What is the meaning of Leviticus 21:17? Say to Aaron – Moses receives this command directly from the LORD and is told to relay it to his brother, the high priest (see Exodus 28:1; Leviticus 8:1–2). – The address to Aaron underscores priestly responsibility; nothing about priestly service is left to personal preference—every detail comes from God Himself (compare Numbers 18:1–7). – In the same way Christ, our final High Priest, was appointed, not self-appointed (Hebrews 5:4–6). For the generations to come – The instruction is perpetual for the earthly Aaronic line (Exodus 29:9; 40:15). – God’s standards do not shift with culture; holiness remains holiness from one generation to another (Malachi 3:6). – By extending “for the generations to come,” the Lord teaches Israel—and us—that His principles outlive individual circumstances. none of your descendants – The regulation applies exclusively to Aaron’s offspring, the priestly family (Numbers 18:7; 25:13). – With privilege comes restriction: every descendant shared in covenant blessing, yet only certain members could execute sacrificial duties (Deuteronomy 10:8). – This foreshadows the New Covenant truth that every believer is a priest in Christ, though only Christ offers the perfect sacrifice (1 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 7:27). who has a physical defect – Verses 18–20 spell out examples: blindness, lameness, disfigurement, etc. – The purpose is symbolic, not discriminatory. Sacrifices had to be without blemish (Leviticus 1:3; 22:20); likewise the earthly mediator had to represent wholeness. – God never declares the disabled unworthy of His love—priests with defects could still eat the holy food (Leviticus 21:22). The restriction guarded a living picture of the coming flawless Mediator, Jesus (1 Peter 1:19). – It also reminded Israel that sin, not disability, is the ultimate disqualifier (Isaiah 59:2). may approach to offer the food of his God – “Approach” refers to entering the sanctuary and handling altar offerings (Leviticus 3:11; 21:21). – “Food of his God” denotes the fire-consumed portions presented to the LORD, pictured as His “table” (Leviticus 3:11; Malachi 1:7). – The restriction protected the altar’s symbolism: a perfect priest presenting perfect offerings pointed forward to Christ, “holy, innocent, undefiled” (Hebrews 7:26). – Today believers still “draw near” only through the blemish-free High Priest, Jesus (Hebrews 10:19–22). summary Leviticus 21:17 sets a divine standard for Aaron’s line: only priests without physical defects could serve at the altar. The rule safeguarded a visual lesson—God’s holiness demands perfection, and only a flawless mediator can stand between sinners and a holy God. While no slight was cast on those with disabilities, the regulation preserved a prophetic picture ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the sinless High Priest who grants every believer—regardless of earthly limitation—access to God. |
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