We continue with the theme of the last 2 week’s Parashats. Be Holy because the Lord your God is Holy. We have read how to be Holy. We start with the rituals followed on the Day of Atonement. Why? After the rituals were followed on this day, the entire community would be made clean. They would be put in a state of Holiness. Once they were made Holy they would need to know how to remain Holy. God gives a long list of how to be Holy. The topics covered were blood, sacrifices, sex, abortion, homosexuality, beastuality, occultism, mediums, honor your mother and father, take care of the poor, don’t steal, etc. He covers all 10 of the Commandments. This week we learn what the priests are to do to stay Holy. Now I know what your thinking. Chris this is Old Testament stuff, we have a new covenant. We don’t make sacrifices of animals anymore, Jesus put an end to that. You are 100% correct. We no longer have to kill animals to be made clean. However the New Testament calls us Kings and Priests. If we are to be Priests shouldn’t we look at what a Priest does and how one is made Holy?

A Priest is not to be associated with death. The are not to cut themselves, this includes tattoos. They are not to look like the world. They are to be set apart. A Priest is not to marry a prostitute or woman who has been married before. He is to remain pure. He is not allowed bring other men into the marriage bed. He is a symbol of Christ, he is to be sexually pure. A Priest must be dressed properly at all times as He represents the people and stands in the gap for them. A Priest can not be deformed physically in any way. He represents God and God is perfect. The Priest has to be careful with the GIFTS the people present to the Lord. A Priest must make himself ritually clean before he can do the work of the Lord. A Priest must not accept a sacrifice that is unclean or maimed. The Priest must not bring shame on the name of God.

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are now a King and a Priest. Are you living your life set apart? Are you marking your body as the world does? If you marked it before you accepted Jesus there is forgiveness. After you accepted Jesus and became a Priest you are not allowed to mark your body anymore. Are you dressed properly? Are you wearing inappropriate images on your clothing? Are you preaching one thing and your appearance says something else? Are you bring shame on the name of the Lord. We all have work to do to be Holy. Not one of us has arrived. I encourage you to be Holy because our God is Holy.