Meaning of Leviticus 7:20

This verse from Leviticus 7:20 lays down a severe consequence for those who are ritually unclean and partake in the fellowship offering, a meal sacrifice shared between God and the worshipper. The "fellowship offering" (Hebrew: shelem) was a voluntary sacrifice meant to express gratitude, fulfill a vow, or seek peace with God. It was unique because a portion was burned on the altar, a portion was given to the priests, and a significant portion was eaten by the offerer and their household, symbolizing communion and shared participation in God's provision and favor. The prohibition against the unclean partaking in such a sacred meal underscores the holiness of God and the necessity of approaching Him with purity. Being "cut off from their people" signifies excommunication, a severe punishment that could range from social ostracization to, in some interpretations, even capital punishment, reflecting the gravity of defiling a sacred covenant meal.

Context and Background

The book of Leviticus is primarily concerned with laws and regulations governing the Israelites' relationship with God, particularly regarding holiness, worship, and purity. The sacrificial system, detailed extensively in Leviticus, was the means by which the covenant people were to approach a holy God. The fellowship offering, described in Leviticus 3 and 7, was one of the central sacrifices. It was a meal offering, where the act of eating the sacrifice was an integral part of the worship, signifying fellowship and covenant relationship. The concept of ritual cleanness was paramount; various states of uncleanness, often stemming from bodily discharges, contact with dead bodies, or certain skin diseases, rendered individuals temporarily unfit to participate in communal worship and sacred meals. This was not necessarily a reflection of moral sin but of ritual status that separated them from the sacred space and activities.

Key Themes and Messages

The central themes are holiness, purity, and covenantal communion.

• Holiness of God: The verse emphasizes that God is supremely holy, and His presence demands a corresponding level of purity from those who draw near to Him.
• Purity Requirements: Ritual cleanness was a tangible representation of a deeper spiritual need for purity of heart and life when approaching God.
• Consequences of Defilement: The severe penalty of being "cut off" highlights the seriousness of disrespecting or defiling sacred ordinances. It underscores that participation in covenantal blessings requires adherence to God's stipulated conditions.
• Sacredness of the Offering: The fellowship offering was not merely food; it was a holy meal consecrated to the Lord, and its consumption carried profound spiritual implications.

Spiritual Significance and Application

Spiritually, this verse speaks to the necessity of approaching God with a pure heart and a clean conscience. While the Old Testament ritual laws are not directly binding on New Testament believers in the same way, the underlying principle of purity before God remains. The New Testament teaches that believers are now made clean through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Therefore, any "uncleanness" in the Old Testament sense is addressed by faith in Him. However, the principle of maintaining a life that is holy and pleasing to God, and of approaching Him through prayer and worship with sincerity and integrity, is a continuous spiritual application. To knowingly engage in sin and then presume to partake in spiritual fellowship (like communion) without repentance would be a parallel to the offense described in Leviticus.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

This verse fits within the overarching narrative of God's desire for intimate fellowship with His people, a desire that is consistently challenged by human sin and impurity. The Old Testament sacrificial system, including the fellowship offering, served as a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The inability of the Old Testament system to fully cleanse from sin, necessitating repeated sacrifices, points to the need for a perfect, once-for-all atonement. The concept of being "cut off" also echoes themes of judgment for rebellion against God's commands, a theme found throughout the Old Testament and culminating in the spiritual "cutting off" from God experienced by those who reject Christ.

Analogies

One analogy is that of a formal banquet hosted by a dignitary who has strict protocols for guests regarding dress code and behavior. To attend such a banquet while unkempt or in inappropriate attire would be disrespectful and could lead to being barred from entry or even ejected, thus missing out on the honor and fellowship offered. Another analogy could be a family's sacred meal or tradition; if an outsider, or even a family member who has acted with grave disrespect towards the family's honor, attempts to join in without reconciliation, it would disrupt the sanctity of the occasion.

Relation to Other Verses

• Leviticus 15:31: "Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst." This verse directly reinforces the principle that uncleanness must be managed to prevent defilement of God's dwelling place.
• 1 Corinthians 11:27-29: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself." This New Testament passage echoes the Levitical principle, applying it to the Christian sacrament of communion, warning believers to examine themselves lest they partake unworthily and incur judgment.
• Hebrews 10:29: "How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trodden underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?" This passage highlights the graver consequences for those who reject or desecrate the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, a theme that resonates with the severity of the Levitical prohibition.