Leviticus 22   This chapter addresses two areas that involve the priesthood. 

 First.. the priests themselves must be "careful with the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so as not to profane My holy name; I am the Lord."   The "holy gifts"  would include every offering.. whether a freewill or sin offering or any other.  Once it was offered to the Lord it was considered holy.. it was consecrated to the Lord and kept separate from anything "profane".  This would include any priest who was "unclean".. either from sickness, sin, having touched a corpse, or anything else. They could not eat  it, even of the portion set aside for the priests and their families.. until they were considered "clean". 

The second area that the Lord addresses was the requirement for a "perfect" offering...  The lamb, goat, bull.. whether a burnt offering or a freewill offering could not have any defects such as blindness, a broken bone, a sore or any other thing that would  make it imperfect.  If the offering was defective the person "would not be accepted".  

"And you shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the Lord who sanctifies you... " (v32) 

Again, we look at the book of Hebrews which shows us how Jesus Christ fulfilled both of these laws.  First of all, He is the perfect High priest.  Hebrews 5 reveals that Jesus was appointed by God to be "a priest forever according to the order of Melchezedek."   He offered up "both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of all eternal salvation." (v7-9)

Not only is Jesus the perfect priest, always obedient to the Father, He was the perfect Lamb of God who died.. "having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time," ( Hebrews 10:12)  "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified." (v15) 

So, as followers of Christ Jesus, what do we learn from these passages?  We have a perfect Savior who is both our great High Priest and our Redeemer who offered Himself for our atonement.. sanctifying us completely.  He has set us apart to be holy and blameless before Himself.  But, He does still call us to offer a sacrifice.. as Romans 12 tells us, "present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."  His word also reminds us to give from our resources.. "Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver." ( 2 Corinthians 9:7)

Whatever we give to the Lord is holy.. set apart for His glory.  Do we give Him our best?  Are our offerings.. acceptable  and holy?  Are we living holy lives, yielded...surrendered.. obedient offerings to our Holy God?  Do we give of our time, our money, our resources... purposefully.. generously.. willingly?

Father in heaven, stir our hearts and our wills to honor You with our words and our actions. May we come before You in holiness and obedience to present tithes and offerings with cheerful hearts.. not under compulsion or grudgingly but with joy and abundant love for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave His life that we might live eternally in Your Holy Presence.  Thank You for showing such love and mercy on us by sending Your Precious Son, the Lamb of God in whose name we pray. Amen.