What is the meaning of Leviticus 22:20? You must not present Leviticus 22:20 opens with a clear command: “You must not present….” • The instruction is directed to every Israelite worshiper (Leviticus 22:18–19), stressing personal responsibility in worship. • Similar wording appears in Leviticus 1:3, where an unblemished animal “is to be presented” to the LORD—showing that presentation is an act of deliberate offering, not casual disposal. • Exodus 23:15 reminds Israel “none shall appear before Me empty-handed,” highlighting that bringing an offering is a privilege tightly regulated by God’s own terms. Anything with a defect “…anything with a defect…” pinpoints the issue: imperfection. • Leviticus immediately lists examples—blind, injured, maimed, or with a running sore (Leviticus 22:22). • Deuteronomy 15:21 echoes, “If an animal has a defect…you must not sacrifice it to the LORD your God.” • Malachi 1:8 later rebukes priests for ignoring this standard: “When you present blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong?” • Purity of the offering reflected the holiness of the God who received it (Leviticus 11:44–45). Because it will not be accepted God gives the reason: “…because it will not be accepted….” • Acceptance is a recurring theme (Leviticus 1:4; 22:19); blemishes nullify that acceptance. • The unblemished Passover lamb (Exodus 12:5) secured Israel’s deliverance—showing acceptance has life-and-death stakes. • Hebrews 9:14 draws the line to Christ: “the blood of Christ, who…offered Himself without blemish to God,” proving that only perfect sacrifice satisfies divine justice. On your behalf “…on your behalf” points to substitution. • The animal died in the worshiper’s place (Leviticus 17:11). If the substitute were flawed, it could not truly stand for the sinner. • This foreshadows the flawless Substitute: “the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19). • Because Jesus meets the standard perfectly, believers now “offer their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1), relying on His righteousness, not their own. summary Leviticus 22:20 insists that the worshiper bring only a flawless sacrifice. God’s holiness demands perfection; anything less is rejected. This standard protects the purity of worship, points forward to the sinless Lamb of God, and calls today’s believers to offer lives marked by integrity and wholehearted devotion, confident that Christ’s perfect sacrifice secures their acceptance. |
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