Leviticus 21

8 See Leviticus 20:7–8 and comment.

9 Not only priests were held to a high standard of behavior; their children were too. Children who persistently disobey God end up disgracing their parents and hindering their ministry (1 Timothy 3:4–5).

10–15 The high priest, the forerunner of Christ, was held to the highest standard of all. He was known as the “anointed priest”⁷⁹(Leviticus 4:3,5; 6:22; 16:22), because he was specially anointed for his ministry (Exodus 30:30; Leviticus 8:12); he was the one who had the anointing oil poured on his head (verse 10).

The high priest was not permitted to mourn for anyone (Leviticus 10:6–7), even for his parents (verse 11); to let one’s hair become unkempt or to tear[one’s] clothes (verse 10) was a sign of mourning. To mourn for someone involved coming near the dead person’s body,and this would make one unclean.

Furthermore, the high priest was not to leave the sanctuary (the tabernacle area) on any kind of business; he was always “on duty” at the tabernacle (verse12). Aaron and his sons had a tent on the east side of the sanctuary; later when the temple was built in Jerusalem, the priests lived in apartments built into the temple walls.

Finally, the high priest could only marry a virgin from his own people—the Levites (see verse 7 and comment). All these rules were laid down for the high priest so that he would not be defiled and would not defile his offspring (verse 15). “I am the one who makes him holy,” said God (see Leviticus 20:7–8 and comment); therefore, let him who has been made holy (the high priest) not become defiled.

16–24 No descendant of Aaron who had any kind of physical defect was allowed to go near the curtain between the Holy Place and Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:33) or to approach the altar of burnt offering (verse 23). Just as the animals offered for sacrifice had to be without defect, so too did the priests who officiated at the sacrifices have to be without defect (see Exodus 12:37 and comment).

However, having a defect didn’t mean that the person was no longer a descendant of Aaron; it simply meant that that person couldn’t serve as a priest. For example, such a person could partake of the holy food (verse 22), the portion of the offerings reserved for the priests. Though he wasn’t allowed to serve, he at least would be allowed to eat!

Today, ministers of Christ do not have to be “without defect” physically. What is important in Christ’s ministers is that they be without moral or spiritual defect (1 Timothy 3:1–13). It is possible for a person to be spiritually blind or lame, disfigured or deformed (verse 18); such a person is not qualified to serve as a minister of Christ, our High Priest, who was Himself without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:19). However, even those with such spiritual defects—if they repent—can be made whole through the atoning sacrifice of Christ and be fitted for ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit within them.