Call to Purity in Spiritual Leadership

• Review:
  • Punishment for most crimes in Hebrew law was unique.
  • Legal punishment was not for vengeance.
  • Legal punishment for a crime was not intended to make anyone rich.
  • The purpose of punishment was to keep the Hebrew society pure.
  • Not to reform the offender.
  • Mirrored God’s character by allowing for restoration.
  • Crimes had to be atoned for – they affected many parts of the Hebrew world.
  • Sin polluted the soil.
  • Sin polluted society.

  • Why didn’t Jesus carry out the very law that God established in the Old Testament?

• Jesus was a “friend” to sinners. Mat.9:10-13
  • Jesus came to fulfill the law – not to abolish it.
  • Group 1: “Cover every ” of the law so no one else has to.
  • Group 2: “ ” the law in deeper terms to show us that we are incapable of meeting the requirements.
• Group 3: “ ” the law to us “with flesh on it.” In doing this, we saw God’s character in action. Rom.3:21-22
  • "…Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead."
  • (Rom.7:7-8, NIV)

2Holy Behavior Surrounds a Hebrew Leader

• Religious leaders are held to a higher standard. (Chapters 21-22)
• The priests were prohibited from certain behavior.
• No for anyone who was not a close relative.
• No their head.
• No marrying women of questionable sexual behavior.
• The High Priest had even more stringent restrictions for behavior.
• No marks for grief.
• No partaking in the of his closest relatives.
• Wife must be of character. v.13-15
• Both the Hebrew leaders and their sacrifices must be ‘whole’ in offerings to God. Chapter 22
  • APPLICATION: The requirements of perfection are the same in the Old Testament as they are in the New Testament.
  • Hebrews 7:26 – The perfect (Jesus Christ).
  • Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:19; 2:22 – The perfect .
  • Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 19:7-8; 21:2 – The perfect .
  • The New Testament sees holiness in primarily moral terms.
  • Leaders in the church are called to similar purity in character.
  • It is not as physically evident as it is morally evident.

3Leaders: Acts 6:3; Titus 1:5-11

4Wives: 1 Timothy 3:11

5Leaders’ children: 1 Timothy 3:4; Titus 1:6

• “The conduct of the family is noticed by the world, and they lay the blame of their misdeeds at the door of their parents…
• “They (the children) hinder the usefulness of their father, who loses influence in the eyes of the world if his counsels and walk have not succeeded in drawing his own family to God.”
• - Bonar, addressing fellow ministers

6Protect and Teach through the Festivals

• The reason for Feasts / Festivals.
• Festivals had little to do with “Feasts.” Many times, fasting was involved for these “Feasts” and not eating!
• Festivals were a means by which the calendar of the Jewish people could be monitored.
• Festivals are to be protected by the spiritual leaders. Chapter 23
• The Sabbath influences all festivals. Chapter 23
  • 7 Festivals in the year.
  • Passover

7Unleavened Bread

• Weeks
• Solemn rest day
• Day of Atonement
• Booths
• Day after Booths
• Majority of these festivals occur in the 7th month of the year.
• Every 7th year is a sabbatical year (Ex.21:2; Lev.25:2)
• After 49 (7 x 7) years, there was a super-sabbatical year – the Year of Jubilee Lev.25:8
  • The life of the church is influenced by these festivals.
  • Passover =
  • Festival of Unleavened Bread =
  • Festival of Weeks =

  • Question: Does the church hold up the importance of memorial events like it should? What could be improved about these memorial events?

• NEXT SESSION: The Year of Jubilee Leviticus 25