Good Morning.
Speak to Aaron, saying: “No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God.” (Leviticus 21:16)
On the surface, this sounds pretty harsh because, after all, who is the One who creates man? Why would He allow someone to be born with a defect and then say they are not allowed to serve in His Sanctuary? First of all, it is crucial that we remember a very important concept: God is smarter than we are and, so, if it doesn’t make sense to us it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make sense. In other words, the issue is on our end, not His.
So what could we deduce from this? Every type of offering that was presented in the Sanctuary had to be perfect, which is to say, without defect and blemish. It kind of makes sense, then, that those who ministered in the Sanctuary and offered those “perfect” sacrifices had to be “perfect” as well. In Hebrew the term “perfect” is often derived from the word tammim which also means, “whole, lacking nothing.” It is the same term used when God said to Abraham, “Walk before me and be perfect.” So then, maybe the principle embedded within this commandment has more to do with the spiritual side of things than the physical.
Another place we see this idea is during an exchange between a young, wealthy man and Yeshua. The conversation begins with a question posed to Yeshua about how one obtains eternal life. To that Messiah responded, “Keep the commandments” and then adds, “If you want to be perfect (tammim) go sell all that you have and follow me.” At that point, the young man walks away despondent and, obviously, unprepared to give up his riches in order to follow Messiah. The point is, then, that only those who are ready to die to all are worthy of being followers of Messiah.
Connecting it to the commandment regarding the priests, only those who have surrendered to all, have taken up their cross and have become tammim — that is, lacking nothing — are qualified to approach the Most High. And because those who are without spot or wrinkle — those without defect — will make up the Bride of Messiah, it behooves us to be diligent in our walk as we strive to die daily to self. May we all be found worthy to stand before the Son of Man and hear Him say, “Well done.”
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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