The Levitical Priesthood: Laws And Regulations Explained

The Levitical priesthood, which began with Aaron, Moses' older brother, was responsible for offering sacrifices as required by the Mosaic Law and acting as mediators between man and God. The Levitical priests also served as judges and teachers of God's law. While the Bible doesn't explicitly outline a set of laws for the Levitical priesthood, it does provide insights into their duties, qualifications, and restrictions. For example, Levitical priests were subject to stringent standards of behavior and ritual purity, with specific rules for hair and beard maintenance, marriage, and handling death within the family. They were also required to be holy and not marry women who were defiled or divorced. The high priest held additional privileges and responsibilities, such as being the only one permitted to enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement.

The Levitical priesthood began with Aaron, Moses' older brother

Aaron, a descendant of the tribe of Levi, was set apart by God to serve as a priest, along with his sons. This is recorded in Exodus 28:1-3 and Exodus 29, which provide directions for the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests. Throughout the book of Exodus, Aaron and his sons are identified as priests for Israel, and this is further reinforced in Exodus 40:9-15, which grants Aaron and his descendants a perpetual priesthood.

The book of Leviticus regularly identifies the priests as the sons of Aaron, and this identification is also found in the book of Numbers. The regulations and instructions provided in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers were specifically intended for the priests.

While the term ""Levitical priests" in Deuteronomy may imply that all Levites were priests, it is important to note that Aaron, being from the tribe of Levi, was technically a priest of the tribe. The Levites served as servants to the priests and represented the entire body of the people of Israel. They took on the role of the firstborn, who were originally consecrated to God and held leadership positions.

The Levites who were not priests had various duties, including caretaking of the tabernacle and its furnishings. The high priest, on the other hand, held significant power and could deliver edicts to guide the nation. He was the only one permitted to enter the Most Holy Place, and even then, only once a year on the Day of Atonement.

The Levitical priesthood was not intended to be permanent, and with the death of Christ, it came to an end. Jesus now serves as the believer's Great High Priest, providing access to God's presence.

Levitical priests were mediators between man and God

The Levitical priesthood began with Aaron, the older brother of Moses, and his descendants, who served as priests in Israel. They were primarily mediators between man and God, offering sacrifices as required by the Mosaic Law.

The Levitical priests were responsible for officiating worship ceremonies and helping people approach God so they could worship and receive forgiveness. They were the only ones permitted to enter the Holy Place in the tabernacle and, later, the temple. They were also responsible for teaching God's law and serving as judges.

The high priest, who was the only one permitted to enter the Most Holy Place, could only do so once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifices for the people, including himself. The high priest could also deliver edicts to guide the nation.

The Levitical priests were held to stringent standards of behavior and ritual purity by God. They were expected to demonstrate holiness in their service and teaching of God's ways.

The Levitical priesthood came to an end with the death of Christ, as He now serves as the believer's Great High Priest, providing access to God's presence.

They were responsible for offering sacrifices required by Mosaic Law

The Levitical priesthood began with Aaron, the older brother of Moses, and his descendants, who served as priests in Israel. They were responsible for offering sacrifices required by Mosaic Law.

The Levitical priests bore the responsibility of offering sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. This was a crucial aspect of their role as mediators between man and God. The priests facilitated communion and fellowship between the people and God through these sacrifices.

There were two main classes of sacrifices in Old Testament times. The first class was the propitiatory offerings, which included the sin and trespass offerings. These sacrifices were made to enable a person to enter into communion with God. The second class was the offerings made by believers in fellowship, which included burnt offerings, peace offerings, thank offerings, votive offerings, freewill offerings, and meal and drink offerings.

The materials used for these sacrifices varied and were divided into two categories: blood sacrifices and bloodless offerings. For blood sacrifices, animals such as oxen, sheep, goats, and birds like turtledoves or pigeons were offered. The choice of animal depended on the nature of the offense and the position or rank of the person making the offering. For instance, a young bullock was offered for a sin of the whole congregation, while a pigeon or turtledove was used for purifying a woman after childbirth.

The bloodless offerings, on the other hand, involved grain, olive oil, wine, salt, and incense. These offerings were often presented alongside the blood sacrifices and were seen as a way of recognizing God's sovereignty and expressing gratitude for His blessings.

The process of presenting the sacrifices was highly ritualized. For animal sacrifices, the person bringing the offering would place their hand on the animal's head and then kill it at the north side of the altar. The priest would catch the blood in a vessel and sprinkle it on the altar or, in some cases, on the Ark of the Covenant. The animal would then be skinned and cut into pieces, with some portions burnt on the altar and the rest consumed by the priests or shared with the person who brought the offering.

The Levitical priests played a vital role in facilitating these sacrifices, ensuring that they were performed according to the Mosaic Law and that the proper rituals were followed. They were held to stringent standards of behavior and ritual purity by God.

The Levitical priesthood was never intended to be permanent

The Levitical priesthood began with Aaron, the older brother of Moses, and his descendants. They served as the priests in Israel, ministering in the tabernacle and, later, the temple, primarily as mediators between man and God. The Levitical priests bore the responsibility of offering the sacrifices required by the Mosaic Law.

The Levitical priests also served as judges and teachers of God's law. The high priest could deliver edicts to guide the nation. He was the only one permitted to enter the Most Holy Place, divided by a curtain from the rest of the tabernacle and containing the Ark of the Testimony, the symbol of God's very presence. The high priest could only enter the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifices for all the people, including himself.

God held the priests to the most stringent standards of behavior and ritual purity. Abihu and Nadab, sons of Aaron and two of the first priests, disobeyed God and were instantly struck down. Later, the sons of the high priest Eli “treated the offering of the Lord with contempt” and were also judged.

In the time of Christ, the Sadducees, who comprised most of the priesthood, were known to be a wealthy class of people. The chief priests Caiaphas and Annas were instrumental in having Jesus crucified.

Now, Jesus Himself serves as the believer’s Great High Priest, called according to the order of Melchizedek, not of Levi. Through His death and resurrection, we have access to God’s presence, where we can freely enjoy Him forever.

The death of Christ put an end to the Levitical priesthood

The Levitical priesthood was never intended to be permanent. The death of Christ put an end to the Old Covenant and the Levitical priesthood, as evidenced by the rending of the temple veil. The Levitical priesthood began with Aaron, the older brother of Moses. Aaron’s descendants served as the priests in Israel, ministering in the tabernacle and, later, the temple, primarily as mediators between man and God. The Levitical priests bore the responsibility of offering the sacrifices required by the Mosaic Law.

Some of the Levitical priests in the Bible are Ezra, Eli, and Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. The term Levitical is derived from the Israelite tribe of Levi. Levi was the third son of Leah and Jacob, and the father of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of Moses and Aaron. All priests were Levites, but not every Levite was a priest.

The Levitical priesthood traces through the three sons of Levi, through the Sadducees until it went extinct at the death of Christ, when it was replaced with the Priesthood of Christians which will endure until the second coming. The priesthood continued down to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD when it became physically extinct, but it was rendered spiritually extinct at the death of Christ and replaced by the priesthood of believers in Christ. Today, every Christian is a priest and Christ is our high priest.

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