The Priesthood (Leviticus 21)

Did the regulations for the Aaronic priesthood foreshadow Jesus, our high priest? Are we also called to be a royal priesthood? Let’s look at Leviticus 21.

Priests

Were priests defiled by touching a dead body that was not a close relative? Could that foreshadow holiness?

The Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean by touching the dead body of a relative. The only exceptions are his closest relatives—his mother or father, son or daughter, brother, or his virgin sister who depends on him because she has no husband. But a priest must not defile himself and make himself unclean for someone who is related to him only by marriage. (Leviticus 21:1-4 NLT)

Were they allowed to shave their head or shape their beard as pagans did? How could that picture Jesus’ separation from the world?

They shall not make any baldness on their heads nor shave off the edges of their beards nor make any cuts in their flesh. They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they bring near the offerings to Yahweh by fire, the food of their God; so they shall be holy. (Leviticus 21:5-6 LSB)

What kinds of women were forbidden in a priest’s family? Could this picture Jesus’ Bride the Church?

They shall not take a woman who is a prostitute and profaned, nor shall they take a woman divorced from her husband; for he is holy to his God. You shall consecrate him, therefore, because he offers the food of your God. He shall be holy to you; for I the Lord, who sanctifies you, am holy. Also the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by prostitution, she profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire. (Leviticus 21:7-9 NASB)

High Priests

How was the high priest to behave in personal grooming and general conduct? Was this a picture of our perfect high priest, Jesus?

The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 21:10-12 NIV)

Who could a high priest marry? Was this also a picture of Jesus’ Bride the Church?

And he shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow or a divorced woman or a defiled woman or a harlot—these he shall not marry; but he shall take a virgin of his own people as wife. Nor shall he profane his posterity among his people, for I the Lord sanctify him. (Leviticus 21:13-15 NKJV)

Did God discriminate against various handicapped people serving as priests? Was the work that strenuous? Were they to be a foreshadow of our sinlessly perfect high priest, Jesus?

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to Aaron: In all future generations, none of your descendants who has any defect will qualify to offer food to his God. No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, or has a broken foot or arm, or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or skin sores or scabs, or damaged testicles. No descendant of Aaron who has a defect may approach the altar to present special gifts to the Lord. Since he has a defect, he may not approach the altar to offer food to his God. However, he may eat from the food offered to God, including the holy offerings and the most holy offerings. Yet because of his physical defect, he may not enter the room behind the inner curtain or approach the altar, for this would defile my holy places. I am the Lord who makes them holy.” So Moses gave these instructions to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites. (Leviticus 21:16-24 NLT)

Did Caiaphas the high priest condemn Jesus to death?

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.” The high priest tore his clothes, and said, “What further need have we of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death. (Mark 14:61b-64 WEB)

If high priests were descended from Aaron, how could Jesus be our high priest? Was there an order that preceded Aaron?