LEVITICUS
Week 8 Chapters 21-22 Rules for the priests
Discuss Study Questions Week 7
1. Lev. 18:5 and Lev. 18:6 end with a simple statement “I am the Lord.” It is the basis on which He can tell us what to do and what not to do. What does it mean to you? What do you think of when He says, “I am the Lord.” right before or after He gives us something to avoid or something to do?
2. Lev. 18: 7-17 includes a list that seems so obvious to us. We could easily think, “That these relationships are taboo. That goes without saying. “ Why do you think that is, why that we are disgusted by these sins when God knew He had to lay them out so specifically?
3. Lev. 18:6 God says that the above behaviors will profane His name. How does what we do reflect on God’s name?
4. So called Christians today want to point to Lev. 18:22 and put it in the same category as the food prohibitions of Ch. 11, part of the Old Covenant. “We are not under law.” Read 1Cor 6:9-11. What do you think of people and churches that call themselves Christian, yet embrace homosexuality, some even to the point of having openly homosexual clergy?
5. How do these commandments set us apart from our society? How has society changed in your lifetime?
6. Contrast the Biblical way of taking care of the poor to our country’s. Why hasn’t the Biblical principal of individuals providing for the poor taken care of the problem?
7. Lev. 19:23-25 Planting a tree and waiting 4 years to eat it’s fruit seems very hard. Yet God says it is the best way to have plentiful fruit. Is there a relationship between having to work for and wait for the reward and the value of the reward?
8. God repeats that we are to keep His Sabbaths so many times. Do you take it seriously? Why/why not? If you do, how is your Sabbath different from other days?
9.What prompts you to obey God’s commands? Read Rom. 8:15 and Ga. 5:1 How do you respond?
10. Lev. 26 God tells us that He has set us apart to be His people. We are His people. As Christians who have come to God through faith in Christ, individually. We have personal responsibility to reflect that. How does that make you feel? What do you do or refrain from doing to reflect Him?
Chapter 21 and 22 are often not even read because they deal exclusively with the priests. Yet, as God’s people, we are all called to be priests. We represent Christ and offer prayers on behalf of others, as did the priest. God says in verse 6, that because we come before Him on the behalf of others, we are to behave differently than the masses.
CHAPTER 21
Verses 1-5 talk about a priests defiling himself for any relative who is a blood relative to him. We might so grieve for those we love who are not saved, but for those who are, we are given the same admonishment about grieving in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” Notice, we are not told not to grieve.
Verses7-9 are some of the verses that show God’s abhorrence of “harlotry”, prostitution. A woman’s body is to be holy and wholly for her husband. Sex between husband and wife is an extension of the love they have for each other, God’s love. A woman profanes God’s creation, her body, by taking money for sex, as if it were something to be sold.
Verses 10 -15 Emphasize the special restrictions for the head priest. His behavior, his obedience to God’s commands, affects all of the people. When a pastor falls, for example, it affects the entire congregation.
Verses 16-24 deal with descendants of Arron with permanent “defects”, blindness, lameness, etc. Notice, that while they cannot participate in giving offerings, they are not excluded from the company or being able to eat what is due to the Levites from the offerings.
CHAPTER 21
Verses 1-7 give the regulations about those temporarily unclean and what they must do before they can partake of the holy sacrifices that the Levites were due.
Verses 8-16 specify who can and cannot eat of the offerings. For example, a daughter married to a layman cannot. Presumably, she does not need it. Her husband will take care of her. 22:14 even gives instructions for eating something holy without knowing it was holy, unintentionally. For us, even sin we commit without realizing it is a sin is punishable
Verses 17-27 again stress the importance of the animal sacrifice being perfect.
Verses 29-30 just say the meat from the sacrificed must be eaten the day of the sacrifice. This only makes sense at a time there was no refrigeration, no way to keep the meat from spoiling over night.
Verses 31-33 is a reminder that He is not only the God who sanctifies us, but what He did for us, what He is capable of doing for us.
LEVITICUS Chapters 21-22
Study Questions
1. 21:1-5 deal with grieving. Grieving is okay, just not as those without hope. What does this mean to you? Outwardly, what is the difference, if any?
2. 21:10-15- Relate to the head priest only. Yet, it is true of any endeavor, any school, any company, any nation, even your home. If the principal of a school, the CEO of a company, the ruler/president of a country, husband in a marriage, is corrupt, lazy, selfish, arrogant, it will affect everyone. Describe a situation where this principle has played out in real life.
3.21:16-24 through 22:1-16 Show God’s attention to details and loving kindness to defective, fallen mankind. We can still participate, but not assume leadership positions. Some we can be cleansed of, others show a defect that is part of us. Read 1Tim 3:1-13 for the qualifications necessary to actually serve as a leader in the church. What are some of the things that will disqualify a man from serving as an elder or deacon?
4.Verses 22:17-27 Restate the necessity of the sacrifice being without blemish. What are some of the kinds of sacrifices we make and how can they be profane, that is dishonoring God?
5. Verse 28 In Ex.23:19, the Israelites are forbidden to seethe a kid in it’s mother’s milk. Here they are told they must not kill the mother and offspring at the same time. What does this tell you about how God’s importance, His view of the mother/child bond?
6. Communion is to be a reminder of what Christ’ death brought us and His promises for our future. (Luke 22:19) In addition to communion, which is infrequent in most churches, how do you keep God’s sacrifice for you fresh? What are some of your other blessings, in addition to salvation and a future with Him for which you are very thankful?