What is the meaning of Leviticus 21:6? They must be holy to their God Leviticus 21 focuses on the priests, men already set apart by birth and calling. Yet God says again, “They must be holy.” • Holiness is not optional for those who draw near to Him; it is the ground rule (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9). • Holiness is relational: “to their God.” The priests’ identity, purpose, and daily choices flow out of belonging to Him. • Holiness is practical. It touches everything from their marriages to their mourning (Leviticus 21:1-5). God does not separate “spiritual” from “everyday.” and not profane the name of their God To profane means to treat as common what God calls sacred. • Leviticus 22:2 warns, “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the holy offerings… so they do not profane My holy name.” • Malachi 1:6-7 shows how careless worship drags God’s reputation through the mud. • Ezekiel 36:20-23 reveals that Israel’s sinful behavior caused the nations to “profane My holy name,” and God acts to restore His honor. Avoiding profanity of the Name is more than speech; it is lifestyle. When priests lived casually, the watching people concluded God Himself was casual. Because they present to the LORD the food offerings, the food of their God Israel’s offerings fed no human appetite; they symbolized fellowship with the Almighty. • Grain, fellowship, and burnt offerings (Leviticus 2 & 3) went “up in smoke” as “a pleasing aroma to the LORD.” • Priests stood in the place of the people, handling what Scripture calls “the bread of their God” (Leviticus 21:8). • Hebrews 5:1 reminds us every high priest “is appointed… to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins,” highlighting the gravity of the task. Because priests touched the very symbols of reconciliation, their own purity had to reflect the purity of the God they served. they must be holy God closes the verse with the same command He opened with, driving it home. • Repetition is emphasis: holiness is non-negotiable (Leviticus 11:44). • The New Testament echoes this call: “For God did not call us to impurity, but to holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:7). • Holiness is also pursuit: “Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). For priests, and for all in Christ today, holiness remains both identity and ongoing responsibility. summary Leviticus 21:6 teaches that those who serve God directly must reflect His character. Priests are to be holy, vigilant not to drag God’s name through careless living, because they handle the sacred offerings that symbolize fellowship and forgiveness. The verse begins and ends with holiness, anchoring every task and every moment of a priest’s life—and ours—in wholehearted devotion to the Holy One. |
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