LEVITICUS 21
This chapter brings before us the holiness proper to “the priests, the sons of Aaron”. The nearer one comes to God, the more essential it is to maintain holiness. A degree of separation that might suffice for the congregation would not be suitable for the priests. There has to be greater care as to natural influences, though they are not wholly excluded save in the case of “the priest who is greater than his brethren”. He is not to uncover his head, nor rend his garments, nor make himself unclean even for his father or mother. But the priest in general might “make himself unclean” for “his immediate relation, who is near unto him”.
This suggests that in priests natural feelings are to be under restraint, and there must be exercise as to how far they allow themselves to be affected thereby. There is that which is legitimate, but the priest has to consider how far what is natural has a claim according to God. “They shall be holy unto their God ... for they present Jehovah’s offerings by fire, the bread of their God; therefore shall they be holy” (verse 6).
[p. 229] The fat of the peace-offering is called “the bread of the offering by fire to Jehovah” (Leviticus 3: 11, 16). The priest is one who ministers to the satisfaction of God in bringing Christ before Him, and therefore it is not fitting that he should be affected by natural feelings without exercise as to what is comely. He must ever remember that he is a priest, and that he is called to minister to God that which God can feed upon, and his natural feelings have to be controlled in view of that. When it was a question of the service of God the Lord said to His mother, “What have I to do with thee, woman? mine hour has not yet come” (John 2: 4). He did not own the natural in His service. His mother and His brethren were those who did the will of God.
Then the priest was to keep his affections from going out to that which had a moral stain upon it — that which was marked by unfaithfulness or impurity (verse 7). There are many things in the christian profession which bear the mark of unfaithfulness. We must recognize that it is unsuitable for priests to come into association with them. It is a question here of the moral dignity of those who minister to God. It would be well if God’s called ones looked at themselves more in the light of verse 8. All saints have the privilege of taking up priesthood, but how far we have taken it up spiritually is another matter. God would encourage us to do so.
There is a further thought in verses 10 - 15. We come here to “the priest who is greater than his brethren”. This is a type of Christ — the anointed and consecrated One — who never leaves the sanctuary; who is apart from all natural influences; but who gets a companion of virgin character in the [p. 230] faithful remnant of His people, or — at the present time — in the assembly.
But whether we think of “the anointing oil” poured on His head, or “the garments” of His consecration, how blessedly are His saints identified with Him! If He is “the priest who is greater than his brethren”, that very designation shows that He has brethren. And His brethren share in the anointing; they have a memorial in the breast-plate, the shoulder-pieces, and the hem of the cloak. It is impossible to detach the saints from Christ in heaven, or He from them. The Sanctifier and the sanctified are “all of one”. Our earthly links are broken by the death of Christ here, and heavenly ones are formed by the anointing that links us with Him where He is.
Now we have to see that we are identified with the “virgin” character — not with that which speaks of unfaithfulness, or of affections that have had another object. No other but Christ was ever entitled to the assembly. The Spirit’s work is to produce holy affections in the assembly — affections that never had, and never could have, any other object but Christ. We have to see to it that such affections are maintained in freshness and fervour. The serpent would do his utmost to beguile us by his craft, so that our “thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to the Christ” (2 Corinthians 11: 3). We are to be presented “a chaste virgin to Christ”.
People talk of “revivals” here and there, but in truth we are in the time of the greatest revival there ever was. The Spirit of God is reviving virgin character and bridal affections in the assembly under the eye, and for the heart, of the One who values that character and those affections. Does not the thought [p. 231] of it move us to desire and pray that we may be in the gain of what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies today? The “virgin” character is in contrast to Thyatira, which develops into Babylon, the great harlot, who corrupts herself with all that is great and grand in the world. And bridal affection would come in as a bright and blessed contrast to the indifference of Laodicea. All saints are called to have “chaste virgin” character. Every corrupting influence is exposed in Scripture, and particularly in the epistles to the seven assemblies, that we may turn from those influences with aversion, and allow our hearts to unfold “as the rose to the golden sun” to the One who is coming.
Then none of Aaron’s seed with a “defect” was to “approach to present the bread of his God” (verse 17). Note that it is Aaron’s “seed” here, not his “sons”. This is only found in this section of the book. The “seed” seems to suggest those born again — of new generation morally — but not necessarily “perfect in Christ”. Aaron’s “sons” would speak of their dignity as consecrated. To use the language of the New Testament the “sons” have received the ministry of reconciliation, but the “seed” may not have. There are many of divine “seed” in the world who do not stand consciously in the good of the gospel; they are not yet in the freedom and spiritual dignity of “sons”. They cannot approach to offer as priests either unto the veil or the altar.
Now for such it is important to know that God is announcing in this world a Person in whom there never was, nor could be, any “defect”. Speaking of Christ, Paul says, “Whom we announce”. Christ is announced that He may be received, and that souls [p. 232] may know that they can be with God entirely on the ground of Another Man in whom there never was any defect. So Paul announced Christ, and laboured that he might “present every man perfect in Christ” (Colossians 1: 28). “The reconciliation” is something to be received, for it is written, “Our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we have received the reconciliation” (Romans 5: 11). Through the death of His Son we can be with God on the footing of One in whom there was never any blemish.
A “defect” is not necessarily a man’s own fault; it might be the result of bad teaching, which left one unconfirmed with grace. A “defect” does not necessarily render one unclean, for “the bread of his God, of the most holy and of the holy, shall he eat”, and he could not do this if unclean. See chapter 22: 4 - 6. It is blessed grace that permits the one of Aaron’s seed with a “defect” to eat, but such a one must keep a good conscience, and not touch any unclean thing. “The bread of his God” is not withheld from any upright or exercised soul. The holy things speak of Christ as the Object of complacency and delight to God. As souls feed on that they are inwardly formed in the appreciation of the Man who is entirely for God’s delight. In a sense every one born again can appreciate Christ. The man in Romans 7 says, “I delight in the law of God according to the inward man”. If Christ were presented to such a one he would delight in Christ. Indeed that is how the divine “seed” comes to light. Christ is presented in the glad tidings, and certain persons are attracted; they appreciate Christ as presented to them. But then He is presented that souls may know that they can be with God on the [p. 233] footing of that Man. A divinely exercised soul may feed upon what Christ was as obedient unto death, and upon what He was as having gone into death so that God and His people might have a common joy. That is the oblation and the peace-offering — all that Christ was as here in flesh for God’s pleasure, and what He was as going into death to be the Substance of our communion and joy. Indeed the anti-type surpasses the type, for I think we may say that eating the bread of God spiritually would remove defects. J.B.S. used to say that our High Priest can remove all the defects in the members of His family!
Sometimes a “defect” is the result of one’s own lack of spiritual diligence. Peter speaks of some being “blind, short-sighted”, and he accounts for it by their lack of diligence to make their calling and election sure. Hebrews 12: 13 speaks of some as being “lame”, but suggests that they may be “healed”. Probably the “lame” one might be a Jewish believer of feeble faith, with whom there was danger that he might be stumbled and go back if he did not find grace to help him amongst the Christian company, and particularly if they did not “make straight paths” for their feet.
In Christianity no “defect” need be permanent; the normal working of grace would be in the direction of removing every defect. There is no necessity now for saints to be permanently incapacitated for holy service. There are many “dwarfs” today, but they might grow up to full stature if their desire and purpose was to do so!