A Holy Priesthood

Weekly Torah Lesson

Parasha:  Emor  (say, speak )
Torah: VaYikra (Leviticus) 21:1 – 24:2

 Yikra 21:1 And Avinu said to Moshe, Speak to the priests the sons of Aharon, and say to them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people: 2  But for his kin, that is near to him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother. 3  And for his sister a virgin, that is near to him, which has had no husband; for her may he be defiled. 4  But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself. 5  They shall not make baldness on their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh. 6  They shall be holy to their Avinu, and not profane the name of their Avinu: for the offerings of Avinu made by fire, and the bread of their Avinu, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy. 7  They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy to Avinu. 8  You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your Avinu: he shall be holy to you: for I Avinu, which sanctify you, am holy.

**  It demands a ‘holy priesthood’ to sacrifice a perfect animal on a holy altar to satisfy a Holy Avinu. To be a ‘holy priest’ demands a lot of discipline. Everything in his life that could effect his state of holiness must be controlled. The price for performing his priestly duties while being ritually unclean is very high.

16 And Avinu spoke to Moshe, saying, 17  Speak to Aharon, saying, Whoever he be of your seed in their generations that has any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of Avinu. 18  For whatever man he be that has a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that has a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, 19  Or a man that is broken footed, or broken handed, 20  Or hunch back, or a dwarf, or that has a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or has his stones broken; 21  No man that has a blemish of the seed of Aharon the priest shall come near to offer the offerings of Avinu made by fire: he has a blemish; he shall not come near to offer the bread of Avinu. 22  He shall eat the bread of Avinu, both of the most holy, and of the holy. 23  Only he shall not go in to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I Avinu do sanctify them. 24  And Moshe told it to Aharon, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.

22:1 And Avinu spoke to Moshe, saying, 2  Speak to Aharon and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow to me: I am Avinu. 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 Avinu, having his uncleanness on him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am Avinu. 4  What man of the seed of Aharon is a leper, or has a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoever touches any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goes from him; 5  Or whoever touches any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatever uncleanness he has; 6  The soul which has touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water. 7  And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food. 8  That which dies of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith; I am Avinu. 9  They shall therefore keep my ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I Avinu do sanctify them.

**  We have a pretty good idea of the required stringencies that the Levitical Priesthood had to follow in order to serve in the Temple. Notice that some  of the conditions were strictly physical  while others were spiritual. These rules applied until the Priesthood was changed. 

“For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.” (Heb 7:12 NKJV)

** The sacrifice and resurrection of Meshiach ushered in the new, Malchitzedekian Priesthood.

“19  This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20  where the forerunner has entered for us, even Yeshua, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Malchitzedek.” (Heb 9:11)

Today’s Priesthood

“But Meshiach came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.” (Heb 9:11) “and having a High Priest over the house of Avinu, 22  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

** The sacrifice and resurrection of Yeshua provided an atonement for the physical and spiritual defects of the Malchitzedekian priests so we can approach the Mercy Seat and offer spiritual sacrifices to Avinu.

“4 ¶  Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by Avinu and precious, 5  you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to Avinu through  Yeshua HaMeshiach. 6  Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” 7  Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” 8  and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10  who once were not a people but are now the people of Avinu, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1Pe 2:4-10)

“and has made us kings and priests to His Elohim and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Re 1:6)

“And have made us kings and priests to our Avinu; And we shall reign on the earth.”” (Re 5:10)

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of Avinu and of Meshiach, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Re 20:6)

**  I don’t know which ‘priesthood’ will be offering sacrifices in the new Temple that Yeshua will come to but The Malchitzedekian Priesthood is established and operating today!