Leviticus 22:1-33


The Lord has made special provisions for the priests who serve in the tabernacle so that they can dedicate themselves to their service to the Lord while at the same time they can provide for the needs of their family.  This was God’s gift to the priests, and as a gift from God to them it was to be treated with reverence and respect.  We must never treat the gifts of God to us with irreverence but must receive them with thanksgiving and obedience.  Every gift that God gives has a purpose and He is glorified when we use His gifts for their intended purpose.

GOD’S PROVISION IS SACRED: The sacrifices that were brought to the tabernacle were God’s means of providing for the forgiveness of the people as well as for the support of the priests who offered these sacrifices.  It was very important to God that the priest realized the sacredness of this gift from God to them.  Only he and his family were allowed to eat this food.  However, they were only allowed to eat it when they were ceremonially clean before the Lord.  If they had come into contact with a dead body or anything else that would cause them to become unclean, they were not allowed to eat of the sacrifice until they were cleansed.  It is important that we realize the holiness of all the gifts that God gives to us.  Reverence in these days of informality and familiarity seems to be a lost virtue in the lives of many believers.

GOD’S PREREQUISITE IS SACRIFICE: The people were to bring sacrifices before the Lord as an admission of their sin and as recognition that they needed forgiveness from God.  The sacrifice was to prefigure the final sacrifice of Christ made on behalf of all of mankind.  The blood of animals could not pay for the sins of men, but the blood of the Son of God who took on flesh so that He could pay for our sin was the perfect sacrifice for our sin.  Since the animals were representatives of Christ it was vital that they be perfect sacrifices and not blemished or lame animals.  God has given us the very best in His Son and e demands the very best of us.  God expects us to dedicate our gifts to Him with excellence.

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