Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 10:12-15

12 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:

13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons’ due, of the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire: for so I am commanded.

14 And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons’ due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

15 The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be thine, and thy sons’ with thee, by a statute for ever; as the Lord hath commanded.

Moses gave Aaron and his sons some instructions on eating their portion of the sacrifices. Some of this information we already knew, and some of it is new. First, they were told that the portion of the meat offering that fell to them was required to be eaten in the tabernacle courtyard, beside the altar. As we have already seen, the priests eating their portion was not only a privilege, but an obligation, a part of the ritual itself, and with strict guidelines as to how it could be performed.

Their portion for the wave breast and heave shoulder had a different set of instructions, though. As a reminder, the wave and heave offerings were separate from the meat offerings, first introduced to us in connection with the peace offering. The most distinctive quality we learned earlier about the wave and heave offerings were that the offeror would also eat a portion of. It thus became a shared meal between God and offeror, a symbol of unity and peace.

But that was for the common Israelite. Today’s verses seem to be continuing the initial rituals that Aaron and his sons performed for themselves. They are not offering a wave and a heave offering for another Israelite, but on their own behalf. And this was not required to be eaten within the tabernacle courtyard beside the altar, it just needed to be eaten in a clean place. And the priests did not have to eat it alone, their families, sons and daughters, could partake of it as well. This makes it even more clear that the wave and the heave offerings were a blessing in the lives of those who made it. Other offerings may have been focused on atonement or glorification of God, but this one was about being one with God and rejoicing in that, and one’s own household could take part in that same joy.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 10:8-11

8 And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying,

9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:

10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

The prohibition of alcohol when the priests went to the tabernacle is intriguing. We have heard many of God’s commandments to Israel already, but nothing against the general use of alcohol, yet God is forbidding it in this specific case. And note, it isn’t just a ceremonial act, like wearing the priestly clothes, it seems to have moral implications as God explicitly says that this has to do with the difference between “holy and unholy, unclean and clean.” If that is the case, then why not prohibit alcohol as a general rule?

I see two explanations.

  1. Some things are not generally wrong, but only in certain contexts. Drinking alcohol, a woman being on her period, a man having a night-time emission, these were not damning sins that would ruin a soul’s standing before God, but they were all things that God said should not overlap with attendance at the tabernacle. Some things, while not strictly evil, are just particularly worldly, particularly mortal, and therefore should remain in that domain. Being sweaty and smelly after attending the gym does not make one a sinner, but we all know it is best for us to shower and change our clothes before coming to church.
  2. As Paul taught, the law “was a schoolmaster,” fit for where the Israelites were at the time, but meant to prepare them for greater laws to come. Just as how Christ enhanced the prohibitions against adultery and murder to include lust and anger, perhaps abstinence from alcohol was a higher form of the Lord’s dietary laws.

I see both explanations as credible, though my personal beliefs are aligned with the second point. In either case, it becomes clear that just because God set firm restrictions or requirements in one time and place, does not mean there cannot be further nuance and variation at other times and places.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 10:3-7

3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.

5 So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.

6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled.

7 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.

The loss of his sons must have been a terrible blow to Aaron, but wisely he accepted the Lord’s judgment and held his peace. The totality of God’s path is absolute. On the one hand, no one is forbidden from coming to Him, but also no one is excused from betraying Him. It does not matter our status, God’s laws apply just as much to the king as to the beggar, as much to the priest as to the pagan.

No doubt the weight of this reality rested on the minds of Aaron and his two surviving sons as Moses forbade them from performing the traditional rituals of mourning. It seems as though Nadab and Abihu’s betrayal took place sometime during the initiation process. The priests were staying in the sanctuary day and night for a full week, so there was plenty of opportunity for it to have occurred.

It was imperative that Aaron and his sons not abandon their purification process partway through. They were still acting in their divine office; they were still standing in as representatives of God, and it would not do for the representative of God to bewail the judgment of God. That would be contradictory.

Even so, Moses assured them that the people of Israel would mourn for them. Just as the priests must stand as representatives of God to the people, the people would stand as representatives of the brokenhearted men to God.

Aaron and his sons accepted their solemn duty, and “did according to the word of Moses.” Each of them would fulfill this initiation, commit themselves sincerely, and live out the rest of their lives without causing such a breach as Nadab and Abihu had done.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 10:1-2

1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.

2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.

We have gone for a while without hearing of any rebellion from the Israelites, but sadly that streak comes to an end. Nadab and Abihu offer “strange fire” to the Lord, which clearly seems to mean some sort of idolatrous ritual.

I should note that not all commentators agree on that point. Some suppose that “strange fire” merely means the fire didn’t come from the correct place (the outer altar) or was offered at a wrong time in a ritual. However I see two pieces of evidence that make idolatry more likely. First is that the word used for “strange” is זָרָ֔ה (zarah), the same that is used when referencing “strange gods.” Secondly, is that later in this chapter we will see an actual minor error in ritual observation, and it does not incur any penalty. The severity of God’s punishment suggests a more serious infraction.

And that punishment certainly was severe! It is one thing to be slain by the Lord, to collapse dead in a moment, but Nadab and Abihu were consumed by miraculous fire! This was obviously an unforgettable lesson to the Israelites of the seriousness of their offense. Clearly God was not merely displeased, He was furious, and the dramatic execution calls to mind the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

But that is not all. The verses that immediately preceded these described divine fire of the Lord consuming the meat offering, accepting it in miraculous fashion. Well now Nadab and Abihu were the ones being consumed by divine fire, this time out of rejection. It is two sides of the same coin. It is something we have seen a few times already in the books of Moses: God’s glory purifies and God’s glory destroys. God’s judgment exalts the righteous and God’s judgment decimates the wicked. God’s words empower the campaign of the truthful, and God’s words breaks the schemes of the liar. God is great and God is terrible. All of our works, all of our offerings, all of ourselves are offerings to the Most High, consumed in His fire either to joy or to fearful destruction.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 9:23-24

23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people.

24 And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

Here we have the only private moment in the ritual, where Moses and Aaron enter into the tabernacle and disappear from the view of all of Israel. Not only was it not seen what transpired in there, it isn’t described in the instructions given to Moses for this moment. At the very least, it seems likely that Moses and Aaron would have gone through the inner-tabernacle rituals, such as lighting the lamps, burning incense, arranging the shewbread, and sprinkling blood. Did Aaron also commune with God directly? Did he speak with God face to face, as Moses had? We do not know. This moment has been kept private from all the world, just as our most sacred moments are typically kept private.

We do know that after they emerged, God responded in a grand show of divine approval. A heavenly flame went forth and consumed the offerings upon the altar. A few chapters ago we heard that the flame of the altar was never to go out. Fresh fuel had to be added to it in perpetuity. It seems that the flame that they had to keep burning was this same divine flame! This is obviously symbolic of the divine flame that lives in each of us, put in us by the grace of Christ, but which must be regularly nourished.

The significance of this miraculous flame is clear. When the Israelites had finished the construction of the tabernacle, the cloud of the Lord covered it and His presence claimed and accepted it. But that had just been the acceptance of the physical structure. Now God is accepting the priests and their labor. Thus, the body of the tabernacle and its soul are deemed acceptable to the Lord, and what transpired there would be imbued with His authority.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 9:15-22

15 And he brought the people’s offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.

16 And he brought the burnt offering, and offered it according to the manner.

17 And he brought the meat offering, and took an handful thereof, and burnt it upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning.

18 He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron’s sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about,

19 And the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver:

20 And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:

21 And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the Lord; as Moses commanded.

22 And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.

In the last section Aaron performed the offerings for himself, with the help of his sons, and next he performed the offerings for the general population of Israel. Once again, his sons assisted by presenting the blood for sprinkling. Now, at last, everyone had been sanctified. Everyone had been committed to the Lord.

Admittedly, Moses was perhaps an outlier in this moment. I suppose he could be considered part of the body of Israel, a subject of this general offering that Aaron just completed. On the other hand, we could definitely say that his sanctification and purification had already transpired during one of his visits to the mountain. He did appear once with a shining face after all, which sounds pretty sanctified! Thus, by one way or another, Moses, Aaron, the priests, and all the Israelites were now one in God.

Aaron commemorated this moment by pronouncing a blessing upon the people. We do not read the words that he said, but this further shows the fatherly relationship he had to the great Israelite family.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 9:8-14

8 Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.

9 And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar:

10 But the fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar; as the Lord commanded Moses.

11 And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.

12 And he slew the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar.

13 And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.

14 And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar.

Aaron performed the sin and burnt offering for himself, but his sons did help slightly by presenting the blood of the animals to him so that he could sprinkle and spread it. This once again continues the pattern of hierarchy, training, and downward distribution of authority for the priest class.

But that is not all. By having even but one step of the ritual performed by Aaron’s sons, it was made clear that not even the High Priest could fully administer to himself. Man cannot clean himself, not wholly. He must be served by another for that, even if only for the washing of his feet. Yes, he may be a vessel to administer in the cleaning of others, but that only makes him a facilitator, not a causer. It was sacrifice and blood, ultimately of Jesus, and symbolically of the animal, that did the actual cleaning, and it was only distributed by the works of the priest.

Today, too, we must remain humble and recognize that on our own we are nothing. We might be the mouth that convicts of sin, the hands that command illness to leave, or the heart that shares forgiveness. But we are not the essence of conviction, healing, or mercy. They merely pass through us to others, and through others to us.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 9:5-7

5 And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord.

6 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you.

7 And Moses said unto Aaron, Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the Lord commanded.

The people had been witnesses to the glory of God before, and in verse 6 Moses promises that they will be yet again, just as soon as Aaron has fulfilled his first priestly duties. The last time that we heard of them beholding the glory of the Lord was when they had finished the construction of the tabernacle. That had been a manifestation to the people of the Lord’s acceptance of the place, when the glory of the Lord comes again it will signify the Lord’s acceptance of the work performed therein.

This would be a key element of the Israelite faith moving forward. Miracles were shown so that those who observed them could provide testimony, could tell their children and their grandchildren that they truly knew that God was in the rituals of the tabernacle, that it was the method that He had chosen and show divine approval for. Presumably, most generations of the ancient Israelites did not get to see such signs, just as signs are rarer among us today. But the initial signs are made, and the testimony tradition begun, and history has shown that this can be enough for the pattern of faith to continue. For those that live to see signs, there is the obligation to testify of them. For those that do not, there is the obligation to believe that testimony.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 9:1-4

1 And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;

2 And he said unto Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord.

3 And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering;

4 Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord; and a meat offering mingled with oil: for to day the Lord will appear unto you.

For seven days, Aaron had watched Moses performing the rituals and sacrifices of the tabernacle, but now it is a new week, a new beginning. and Aaron is going to start performing in his office as the high priest now. And then, after Aaron has performed his duties as the high priest, his sons, the regular priests, will began functioning in their roles also. From God to Moses to Aaron to his sons. From God to prophet to family patriarch to children. This is the pattern that is established.

But who was Aaron to perform the ritual for? Two parties, actually. In verse 2, we learn he is to bring offerings for himself and in verse 3 we learn he is to receive offerings from all of Israel. This establishes another important principle of the patriarchal order mentioned above: it is not merely about the downward flow of power and authority, but the upward flow of guilt and responsibility for sin. Indeed, the former only comes hand-in-hand with the latter. There is no authority without burden. The authority is for the addressing of that burden.

Aaron was being called to be the father of Israel, and that meant that in addition to managing his own sanctity before the Lord, he must manage that of all the children also. Paul made this same notion very clear when he compared the responsibility of husbands to that of Christ in Ephesians 5. Of course, none of this is meant to deny the free will of those who are under the patriarch. The Israelites could choose not to bring their offerings to the tabernacle, and the wife and children can choose not to follow the counsel of the father, and grace must be accounted for those fathers and high priests who can answer a full tally to the Lord. None of that changes the pattern that God has established for authority and responsibility, though. Once again, it is a loop that finds Christ at each end. The authority flows down from Christ, and the responsibility comes back up to him. He will ultimately answer for any missing souls, and he will empower the rescue of all that are willing to be found.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Leviticus 8:31-36

31 And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it.

32 And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire.

33 And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you.

34 As he hath done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you.

35 Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not: for so I am commanded.

36 So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Presumably the instruction for Aaron and his sons eat their sacrifice portion at the door of the tabernacle is so that all of gathered Israel may be witness to the proper fulfillment of God’s command. We do not hear this being a requirement for general rituals, but at least now the Israelites would have the image in their mind of what transpires even on the times when they don’t see it.

Another thing that is unique about this initial performance of the rituals was the requirement for the priests to remain in the tabernacle for seven days, apparently on peril of death! Once Aaron and his sons had begun their consecration to the Lord, they were not to abandon the process half done. This cleansing and consecration ritual was a week-long process, one that entailed new sacrifices on each of the seven days.

Jesus pointed out in Luke 14:28-30, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”

So it was for the tabernacle priests. They were informed beforehand what “the cost” of being a priest was. They knew what rituals would be required, what commitments, and what restrictions. It was a good thing to be a priest, but not if they didn’t accept the cost of it. So it is for each of us as modern disciples. We have been told “the cost,” meaning the duties, the commitments, and the restrictions of bearing the name of Christ. It is a good thing to taken on his name, but not if we don’t accept that cost.

We will see in two chapters how two of Aaron’s sons did not meet the requirements of their station, defied the commandments that they had pledged to, and were destroyed because of it. We should assume no less serious of an outcome when we violate our covenants as well. We may not see such a dramatic event as being consumed by a ball of fire but never forget that even greater than the death of the body is the death of the soul.