Posted on 02/06/2011 4:05:52 PM PST by RnMomof7
(Lev 16.31-32) It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict yourselves; it is a statute forever. 32 And the priest who is anointed and be consecrated as priest in his father’s place shall make atonement, wearing the holy linen garments.
This is the famous Day of Atonement passage. In Leviticus 16 God communicates to the Nation of Israel how they would have their sin dealt with. This annual event was to deal with their uncleanness due to their sin. Embedded in the pronouncement of cleansing (Lev.16.30) is this reminder of repetition.
The feast will be repeated because they are sinners and because God is holy.
In verse 29 the people were reminded that this day is to be circled in permanent ink on their calendars. “…it shall be a statute forever…” And here again, “forever…”
Furthermore, there is a plan for priestly succession. This is going to be an ongoing statute.
Every year on the 10th day of the 7th month they are going to need another priest to offer sacrifices for himself, take multiple baths, change his clothes, offer 2 more goats, get a runner to take the goat in the wilderness, throw blood on the curtain, throw blood on the mercy seat, burn up incense, burn up everything extra, and on and on it goes. Do it again, every year.
And, remember, there are not any cleaning crews that would have come into the Tabernacle. There is not a late night team to come in after the festivities die down to clean the blood up off of the floor or the stains from the mercy seat. No, year after year these priests would track in more blood from more goats to offer for the sins of more people.
Every year this blood would serve as a testimony of God’s unflinching holiness and man’s unfading sinfulness. Because God is holy and people are sinful, there is a long term plan set up to deal with sin. The treadmill of priestly succession is turned on in Leviticus 16.
There is work to do because God is holy and people are sinners. And so it starts.
But this priestly treadmill was not intended to be plugged in forever. It looks forward for completion. It looks forward for rest. The bloody repetition cries out for rest. It cries out for satisfaction through perfection.
O’ how valuable is the beloved Christ, the High Priest who does not die! The High Priest who offers one sacrifice! The High Priest who is in every way holy! Yes this priest would be so valuable to the priests who ran on their sacerdotal treadmill until they died and were replaced by another.
Marvel at Jesus and his perfect sacrifice, holiness and the fact that he lives forever!
(Heb 7.25-28) 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost1 athose who draw near to God through him, since he always lives cto make intercession for them. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, aholy, innocent, unstained, bseparated from sinners, and cexalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, afirst for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this bonce for all when he offered up himself.28 For the law appoints men ain their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made bperfect forever.
These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren. -- Proverbs 6:16-19
The English word priest is ultimately from Greek, via Latin, presbyter, the term for "elder", especially elders of Jewish or Christian communities in Late Antiquity. It is possible that the Latin word was loaned into Old English and only from Old English reached other Germanic languages, giving Old Icelandic prestr, Old Swedish präster, Old High German priast, via the Anglo-Saxon mission to the continent. Old High German also has the disyllabic priester, priestar, however, apparently derived from Latin independently, via Old French presbtre. The Latin word is ultimately from Greek presbyteros, the word for "priest" being Latin sacerdos, Greek hiereus.
And what is funny is their quoting of the letter to Timothy — as if they fire “elders” or “pastors” who are bachelors or widowed or divorced.
The verse does not specify whether the wife has to be living or not. But certainly, if an overseer or deacon is getting a divorce, he should be promptly removed from the position as he has disqualified himself from office simply by virtue of the fact that he has shown that he is not able to keep his own house in order.
As far as a man who was divorced before his conversion, there is no small amount of debate about that but I am not familiar with each particular denomination's position. If you want to know, go find out yourself.
And St. Paul in his letters to Timothy and Titus refers to the laying on of hands — priests and then Bishops of their area in those days.
“The verse does not specify whether the wife has to be living or not” —> neither that it say that he MUST be married right — or do you reject bachelors?
That are churches who reject bachelors.
It’s not usually an issue.
Why is it not an issue — if the passage says the guy must have a wife according to you, then no bachelors or widows or divorcees allowed and definitely no women, right?
Because there are plenty of married men to fill the positions and most of the single men are younger or college students.
No church in its right mind would put a young man in that kind of position.
Yet, there ARE bachelors and widowers who are pastors, correct?
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