The commands addressed to the descendants of Aaron furnish us with a good example of the challenge of applying the biblical text to our situation today. There are two common ways of thinking about it: (1) we can say, “It’s in the Bible, so that’s how we’re supposed to do things,” or (2) we can say, “The situation in the days of Moses was so different from our present time, so what they did back then has no relevance for us today.” I would assess both of these positions as inadequate.

Apparently one of the ways of showing heartbreak or mourning was to shave a bald spot on one’s hair or beard, or to cut gashes in one’s skin (Leviticus 21:5); the priests were not to do this, except for their nearest kin (21:1-4). The priests have restrictions on whom they can marry (21:7). The requirements for the high priest are even stricter. Where an ordinary priest can only show bereavement for his closest kin, the high priest cannot even muss his hair to show that he is mourning his father or mother (21:10-11). Again, an ordinary priest is not forbidden to marry a widow, but the high priest may marry only a virgin of his people (21:14).

It’s clear that the intention behind these laws is to set the families of priests apart from the population as a whole: “They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God, for they offer the Lord’s offerings by fire, the food of their God; therefore they shall be holy” (21:6). Of course, no one is supposed to profane the name of God: but the expectation is that the priests will exemplify a holy life rather than a profane life.

It’s not clear that we today have the same expectation for clergy, that their lives should reflect the holiness of God. It’s not clear that following these levitical laws would in fact serve as a demonstration of holiness. It is clear that certain visible sins – drunkenness, adultery, embezzlement – immediately become a severe stumbling block for the watching world. So a proper interpretation would not focus on how clergy today should marry virgins from the people of Israel, but would ask how clergy today can live lives of visible devotion to the Lord.

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You are holy, O Lord, and you call us also to be holy: and we are far from that. Yet we pray that you would grant us devoted hearts, set on following you, and that we would live out our intention in our day to day practices.

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