The Offerings That Are Holy

Leviticus 22:1–16
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The Lord told Moses to say to Aaron and his sons (vv. 1-2): I am the Lord God, and I demand that you honor my holy name by showing proper respect for the offeringsbrought to me by the people of Israel. If any of you are unclean when you accept an offering for me, I will no longer let you serve as a priest (v. 3). None of you may take part in the sacred meals while you have a skin disease or an infected penis, or after you have been near a dead body or have had a flow of semen (v. 4), or if you have touched an unclean creature of any sort, including an unclean person (v. 5). Once you are unclean, you must take a bath, but you still cannot eat any of the sacred food until evening (vv. 6-7). I command you not to eat anything that is killed by a wild animal or dies a natural death (v. 8). This would make you unclean. Obey me, or you will die for disgracing the place of worship. Remember-I am the Lord, the one who makes a priest holy (v. 9).

Only you priests and your families may eat the food offerings; these are too sacred for any of your servants (v. 10). However, any slave that you own, including those born into your household, may eat this food (v. 11) If your daughter marries someone who isn’t a priest, she can no longer have any of this food (v. 12). But if she returns to your home, either widowed or divorced, and has no children, she may join in the meal (v. 13). Only members of a priestly family can eat this food, and anyone else who accidentally does so, must pay for the food plus a fine of twenty percent (v. 14). I warn you not to treat lightly the offerings that are brought by the people of Israel (v. 15). Don’t let them become guilty of eating this sacred food. Remember-I am the Lord, the one who makes these offerings holy (v. 16).

Application

As a servant of the Lord I have a great responsibility to keep my life clean and pure as long as I live.