Dec 22, 2008

Strange and the Hilarious in Leviticus

I just finished reading Leviticus.

Sections that make me go - Huh? What does that mean?
- Leviticus 21:16-21 "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and say: No one of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the food of his God. For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, one who is blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or one who has a broken foot or a broken hand, or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or a man with a blemish in his eyes or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the Lord's offerings by fire; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the food of his God."

I don't get this. Some things - like a broken hand or foot might be an accident or even an injury one causes, but things like being blind, lame, having a limb too long, or a hunchback, or a dwarf, etc. are conditions people are born with. Why would God prevent such people from serving Him? He's the one who made them that way?

I don't get it.

Sections that just crack me up.
- Leviticus 22:4 No one of Aaron's offspring who has a leprous disease or suffers a discharge may eat of the sacred donations until he is clean. Whoever touches anything made unclean by a corpse or a man who has had an emission of semen...

How in the world were these guys to know if a man had an emission of semen? Were they supposed to ask?

That just cracks me up.

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