Yahweh definitely does not like blemishes. In the last chapter, we learned that dwarfs and handicapped people cannot be priests. In this chapter, we find that lepers, people with "running issues," and people who are unclean because of touching dead things or "creeping things,"are not allowed to eat the holy food until ceremonially clean.
No one outside of the priest's family can eat from the sacred offerings, unless it's a slave that the priest purchased.
Animals given for offerings must be in good health and have no blemishes. Several verses are devoted to describing unacceptable blemishes.
Much of this is repetitive of commands previously given.
Chelev makes a great point about all the trouble people have to go through to make sure their animals to be sacrificed have no scabs or blemishes.
Obviously, slavery is permissible in the Old Testament, since specific commands are given about what slaves are allowed to eat.
As the Skeptics Annotated Version of the King James Bible points out,
22:31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
Why are some commandments kept but others ignored by contemporary Christians? And as a reminder, the Bible told us that during this time frame, the Israelites were eating manna for 40 years. If true, then how is it that they are killing and eating all of these sacrificial animals?
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