Daily Scripture Reading Leviticus 22:10-31

Ted was very wealthy and owned many businesses and properties. Most of his assets were solid, profitable enterprises. However, one of his businesses was the local newspaper. The newspaper was still profitable, but since print media was losing readers to the internet, Ted knew this was an asset that was going to become unprofitable and start declining in value. Rather than fight the inevitable, Ted donated the newspaper to a local church. He then claimed a huge tax deduction on an asset that would be worth very little in a few short years.

It appeared that Ted made a huge financial sacrifice to support a local church. The reality was that Ted knew the asset was about to decline in value, so Ted did not make much of a sacrifice. It only appeared that he did so. People in Ted’s community may have been impressed by Ted’s generosity, but today’s passage warns us that Yahweh is not so easily impressed.

Aaron and his descendants were set apart to serve as priests. They were given a portion of the sacrifices as their food. The 22nd chapter of Leviticus explains who could eat of the sacrifices and when. The first 9 verses specify states of uncleanness during which the priests could not eat the holy food.

Lev. 22:10 ¶ ‘No layman, however, is to eat the holy gift; a foreign resident with the priest or a hired man shall not eat of the holy gift.

Look at the words “layman”, “foreign resident”, and “hired man”. These were individuals who were prohibited from eating the holy gift. A hired man was prohibited even though he worked for the priest.

Lev. 22:11 But if a priest buys a person as his property with his money, that one may eat of it, and those who are born in his house may eat of his food.

Notice the word “buys”. A slave was bound to the priest in a way a hired man was not. Thus, the slave was allowed to eat the holy gift.

Lev. 22:12 If a priest’s daughter is married to a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy gifts.

Lev. 22:13 But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no seed, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s food; but no layman shall eat of it.

Lev. 22:14 But if a man eats a holy gift unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest.

Lev. 22:15 They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they raise up to Yahweh,

Lev. 22:16 and so cause them to bear punishment for guilt by eating their holy gifts; for I am Yahweh who makes them holy.’”

Lev. 22:17 ¶ Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

This verse tells us Yahweh was moving to a different topic.

Lev. 22:18 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘Any man of the house of Israel or of the sojourners in Israel who brings near his offering, whether it is any of their votive or any of their freewill offerings, which they bring near to Yahweh for a burnt offering—

Take note of the word “votive”. A votive offering was an offering brought as the result of a vow. For example, when Jacob fled from his brother Esau, and was on his way to Haran, he saw Yahweh in a dream. In the morning Jacob vowed that if God would be with him and bring him back, then Yahweh would be his God and he would give a tenth of his possessions to Yahweh. The tenth that Jacob gave to Yahweh would have been a votive offering.

Verse 18 also has the word “freewill”. A freewill offering was voluntary.

Lev. 22:19 for you to be accepted—it must be a male without blemish from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats.

Look at the word “accepted”. Even when the offering was voluntary, it still had to meet certain criteria.

Ponder the words “without blemish”. Yahweh expected the Israelites to bring their best.

Lev. 22:20 Whatever has a defect, you shall not bring it near, for it will not be accepted for you.

An animal with a defect was not acceptable as a sacrifice.

Lev. 22:21 And when a man brings a sacrifice of peace offerings near to Yahweh to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be without blemish to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it.

Lev. 22:22 Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or have a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not bring near to Yahweh nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to Yahweh.

Animals that were maimed or ill were not worth anything as animals. Thus, it didn’t cost an Israelite anything to sacrifice a maimed animal. This prohibition on sacrificing maimed animals prevented the Israelites from sacrificing their worst animals, which were useless anyway, and then pretending they had given God something that had value.

When King David sinned and needed to make a sacrifice, Araunah offered to donate the bull and wood. However, David insisted on paying for it because he refused to offer a burnt offering which cost him nothing (see 2 Samuel 24:24).

As we live our lives, we should ask whether we are actually serving God in a way that costs us something. Do we sacrifice time and money, or do we merely give God our leftovers? Are we willing to do something hard for God, or do we merely do things we enjoy and pretend we are doing it for God?

Lev. 22:23 Now in respect to an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may offer it for a freewill offering, but for a votive offering it will not be accepted.

Lev. 22:24 Also anything with its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not bring near to Yahweh, and you shall not do thus in your land,

Lev. 22:25 nor shall you bring near any such thing from the hand of a foreigner for offering as the food of your God; for their corruption is in them, they have a defect; they shall not be accepted for you.’”

Lev. 22:26 ¶ Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Lev. 22:27 “When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother, and from the eighth day on it shall be accepted as a sacrifice of an offering by fire to Yahweh.

Lev. 22:28 But, whether it is an ox or a sheep, you shall not slaughter both it and its young in one day.

Lev. 22:29 And when you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Yahweh, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.

Lev. 22:30 It shall be eaten on the same day; you shall leave none of it until morning; I am Yahweh.

Lev. 22:31 So you shall keep My commandments and do them; I am Yahweh.

We live in a prosperous society, so it is easy to give God a lot of money. However, are we really making a sacrifice, or do we merely give God our excess?

On the other hand, most people are very busy today. It often is a sacrifice to carve out multiple hours to serve God in some capacity.

It is possible to donate time and money to God, and appear to be making a sacrifice, without actually doing anything that is difficult or costly. While our friends and neighbors may be deceived, God knows whether or not we truly made a sacrifice.

What do you do for God that is a true sacrifice because it actually costs you something?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”