A priest with a broken foot or a broken hand was disqualified. A broken foot or hand (v. 19) signifies some part of our being that is not complete in Christ. In our spiritual life we should be complete, perfect, and balanced. If any part of our being is damaged, we shall be disqualified from serving God.
Being a hunchback (v. 20a) signifies having the sight that is able to see only the things on earth, not the things in heaven, because of the lack of the experience of the heavenly Christ (cf. Col. 3:1-3). If we lack the experience and enjoyment of the heavenly Christ, we may be a hunchback. We need to look upward and consider the things in the heavens because our Christ is there. Our hope and our citizenship are also in the heavens (Col. 1:5; Phil. 3:20). Instead of being a hunchback, we should be those with a straight back. We should be a heavenly people.
Being a dwarf (v. 20b) signifies the lack of the stature of Christ in the growth in life (cf. Eph. 4:13). Some saints are spiritual dwarfs. They have listened to many messages and they know a lot, but they have not increased in stature. With them the measure of Christ remains the same. They have become old dwarfs.
A defective sight (v. 20c) signifies the sight in spiritual things that is not perfect because of the lack of a full view of Christ. How much sight we have depends on how much we have experienced Christ in a full view. Having a full view of Christ will strengthen and even widen our sight.
Eczema (v. 20d) signifies some expression that is abnormal in life, making oneself feel uneasy and making others feel badly, because of the lack of the Spirit of Christ. Certain saints have spiritual eczema. This means that they have something abnormal in life that, due to an “itching,” causes them to have no peace and that gives them an unpleasant appearance, an appearance that makes others uncomfortable.
Scabs (v. 20e) signify something that causes oneself to be uncomfortable and in its appearance bothers others, because of a lack in living Christ.
Scabs and eczema are in the same category of defect. Both cause a saint to be uncomfortable and to have an appearance, an expression, that is troubling to others in the church life. There are such saints in the church, and often they cause trouble because of their “itching” and abnormal expression.
Damaged testicles (v. 20f) signify that the spiritual reproductive function is damaged because of the serious lack of the experience of Christ as life. If we do not have the adequate experience of Christ as life, the organs for spiritual reproduction will be damaged.
“He may eat the food of his God, both the most holy and the holy, but he shall not come in unto the veil or approach the altar, because a blemish is in him, so that he may not profane My sanctuaries; for I am Jehovah who sanctifies them” (vv. 22-23). This signifies that although the defective believers can enjoy Christ, the food of God, as their food, they are not qualified to serve God in the church, God’s sanctuary, or around the cross of Christ, typified by the altar, lest they profane the holy things of God.
If, as New Testament priests, we have a blemish, a defect, this will disqualify us from doing the priestly service. Nevertheless, we would still be qualified to enjoy Christ as our food.
If we study Leviticus 21 using the outline contained in this message, we shall be clear concerning what kind of persons we should be in order to keep our qualifications to serve God as priests. We need to live a holy life, a life that befits our priesthood, and we need to keep ourselves complete, perfect, and properly balanced. How can we be this kind of person? We can be such persons only by contacting the perfect Christ, enjoying Him and experiencing Him day by day. He will make us complete, perfect, and properly balanced. Then we shall have all the qualifications required for us to serve as priests in the New Testament age.
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