Leviticus 22:17 - Meaning and Application

Here are four laws about sacrifices:

I. Anything offered to God had to be without defect, or God would not accept it. This rule had already been mentioned in the laws for each kind of offering. Here they are told what counted as a defect that made an animal unfit for sacrifice: if it was blind, lame, had a growth, or had mange (Leviticus 22:22). If it was bruised, crushed, broken, or cut off (Leviticus 22:24), that is, as Jewish writers understand it, if it had been castrated in any of those ways, it could not be offered. A difference is also made between a freewill offering and a vow offering (Leviticus 22:23). If an animal had only something extra or missing, that is, some unevenness in parts that should match, such as one eye, ear, or leg being larger or smaller than it should be, it could be accepted for a freewill offering, because no special promise had been made beforehand. But it could not be accepted for a vow offering. This taught people to keep their promises to God carefully and not lessen what they had solemnly agreed to give. What was under our own control before a vow, as with a freewill offering, is no longer ours afterward (Acts 5:4).

This rule is repeated again and again, that no blemished sacrifice should be accepted (Leviticus 22:20, Leviticus 22:21). Because of it, great care was taken to inspect every animal brought for sacrifice, so it could be known for sure that there was no defect. Even a blemished sacrifice from a stranger could not be accepted, though strangers were to be encouraged to honor the God of Israel in every possible way (Leviticus 22:25). This shows that strangers were expected to come to the house of God from far away (1 Kings 8:41, 1 Kings 8:42), and that they were to be welcomed, with their offerings accepted, like those of Darius (Ezra 6:9, Ezra 6:10; Isaiah 56:6, Isaiah 56:7). Many heathen priests were not so strict and would accept shameful sacrifices to their gods. But the God of Israel would not be served that way.

This law was needed to protect the honor of the sanctuary and of the God worshiped there. Anything used for his honor should be the best of its kind, because he is the greatest and best of all beings, and the best must have the best. See how deeply and rightly God was offended when this law was broken (Malachi 1:8, Malachi 1:13, Malachi 1:14). It also made the legal sacrifices better pictures of Christ, the great sacrifice from whom all their value came. In line with this law, he is called a Lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19). A priest like that, and a sacrifice like that, suited us, for he was harmless and pure. When Pilate said, “I find no fault in this man,” he was, in effect, declaring the sacrifice without blemish. The Jews say it was the job of the sagan, or assistant high priest, to inspect the sacrifices and see whether they were without defect. When Christ suffered, Annas held that office, but those who brought Christ to Annas first, and then had him sent bound to Caiaphas, as if he were a sacrifice fit to be offered (John 18:13, John 18:24), did not realize they were acting out the meaning of this law.

This also teaches us to give God the best we have in our spiritual sacrifices. If our prayers and worship are careless, cold, empty, and full of distractions, we are offering the blind, the lame, and the sick as sacrifice. Cursed is the deceiver who does this, for while he tries to cheat God, he brings judgment on his own soul.

II. No beast was to be offered before it was eight days old complete (Leviticus 22:26, Leviticus 22:27). It had already been set down that the firstborn of their cattle, which were to be given to God, were not to be brought until after the eighth day (Exodus 22:30). Here it is added that no animal was to be sacrificed until it was eight days old. Before that, it was not fit even for a person’s table, so it was not fit for God’s altar. The Jews say this was because the Sabbath sanctifies all things, and nothing should be offered to God until at least one Sabbath had passed over it. It also matched the law of circumcision, since children were to be circumcised on the eighth day. Christ was sacrificed for us, not in infancy, though Herod sought to kill him then, but in the full strength of his life.

III. A mother and her young were not to be killed on the same day, whether for sacrifice or ordinary use (Leviticus 22:28). There is a similar law about birds (Deuteronomy 22:6). This was forbidden, not because the act was evil in itself, but because it seemed cruel and harsh toward the animals. It was like the cruelty of the king of Babylon, who killed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes and then put out his eyes. It looked hard-hearted toward the whole species, as if someone meant to wipe out a family line.

IV. The flesh of thank offerings was to be eaten on the same day they were sacrificed (Leviticus 22:29, Leviticus 22:30). This repeats what had already been given before (Leviticus 7:15; Leviticus 19:6, Leviticus 19:7). The chapter ends with a general command, often repeated, to keep God’s commandments and not profane his holy name (Leviticus 22:31, Leviticus 22:32). Those who claim God’s name, but do not take his commandments seriously, profane that name. Several reasons are given: his authority over them, “I am the Lord”; his claim on them, “I am your God”; his right to them through redemption, “I brought you out of the land of Egypt, so that I might be your God”; his saving purpose toward them, “I am the Lord who makes you holy”; and his fixed resolve, if he does not receive honor from them, to get honor upon them, “I will be honored among the children of Israel.” God will not lose his glory in the end at the hands of any person. Sooner or later, he will recover his right, either in the repentance of sinners or in their ruin.