Social media exegesis, which is interpreting Scripture through the lens of social media posts, is a dangerous game. Recent events on the national political stage have prompted numerous biblical references regarding God’s providential protection over former President Donald Trump and the assassination attempt that took place at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Whether it was God’s active providential protection or God allowing the shooter to miss that kept the former President from losing his life that day, we can and should be thankful for His protection and that there was not more loss of life. Certainly, prayers should abound from believers on behalf of those who were injured in the attack, the family of the innocent bystander in the audience who lost his life, as well as the family of the shooter himself.
However, the inter-webs have been replete with posts like this one on the left:
The issue should be plain to those who know the Bible. Unfortunately, based on the comments, it is obvious that either: [1] most people do not know what the Bible says or [2] they are simply ignoring what the Bible says in order to see this moment in history through the lens of their own desire for a particular outcome in November’s election. Either of these are concerning, especially when the veracity of Scripture hangs in the balance. Therefore, unpacking the misinterpretation and misapplication in the above social media post is necessary.
When studying any passage of Scripture, context is key and cannot be discounted or disregarded. In this passage of Leviticus, the Lord is speaking to Moses and providing him with instructions on consecrating (or ordaining) Aaron as High Priest and his sons as priests among the people of God. Leviticus 8:22-24 reads,
“Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. And he killed it, and Moses took some of the blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Then he presented Aaron’s sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet.”
These three verses come amid an entire section pertaining to all that was required in the consecration ceremony of those who would serve as priests, which included certain garments of clothing, anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, two rams, and unleavened bread (Lev 8:2). The verses that follow describe, in detail, the precise instructions regarding each of these elements that would be used to ordain Aaron and his sons. The blood that was used was that of an animal sacrificed on the altar. The blood was placed not only on Aaron’s and his sons’ right ear lobes, but also on their right thumbs and the big toes of their right feet.
Eight days after this ceremony, Aaron was required to make an offering to the Lord—his first act as High Priest. The Lord’s acceptance of this offering was a sign to the people of Aaron’s role among them (Lev 9:24). To augment the significance of the instructions given to Moses and to Aaron regarding a proper acceptable sacrifice to the Lord, we see in the very next chapter that Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, were killed by God for offering unauthorized fire before the Lord (Lev 10:1-2). Worship to the One True God was serious business in Moses’ time, and it should be just as serious today.
With the context in place, it is easy to discern that this section of Leviticus points to the ordination of those set apart to serve the Lord as priests in Israel. These men were not set apart for any other task. The entirety of this ordination ceremony was not performed upon a man for any reason other than his ordination to the priesthood. The blood placed upon Aaron and his sons was not random, but coordinated with the placing of blood on the horns of the altar and indicated that the priest was completely devoted to the Lord’s service (cf. Lev. 4:7, 25). One scholar notes the possible reasons as to why these specific areas of the body were chosen: “The ear, because the priest must at all times hearken to the holy voice of God; the hand, because he must execute God’s commands, and especially the priestly functions; the foot, because he must walk rightly and holy.”
The author of the post also cites Leviticus 14:28 which reads: “And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand on the on the big toe of his right foot, in the place where the blood of the guilt offering was put.”
This may confuse the attentive reader because verse 28 refers to oil instead of blood; however, the blood of the guilt offering was placed on the ear lobe, the thumb, and the big toe of the right side of the body in verse 25. Verse 28 is located toward the end of a section of Scripture whose context pertains to the purification offering for those who are sick (especially those who had contracted leprosy) and who were unable to afford the offerings for the cleansing ceremony (Lev 14:33).
Even this brief examination of these passages in Leviticus makes it clear that the author's over-arching application of this text of Scripture that former President Donald Trump was consecrated to a priest-like service unto the Lord because there is blood on his right ear from a would-be assassin’s bullet is downright blasphemy. Why? Because of Whom Aaron’s role as High Priest (and all the High Priests who would succeed him) points to—Jesus Christ. Jesus is our last and “great high priest, who has passed through the heavens...for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:14-15). In other words, believers today are no longer in need of a priest to have access to the Father because Jesus is our great high priest, who constantly intercedes to the Father on our behalf (Rom 8:34). Therefore, elevating any person to the same status as Jesus Christ, the One True Son of God, is blasphemy of the highest order.
As believers and followers of Jesus Christ who uphold the Scripture as the inerrant, infallible, eternal Word of the Living God, we must be diligent in our pursuit of truth. The conjecture, opinions, and even reasonable-sounding connections of social media pundits cannot be taken as gospel truth. We must read, watch, and listen with biblical discernment so that we might think rightly and be found as ones approved, rightly handling the Word of Truth.
Pastor Brent
Rooker, Mark F. 2000. Leviticus. Vol. 3A. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 147.
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