Can there be a new non-Levitical priesthood according to the Torah? What does the Torah command regarding priests?
“And [the coverings] shall be on Aaron and on his sons in their entering to Tent of Appointment…enactment of forever for him and for his seed after him.” – Ex 28:43
“…and it shall be to them priesthood for enactment of forever, and you shall fill hand of Aaron and hand of his sons.” – Ex 29:9
“…and sons of Aaron, the priests, shall cause to near the blood…” – Lev 1:5
“…and he shall cause it to near to sons of Aaron, the priests…” – Lev 2:2
“…and he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one from his sons, the priests…” – Lev 13:2
“…and Aaron shall give over two of the goats lots…” – Lev 16:8
“…and the priest who is anointed, and whom he fills his hand to be priest instead of his father…” – Lev 16:32
“Say to the priests, sons of Aaron, and you shall say…” – Lev 21:1
“And sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow in horns, and they shall be to you to enactment of forever for your generations.” – Num 10:8
“And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge…” – Dt 17:9
“…and he shall write for him duplicate of this law on scroll from before the priests, the Levites.” – Dt 17:18
“And the priests, sons of Levi, shall near, that in them YHWH your elohim chose to minister of him and to bless in name of YHWH…” – Dt 21:5
Just as the rituals and sacrifices are oriented toward the Tabernacle, and not a temple, the commandments regarding the priesthood are oriented toward Aaron the Levite and his descendants, not any new or anticipated high priest from Judah or any other tribe. The rewriting of commands and overriding of the actual text necessitated by the belief in a different priestly line is surely not what is expected of us in our reading and applying of the Torah. We should expect the priests to be from Aaron, not from anyone else.
(From prior posting on Gr. 9/1/14)
“And [the coverings] shall be on Aaron and on his sons in their entering to Tent of Appointment…enactment of forever for him and for his seed after him.” – Ex 28:43
“…and it shall be to them priesthood for enactment of forever, and you shall fill hand of Aaron and hand of his sons.” – Ex 29:9
“…and sons of Aaron, the priests, shall cause to near the blood…” – Lev 1:5
“…and he shall cause it to near to sons of Aaron, the priests…” – Lev 2:2
“…and he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one from his sons, the priests…” – Lev 13:2
“…and Aaron shall give over two of the goats lots…” – Lev 16:8
“…and the priest who is anointed, and whom he fills his hand to be priest instead of his father…” – Lev 16:32
“Say to the priests, sons of Aaron, and you shall say…” – Lev 21:1
“And sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow in horns, and they shall be to you to enactment of forever for your generations.” – Num 10:8
“And you shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge…” – Dt 17:9
“…and he shall write for him duplicate of this law on scroll from before the priests, the Levites.” – Dt 17:18
“And the priests, sons of Levi, shall near, that in them YHWH your elohim chose to minister of him and to bless in name of YHWH…” – Dt 21:5
Just as the rituals and sacrifices are oriented toward the Tabernacle, and not a temple, the commandments regarding the priesthood are oriented toward Aaron the Levite and his descendants, not any new or anticipated high priest from Judah or any other tribe. The rewriting of commands and overriding of the actual text necessitated by the belief in a different priestly line is surely not what is expected of us in our reading and applying of the Torah. We should expect the priests to be from Aaron, not from anyone else.
(From prior posting on Gr. 9/1/14)
