This is Spoken Gospel.

We’re dedicated to seeing
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

In order for Israel to live near
God’s presence in the tabernacle,

they must be
holy as God is holy.

One of the main ways this holiness is
maintained is through the work of the priests.

Therefore, the reason priests must
be holy as they purify people of their sin

is because they are
representing their holy God.

For that reason, priests
with blemishes and deformities

are prohibited from carrying
out the priestly responsibilities.

That is not because God
doesn’t love or accept these people,

but because God must
be represented as perfect.

In fact, those who are disallowed from
functioning as priests still get to share

in the priest’s benefits, such as a
right to eat the food brought for sacrifice.

Not only must the priests be perfect,
but the sacrifices they bring to the altar for

themselves and for the whole
nation must also be perfect.

No one may bring any animal
that has a blemish, deformity,

or anything else that
makes it less than desirable.

In a culture where meat is rare and
animals are a main source of income,

nothing is more costly than giving
up a perfect animal from your flock.

The gift must be valuable.

The sacrifice is also representing
the cleanliness and perfection

the worshipper was requesting
be granted them from God.

The worshipper was already deformed
and blemished by their imperfection.

They needed a spotless sacrifice,

then, to bear their blemishes and represent
the purity given to them in the exchange.

Those rules teach us so much about the
beauty and sacredness of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Jesus is the only one high
priest who truly never had

a blemish, deformity,
or sin that needed atonement.

That gave him the right to enter into
God’s presence on behalf of all people.

What’s more, he is not only the perfect
priest who brings the sacrifice without blemish,

he is the spotless,
perfect sacrifice himself.

A spotless male lamb was
very valuable to an Israelite,

but nothing was more valuable
than, “the precious blood of Christ,”

which 1st Peter tells us was, “...like that
of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

For our sacrifice, God gave the very
best heaven had to offer - his very self.

And as the perfect priest
and sacrifice, Jesus took

our sickness, deformities,
sin, and disease onto himself.

Now, we are made whole, perfect,
and acceptable through faith in him.

I pray that the Holy Spirit
would show you the God

who cleanses us perfectly
to live in his presence.

And that you would
see Jesus as the only one

who perfectly cleans us,
forgives us, and brings us to God.