Leviticus 21:1: “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: “None shall defile himself for the dead among his people.”’”

January 4th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The priests were not to touch a dead body, assist in a funeral, or eat of a funeral feast. While this was a very literal command for the Old Testament priest, there is a strong lesson in it for us today. We should not become too linked to people, or develop too close a friendship with those who are walking in spiritual death. The New Testament tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:14 that we are not to “be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” When two very opposite kinds of people’s lives become linked, someone will be changed. Either the live person will pull the walking dead toward life, or the walking dead will pull the live person toward death.

The exception to this is the relationship that is specifically moving toward bringing a person to eternal life in Jesus Christ. That is why the Savior could eat with prostitutes and tax collectors, and touch diseased and even dead people. People were always left changed after being with Jesus.

It is God’s design to leave us here for a time after we are born again, when it becomes our great privilege to represent the creator of the universe, to serve as His ambassadors. Paul wrote to the Corinthians of this honor in 2 Corinthians 5:20: “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” So those who have surrendered to Him, who have been reconciled, are now His ambassadors.

An ambassador is a representative who speaks, not on his own authority or based on his own opinions, but on behalf of the one he represents. And we, as Christ’s ambassadors, have been directed to say, “Be reconciled to God.” There is a huge truth here that we don’t want to miss; we are not commanded to do the work of reconciliation, because God has already done that work. We are simply to say to those who are walking in death, “Submit yourselves to God. Yield to the hands that were nailed to the cross for you, and be made alive.”

“Thank You, LORD, for eternal life. Help us to be Your ambassador this day in Jesus’ name.”