Leviticus 21:7-12: a reflection

7“‘They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane. A priest shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God. 8Therefore you shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy. 9“‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire. 10“‘He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and who is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, or tear his clothes. 11He must not go in to any dead body, or defile himself for his father or for his mother. 12He shall not go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am the LORD.

In the laws for the priests, and especially the high priest, God calls them to a life set apart, consecrated to him, holy because they serve a holy God. The priest is to be holy to his God, the law says, for he offers the bread of God; and of the high priest, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, God says he is consecrated, the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. The priests were to be set apart, marked by a special consecration, because they served in the presence of a holy God; their lives were to reflect the holiness of the God they served. This points to a call to holiness, to being set apart for God, fulfilled in Christ our high priest and extended to us. The priests were called to be set apart, holy for a holy God. Serving a holy God calls for a consecrated, set-apart life. The call to holiness reflects the holiness of God served. Being set apart for God is a call to holiness.

Notice the reason given for the priests' consecration: because they served a holy God, in his presence, offering to him. The priest was to be holy to his God because he offered the bread of God; the high priest was consecrated, set apart, marked by the anointing oil, because he served in the very presence of God. Their set-apart holiness reflected the holiness of the God they served; because he was holy, those who served him closely were to be holy too. This points forward and outward. It points forward to Christ, our great high priest, perfectly holy, who serves in God's presence on our behalf. And it points outward to us, for the New Testament calls all God's people a holy priesthood, set apart for him, called to holiness because the God we belong to is holy. We who belong to God are called to be set apart, consecrated, our lives reflecting something of the holiness of the God we serve. This is not a burden but a dignity: to be set apart for God, called to a holy life because we belong to a holy God. We are called to holiness because we belong to a holy God. Being set apart for God is a dignity, a call to reflect his holiness. Christ our high priest is perfectly holy; we are called to holiness in him. God's people are a holy priesthood, set apart for him.

That is worth taking to heart, for we who belong to God are called to be set apart for him, to a holy life that reflects the holiness of the God we serve, as the priests were consecrated because they served a holy God. We can think holiness is only for a special few, or a burden to resist; but the priests were set apart because they served a holy God, and the New Testament calls all God's people a holy priesthood, set apart for him. Holiness is our calling and dignity. Live as one set apart for God, called to holiness because you belong to a holy God, in Christ our holy high priest. Live as one set apart for God, called to a holy life that reflects the holiness of the God you serve, as the priests, and especially the high priest, were consecrated and set apart, holy to their God because they offered to him and served in his presence, marked by the anointing oil of their God; for their set-apart holiness reflected the holiness of the God they served, and this points forward to Christ our great high priest, perfectly holy, who serves in God's presence on our behalf, and outward to us, for the New Testament calls all God's people a holy priesthood, set apart for him and called to holiness because the God we belong to is holy, so that we who belong to God are called to be consecrated, our lives reflecting something of his holiness, which is not a burden but a dignity, to be set apart for God and called to a holy life because we belong to a holy God, in Christ our holy high priest.

Lord, in the laws for the priests, and especially the high priest, you call them to a life set apart, consecrated to you, holy because they serve a holy God. The priest is to be holy to his God, the law says, for he offers the bread of God; and of the high priest, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, you say he is consecrated, the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. The priests were to be set apart, because they served in the presence of a holy God; their lives were to reflect the holiness of the God they served. This points to a call to holiness, to being set apart for you, fulfilled in Christ our high priest and extended to me. Show me the reason given for the priests' consecration: because they served a holy God, in his presence. Their set-apart holiness reflected the holiness of the God they served; because you were holy, those who served you closely were to be holy too. This points forward to Christ, our great high priest, perfectly holy, who serves in your presence on my behalf. And it points outward to me, for the New Testament calls all your people a holy priesthood, set apart for you, called to holiness because you are holy. I who belong to you am called to be set apart, consecrated, my life reflecting something of your holiness. This is not a burden but a dignity. Take that to my heart, for I who belong to you am called to be set apart for you, to a holy life that reflects your holiness. Keep me from thinking holiness is only for a special few, or a burden to resist; help me live as one set apart for you, Lord, called to holiness because I belong to you, a holy God, in Christ our holy high priest, counting it a dignity to be consecrated to you.