The Torah on the Conduct of Those in the Ministry

Leviticus 21

This chapter contains the regulations for the conduct of priests. YHVH’s standards are high, and a priest could easily be disqualified from service for failing to measure up. YHVH demands higher standards of righteousness, obedience and holiness for those in leadership over his people. 

The higher up in leadership one desires to go, the more one’s walk must characterize service, sacrifice, self-deprecation and holiness (see 1 Tim 3:1–13; Tit 1:5–9). The standards of holiness rise as one seeks to attain a deeper and more intimate relationship with YHVH, for as he entrusts a person with greater spiritual responsibility he gives a greater level of anointing commensurate with the responsibilities of the ministerial office. Spiritual responsibility and divine anointing aren’t things to be trifled with or taken for granted.

Yeshua condemned the religious leaders of his day for not practicing what they preached (i.e. hypocrisy), for living lives of pretense and show (he called such ones “whited sepulchers full of dead man’s bones”), and for greediness and pride. 

Check your walk in these areas. Do you want to “go places” with YHVH in service to him and his people? Are you willing to pay the price of self-sacrifice and self-deprecation? The sacrifices necessary to be Yeshua’s bondservant comes at a high price (especially for the flesh), but the spiritual rewards are priceless!

Leviticus 10:17–23, Physical defects on the priests.The priests who ministered before YHVH Elohim in the tabernacle were to be completely without physical defect. Why? Because they were a prophetic foreshadow of Yeshua the Messiah who is our perfect and Great High Priest.

 

1 thought on “The Torah on the Conduct of Those in the Ministry

  1. Presently, we have several catholic priests locked up for sexual abuse of children here in Australia. One of them has abused hundreds of children. Even the cardinal was imprisoned until his appeal, when the judges decided that there was doubt about his guilt. However, it was established that he knew about the actions of some of the priests and did nothing to protect the children.
    I actually wonder, whether these priests even believe in God or they just thought it was a cushy job which would give them power and eminence or they purposefully became priests because it would give them easy access to the little ones.
    In any case, Yeshua said it would be better for them to have a millstone hung around their necks…….(Matthew 18:6).
    It amazes me that these churches still have so many followers when it is quite clear that the pope and other leaders don’t seem to have much concerns for the victims but initially tried to protect the offenders to keep up appearances.
    Elohim will judge them!
    Shalom, Sonja

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