must learn to exercise physical discipline in the way care for our bodies.