Topical Bible: Defilement: Priests: Punished for Eating of the Holy Things While Under

◄ Defilement: Priests: Punished for Eating of the Holy Things While Under ►

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In the Old Testament, the concept of defilement is significant, particularly concerning the priesthood and their sacred duties. Priests, as mediators between God and the people of Israel, were held to stringent standards of purity and holiness. The laws concerning defilement and the consumption of holy things are primarily found in the book of Leviticus, which outlines the requirements for maintaining ritual purity.

The priests were entrusted with the responsibility of handling and consuming the holy offerings presented by the Israelites. These offerings were considered sacred, and only those in a state of ritual purity were permitted to partake of them. Leviticus 22:1-3 states, "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to Me, so they will not profane My holy name. I am the LORD. Say to them: If any of your descendants in future generations is ceremonially unclean and yet comes near the sacred offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the LORD, that person must be cut off from My presence. I am the LORD.'"

This passage underscores the severity of the consequences for priests who, while in a state of defilement, consumed the holy offerings. The phrase "cut off from My presence" indicates a severe punishment, which could imply excommunication or even death, as seen in other contexts within the Mosaic Law.

The defilement could arise from various sources, including contact with a corpse, certain skin diseases, or bodily discharges, as detailed in Leviticus chapters 11-15. The priests were required to undergo specific purification rituals to restore their state of cleanliness before resuming their sacred duties.

The gravity of maintaining purity is further emphasized in Leviticus 22:9 , which states, "The priests are to keep My requirements, so that they do not become guilty and die for treating them with contempt. I am the LORD who sanctifies them." This verse highlights the life-and-death seriousness of adhering to God's commands regarding holiness and purity.

The regulations served not only as a means of maintaining the sanctity of the priesthood but also as a reflection of the holiness of God Himself. The priests' adherence to these laws was a testament to their reverence for God and their role as His representatives among the people.

In summary, the punishment for priests who ate of the holy things while in a state of defilement was severe, reflecting the sacred nature of their duties and the holiness of God. The laws served as a constant reminder of the need for purity and the serious consequences of failing to uphold God's standards.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 22:3
Say to them, Whoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goes to the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow to the LORD, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Of the Five Sacraments, Falsely So Called. Their Spuriousness ...
... right that the whole Church should be punished for the ... to call it uncleanness, and
pollution, and carnal defilement? How absurd is it to debar priests from a ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 19 of the five.htm

Book ii.
... to God, together with those priests that are ... bathe themselves; for there is a defilement
contracted thereby ... as break these laws should be punished, without the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/against apion/book ii.htm

Faustus Asserts that Even if the Old Testament could be Shown to ...
... of it to their kings and priests, were not ... its God is unable to cleanse it of the
defilement contracted from ... or demon-worship, they were either punished by the ...
/.../faustus asserts that even if.htm

Book I.
... God certainly wishes bishops or priests to be such as ... by sin, must be saved after
they have been punished? ... xxiii.2. Defilement from unconscious personal acts. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book i.htm

Epistle Lxiii. Limenius, Bishop of Vercell??, Having Died, the See ...
... chosen of God and approved by the priests, lest there ... know that the unjust is more
severely punished by his ... God, except he go forth from the defilement of this ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/epistle lxiii limenius bishop of.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... to the human race, so too the eating of flesh ... for the place whereon thou standest
is holy ground." For ... was represented by the trumpets of the priests, we may ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm