Leviticus 21: 17-21 interpretation please?!?

Question

I simply don't understand this passage at all.
I always thought that Jesus took everyone, whether poor, lame, crippled, etc.

This passage kind of defies everything I've ever understood.

here's the passage: "16And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

17Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

18For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,

19Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,

20Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;

21No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. "

Answer 1

This does not mean these people cannot be saved. There were laws in place to care for the disabled.

These are laws concerning those who cannot be a priest, which has HIGH requirements. Just as you cannot bring a lame or blemished lamb for sacrifice, so too the priest offering the sacrificial lamb cannot be lame or blemished. Why? Because the coming Messiah was to be without spot or blemish. This is a prophecy regarding Christ--our high priest.

John 5:39
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

Answer 2

The priesthood of the Old Testament represented God. And since God is perfect, his priests had to be, at least, physically perfect.

These Scriptures are not saying that a lame man could not offer sacrifices to God (he sons of Arron were all priests), it is saying that a lame man could not OFFICIATE at the alter, that is, be an active priest.

In the future, after the first resurrection, the priests of God will be perfect as God is perfect (Matthew 5:48, Revelation 1:6, 5:10); and so, the OT priesthood were representatives of these.

If you'll recall, much of the OT is a type of the spiritual reality that will be in the Kingdom of God. The priesthood, like the Tabernacle itself, were physical figures of future spiritual realities. Even as the animals themselves were figures (types) of Jesus Christ himself -- that is why they had to be spotless and without blemish.

Hebrews 8:1-5 -- "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."

Answer 3

Keep in mind, most sacrifices were eaten. Bringing a sacrifice to the temple could be thought of more like bringing a covered dish to a king's palace after you reconciled by paying your back taxes.

The high priests had the demanding tasks of slaughtering and butchering the animals. So they had to be physically fit. Also, we had to be sure they didn't have any diseases that could be past on at Hashem's restaurent.

This passage is actually compassionate, because without it, those people who were not physically capable of performing the tasks would be pushed into them because of their genealogy.

Shalom,
Gershon

Answer 4

that's the pastime of severe priest individual who serves interior the holy place that's God's pastime standards. that is basically like the national soccer league they're style of like that too they do no longer permit no guy with a crippled foot or hand, or who's a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye illness, play expert soccer. Why because of the fact they don't have the skill to do the pastime. Now they might permit somebody with festering or working sores or broken testicles play. they'll probable have festering or working sores or broken testicles after some video games in any case.

Answer 5

first of all, that passage is not about jesus. jesus doesn't appear in the old testament, he is nowhere to be found. he is only found in the new testament.

secondly, it's not talking about rejecting people in general. it's talking specifically about the old jewish temple and the laws about animal sacrifices. it talks about who can and cannot offer up the sacrifices, but even if someone can't do it directly, it can still be done for them.

in any case, it's irrelevant. the jewish temple was destroyed in the 70, and that's not how judaism is practiced anymore. there is no more temple and there are no animal sacrifices. the system of rabbis and synagogues that we have today took its place.

hope that helps.

Answer 6

Because the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(Israel) were chosen by God to be His people to have His blessings and BE a blessing to all nations in the offspring who was to born of them:

Gen 12:1-3
12:1 The LORD had said to ABRAM, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."
(from New International Version)


Gen 26:2-5
2 The LORD appeared to ISAAC and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. 3 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.
(from New International Version)


Gen 28:10-15

10 JACOB left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.
(from New International Version)

......Much of the ceremony to be followed concerning sin offerings were giving "types" of this offspring who who was to come.

All these priests were just forshadowing of our High Priest just as all the offerings were forshadowing of the Perfect sacrifice, the blood of Jesus Christ. The offerings were also to be without defect:

Ex 12:3-5
ell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males WITHOUT DEFECT,
(from New International Version)


The teachings were all about THE PERFECT ONE who was coming thus only outwardly perfect sacrifices and priests were allowed.....to depict the one who would be perfect in all ways who would, once and for all, make us acceptable to God with all sin forgiven.

Answer 7

If you look at the text in relation to the offerings that the priests were to make, then you will see that the offerings were also to be without blemish. God wanted those who were not burdened with blemishes to represent Him in accepting the offering.

This is because God is perfect, who better to represent Him than those without blemish?

Answer 8

Immoral BS. But don't you love to see how the true believers dance around it.

It takes a religion to make a good man accept evil.

Answer 9

*** it-2 p. 190 Lame, Lameness ***

Aaronic Priesthood. A lame person who was a descendant of Aaron could not serve in the priesthood, although he was allowed to eat from the things provided for the priesthood for their sustenance. (Le 21:16-23) Jehovah set a high standard of physical fitness for his priesthood, for these represented him at his sanctuary. (Le 21:17-23) So, too, Christ, the great High Priest, was “loyal, guileless, undefiled, separated from the sinners.”—Heb 7:26.

Answer 10

Show me a person who has no blemishes.

Unfortunately, churches work very hard to keep people from learning about what the Bible REALLY says. Has your pastor told you that Jesus told his followers to slay other people in front of him, or that God repeatedly COMMANDED his followers to kidnap, rape, hurt, and kill people?

Keep asking questions. Even if it doesn't change your beliefs, you will at least have made an EDUCATED choice, not an ignorant, propaganda-driven, default one.