Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.3MB)
The parasha for this Sabbath is entitle Shemini, meaning (Eighth) and it is from the Book of Leviticus 9:1-11:47.
Looking back on last week’s parashah, we saw that the people were summoned by Moses and the sacrifices were brought to the altar and burned before the Lord. The tabernacle and its utensils were all anointed and the priests were called, washed, clothed, anointed and ordained.
Moses instructed Aaron and his sons to eat the rest of the ram of ordination, along with the remainder of the bread from the basket of the ordination offerings and then to burn up the leftovers.
Aaron and his sons were ordered to stay in the forecourt of the tabernacle both day and night for seven days to complete their days of ordination. They were not to leave lest they die.
Notice how Aaron and his sons observe all that they are instructed to do. We will discuss this in more detail later.
On the eighth day, which clearly refers to the day after the 7 days of Aaron’s ordination confinement, in verse 6, “Moses called for Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.
Moses said to Aaron, Take a bull and a ram. There must be nothing wrong with them. The bull will be a sin offering, and the ram will be a burnt offering. These animals are to be offered to the Lord for the atonement for the priests”
Moses also told the Israelis to, “…take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb for a burnt offering. The calf and the lamb must each be one year old. There must be nothing wrong with them”.
“Also take a bull and a ram for a peace offering. Take these animals and a grain offering mixed with oil for an offering to the Lord. Do this and the Lord will appear to you today.”
After instructing the entire assembly, Moses delegated his priestly functions to Aaron by inviting him to begin the sacrifices.
This was the beginning of the Levitical priesthood starting with Aaron and his sons. And these were the first sacrificial offerings that Aaron slew with his own hands.
Assisted by his sons, Aaron, the high priest, offered a calf as a sin offering for himself.
Remember, Aaron had previously sinned by making a golden calf, so it is ironic that he now offered a calf as his first sin offering as if to atone for that sin.
Then the sons of Aaron brought the blood of this sacrifice to Aaron. Aaron put his finger in the blood and put it on the corners of the altar. He then poured out the blood at the base of the altar.
Aaron finished offering the sin offering, then the high priest extended his hands toward the people and blessed them. Moses and Aaron then entered the tabernacle.
They came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.
Offerings to the Lord must be done in strict observance of the Lord’s command; now observe how in chapter 10, things quickly change.
The same fire, which had gone forth and consumed the burnt- offering on the altar, now leaps forth and devours two of the priests, Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, for doing what God had never instructed them to do.
Before God manifests his glory, there must be divine order. Once his glory is revealed, there is a great blessing.
But also, once His glory is revealed, any irreverence, any disorder or disobedience is met with judgment. The higher the glory the faster and swifter the judgment.
The glory of God had just fallen and consumed the sacrifices. Just as in the Book of Acts the anointing was high and had just occurred. Ananias and Sapphire lied to the Holy Spirit and were stricken by God.
God’s ministers must learn once and forever to walk by the inflexible rule of undeviating adherence to the will and word of God.
There are many Nadab’s and Abihu’s today. Their presumption often goes long unpunished-because the present dispensation is that of grace. The 10th chapter of Leviticus as well as the 5th chapter of Acts give us a solemn warning that though judgment may tarry, it surely will fall.
God is holy; He will not be mocked. He will be glorified among His people; to do otherwise, it would be good to remember that our God is a consuming fire.
Moses did a bit of scolding after the deaths of Na dab and
A be hu. It was not a time for comforting the sorrowful, but of honoring judgment which honored holiness.
Aaron did not argue with Divine judgment because he saw, in the light of Moses’ scolding, that it was indeed justified. Moses didn’t ask any of the priests to carry out the two bodies for that would have made them unclean to do their duties.
Only here in the Book of Leviticus is it said that Adonai spoke directly to Aaron, the high priest, without the mediation of Moses. Aaron was told that drinking wine or other fermented drink was forbidden in the sanctuary and under the penalty of death.
This command coming right after the incident of Nadab and Abihu strongly suggests that the two priests were “tipsy” when they committed their evil.
Chapter 11 tells us that God’s people must be a clean people. They must be clean both inwardly and outwardly.
There must be physical cleanliness, and there must also be ceremonial cleansing from that which defiles them morally and spiritually in the eyes of God. They are to be both sanitarily clean and sacrificially cleansed.
Clean and unclean beasts show what may be eaten and what may not. Israel’s diet, in the flesh of beasts, of fishes, of birds, and of creeping things was dictated by the Lord.
In closing, if fellowship between the redeemed and their holy God is to be maintained, there must not only be a sacrifice, but a priest. Besides absolution from guilt there must be mediation. The priest brings God closer to the people, and the people closer to their God.
Thank God, Messiah Yeshua is both sacrifice and priest to His believing people, so that we have access to God by “a new and living way.” A “new” way because it is the way of the Cross, which speaks of the one final sacrifice for sin, and a “living” way because it is the way of the Resurrection, which speaks of the one ever-living priest on high.
Yeshua is our great eternal high priest, who is seated at the right hand of God, our father, and is forever making intercession on our behalf.