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Sunday, September 15th, 2024
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24

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Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 22

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Verses 1-33

OUR RELIGIOUS DUTIES! (22:1-33)
1. Last chapter dealt w/“Don’t defile yourself w/unclean things.” Now, “Don’t defile the clean things.”
2. God didn’t want them “only” concerned w/the outside(physical blemishes) but was also concerned w/the heart!
3. (1,2) They were to “separate themselves from the holy things”…better translated: (NIV) "Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings theIsraelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the LORD.”
  1. The priests handled the sacrifices every day, every week, every year!
  2. How easy to slip into “predictable proficient professionalism”. Or, into a “methodical method of ministry” but your heart isn’t in it!
  3. George MacDonald said, “Nothing is so deadening to the divine as an habitual dealing w/the outsides of holy things.” {thus the warning here!}
  4. Q: Are you going through the motions in your ministry?
  5. Q: Are you doing the right things, the right way, with the wrong heart?
  6. Q: What can you do to change that?
  7. We must also treat the things of God with Holy respect!
4. UNCLEAN PRIESTS! (3-9)
  1. Q: What if the priest became defiled but did nothing about it? How would anyone know he was unclean? If it went unchecked he could die(9).
    1. Jesus described this about the Pharisees in his day. (Mt.23:25-28)
    2. Don’t insult God, & deceive the people you’re ministering to, by continuing in your sin & functioning like everything is normal!
    3. Is.52:11 “Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.”
  2. Illustration: A windshield wiper blades function is to wipe away any water, dirt, grime, or bug juice!
    1. Those blades go bad very slowly. If they are not changed regularly they eventually start to smear things on your windshield, instead of wiping them away. Pretty soon our vision is blurred!
    2. The mechanics of the arm of the wiper is working perfectly. It is only the rubber of the blade that needs attention.
      1. So we can look like we are continuing to function properly, from the other drivers perspectives; but really not fulfill what we were called to do for the driver of our vehicle(the Lord).
    3. Like the different speeds of our windshield wipers (slow, fast, & intermittent) so is, often times, the speed in which we confess our faults to the Lord.
      1. Q: Which speed best describes your confession of sin to theLord?
      2. These priests if they let their blades go unchecked, could end up with a serious wreck!…& so can you!
5. UNQUALIFIED GUESTS! (10-16)
  1. It’s good to be generous – but not if our generosity dishonor’s God’s gifts.
    1. Mt.7:6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine.”
  2. A priest should know how to say “no” to people!
  3. It’s unpopular but we must in Christendom also! So as to keep our fellowship pure before God.
    1. Sometimes I’ve had to refuse to marry a couple.
    2. Parents are often misunderstood when they refuse to allow their kids to cultivate damaging relationships.
  4. No man lives to himself…but others are always affected by his decisions!
  5. We seem to have a generation of kids growing up that do not know the meaning of “no”! – Yet I believe it is because the parents didn’t tell them “no”; the teachers couldn’t tell them no(hurt their self esteem you know?); thus the idea that little Johnny would be better off getting or having everything…”everything I didn’t have”!
6. UNACCEPTABLE SACRIFICES! (17-32)
  1. (17-25)The priest was to encourage people to give their best to the Lord…because that is what He deserves.
    1. Not their leftovers, not their 2^nd best.
    2. Mal.1:8 “And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts.”
    3. How easy it is to give away something we don’t want anymore!
      1. It is interesting we can feel so good about giving away a favorite shirt…that doesn’t even fit us anymore!… “It was an expensive one though!”
  2. (26-30)The age of the offering shows that in our religious duties we must be tender, caring, & compassionate.
  3. (31-33) “Our best for God! - Our Utmost for the Highest!”
    1. For as he says in all of the last 4 verses “I am the Lord!”

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Verses 1-33

OUR RELIGIOUS DUTIES! (22:1-33)
1. Last chapter dealt w/“Don’t defile yourself w/unclean things.” Now, “Don’t defile the clean things.”
2. God didn’t want them “only” concerned w/the outside(physical blemishes) but was also concerned w/the heart!
3. (1,2) They were to “separate themselves from the holy things”…better translated: (NIV) "Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings theIsraelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the LORD.”
  1. The priests handled the sacrifices every day, every week, every year!
  2. How easy to slip into “predictable proficient professionalism”. Or, into a “methodical method of ministry” but your heart isn’t in it!
  3. George MacDonald said, “Nothing is so deadening to the divine as an habitual dealing w/the outsides of holy things.” {thus the warning here!}
  4. Q: Are you going through the motions in your ministry?
  5. Q: Are you doing the right things, the right way, with the wrong heart?
  6. Q: What can you do to change that?
  7. We must also treat the things of God with Holy respect!
4. UNCLEAN PRIESTS! (3-9)
  1. Q: What if the priest became defiled but did nothing about it? How would anyone know he was unclean? If it went unchecked he could die(9).
    1. Jesus described this about the Pharisees in his day. (Mt.23:25-28)
    2. Don’t insult God, & deceive the people you’re ministering to, by continuing in your sin & functioning like everything is normal!
    3. Is.52:11 “Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.”
  2. Illustration: A windshield wiper blades function is to wipe away any water, dirt, grime, or bug juice!
    1. Those blades go bad very slowly. If they are not changed regularly they eventually start to smear things on your windshield, instead of wiping them away. Pretty soon our vision is blurred!
    2. The mechanics of the arm of the wiper is working perfectly. It is only the rubber of the blade that needs attention.
      1. So we can look like we are continuing to function properly, from the other drivers perspectives; but really not fulfill what we were called to do for the driver of our vehicle(the Lord).
    3. Like the different speeds of our windshield wipers (slow, fast, & intermittent) so is, often times, the speed in which we confess our faults to the Lord.
      1. Q: Which speed best describes your confession of sin to theLord?
      2. These priests if they let their blades go unchecked, could end up with a serious wreck!…& so can you!
5. UNQUALIFIED GUESTS! (10-16)
  1. It’s good to be generous – but not if our generosity dishonor’s God’s gifts.
    1. Mt.7:6 "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine.”
  2. A priest should know how to say “no” to people!
  3. It’s unpopular but we must in Christendom also! So as to keep our fellowship pure before God.
    1. Sometimes I’ve had to refuse to marry a couple.
    2. Parents are often misunderstood when they refuse to allow their kids to cultivate damaging relationships.
  4. No man lives to himself…but others are always affected by his decisions!
  5. We seem to have a generation of kids growing up that do not know the meaning of “no”! – Yet I believe it is because the parents didn’t tell them “no”; the teachers couldn’t tell them no(hurt their self esteem you know?); thus the idea that little Johnny would be better off getting or having everything…”everything I didn’t have”!
6. UNACCEPTABLE SACRIFICES! (17-32)
  1. (17-25)The priest was to encourage people to give their best to the Lord…because that is what He deserves.
    1. Not their leftovers, not their 2^nd best.
    2. Mal.1:8 “And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts.”
    3. How easy it is to give away something we don’t want anymore!
      1. It is interesting we can feel so good about giving away a favorite shirt…that doesn’t even fit us anymore!… “It was an expensive one though!”
  2. (26-30)The age of the offering shows that in our religious duties we must be tender, caring, & compassionate.
  3. (31-33) “Our best for God! - Our Utmost for the Highest!”
    1. For as he says in all of the last 4 verses “I am the Lord!”

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LeviticusLev 21 LeviticusLev LeviticusLev 23

Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Leviticus 22". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/leviticus-22.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesLeviticus 22

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-33

Verses 1-33

Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 22