Leviticus 22

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.

They were not to dishonor God in the way they worshipped Him. Can we take a clue from that?

3 Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.

Under the Law they would die, the priests, for coming to the Lord unclean. But, how many of us go to worship with unconfessed sins on us?

4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
5 Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;
6 The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

We wash today on a daily basis before coming to God. How?

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

How many Christians, of the ones that do pray, start out their day seeking God’s face in prayer without letting God’s word cleanse them? Do you not recite verses and read your Bible first to hear God speaking to YOU before you try to talk to HIM?

7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.
8 That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.

Obviously, this has health implications whether or not they are incidental. A dead animal may be diseased as may be something killed by other animals.

9 They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.
10 ¶ There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.

Foreigners, visitors, or hired servants (employees) are not to eat of that which is set apart for the Lord.

11 But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.

However, a purchased slave and those born in the priest’s household are free to eat of the holy food.

12 If the priest’s daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

If the priest’s daughter marries a foreigner she can’t eat of the holy things.

13 But if the priest’s daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

She can eat if she goes home after being widows, divorced, and has no child to care for her.

14 And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.
15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;
16 Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

These were serious issues for the Hebrews. How can modern Christians keep trying to put themselves back under the Law and then selectively choose which laws they will obey?

17 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
19 Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.
20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
24 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.
25 Neither from a stranger’s hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

By inference, how many of us, when we give something to God, is it broken or blemished or what’s left? Our time to and with God is not our first priority. Our money to God is not our first fruits but what’s left after we have used it to satisfy our own wants and needs. We are all sottish and foolish children.

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
27 When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

I am not smart enough to understand the purpose of this rule. Is it about mercy to the animal? I don’t know.

28 And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.

An even more peculiar statement. Could this have something to do with mirroring something in Heaven itself?

29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.

Thanksgiving offerings must be voluntary. But we should always be thankful.

1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

30 On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.
31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,
33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.

These things separated the Hebrews from other people. They also glorified God and made His name known to the heathen.