How does understanding Leviticus 6:18 deepen our appreciation for Christ's ultimate sacrifice? Verse in Focus “Any male among Aaron’s descendants may eat it. It is a perpetual statute throughout your generations regarding the offerings made by fire to the LORD. Everyone who touches them shall become holy.” – Leviticus 6:18 What the Statute Tells Us • Priestly privilege: only the sons of Aaron could consume the most-holy portion of the sin-offering. • Perpetual statute: God intended this pattern to stand until its greater fulfillment came. • Holiness by contact: anything touching the sacrificial flesh was rendered “holy,” set apart for God (cf. Exodus 29:37). How the Verse Foreshadows Christ • A priesthood that eats: Jesus is both the perfect Priest and the perfect Offering (Hebrews 7:26-27). • Perpetual becomes perfected: what was continual in Leviticus is finished once for all in Christ (Hebrews 10:10, 14). • Holiness transferred: under the Law, holiness was ceremonial and temporary; in Christ, His righteousness is imputed to believers permanently (2 Corinthians 5:21). Deepening Our Appreciation for the Cross • Costly access—then and now – Old Covenant: limited to Aaron’s male descendants. – New Covenant: the veil is torn; every believer may “draw near with a sincere heart” (Hebrews 10:19-22). • From external touch to internal transformation – Levitical holiness stayed outside the heart. – Christ “sanctifies the people through His own blood” (Hebrews 13:12), making us temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). • Once-for-all security – Repeated sacrifices hinted at unfinished work. – The single, sufficient offering of Jesus secures eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). Living in the Reality of His Holiness • Rest in accomplished work: no more striving through rituals; trust the finished sacrifice. • Walk as priests: offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). • Guard holiness: what we “touch” now—our choices, relationships, and worship—should reflect the holiness we have received. By grasping the priestly meal and the transfer of holiness in Leviticus 6:18, we see a vivid preview of the greater Priest who feeds us with His own life, covers us with His righteousness, and invites us into unbroken fellowship with God. |
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