Leviticus Chapter 21 Summary
Relationship and walk of the priests.
Discussion Questions for Leviticus, Chapter 21
- What kind of accountability are priests held to? How does it differ from the laws that the congregation is held to?
- Why were there boundaries on what body could be touched after a person died? Why would breaking these boundaries have defiled a priest?
- They shall not make bald patches on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts on their bodies.” (Leviticus 21:5, ESV) What would the Israelites have associated these actions with? How does this help us understand why they were commanded not to follow these actions?
- How does this chapter shape the way you view personal holiness? What are some things in your day-to-day life that make it hard to strive for holiness?
- What do you think the Israelites would have understood as being the opposite of being holy? Explain your response.
- The Israelites' understanding of a prostitute (vs. 7) was related to ritual prostitution in relation to pagan gods, as this was a known practice in Canaan. How does knowing the context impact the way you understand the verse? In light of the context, what do you see the Priest being called to?
- How do you view the responsibilities of a high priest? Which responsibilities do you understand, and which do you have a hard time understanding? Explain why.
- What was the significance of the special anointing and special garments given to a high priest?
- What do you think the physical descriptions seen in verses 16-23 kept them from approaching the altar?
- While there were reasons for the boundaries God set up in verses 16-23, how do verses 22-23 show us the love God still has for those people? What did those verses mean? How do you think the people to whom the verse applied would have understood and received it?
Key Words/Phrase
Holy, v. 6.
Characters
God, Moses, Aaron and sons.
Strong Verse(s)
6, 8.
