Now that the main sacrifices have been introduced to the people, they are each discussed again, this time focusing on how the priests should deal with the sacrifices and who could and couldn’t eat parts of the offerings.

The priests were the religious leaders of the people, responsible for leading the people into the proper worship of the Lord, and as such they had their own additional instructions. Although the people all had their part to play in bringing the sacrifices to the Lord, the priests had special privileges, but also extra responsibilities.

The meat from the most holy sacrifices was only to be eaten by the priests – a special privilege – but there were strict instructions about how it was to be eaten – special responsibilities. High standards of righteous behaviour were expected from those who would lead God’s people in worship.

The priests were also expected to bring offerings of their own. They were to bring a daily meal offering every morning and every evening on behalf of all the priests, representing the daily worship of the priests. Not only were they to lead the people in worship, they were also expected to set an example of worship themselves.

In the new covenant established through the death and resurrection of Jesus, our leaders are no longer expected to manage the offering of sacrifices, but the care and attention to detail described here is perhaps a guide as to how dedicated and careful he expects the leaders of his people to be. The example of careful preparation, obedience to God’s will, high standards of righteous behaviour and a strong, daily walk with the Lord is one that all who would be leaders of God’s people would do well to follow.

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH