Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20001220.htm

LEVITICUS: GOD'S CALL FOR A SEPARATED WITNESS
Part II: The Path Of Walking In Fellowship With God (Leviticus 11-27)
J. God's Call For Higher Separation Standards For Leaders
(Leviticus 21:1-24)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though God calls every believer to a lifestyle that is separated from sin (1 Peter 1:15-16), He is particularly strict with those who are examples to His people, cf. James 3:1.
    2. Because of this divine strictness required of His spiritual leaders, God expects their lifestyles and even attitudes at times to differ quite dramatically from others not in such leadership, and that difference can create questions as to the motives or attitudes of leaders.
    3. God laid out specific ways and realms of high expectations for spiritual leaders in Leviticus 21:1-24, and knowing what these are and how they apply can help us understand why Church leaders and pastors either function as they do, or are perpetually impressed by God to function and not function as they do:
  2. God's Call For Higher Separation Standards For Leaders, Leviticus 21:1-24.
    1. God called Israel's spiritual leaders, the priests, to limit their expressions of grief even when close associates died to exemplify separation from the effects of sin in death, Leviticus 21:1-4:
      1. As death is the result of sin (Romans 5:12), God wanted Israel's spiritual leaders to limit their association with the deaths of even close associates.
      2. Hence, they could not mourn for associates unless they were immediate family members, Lev. 21:1-4.
    2. God called Israel's spiritual leaders to limit their cultural expressions of grief when associates died to exemplify separation from those pagan cultures steeped in errant beliefs, Leviticus 21:5-6.
      1. The practices of "shaving around the temples and ears, leaving only a crown of hair on the top of the head, as well as mutilating the beard" were pagan practices, Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn to Lev. 19:27.
      2. Hence, such practices in mourning for the dead were forbidden for Israel's priests, Leviticus 21:5-6.
    3. God expected Israel's spiritual leaders, to limit their choice of a spouse in standing separated from the evil effects of sin around them: they could wed only women who were not harlots or divorcees, 21:7-8. (Notice how this restriction is applied to elders and deacons in the New Testament, men who are viewed as the spiritual leaders of God's people in the New Testament Church era, cf. 1 Timothy 3:2, 12.)
    4. God expected the priests, Israel's spiritual leaders, to be intolerant of immorality among their daughters to the extent this sins was to be met by severe capital punishment to protect the priest's testimony, 21:9.
    5. God expected the high priest, Israel's lead spiritual leader, to be so separate from the effects of sin that he was severely to restrict his emotional expression: he could not demonstrate the usual customs of mourning or leave his required functions in the sanctuary even when his own parents died, Lev. 21:10-12.
    6. God expected the high priest, Israel's lead spiritual leader, to be so separate from the effects of sin itself that he was severely to restrict his choice of a marital partner to include only an unwed virgin, 21:13-15.
    7. God expected the priests, Israel's spiritual leaders, to limit even who among themselves could function in the temple so that no effects of sin of a notable physical blemish would defame their work, 21:16-23.
    8. These stipulations were given not only unto Aaron and his sons but also to the people that all might know God required STRICTER holiness among leaders because of their influence on the nation, Lev. 21:24.
Lesson: God's standards for His human spiritual leaders are necessarily stricter and more strictly enforced because of the INFLUENCE their roles have either to the help or harm of the congregation.

Application: HUMAN SPIRITUAL LEADERS HAVE AS A KEY ROLE THEIR DEMONSTRATION OF SEPARATION FROM SIN BEFORE ONLOOKERS. As such, (1) God's spiritual leaders are expected to control their emotions so that they exemplify the separation of their GOD from the sinful emotional EXPRESSIONS around them. (2) Such leaders are expected to control their actions in relationships even with the closest of family members so that they ALWAYS exemplify the separation of their GOD from the sin that is in PEOPLE around them. (3) The HIGHER the POSITION a leader is assigned, the STRICTER must be his emotional and relational conduct (comparing the regular to the high priest, Lev. 21:1-9 versus 10-12) in EXEMPLIFYING his God who is SEPARATE from sin!