The importance of holy leaders

The ministry of a priest is summarized for us in Verse 6 of Chapter 21: "They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the offerings by fire to the LORD, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy." (Leviticus 21:6)

Robert Murray McCheyne, a well-known Scottish minister who lived in the early 1800s once famously said, “My people’s greatest need is my own personal holiness.” And any minister who takes his calling seriously will say a heavy amen to that.

Leviticus calls for holiness on the part of the congregation, on the part of the priesthood, and on the part of the high priest. And with each call to holiness, the demands become stricter.

This should not surprise us since the closer one gets to the Lord the holier one must be. “The closer a person was to the symbol of God’s presence, the greater the degree of holiness.” This is pictured for us in the tabernacle itself.

The courtyard was where the people in general would gather, and they certainly had a code of holiness for which they were responsible. The priesthood then had greater demands for holiness placed upon them, for they were allowed access to the Holy Place. But the high priest, had an even higher standard of holiness placed upon him, for he alone was allowed access, one day a year, beyond the veil to the Holy of Holies.

The children of Israel were to be different, and the priests of the children of Israel were to be especially different. They were held to a higher standard. One could summarize the principle here by the words of Jesus: “to whom much is given, much is required” (Luke 12:48).

Most are familiar with the expression raising the bar. The expression is derived from athletics, specifically the high jump or pole vault. The athlete must clear the bar with his jump in order to continue in the next round of attempts. At each new round the bar is raised, making the level of difficulty greater and greater. Raising the bar means raising the standard of conduct or achievement to a more demanding expectation. Leviticus 21, 22 effectively does this for Christian ministry. The reasons for this are evident since the leader sets a pattern that influences others. Also, a leader can only qualify as a successful leader if he shows he is worthy of the position.

Even though we do not go to a “sanctuary” to worship, we, the local church, are in fact God’s sanctuary (1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-5; etc.). And therefore, the requirement for holiness that God prescribed for his old covenant priests most certainly is required for us today.

The New Testament makes it very clear that every Christian is a priest of God (1 Peter 2:9-10; Rev 1:6; etc.) and therefore the lessons about holiness revealed in Leviticus 21 have much relevant application to each Christian.

If the old covenant spiritual leaders were to be holy, how much more so for those who lead the new covenant people of God? That is why such a high standard of character is set for elders and deacons (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1).

Application Questions:

1. How do we select our leaders, or determine if someone is a good leader? Do we put a premium on holiness?

2. Do we respect someone not because they can give a good sermon or a talk, but because they live lives that show that they are set apart for God?

Quote:

“Many Christians have what we might call a 'cultural holiness.' They adapt to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around them...But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like Himself. Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God." - Jerry Bridges

Prayer:

Lord, I thank you for reminding me that holy living is not an option. You are keen not on my happiness but my holiness. Help me to realize that the closer I come to you, more sin will become visible. Help me not to condone it but to deal with it because this is what you desire. Amen.