Now we move into laws about the high priest and the temple. These laws are difficult, if not impossible, for us to obey today, but they still apply to us. So we have a responsibility to learn how to follow the spirit of them if that is possible.
In Ex 28:32, it says the robe of the high priest must not tear. The high priest is not in office now, and we need the temple rebuilt for him to take his office. So this commandment is still in effect, but we can’t obey it without a temple and the high priest. There are no pastors or priests who have replaced the high priest, and the book of Hebrews says Yeshua is our high priest now. This means that He is now wearing this robe in the heavenly temple, and His garment will never tear.
Lev 16:2, it says a priest can not go into the Sanctuary in the temple at any time, only when he is performing a service. The book of Hebrews says Yeshua is continuously in the temple doing service for us.
Lev 21:1-3 forbids a priest to come into contact with any corpse other than immediate family. And a priest who has to immerse himself in the Mikvah (ritual cleansing) cant serve in the Sanctuary the same day until after sunset (Lev 22:6-7.)
Ex 28:32, Lev 16:2, 21:1-13, 22:6-7 are all commandments applicable only to priests. So these commandments, are all fulfilled in the heavenly temple each day by our high priest Yeshua.
A priest can’t marry divorcees (Lev 21:7) when it speaks of divorcees; it refers to those who have broken their engagements. In the Bible, you are married to someone when you are engaged to them. Adultery is the only legal reason to break an engagement, and when the marriage has been officiated, divorce is against the law.
Priests can not marry harlots (Lev 21:7) or any women forbidden to them.
The high priest can not come in contact with any dead, not even relatives (Lev 21:11) and should never be under the same roof as a dead body (Lev 21:11.) He can not marry a widow (Lev 21:14) and is forbidden to have sex with a widow. (Lev 21:15.)
He is forbidden to serve in the Sanctuary if he has a physical blemish (Lev 21:17), and a priest can not serve in the Sanctuary with a temporary blemish. (Lev 21:21)
When Yeshua rose from the grave, they did not at first recognize Him. This tells us He had no physical blemish when He entered the heavenly temple on our behalf.
Anyone with a physical blemish must not go up to the altar in the Sanctuary (Lev 21:33.) This is speaking of the Sanctuary in Jerusalem, not the Sanctuary in a church just as the laws for the High priest and the priest (Lev 21:17, 21:21) speaks of the temple in Jerusalem and not the Sanctuary in a church. This shows us that any pastor or a priest, or a member of a congregation with a physical blemish is allowed to do service in a church and go up to the altar.
Unclean priests are forbidden to serve in the Sanctuary in the Temple (Lev 22:2-3) or enter the Courtyard (Numbers 5:2-3.)
Levites should not do the service of a priest, and priests can not do the service of a Levite (Numbers 18:3.) Only descendants of Aaron in the male line can be priests (Numbers 18:4-7) and not Levites can own territory in Israel (Deut 18:1.) Levites get no share of the loot from concurring the land (Deut 18:1)
The commandment in Numbers 18:4-7 has been changed. In Hebrews 7:11-12, it says that Yeshua is our high priest in the order of Melchizedek, not in Aaron’s order and lineage. But this is also the only example in the Torah of change in the commandments.
Now we have looked at laws about the high priest, the priests, and the temple. We, as ordinary people, are never supposed to live by these laws because they only apply to the people mentioned above. But we are to honor them and their spirit by remembering Yeshua is our high priest and He has met every one of these requirements.
We now move into another set of laws, laws about tithes and taxes.
In Ex 12:44-45 and Lev 22:10, we learn an uncircumcised man shall not eat of the priestly agricultural offering. This was an offering done in the temple, so we cant obey this today. But we can abide by its spirit by saying you shall not partake of the Lord’s supper in vain. (1. Cor 11:27)
In Ex 22:28, we are reminded not to change the order of separating the agricultural offering and the tithes. It is always the first fruits, the agricultural offering, then the first tithe, then the second tithe. This commandment is also connected to the temple. To obey its spirit would be to remember to do things in the correct order.
Lev 22:3-4 says ritually unclean priests shall not eat of the agricultural offering. This commandment is also connected to the temple, and therefore not possible for us to obey literally. But we can abide by the spirit of it, and the spirit would be 1.Cor 11:27.
Only priests or the wife and unmarried daughter of one can eat of the agricultural offering (Lev 22:10.) A guest of a priest, one of his hires servants, can not eat of the offering. (Lev 22:10). Do not eat anything from which the offering and tithe have not yet been separated. (Lev 22:15) The spirit of this would be 1.Cor 11:27.
In Lev 27:32-33, it says your tithed portion can not be sold. In Deut 12:17, we learn the second tithe of the grain, wine, and oil can not be eaten outside of Jerusalem. This shows us how the Torah forbids us to tithe if we are not in Jerusalem, with access to the temple. If you tithe to a church, you are sinning and breaking the Torah. So what would be the spirit of this today? The spirit would be not to tithe.
In Deut 12:19, it says we are not to deprive the Levites of their due. The Levites are not in office today. In 1. Cor 9, Paul says this commandment is applicable for ministers of the Gospels. Even though we are not to tithe, it would be a sin if we chose not to give anything to a minister of the Gospel.
We are commanded to spend the second tithe’s proceeds in Jerusalem on food and drink (Deut 26:14.) If we are ritually unclean or in mourning, we must not eat of the second tithe. (Deut 26:14) Because we can only give the second tithe in Jerusalem, we cant obey this commandment literally today. The spirit of it would be to remember that if we have to choose between giving to Yehovah (Deut 22:19, 1.Cor 9) and feeding ourselves, we choose food for ourselves. The spirit would also be 1. Cor 11:27, we are not to eat of the Lord’s supper in vain.
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