| The Lord told Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and not to profane His holy name by what they dedicate to Him. God said, “I am the Lord.” The priests were to abstain and treat with respect the offerings of the Israelites. So, if the priest was unclean in any way, he was not to perform his priestly duties at that time. Throughout their generations, if any of their descendants went near the holy things that the Israelites dedicated to the Lord while they were unclean, they were to be cut off from God’s presence. God states, “I am the Lord.” If any of Aaron’s descendants was a leper or had a discharge, they were not allowed to eat the holy offerings until they were clean. Whoever touched anything made unclean by a corpse, or if a man had an emission of semen, or whoever touched any creeping thing or person that caused them to become unclean in any shape or form, that person would remain unclean until evening. He was not allowed to eat the holy offerings unless he washed his body with water. He would be clean when the sun went down and could then eat the holy offerings, because it is his food. The priests were not allowed to eat whatever died naturally or was killed by beasts, to defile themselves with it. God reiterates, “I am the Lord.” The priests were to keep God’s ordinance, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby, if they profaned it. God said, “I the Lord sanctify them.” No outsider was allowed to eat the holy offering including someone who dwells with the priest or a hired servant. However, if the priest bought a person with his money, he may eat it as well as the one who is born in his house. If the priest’s daughter married an outsider, then she was not allowed to eat of the holy offerings. If the priest’s daughter is a widow or divorced and has no child and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she may eat her father’s food. Again, no outsider could eat it. If a man ate the holy offering unintentionally, then he was to restore a holy offering to the priest and add one-fifth to it. They should not profane the holy offerings that the children of Israel offered to the Lord or allow them to bear the guilt of trespass when they ate their holy offerings. God said, “for I the Lord sanctify them.” The Lord told Moses to tell Aaron, his sons and all the children of Israel that whatever man of the house of Israel or strangers in Israel, who offered his sacrifice for any of his vows or any of his freewill offerings made as a burnt offering to the Lord should offer it of their own free will. God does not compel us to give offerings. God loves a cheerful giver, not one giving under compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:7). It should be a male without blemish from the cattle, the sheep or the goats. They were not to offer anything that had a defect because it would not be accepted on their behalf. Whoever offered a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, to fulfill his vow or a freewill offering from the cattle or sheep, the animal must be perfect with no defect in it to be accepted. Those that are blind, broken, maimed or have an ulcer, eczema, or scabs should not be offered to the Lord nor made an offering of them by fire on the altar to the Lord. A bull or a lamb with any limb that is too long or too short could be made as a freewill offering, but it would not be accepted for a vow. Nothing that is bruised, crushed, torn or cut should be made an offering in their land. They should not take any of these from a foreigner’s hand because their corruption is on them and defects are in them. They would not be accepted on their behalf. Be careful of the objects you accept from people, especially if you’re going to offer it to the Lord. The Lord told Moses that when a bull, sheep or goat is born, it should be with its mother for seven days. From the eighth day and thereafter, it would be accepted as an offering made by fire to the Lord. Whether a cow or ewe, they were not to kill her and her young one on the same day. When a sacrifice of thanksgiving was offered to the Lord, it was to be offered by their own free will. It should be eaten on the same day with none of it left until the morning. God said, “I am the Lord.” The Lord said that the people should keep His commandments and perform them for He is the Lord. They should not profane His holy name, but hallow Him among the children of Israel. God said that He is the Lord who sanctified them and brought them out of the land of Egypt to be their God. God said, “I am the Lord.” Never forget to honor God and be thankful for the many blessings He has bestowed on you. |
| Next week, it’s Leviticus 23. To God Be The Glory! Click “Be Encouraged” for Spiritual, Encouraging and Inspirational Uplifting. Be Encouraged Click here to visit Bible Reading Made Different |