Dq – Purity for Priests 22: 1-9

Purity for Priests
22: 1-9

Purity for priests DIG: Why did the priests need to be careful with regard to the sacred sacrifices on the bronze altar? Why was it important for a priest not to touch a dead body? What did it mean for a priest to be unclean? What did it mean to be “cut off” from YHVH?

REFLECT: What do these verses imply about the attitude necessary for anyone to approach ADONAI? How would you depict your own attitude in approaching God? Casual or formal? Confident? What is “unclean” in your world? What do you have to be careful to avoid?

Priests had the privilege of handling God’s holy items. But with such privilege came great responsibility,
for now they risked disrespecting those items, and the One who owned them.

The reason for the priesthood’s added concerns around ritual purity was their regular contact with the Tabernacle/Temple and the sacred offerings within. ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell Aaron and his sons to be extremely careful with the sacred offerings that the Israelites set apart for me. So, they do not bring shame on My holy Name. I am the LORD. This phrase occurs many times throughout Leviticus. It occurs at the beginning and end of this chapter. It affirms the holiness of what YHVH has received and warns against giving Him less than the best or treating His offerings with disrespect (22:1-2).³⁸⁸ The verses that follow provide the details and consequences of such actions. The first mitzvah is that impure/unclean priests may not come into contact with the sacred offerings.

Tell them, “Any descendant of yours through all your generations who approaches the sacred offerings that the people of Isra’el dedicate to ADONAI and is unclean will be cut off from before Me; I am ADONAI” (22:3). The general principle first appears here, then again in verse 9. In rabbinic literature the penalty is called karet, or “cutting off.” In priestly literature, the penalty of karet was understood to include a series of related punishments at the hand of God, ranging from the immediate death of an offender, as in 20:17, to his premature death at a later time, and even to the death of his descendants. In Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6 and Mishnah Keritot 1:2, this penalty was characterized as mitah biydei shamayim, or “death at the hands of heaven.” Since in 7:20-21 karet is mentioned in the context as childlessness, there is the implication that it took that course as well.³⁸⁹

Any descendant of Aaron with tzara‘at (to see link click Bv – The Test of Tzara’at) or a discharge is not to eat the holy things until he is clean. Then Moshe, inspired by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh mentions several examples. Any priest who has touched a person made unclean by a dead body (22:4a). Corpse contamination was suggested earlier, where the bodies of Nadab and Abihu were removed by using their tunics as the means of lifting them. This prevented direct contact with the bodies (see Bh – The Death of Nadab and Abihu). In 21:11 the Bible prohibited a high priest from being in the same room or building as a corpse. Such strict separation of the corpse and the high priest was also demanded for the other priests. They could only mourn the loss of close family members (see Do – Prohibited Practices for the Priests: The priests and the dead).

Any priest who has had a seminal emission would be unclean (22:4b). The reference to the emission of semen recalls the earlier description (see Cm – Male Chronic Uncleanness: Normal male discharges). And touching a detestable reptile or insect could also make him unclean recalls Leviticus 11. Not only are detestable creatures unclean to eat (11:10, 20-23, 29, 31, and 41-44), they are also unclean for priests to touch. Or a man who is unclean for any reason and who can transmit to him his uncleanness (22:5).³⁹⁰ The person who touches any of these will be unclean until evening and is not to eat the holy food of God unless he bathes his body in water (22:6). Sacrificial offerings are often called lehem, translated bread or food, and, at least in a symbolic sense, are considered bread for YHVH. The priests needed to observe strict codes of purity for they were the mediators between the worshiper and ADONAI.³⁹¹ Therefore, they were expressly warned not to serve or offer sacrifices at the bronze altar while in a state of ritual impurity (see Ah – The Offerings from the People’s Perspective).

After sunset he will be clean (22:7a). After sunset on the day of his immersion, a person was regarded as clean and able to enter into the Tabernacle/Temple and partake of the sacrificial service. In the way the Bible calculates time, sunset marks the beginning of the new day. This principle is reiterated here for the benefit of the priesthood.

And afterwards, the priest could eat the holy things; because they were his food (22:7b). Sacrificial offerings are often called lehem, translated bread or food, and, at least in a symbolic sense, are considered bread for YHVH. The priests needed to observe strict codes of purity for they were the mediators between the worshiper and ADONAI.³⁹² It seems that what gave God great joy was the fact that He was obeyed by worshipful people who offered the prescribed sacrifices just as He had commanded. This is what pleased Ha’Shem and the offering became a sweet aroma to Him. In other words, God’s bread was mankind’s seeking to draw near to Him.³⁹³

But he was not to eat anything that died naturally or was torn to death by wild animals and thereby making himself unclean; I am ADONAI. A similar statement occurs in Ezeki’el 44:31. In Leviticus 17:15 this same prohibition is addressed to all Israelites, and similar commandments are addressed to the Israelite people in Exodus 22:30 and Deuteronomy 14:21. It is likely, therefore, that this very ancient prohibition was repeated here for emphasis in the mitzvot specifically addressed to priests.³⁹⁴

Just as the common Israelite was forbidden from eating of the peace offerings (see Ak – The Peace Offerings: At Peace with God) while in a state of ritual impurity, the priests were forbidden from eating of the priestly portions of the sacrifices while in a state of ritual impurity. A priest who flaunted these prohibitions and intentionally ate the priestly portions while in a state of ritual impurity risked an untimely end. The priest must observe this charge of mind; otherwise, if they profane it, they will bear the consequences of their sin for doing so and die in it. In all but the most serious cases of ritual contamination, a person need only immerse himself (and often his clothes) and then wait until sunset before being deemed clean again. And to provide the motivation for following these mitzvot, YHVH declared: I am ADONAI, who makes them holy (22:9).

The priests needed to be particularly diligent about these matters. By handling the sacrifices in a state of ritual impurity, they could invalidate the sacrifice, defile the bronze altar, and defile the priestly portions of the sacrifices. The warning about waiting until sunset after immersion before eating the sacrifices counted as one of the 613 commands of the Torah.³⁹⁵ Priests had the privilege of handling the LORD’s holy items. But with such privilege came great responsibility, for now they risked disrespecting those items – and ADONAI who owned them – if they mishandled them. Those with special privileges in the affairs of YHVH must treat their responsibilities with absolute seriousness: Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, since you know that we will be judged more severely (James 3:1).³⁹⁶

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are such a holy and pure God (Isaiah 6:3)! I love being Your child (John 1:12). But with the privilege of being in Your family, comes the responsibility to act holy, for You are holy. Salvation is a wonderful gift but not something that can be taken for granted (Romans 5:17). Being joined with You unites us together, both in Your death to sin and in Your resurrection to life. For if we have become joined together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also will be joined together in His resurrection (Romans 6:5). Your purpose, set forth in Messiah, has always been a wonderful union with You. You planned from before creation (Ephesians 1:4) to make those who love You holy, by adoption into Your family -uniting them in Messiah. Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Messiah as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10). It is such a joy to be united with You and so with great pleasure we seek to live holy lives to please You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen