Notes: March 22, 2008 - Leviticus 9 & 10
Bob Feather March 22nd, 2008
The Aaronic priesthood had been established; the priests had been anointed. The first week thereafter the priests were to remain away from the congregation, awaiting further instructions from the Lord. In today’s reading we see that God affirms their consecration in a special way.
I. The newly appointed priests and the elders of Israel are called to assemble (Leviticus 9:1-7)
II. Aaron offers sacrifices on behalf of himself and the people (Leviticus 9:8-22)
III. God startles the congregation by sending fire to consume the sacrifice (Leviticus 9:23-24)
The awe of this heaven-sent fire is soon forgotten by Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, who presume to add their own creativity to the worship of Jehovah and are immediately punished for their profanity.
I. Strange fire calls forth another burst of fire from the Lord (Leviticus 10:1-2)
II. God forbids Aaron and his other sons from mourning the deaths of their rebellious relatives (Leviticus 10:3-7)
III. As an object lesson on the importance of distinguishing good from evil, the priests are forbidden from drinking wine or strong drink (Leviticus 10:8-11)
IV. Moses instructs the priests concerning their right and responsibility to eat a portion of various sacrifices; and he becomes angry when they fail to do so (Leviticus 10:12-20)
Meditation Points:
- The people had seen a fiery pillar before them each night since their departure from Egypt; and they had become familiar with the cloud which indicated the presence of God in their midst. As a people, they had not heretofore witnessed fire from heaven, either in blessing or in judgment; but they would (Gideon, Judges 6:21; David, 1 Chronicles 21:26; Solomon, 2 Chronicles 7:1-3; Elijah, 1 Kings 18:37-39).
- God will be sanctified by those who come near Him (Leviticus 10:3). Do we really think that rock bands, colorful clowns, and Bible-less dance should be part of our worship today?
- The instruction about wine (10:8-11) comes immediately after the death of Nadab and Abihu. One wonders whether they may have been drunk at the time of their profanity. Perhaps this rule for Old Testament priests might well be followed by those who are a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6; 5:10). Certainly pastors/bishops/elders of the New Testament church are so warned (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7. See also Romans 14:21; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Timothy 3:8; Titus 2:3; 1 Peter 4:3).
- The priests, by their lives and by their words, were to teach the people that there is a difference between the holy and unholy, and how to know the difference. Do you know the difference?
- Aaron and the priests are reprimanded for negligence in duty; but when Aaron protests that the grief of the day has caused the oversight, Moses is content. We, too, must be willing to accept reasonable explanations that others give for their sins of ignorance and omission.
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Leviticus 9:1-7
1And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;
2And 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.
3And 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;
4Also 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.
5And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.
6And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do: and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you.
7And 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.
Leviticus 9:8-22
8Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
9And 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:
10But 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.
11And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.
12And he slew the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar.
13And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.
14And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar.
15And 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.
16And he brought the burnt offering, and offered it according to the manner.
17And he brought the meat offering, and took an handful thereof, and burnt it upon the altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning.
18He 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,
19And 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:
20And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:
21And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded.
22And 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.
Leviticus 9:23-24
23And 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.
24And 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.
Leviticus 10:1-2
1And 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.
2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
Leviticus 10:3-7
3Then 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.
4And 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.
5So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said.
6And 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.
7And 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.
Leviticus 10:8-11
8And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,
9Do 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:
10And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
11And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
Leviticus 10:12-20
12And 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:
13And 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.
14And 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.
15The 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.
16And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying,
17Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?
18Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded.
19And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?
20And when Moses heard that, he was content.
Judges 6:21
21Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
1 Chronicles 21:26
26And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3
1Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
2And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house.
3And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
1 Kings 18:37-39
37Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
Leviticus 10:3
3Then 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.
Revelation 1:6; 5:10
16And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
510And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
1 Timothy 3:3
3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
Titus 1:7
7For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Romans 14:21
21It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
Ephesians 5:18
18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
1 Timothy 3:8
8Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
Titus 2:3
3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
1 Peter 4:3
3For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
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