richard2

You may be familiar with this question. I searched but could not find an answer, so here goes:

Exodus 19:22 states:

"Even the priests, who approach the LORD , must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them."

Yet there were no priests at this time. How do Christians reconcile this one?



Thanks,

Richard

funinspace

That has at least one easy answer. How long would it take for Mosheh to initiate a couple of new priests? Gee in about 30 minutes he could pass down all the directives from above. I'm sure they have some fancier answers as well.

Mary.

The footnote in my study bible says that this was anachronistic since priests were not yet commissioned (Lev 8-9). To me, it's in the same boat as telling Noah to take so many clean animals and so many unclean animals - clean and unclean had yet to be defined! It's all proof of later redaction.

I don't know how Xians would explain otherwise, either.

Mary.
God Is Smiling On Me
The God of Coincidence

yummyfur

There were priests before Moses, like Melchizedek, see Genesis 14:18. Technically Kohen is a word for a chief or headperson who offers sacrifices. There were Kohenim before the time of Moses.

Also in Exodus 13:1-2 Moses said the first born would be sanctified, the first born would be the Kohenim.

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me."


Then when Moses came down and saw the Golden Calf, he gave the Israellites a choice, but only the Tribe of Levi stood with him. Therefore Numbers 3:11-12 tells us that they are made God's possesions, or his Kohenim.

11 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

12 "Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn, the first issue of the womb among the sons of Israel. So the Levites shall be Mine."

Also See Jethro who is the Kohan of Midian in Ex 2:15-16.

15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.