FIRE FROM THE LORD

LEVITICUS

CHAPTER 9 & 10

            Hello again, and welcome back to Daily Bread.  Although the book of Leviticus is mostly about the laws and offerings of the Levitical priesthood, there is a story within it's pages as well. 

            On the eighth day after the tabernacle of the congregation was set up, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel, and he said to Aaron, Take a young calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish and offer them before the Lord.  And you will tell the children of Israel what to offer before the Lord, because today the Lord will appear to you.

            They brought what Moses told them to the tabernacle of the congregation and all the people came and stood near.  Moses said, this is what the Lord commanded that you should do and the glory of the Lord will appear to you. 

            Moses told Aaron, Go to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering and make an atonement for yourself, and offer the offering of the people and make an atonement for them.  Aaron went to the altar and killed the calf which was for his own sins and the goat for the people's offering, following all the offering laws that Moses had given him.

            Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people and blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering and burnt offering and peace offerings.  Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation and came out and blessed the people and the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.  And there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed all the offerings.  When the people saw, they shouted and fell on their faces.

            Then Nadab and Abihu, who were two of Aaron's sons, each took their incense burners (called censers) and offered strange fire to the Lord that He commanded them not to do.  Suddenly there went out a fire from the Lord that devoured them, and they died in front of the sanctuary.

            Now you may think that's a bit harsh, but remember, you have a stiffnecked people that are in the infancy of becoming God's holy nation.  If the priests do wrongly, what are the rest of the people gonna do?  So, God took care of that business.

            Moses said to Aaron, This is what the Lord was talking about when He said, I will be sacred to those that come near me and in front of all the people I will be respected.  Aaron had no reply.      Moses called two of Aaron's cousins, Mishael and Elzaphan to carry Nadab and Abihu outside the camp. 

            Back in those times, when a loved one died, the surviving friends and/or relatives would in sorrow, tear their clothes and throw dirt on their own heads in grief.  Then they would wear sackcloth in mourning for a period of time. 

            Moses said to Aaron and his other two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, Don't uncover your heads or tear your clothes or you may die, and you may bring God's anger upon all the people.  But let your people, the whole house of Israel, regret the burning that the Lord has kindled.  And you will not go out of the door of the tabernacle, lest you die because the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you.  Aaron and his son's did as Moses said. 

            The Lord spoke to Aaron and said, Don't drink wine or strong drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of the congregation or you may die.  It will be a statute for ever throughout your generations.  And you will learn the difference between holy and unholy, and between clean and unclean and you can teach the children of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.

            Moses told Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar, Take the meat (bread) offering that remained of the offerings of the Lord and eat it without leaven next to the altar because it is most holy, and you will eat it in the holy place because it is your share and your sons' share of the sacrifices of the Lord, that is what He commanded me.  And the wave offering and the heave offering you will eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, because it is their share which are given to you out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

            Then Moses found that Aaron's sons didn't follow his words about the sin offering.  He was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar and said, Why haven't you eaten thee sin offering in the holy place?  It is most holy and God has given it to you to carry the sins of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord.  You should have eaten it as I commanded.

            Aaron told Moses, Today the people offered their sin offering and their burnt offering to the Lord.  But after the things that have happened to me (losing his sons because of their disobedience) how holy can I be?  If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?  When Moses heard that, he was at peace.

            Our Father has made it so much easier for us now.  His grace is so wonderful that all we have to do is be truly sorry for our sins and confess them to Him and we are forgiven for them.  Never forget to thank Him for His mercy and grace.

            Be sure to join us again here at Daily Bread, as we go on next time to the book of Numbers.  Have a great day, blessed in the love of the Lord.

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