RPG Adults
EATING PRIESTS’ FOOD?
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12
Leviticus 22
1 Thessalonians 5:22
“There shall no stranger
eat of the holy thing…”
EATING PRIESTS’ FOOD?
The food of priests was holy. The basis was that the priests were holy as they had been separated by the LORD to do His holy work. Therefore, they had been declared holy by God. All the descendants of Aaron were holy before God. The food was the offering given by God’s people. This means that the food had been set aside for the LORD. Since the priests were representatives of God on earth, they would receive and consume the food as God’s representatives. For these two reasons, not anyone could eat the priests’ food. To allow anyone to eat the food without God’s clear guidelines would render the holiness of the priesthood null and void.
The instruction was that no “stranger” (Lev 22:10) was allowed to eat the holy thing. The stranger here included non-Israelites, as well as non-priests, including the Israelites from the twelve tribes that worked the land. The exceptions were certain slaves bought by the priests, and slaves born into their homes. They were permitted to eat. Otherwise, they would have no food to eat at all. If the daughter of the priest married a non-priest, then she would not be permitted to eat of the holy thing. If she was a widow or divorced, or had no child and had returned to her father’s house, then she was allowed to eat. If anyone ate of the holy thing unwittingly, he had to pay a fifth part as restitution and return the holy thing as well. The breaking of these dietary laws by the priesthood was a serious sin against the LORD. No one was permitted to profane what the people of Israel offered to the LORD, which was for the priests to consume as they were holy before God.
Holy people doing holy work must eat holy food. This is a simple truth all believers who have been made holy in Christ must realise. As holy children of God, what we do must be holy. What we eat must also be holy before God. That is why we give thanks before eating. We also stay away from all alcohol as this is a vice that has ruined many lives. Abstain from even the appearance of evil.
MEMORISATION: Leviticus 22:15-16
PRAYER: May I be holy in heart, mind and life to the praise and glory of Thy holy Name, O Father. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.