Leviticus 8 -- The Priesthood begins

 

 

(Lev 8:1-20 NKJV)  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: {2} "Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil,

a bull as the sin offering, two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; {3} "and gather all the congregation together at the door of the tabernacle of meeting."

{4} So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. And the congregation was gathered together at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

{5} And Moses said to the congregation,

"This is what the LORD commanded to be done." {6} Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons

and washed them with water.

 

There is a lot of symbolism here:

1.       The anointing oil  “Messiah” is the Hebrew word for “the anointed.  “Christ” is from the Greek word “Christos” and again it means “the anointed.”  The “anointing” process was God’s way of showing that someone had a special position designated by God.

 

2.       A bull as the sin offering:  (Heb 9:22 NKJV)  “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

 

3.       Washed them with water:  Washing is so important:  (Eph 5:25-26 NKJV)  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, {26} that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.”      So being washed is an important concept with God in the Old as well as the New Testament.

 

 

(Lev 8:7) And he put the tunic on him, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the intricately woven band of the ephod, and with it tied the ephod on him. {8} Then he put the breastplate on him, and he put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastplate. {9} And he put the turban on his head. Also on the turban, on its front, he put the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD had commanded Moses. {10} Also Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. {11} He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the laver and its base, to consecrate them. {12} And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to consecrate him.

 

 

More details follow concerning concentrating the priest to their work, but we will omit them.

Chapter 9:

Priests begin their ministry

Details follow which we will not list.

 

(Lev 9:4 NASB) [take] and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil; for today the LORD shall appear to you.'"

 

 

(Lev 9:23-24 NKJV)  And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, {24} and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

 

 

(Lev 10:1-2 NKJV)  Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. {2} So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

 

Here is a story that almost every member of the Church of Christ has heard numerous times.  Here we are face to face with the story. But where are the details.  Keil & Delitzsch state,  “It is not very clear what the offence of which they were guilty actually was.”  I must agree with their conclusion.  As horrific as their punishment was, you would think that their sin would be crystal clear.  Much as been made of the “strange fire,” or profane fire  as stated in the NKJV, but the real question is, where are we told what the “holy fire” was that they were to use?  They had to know, but it is hard to put our finger on what it was. 

 

The “Bible Story” books that you see in the doctor’s office suggest they may have been drunk.  Other Bible scholars agree because of what follows:

 

(Lev 10:8-11 NKJV)  Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying: {9} "Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, {10} "that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, {11} "and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by the hand of Moses."

 

Someone might object and say, “Why did the Lord kill them for something when the instructions had not yet been given.”  I would suggest three things: 

 

1.     We do not have a record of everything that was said.

2.     There seem to be times when not all statements are in strict chronological order.

3.     If there had been no commandment or instructions given, I believe that Moses would have said something to God about that.

 

God’s disapproval of what they did is abundantly clear:

 

(Lev 10:6-7 NKJV)  And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, "Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled. {7} "You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses.

 

My understanding of what we just read:

Aaron as their father, and Eleazar and Ithamar as their brothers, are not to do any of the things that are often done in mourning when we lose a loved one.  In fact, it would appear they were not even to go home where they could grieve in private:  "You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die.”

 

Chapters 11-15 have to do with all kinds of “impurities” and cleansings.  These include, but are not limited to female issues including child birth, and in general to leprosy, and various discharges from the body.  After five chapters detailing these laws, we are back to the issue of conduct for the priest.  Again, some think these may have been the violations of Nadab and Abihu.

 

(Lev 16:1-2)  Now the LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the LORD, and died; {2} and the LORD said to Moses: "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at just any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud above the mercy seat.

 

(Lev 16:29-34 NKJV)  "This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. {30} "For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the LORD. {31} "It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. {32} "And the priest, who is anointed and consecrated to minister as priest in his father's place, shall make atonement, and put on the linen clothes, the holy garments; {33} "then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make atonement for the tabernacle of meeting and for the altar, and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.

(Lev 16:34) "This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year." And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

The important concepts:

1.            It was the Day of Atonement—reconciliation to God.

2.  They were to afflict their souls.

3.  It was to be done once a year.

4.  The Hebrew writer explains.

 

(Heb 9:7-12 NKJV)  But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; {8} the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. {9} It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience;

(Heb 9:10) concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. {11} But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. {12} Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

 

(Lev 16:34) "This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year." And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

 

The once a year. has been replaced with

once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

 

“It was symbolic for the present time” but such important symbolism.  We are so blessed because we have the real thing, but do we appreciate it?  Do we realize the price they paid for that which was a symbol of what was to come?  May we appreciate what we have!

   Bible Study with Harley   My Sunday Evening Lessons