The Literal Commandment

When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no defect in it. Those that are blind or fractured or maimed or having a running sore or eczema or scabs, you shall not offer to the LORD, nor make of them an offering by fire on the altar to the LORD. In respect to an ox or a lamb which has an overgrown or stunted member, you may present it for a freewill offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted. Also anything with its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut, you shall not offer to the LORD, or sacrifice in your land, nor shall you accept any such from the hand of a foreigner for offering as the food of your God; for their corruption is in them, they have a defect, they shall not be accepted for you.'"(Leviticus 22:21-25)

 

The literal commandment is that we should not offer a sacrifice that has its testicles bruised or crushed or torn or cut.

 

Messiah Says

Messiah implicitly affirmed this commandment when He spoke about the Law:

"Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)

 

Pictures of Messiah

The sacrifices picture the work of Messiah in many ways. This commandment provides the picture that only a whole man— a complete man— would be able to serve G-d's chosen people. Messiah was that ultimately complete man: physically, spiritually, emotionally. He was complete, mature, and sinless. He was the spotless and unblemished lamb.

 

How Messiah Fulfilled

This commandment appears to apply to the Levitical priesthood who would have performed the sacrificial work. Since Messiah was not a Levite, He likely did not fulfill this commandment.

 

Traditional Observance

This commandment is considered in most Jewish circles as a matter of sexual purity rather than sacrificial integrity. As such this is considered a command against castrating any males, human or otherwise.

 

Other Notes

The context of this verse is very clearly a sacrifice of peace offerings within the Levitical sacrificial system.

We are not able to fulfill this commandment today absent a Temple and a functioning Levitical priesthood.

 

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