Leviticus 22: Holiness of the Offerings

A) Who is allowed to eat the offering (v1-16)

God told Aaron (through Moses) to respect the sacred offering the Israelites consecrated to Him, so that he does not profane His holy name. If Aaron's descendants who is ceremonially unclean, and yet come near the offerings, the person will be cut off from my presence.  (v1-3)

If Aaron's descendants has skin disease, bodily discharge, they cannot eat the sacred offerings until they are cleansed. Other things that made him unclean are touching something defiled by corpse or someone who has emission of semen, or crawling things, or made unclean by other people, or eat anything dead or torn by wild animals. He will be unclean until evening and bathe himself with water. (v4-8)

Priests must perform their service to the Lord without contempt, else they are guilty and may die of it. (v9)

No one outside the priest's family may eat the offering, including guests or hired worker. However, if the priest buys a slave, or if the slave are born in his household, he can eat the offering. 

A priest's daughter who marry someone who is not a priest, she may not eat the offering. But if she becomes a widow, or is divorce, yet has no children, and she returns to her father's household, then she can eat the offering. No unauthorized person can it it. (v10-13)

If anyone eats the offering by mistake, he must make restitution to the priest and add a fifth of the value to it. Otherwise, the priest is desecrating the offerings and bring them guilt that requires payment. 

The word "I am the Lord" was repeated 5 times in the above passage. 

God treats the offering very seriously. They are important to Him. The offering symbolizes Jesus, His son. The offering also represents our services to Him as a believer, and He treasures those as well. 

B) What offering is accepted by God (v17-30)

God told Aaron, his sons and all the Israelites (via Moses) and said that all gifts of burnt offering, either to fulfill a vow or freewill offering, must be a male cattle/sheep/goats without defect. Anything with a defect will not be acceptable on their behalf. (v17-21)

Defects includes animals that are blind, injured, maimed, with warts, or festering or sores, or testicles that are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. However, they can offer them as freewill offering, but it will not be accepted in fulfilment of a vow. (v22-25)

Freewill Offerings: These are voluntary offerings given out of gratitude or devotion. Since they are optional, the standards for these offerings are more lenient. Defective animals can be accepted because the focus is on the giver’s willingness and devotion rather than the perfection of the offering itself.

Vow Offerings: These are offerings made to fulfill a vow or promise to God. Since they are made in response to a specific commitment, they require a higher standard. Offering a defective animal in this context would be seen as not honoring the vow properly, as it would not reflect the seriousness and respect due to God.

The analogy in my mind is that any vow or burned sacrifice involves God, and it must be perfect, just like Christ is perfect and holy when He was sacrifice. After we have been saved, all our services and worship to God are our freewill offering. It need not be perfect, as we are imperfect. Those who never offer a freewill offering can still go to heaven, but those who did will be rewarded more.

God said to Moses, that the new born calf/lamb/goat must remain with its mother for seven days. On the eight day, they acre acceptable a food offering presented to the Lord. The parents and their young should not be killed on the same day. (26-28)

God has compassion over the animals that are used as a sacrifice. To protect both the mother and her young, He instruct that they are not to be separated for seven days, and they should not be killed on the same day. 

The way the priest sacrifice a thank offering to the Lord, he must do it in a way acceptable on his behalf. It must be eaten on the same day, and leave none of it will morning. (v29)  

This speaks of our obedience to God's word, and to carry out his calling and commands in careful and "acceptable" manner. God looks at our heart whether we are servicing Him for His glory, or we are doing it for our own glory. We must always ask the Lord before we make a decision, to make sure that we are following His will, not our will. Otherwise, our service will be in vain.

C) Conclusion (v31-33)

“Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the Lord, who made you holy and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord.”  (v31-33)

God still wants us to acknowledge his holiness and worthiness. We can acknowledge it with our prayers, with our praising, with our worship, and most of all, with the way we live our lives and love others.