The Holy and the Household: Belonging to God Text: Leviticus 22:10-16
Introduction: The Grammar of Holiness
We live in an age that despises distinctions. Our entire culture is in a headlong rush to erase every line God has drawn in His creation. They want to erase the line between male and female, between good and evil, between the sacred and the profane. The modern spirit wants a world of uniform gray, a flatland where everything is permissible because nothing is special. But the God of the Bible is a God who makes distinctions. Creation itself is an act of separation, of distinguishing light from darkness, land from sea. And at the heart of all His distinctions is the great chasm He has fixed between the holy and the common.
Leviticus is a book that modern Christians often find baffling. It is full of laws about sacrifices, skin diseases, and what you can and cannot eat. It seems alien to our experience. But if you do not understand Leviticus, you cannot understand the gospel. This book is the grammar of holiness. It teaches us that God is holy, utterly separate from sin and from all that He has made. And because He is holy, His people must be holy. Access to this holy God is not a casual affair. It is not a matter of strolling into His presence on your own terms. Access is granted by God, according to His Word, through His prescribed means. To approach God in any other way is not just a mistake; it is a fatal presumption.
The passage before us today deals with who is permitted to eat "the holy gift." This refers to the portion of the sacrifices that was set apart for the priests and their families. It was God's table, and the priests were His household staff, invited to dine with Him. But not everyone could pull up a chair. There were strict rules, clear boundaries. These rules were not arbitrary. They were object lessons, teaching Israel about the nature of covenant, belonging, and holiness. They were designed to instill a deep and abiding sense of reverence for the things of God. And as we shall see, these ancient lines, drawn in the sand of the Sinai desert, still define the shape of the New Covenant community, the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Text
‘No layman, however, is to eat the holy gift; a foreign resident with the priest or a hired man shall not eat of the holy gift. But if a priest buys a person as his property with his money, that one may eat of it, and those who are born in his house may eat of his food. If a priest’s daughter is married to a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy gifts. But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no seed, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s food; but no layman shall eat of it. But if a man eats a holy gift unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest. They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they raise up to Yahweh, and so cause them to bear punishment for guilt by eating their holy gifts; for I am Yahweh who makes them holy.’
(Leviticus 22:10-16 LSB)
The Outsider and the Household (vv. 10-11)
We begin with the fundamental distinction between those who belong to the priestly household and those who do not.
"‘No layman, however, is to eat the holy gift; a foreign resident with the priest or a hired man shall not eat of the holy gift. But if a priest buys a person as his property with his money, that one may eat of it, and those who are born in his house may eat of his food." (Leviticus 22:10-11)
The "layman" here is a common person, an Israelite who is not of the priestly line. The Hebrew word means "stranger" or "outsider." This is not a judgment on his moral character, but a statement about his covenantal position. He is outside the specific household of the priest. Notice the other examples: the "foreign resident" and the "hired man." These individuals might have a close working relationship with the priest. The hired man works for him, eats in his kitchen, and is paid from his purse. But his relationship is contractual, not covenantal. It is based on wages, not blood. He is a temporary associate, not a permanent member of the family. He does not belong. Therefore, he cannot eat the holy food.
This teaches us a crucial principle: proximity to holy things does not equal participation in holy things. You can be a church janitor, a pastor's neighbor, or a regular visitor who enjoys the sermons, but that does not make you a member of the covenant community. The line is drawn by covenant inclusion, not by friendly association or employment.
But then we see who can eat. A person bought with the priest's money, and those born in his house. This is striking. A hired hand, a fellow Israelite, is excluded, but a slave purchased from the nations is included. Why? Because the purchased person is property. He belongs to the priest. He has been incorporated into the household. His identity is now defined by the head of the house. The same is true for those born into the house. Their right to eat is not based on their personal merit, but on their relationship to the priest. They belong to him. They are his.
The application to the New Covenant is immediate and powerful. We who were once "strangers and aliens" to the covenants of promise have been bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). We were not purchased with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, our great High Priest. We are not hired hands, working for a wage. We are sons. We have been purchased and brought into His household. We are no longer defined by our old identity, but by our new Head. Because we belong to Him, we have the right to eat at His table. The Lord's Supper is not for the hired man, the curious visitor, or the friendly associate. It is for the household of God, for those who have been bought by Christ and born into His family.
Covenant Headship and Female Identity (vv. 12-13)
The next verses illustrate this principle of household inclusion through the case of a priest's daughter. Her identity, and therefore her right to eat the holy food, is determined by the covenant head she is under.
"If a priest’s daughter is married to a layman, she shall not eat of the contribution of the holy gifts. But if a priest’s daughter becomes a widow or divorced, and has no seed, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s food; but no layman shall eat of it." (Leviticus 22:12-13 LSB)
This is a direct affront to our modern, egalitarian sensibilities, which is precisely why we need to pay attention to it. A daughter is born into the priest's house. She grows up eating the holy food. It is her birthright. But when she marries a "layman," an Israelite from another tribe, she leaves her father's house and becomes one flesh with her husband. She comes under his headship. His household is now her household. And because he is a layman, she becomes a laywoman. She loses her privilege to eat the holy food because she is no longer a member of a priestly household.
This is the principle of federal headship in plain view. A woman's covenantal standing is represented by her father, and then by her husband. Our culture screams that this is oppressive, but the Bible presents it as a matter of created order and covenantal protection. Her identity is not a free-floating, autonomous thing. It is tethered to a household, under a head.
But the situation can change. If her husband dies or divorces her, and she has no "seed", no children to carry on her husband's line and provide for her, she is left without a household. The law provides for her. She may return to her father's house "as in her youth." By returning to her father's household, she comes back under his headship and regains her privilege to eat of his food, the holy food. Her status is restored because her covenantal position is restored. The text is careful to add, "but no layman shall eat of it," reinforcing the central point. The boundary must be maintained.
In the New Covenant, the Church is the bride of Christ. We were all born into the household of Adam, the first layman, and were therefore excluded from the presence of God. But Christ, our Bridegroom and High Priest, has taken us to be His own. We have left our father's house and have been joined to Him. Our identity is now found in Him. We are no longer common, but have been made a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9). Our access to the holy things of God is not based on our lineage or personal piety, but solely on our union with our Husband, the Lord Jesus.
Unintentional Sin and Restitution (v. 14)
The law now addresses the issue of accidental profanation. What happens when someone eats the holy food who shouldn't, but does so by mistake?
"But if a man eats a holy gift unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest." (Leviticus 22:14 LSB)
This is a crucial aspect of biblical ethics. In God's economy, sin is an objective reality. It is a violation of His law, whether you intended to do it or not. Ignorance is not innocence. If you accidentally run over your neighbor's mailbox, you are still responsible for fixing it. The fact that you didn't mean to do it mitigates your personal culpability, it wasn't a malicious act, but it does not erase the objective damage. A debt has been incurred, and it must be paid.
So, if a man eats the holy food by mistake, he has still consumed something that did not belong to him. He has profaned what was holy. He must make restitution. He must repay the value of what he ate, and he must add a fifth to it. This twenty percent penalty is a common feature in the Levitical law for trespass offerings. It serves two purposes. First, it ensures that full restitution is made, covering any ambiguity in the value. Second, it is a disciplinary measure. It teaches the people to be exceedingly careful around the holy things of God. Even your mistakes have consequences. This should cultivate a culture of reverence and caution. Don't be careless with the things of God.
This points us to the cross. All of our sins, whether committed in ignorance or in brazen rebellion, created a debt we could not pay. Jesus Christ made full restitution for us. He not only paid the price for our sin, but He added the "fifth" of His own perfect righteousness. He paid our debt in full and lavished upon us the riches of His grace.
The High Cost of Profanation (vv. 15-16)
The passage concludes with a solemn warning to the priests, who are the guardians of the holy things.
"They shall not profane the holy gifts of the sons of Israel which they raise up to Yahweh, and so cause them to bear punishment for guilt by eating their holy gifts; for I am Yahweh who makes them holy.’" (Leviticus 22:15-16 LSB)
The responsibility falls on the priests. They are the gatekeepers. They must not allow the holy gifts to be profaned by letting the wrong people eat them. If they are careless, if they allow a layman or a hired hand to eat, they are not just guilty of a procedural error. They "cause them to bear punishment for guilt." In other words, the priest's carelessness brings judgment down upon the head of the person who wrongly partakes. This is a terrifying responsibility.
The Apostle Paul applies this very principle to the Lord's Supper. He warns the Corinthians that "whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Cor. 11:27). He goes on to say that this is why many among them were weak and sick, and a number had died. Profaning the holy meal brings judgment. This is why the church, through its elders, has a responsibility to guard the table. Fencing the table is not an act of Pharisaical exclusion; it is an act of pastoral love, protecting the flock from the judgment that comes from treating holy things as common.
The final phrase is the foundation for everything that has come before: "for I am Yahweh who makes them holy." Holiness is not an intrinsic quality of the food, or the priest, or the people. It is a derived quality. Things and people are holy because the holy God has set them apart for His own purposes. He consecrates them. He sanctifies them. Our holiness is not our own achievement. It is His gift and His declaration. He is the one who buys us, who brings us into His house, who sets us apart, and who declares us to be His own.
Conclusion: Feasting in the Household of God
These laws, which seem so distant, are in fact a beautiful picture of our salvation. We were all laymen, hired hands, and strangers. We were all daughters of Adam, married into a profane house, with no right to the things of God. We were outside the household, without hope and without God in the world.
But God, in His mercy, sent His Son as our great High Priest. He did not hire us; He bought us. He did not make a contract with us; He made a marriage covenant with us. He brought us out of the house of our father, Adam, and into His own glorious household. He has seated us at His table and invited us to feast on the holy gift, the body and blood of Christ Himself.
This is an astonishing privilege, and it must not be treated lightly. We must come to His table as members of His household, recognizing the holiness of the meal. We must examine ourselves, confess our sins, and rejoice in the fact that we who were once outsiders have been brought near by the blood of Christ. We do not belong to ourselves any longer. We belong to Him. And because we belong to Him, we are invited to eat. For it is the Lord Himself who makes us holy.