- Joined
- Oct 26, 2007
- Messages
- 12,539
"Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God. No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, or has a broken foot or arm, or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles. Leviticus 21:17-20 NLT
Why would God have such stringent requirements for priests, especially since person who has a defect might have been born with it or might have been in an accident in which he wasn’t at fault?
It’s not that people with defects are of less value to God. But the priest was a mediator between man and God, and, as such, he needed to be without blemish. But what value does any of this have for the church today?
Since Jesus is the perfect High Priest, Christians don’t need to worry about personal defects keeping them from God’s presence. But such a high standard is a good reminder about the importance of working out your own salvation, as Paul instructs in Philippians 2:12. You do so by staying steadfast in the tending of your heart—making sure to pursue purity and holiness.
Prayer: Lord, I’m thankful for Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. May I never take it for granted by staying mired in sin. Instead, may I remain vigilant in pursuit of holiness.
Why would God have such stringent requirements for priests, especially since person who has a defect might have been born with it or might have been in an accident in which he wasn’t at fault?
It’s not that people with defects are of less value to God. But the priest was a mediator between man and God, and, as such, he needed to be without blemish. But what value does any of this have for the church today?
Since Jesus is the perfect High Priest, Christians don’t need to worry about personal defects keeping them from God’s presence. But such a high standard is a good reminder about the importance of working out your own salvation, as Paul instructs in Philippians 2:12. You do so by staying steadfast in the tending of your heart—making sure to pursue purity and holiness.
Prayer: Lord, I’m thankful for Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. May I never take it for granted by staying mired in sin. Instead, may I remain vigilant in pursuit of holiness.
