Lev. 21: Priests Can Do It!

Just as the nation of Israel as a whole was called to be separate from other nations, those in the priesthood were called to be separate from their own nation. Just as Israel had rules to follow to ensure their separation, the priests had their rules as well.

Priests were called to be uber-clean, and not make themselves ceremonially unclean for anyone who dies...which I presume means handling or touching a dead body...except for someone in their own family, a close relative.

They weren't allowed to shave their heads, trim their beards, cut their skin, or profane the name of God. OK. Makes sense, I'm with it so far. The Bible here says they present offerings as the "food of their God." As in, this food comes from God, is given by Him, or is given to Him to be consecrated.

As far as marriage, priests were allowed to marry. The wife had to be a virgin, not a former prostitute, not a divorced woman, not a widow. This was to keep the line priestly line pure. The priests always had to have that extra step up and beyond the Israelite people. If a priest's daughter succumbed to the draw of prostitution, she was to be burned in the fire. Homie don't play that. That would defile the line.

The anointed one, the high priest, was held to a higher standard still. He was not allowed to tear his clothes or let his hair become "unkempt." Messy or uncovered, whatever. He could not enter a place where there was a dead body, even if it was mom or dad. He also couldn't leave the sanctuary, because he was anointed, he was separate. I don't know if he couldn't leave at all, or just during priestly duties. The Bible doesn't say, and I'm not familiar enough with the priestly culture at this point in my reading. But I'd hate to not be able to leave a certain place for the rest of my life. That would more than kinda suck.

What is kinda strange, yet kinda understandable, yet still kinda strange is the regulations for the priests beginning in Lev. 21:16. No one in the priestly line could become a priest if he had a defect. You were excluded from service as a priest if you had the following defects:
Blind
Lame
Disfigured
Deformed
Crippled Foot
Crippled Hand
Hunchbacked
Dwarfed
Eye Defect
Festering or Running Sores
Damaged Testicles

Was God being a jerk? I don't think so. It seems like it though. Nowadays, we tolerate and bend over backwards to accommodate people with the above afflictions, so naturally, this would seem pretty horrible of God to do. But I seem to recall God requiring rams and bulls and goats and lambs...all without defect. Perfection was required, and priests needed to be as perfect as they could be as well. At least that's my estimation. People in Aaron's line were allowed to eat the sacrificed food, but could not approach the altar to make atonement. This would desecrate the sanctuary.

It is God who makes people holy.