Leviticus 21
7 “…because priests are holy to their God. 8 Regard them as holy, because they offer up the food of your God. Consider them holy, because I the LORD am holy—I who make you holy.”
[These are the rules about who the priest may marry] 15 “so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the LORD, who makes him holy.”
23 “…yet because of his defect, he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar, and so desecrate my sanctuary. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.”
Leviticus 22
…The Lord said to Moses,2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the Lord…. 9 The priests are to perform my service in such a way that they do not become guilty and die for treating it with contempt. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.”
15 “The priests must not desecrate the sacred offerings the Israelites present to the Lord 16 by allowing them to eat the sacred offerings and so bring upon them guilt requiring payment. I am the LORD, who makes them holy.”
There is a recurring theme in this section of Leviticus. The priests are holy because they serve the Lord and they have lots of rules to avoid defiling themselves, desecrating the LORD’s sanctuary, or defiling the offerings. But obeying all those rules does not make them holy. The LORD makes them holy.
We are a kingdom of priests to the LORD. Because of this, we should be careful not to defile ourselves. I Corinthians 6:19 tells us “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” However, we cannot do enough right to make ourselves holy. He makes us holy.
Thank you, LORD!