Leviticus 17 – Living only for the Lord

In Leviticus 17, Moses was to convey God’s upcoming instructions not only to Aaron and his sons but also to the people or the sons of Israel as well. In the first nine verses, God’s concern was not so much about the meat they could partake rather than where their sacrifices should be made. The reason is obvious. God only specified the Tabernacle as the place they should make their sacrifices. This was to minimize the possibility of offering their sacrifices to idols as they had shown in their earlier tendency. This makes sense because as far as we know there is only one God worthy of any one’s allegiance. At that point in time, God would only acknowledge one place where sacrifices could rightly be offered to Him. With multiple avenues, the possibility of making a mistake would be multiplied. Hence, as they were journeying through the wilderness, the Tabernacle was the only place God had specified for sacrifices to be made, anywhere else was forbidden.

In Leviticus 17:9-16, we see the issue of not consuming blood. God forbade the people to partake of any animal with its blood. The reasons given were two. Firstly, it’s because blood was God’s medium for the atonement. Secondly, it’s because the life of any being is in the blood. Hence the blood was something to be handled with care. This reminds us of the blood of Christ which alone can remove our offenses against our Holy God. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us saying, “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

What we learn is this: if we are to be God’s set-apart people, we must determine to do what is right. We seek to obey God and observe what He had prescribed so that we will not compromise our stand as a child of His. Let us live our lives in such a way that will always be found well-pleasing to the Lord.  

Leviticus 17 – 26 - The call to holy living

The terms holy, holiness, sanctified, sanctification, saint, and consecration all share the same root word. It simply means to be set apart. God wants His people to be set apart to Him. In Leviticus 17 - 26, we have come to a major division in the book. Here God called the people of Israel into holiness and defined how they should demonstrate their holiness. Leviticus 17 - 26 consist of instructions of God for them to conduct holy lives. In Leviticus 19:2 and similar verses such as 20:7 & 26 and 21:6 & 8, we see this call to holy living emphasized. Then throughout these chapters, we see that the basis for this call was because the holy God is their LORD. Repeatedly, He reminded them saying “I am the Lord your God.” This phrase is repeated in no less than fifteen times in these ten chapters.

In Leviticus 17 we see a call to holiness in their eating. Leviticus 18 is the call to holiness in their sexual conduct. Leviticus 19 defines holiness in their social conduct. Then we see the instruction to be holy in their worship life and family relationship in Leviticus 20. The Lord also expected holiness in the priesthood and the offering of sacrifices. Matters pertaining to these are seen in Leviticus 21-22. Then Leviticus 23-24 talk about holiness in observing God’s appointed feasts. In these two chapters, God would define the feasts they had to observe. God also expected them to exercise holiness in land ownership and this is clearly seen in Leviticus 25. Finally, to round up, God dealt with the subject of blessing and cursing in Leviticus 26.

In these chapters, we shall see that God truly is holy and His plan is also for His people to exercise holiness. The Apostle Peter quoting Leviticus 19:2 said, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” We, who have believed in Jesus Christ, are also called to adopt this.  Bear in mind that God’s holiness defines His perfection. It tells us that He is complete in Himself. As far as holiness goes, there is none that can be compared with Him. And for us His people, to be holy is a needful part of being. Because this is what would make us distinct from the rest of the people who do not belong to Him. We are His chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation that He had acquired for Himself. This implies that we are to be set apart from the rest of the people who do not submit to His Lordship.

One thing we need to know as followers of Christ is this: we are holy not because of what we do, but because of what we have become in Christ. We become holy by virtue of the right relationship we have with God through Christ. When we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is our Lord, and place our faith in Him, we become a set-apart people. And because we are His set-apart people, we must demonstrate by our conduct that we truly are set apart unto Him. Hence, we offer to Him our whole being in consecrated living. As we progress in Him, we learn to divest ourselves of worldly value through the renewing of our mind so that we will truly know what consecrated living truly is. Let us be holy as He is holy!    

Leviticus 16:23-34 – Forgiveness through Christ, our substitute

The earlier verses described the sin offering and how the blood was taken into the holy of holies by Aaron and sprinkled on the mercy seat. The bull of the sin offering he brought was for himself and his family and one of the goats was taken and offered as a sin offering on behalf of the people. He would then remove his white garment. Leave them in the holy place and had himself thoroughly washed with clean water. Now he was ready to put on the priestly robe of his office and then offer the burnt offering for himself and the people.

The Day of Atonement was scheduled to take place on the tenth day of the seventh month. This means that this event would take place six months after the Passover celebration. It was a day of humbling oneself which was often accompanied by fasting. This was also a day of great sorrow for the sins committed. Seeking forgiveness and God’s ability to forgive is just one aspect. What is needed is that seeking His forgiveness must be done with contrition of heart and a broken spirit. All non-essential activities would cease on that day. The whole nation, including foreigners who resided in the midst of them, were expected to observe the Day of Atonement. This was to be an annual affair. The one clear undeniable lesson we see in God’s instruction to observe the Day of Atonement is to show us that the forgiveness of sin was effected because of a substitute. Jesus Christ is our substitute on the cross of Calvary. It was His death has paved the way for us to receive our pardon and God’s forgiveness. Jesus by His once-and-for-all act has permanently secured God’s forgiveness for all of us, who believe in Him. Praise the Lord!

Leviticus 16:5-22 – Jesus, God’s atoning sacrifice and scapegoat for us.

On the Day of Atonement, Aaron was told to bring a bull and a ram for the sin offering and burnt offering for himself and his household.  He would first offer the bull for the sin offering for himself and the household. According to verse 14, he would take the blood and sprinkle it on “…the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat, he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times”. Since the mercy seat was in the Holy of holies, he was required to do something before he could go inside. Verses 12-13 said that “he shall take a firepan full of coals of fire from upon the altar before the Lord and two handfuls of finely ground sweet incense, and bring it inside the veil.  He shall put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the ark of the testimony, otherwise he will die.” 

On the part of the people, they would bring two male goats for the sin offering and a ram for the burnt offering. At the door of the tent of meeting, Aaron would cast lots for the two goats. One would be for the LORD as their sin offering, the other would be the scapegoat which would be led outside the camp and be released. The one offered to the LORD would signify that their sin had been atoned for. The scapegoat would signify the effect of the atonement. Before the scapegoat was released, “Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.” This scapegoat took the sin and impurities of the Israelites and be led into the wilderness. The scapegoat is to us a picture of Jesus Christ our Lord, who bore our sins, and took them away so that we could be freed from the guilt of our sins.

We know for sure that everyone, including the priest, was in need of forgiveness. As the officiating minister, he needed first to make atonement for himself before he could help the congregation in officiating the ceremony for their atonement. But Jesus our High Priest had no sin to atone for. Being the perfect Son of God, He could make perfect atonement for us once and for all. The Aaronic priesthood had to conduct this ceremony yearly, but Christ did it once and for all at Calvary. We who had submitted to His Lordship are cleansed forever. He is both our atoning sacrifice and the scapegoat who had freed us from our guilt and shame caused by our sinfulness. Let us ever live to the glory of His praise!   

    

Leviticus 16:1-4 - The Day of Atonement and the call to serve humbly

In chapter 16, we have come to the most important chapter of the book of Leviticus. Here, we have reached the highpoint of this book. This is the great day of atonement or what is known as the “Yom Kippur”. This chapter looks back to Leviticus 10 where Nadab and Abihu, the two sons of Aaron, were slain for offering strange fire to the Lord. From verse 1 we learn that this Yom Kippur was an instruction given to Moses and Aaron, and  verses 29, 31 and 34 tell us that it was to be an annual ordinance forever. Today we shall consider the first four verses.

Aaron was instructed not to enter the Holy of holies at any other time except on the Day of Atonement. Here he was specifically instructed that he could enter the most holy place only once a year. Being a sinner himself, Aaron had to atone for his own sin before he could conduct the ceremony for the atonement of the people. He was to bring a bull for his sin offering and a ram for his burnt offering for his own atonement. The people would bring two goats for their sin offering and a ram for their burnt offering.  In verse 4, God even specified how Aaron should be dressed. Why? It’s because the Day of Atonement was a day of grief, contrition, and humiliation over the sins committed. Aaron was to “put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments).”   There were another four pieces of the garment known as the golden garment that he was not to put on. (For more detail of the golden garment see Exodus 28:4-5.) His dressing minus the golden garment was a symbol of the servant role he was taking. He was a mere mortal taking on the role of a high priest. Verses 23-24 show that only at the end of the day that he would return and put on the extraordinary garment of the high priest.

Aaron’s dressing consisted of only the white garment, comprising of a linen shirt, shorts, sash, and turban. See Exodus 39:27-29 for the description of these four pieces of garment. Here he put off the grand high priestly robe and adorned the garment of an ordinary priest. This tells us that though he was a leader in the community, at heart he must be a servant. This points us poignantly to Christ, who emptied Himself and took on the role of a servant to deliver our salvation. He has left us with an example that for whatever role we are called to play in the believers’ community, we must come to serve humbly and diligently. We must never, for a moment, think that we are higher than the people we serve.

Leviticus 15 – Come before God undefiled

Leviticus 11-15 are five chapters that help to clarify how one needs to purify himself to be fit to enter the presence of God. This suggests that we cannot take God for granted. We worship a holy God and coming to Him requires that we be appropriately postured. Flippancy and casual attitude are not the correct stances that are befitting worship due to God. These chapters talk about being clean and fit for worship.

Leviticus 15 deals with discharges from the body that could render one unclean and thus not fit to come before God. Verses 1-19 deal with discharges a man could experience and how they ought o clean themselves. Verses 20-30 deal with discharges from a woman that would render her unclean and unfit for the presence of God. The discharge of the man refers mainly to his sperms. For the women, what is dealt here refers mainly to the menstrual period. The issue is more about being in an appropriate state to approach God. The main purpose of this chapter is a call to be properly cleaned to enter God’s presence to worship Him.

This chapter does not suggest that sex is wrong. It does, however, suggest that it must be properly handled. Matters of sexuality is only one aspect of life. It must be properly managed and regulated in the life of one who wants to come before God to worship Him. This is so that one will not come before the Lord in a defiled state. The call for sexual abstinence during a woman’s menstrual period shows us that man has no control over his wife and her body. That monthly period reminds man that it is God and not the husband that has control over the body of the wife. The thrust of this chapter is for both the man and woman who want to come to worship God to come undefiled before Him. For us believers, the attitude in approaching God is vital. We must come in humility and through the blood of the Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ, so that we are cleansed from our sins, to be able to come into God’s holy presence.    

Leviticus 14 – Christ’s atonement makes us totally cleansed

Leviticus 14 is needed to complete the picture that we truly have a gracious God. He would be unreasonable if lepers, declared unclean and not able to come into His holy presence, were not provided a way for them to be restored. Our holy God has a strong aversion for sin, but He is gracious enough to provide a way that sin can be dealt with and sinners can be restored.

Leviticus 14 essentially shows how graciously He had provided a means whereby the lepers could be restored to fellowship with Him. Verses 1-32 describe the ceremonies for the restoration of those affected by leprosy and diseases that made them unclean. There were essentially two parts to effect the restoration. The first consists of a ceremony that would take place outside the camp. The second would take place inside the camp. It would happen eight days after the first ceremony. This second ceremony required the various offerings except for the peace offering. Once the person had been declared fit, he would be restored to the covenant community with full rights and responsibility like all the rest. Leviticus 14:33-57 deal with the cleansing of houses that were affected by mold or fungus, and rotting had taken place. Moses and Aaron were given instructions on how those affected houses ought to be dealt with.

In this chapter, we are introduced to our God who is not only concerned for our souls but also cares for our physical and total well-being. He wants us to be well in soul and in the body. The priest who went outside the camp to deal with the leper points us to Christ who had gone to the cross outside the camp to deal with our sin nature. His death on the cross atoned for our sin. Two clean birds were brought for the cleansing ceremony. One would be slaughtered and its blood used for cleansing the leper with hyssop. The other would be set free in the open field and released. The slain bird shows the leper’s life cleansed vicariously by the blood of the bird that was slain on his behalf. The one that was released symbolized the new life that the cleansed leper would be given. The smearing of the blood on the right ear, thumb, and right big toe tell us how complete a person would be cleansed when he followed the instruction and act as God had prescribed. We too are cleansed by Christ’s blood and our total being - spirit, soul, and body - kept for God’s glory!

Leviticus 13 - Sin will keep God away from us

Leprosy is a chronic disease that is infectious. It appears as a scaly lesion and causes discoloration of the skin. The lesion would affect the peripheral nerves, meaning nerves that are outside of the brain and the spinal cord, of a person who had contracted leprosy. It also affects the inner soft membrane of the nose, throat, and eyes. Once those affected nerves are destroyed there would be a loss of sensation. When that happens, tissues surrounding it would degenerate. Leprosy often leads to a victim’s extremities being eroded or deformed. It is regarded as contagious and incurable and can lead to disfigurement. Lepers were ostracised because they were regarded as unclean. The Bible uses it to symbolize the sin nature.

Leviticus 13 and 14 are complementary chapters. The former chapter describes the various skin lesions that define leprosy. The latter chapter shows how a healed leper could be restored in relationship and fellowship with God. Without chapter 14, the character of a gracious God would be questioned. Hence these two chapters are often read together.

In Leviticus 13 the instruction of the Lord to Moses and Aaron was intended to help them look at different skin lesions and to determine whether a person had contracted leprosy or not. This long laborious chapter describes the different kinds of skin lesion that would be considered as leprosy. We shall not take the time to define each of the lesion that constituted leprosy. But suffice to say that verses 45-46 define what a leper must do. We are told that his “clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” A key reason why leprosy is so talked about in the Bible is that it provides an explicit image of the damaging power of sin. It’s a powerful object lesson of the devastating impact of sin in a person’s life.

How God regards leprosy should be the way we view sin. Sin is offensive to a pure and holy God. Like a leper that needs to be cleansed of leprosy, we need to be rid of our sin so that we can come before a pure God. It behooves us, therefore, to walk circumspectly before God. Let us constantly deal with our besetting sin and keep a short account with Him.

Leviticus 12:1-8 – Unbroken relationship with God

In Leviticus 11, we are shown that a person could become unclean because of something outside of him or her, such as eating the meat of an unclean animal. That person could also be unclean when he or she touched anything as specified previously. In chapter 12 right through 15, we will find that the uncleanness is not something that comes from outside of a person but something that comes from within.

Leviticus 12 deals with uncleanness due to childbirth. Verses 1-4 specified what the mother must do to purify herself if she gave birth to a son, and verse 5 shows what must be done if she gave birth to a daughter. Whether she gave to a son or a daughter she had to undergo purification. If she gave birth to a son, the purification would take half the time that was required if her baby was a daughter. Why the disparity? Is it because a son is worth more than a daughter?  The Bible is silent on this issue so we must not make anything more. One explanation is that because man was created at the end of the first week and Eve was created in the second week. But we do not know so we shall not speculate. One thing we do know is that Our Lord valued both man and woman when He was on earth. In fact, we can see that He elevated women ever so often during His earthly ministry. In verse 3 we are told that if she gave birth to a son, on the eighth day he must be circumcised. This was a sign of the covenant God had given through Abraham. What the circumcision would do was also to cut her period of purification by half.        

We must not conclude that giving birth s a sinful thing. God had commanded man to be fruitful and multiply. The issue that made her unclean was the discharge of the blood. Three times this fact of discharged blood was emphasized. First in verse 4, then verse 5, then again in verse 7. Two offerings were prescribed when the period of purification had completed. One for the burnt offering and the other for the sin offering. One for thanksgiving and gratitude for God’s protection, the other to make atonement for her to restore her fellowship with God. For women who were poor, provision was made for them to bring two pigeons instead of a lamb.

This passage tells us how much God valued a purified life. The birth of a child is a joyous occasion and should be celebrated. But the need to remain in right relationship with God after the birth of a child must be maintained so that one’s relationship with Him will not be hindered. This episode tells us how much God yearns for a restored relationship with us, His people.       

Leviticus 11:24-47 – Our life must be God-honoring

The first 23 verses of Leviticus 11 specified the clean from the unclean. We are given a list of animals, sea creatures as well as creatures of the air.  The list also stipulates that no insect except the locust, cricket and grasshoppers could be eaten. In addition to what had already been specified, verses 30-31 point to another group of creatures, the reptile family that could make then unclean. They are “the mole and the mouse, and the great lizard in its kinds, and the gecko, and the crocodile, and the lizard, and the sand reptile, and the chameleon.”

Apart from not eating the unclean creatures specified, the Israelites were also told the other ways they could become contaminated. They could become unclean when they touched the carcasses of the unclean land animals. Verses 29-38 show that when they touched the reptiles listed in verses 30-31, they would also become unclean. Verses 39-40 tell us that even when they contacted carcasses of clean animals, they would also be rendered unclean. Verses 32-33 indicate that any utensil and object that had touched those unclean things would become unclean and had to be dealt with. Articles of wood, cloth, hides or sackcloth must be washed. Any clay pottery had to be smashed.    

The point of this chapter is: that Israel as God’s chosen people must be different from all the rest of the people on earth. They must be a holy people to the Lord. Why? Because God who had chosen them and called them to be His special people is holy. Their calling to be God’s emissaries in the world necessitate that they be different from the people of the world. If they were not, they wouldn’t be able to create the impact they were expected to make. Bear in mind that for us the call to witness for God by living a God-honouring and set-apart life still stands today, although the dietary law may seem relevant only to the Israelites in their context at that time. We too are called to be holy as He is holy!  

Leviticus 11:1-23 – Being conscious that we are God's

Leviticus 11 deals with clean and unclean food. However, apart from what is described in this chapter, we can find another list in Deuteronomy 14:3-20. Together we will find a more thorough list of clean food which God had stipulated that Israel His people could partake. In them, we also find the unclean food that His people should not eat. More than anything, this list of clean and unclean food was intended to set the people of God from the rest of the people. Their dietary stipulation marked them out as belonging to God. As believers, we must be aware that God has set us apart from the rest of the world. We are not to be conformed to the world by character and behavior. Just as their dietary habits marked the people of Israel out as God’s unique people, we today ought to be marked by our values and our adherence to the principles stipulated in His word.

In the opening verse of this chapter, we find God addressing both Moses and Aaron. God’s intention was clear. Aaron and the priests would be the people who were tasked to distinguish between what’s clean and unclean and to instruct the people of Israel concerning it. Verses 1-8 deal with the land creatures; verses 9-12 set the criteria for the sea creatures that could be eaten and what could not; verses 13-19 stipulate the birds that should not be eaten. Insects that could be not be eaten are stipulated in verses 20-21. Of the insects, verses 22-23 specify that only locusts, cricket, and grasshoppers could be eaten. All others should not be eaten.

Rather than dwelling on the kind of food that the Israelites could eat and what they could not, let us ponder on the principles God intends to communicate through these verses. At the heart of the instructions on the dietary regulation to the Israelites is the call of God to holy living. They are intended to assist God’s people to distinguish the sacred and the secular in their lives. Holiness should be something not just for the spiritual realm, it ought to encompass the physical and other areas of daily living. We learn to live consecrated life unto the Lord. The kind of food that could be eaten and what could not be eaten would remind the people of Israel that they were God’s chosen people. Thus, learning to set their affection on God and not food, we, the New Testament believers, must also set our hearts and affection on things above where Christ is seated. We must seek to be conscious that our citizenship is in heaven. The earthly and worldly values should not distract us from our call to live a consecrated life for God. Be set apart!  

Background information to Leviticus 11-15

So far in our reflection, we have completed Leviticus 1-10. The key focus has been on the priests, the sanctuary and the worship. The focus is about to be changed from the sanctuary to the worshippers and their everyday living in chapters 11-15. To make clear and to better understand the next five chapters, here is some background information to help make things clearer.

Immediately we see the thrust of the texts in differentiating between the clean and the unclean. Being unclean has nothing to do with the physical state of one’s life. It’s not about a person who has washed clean from dirt. It is about whether a person is ready and qualified to worship the Lord. Cleanness defines a person’s fitness to come before God in worship. Then there is the term holiness that needs to be understood. Holiness has to do with being set apart and consecrated for God. In the Old Testament, holiness is a state of being where one subjected himself to washing, fasting, abstaining from certain food or even sexual relationship, to make him ready to worship and serve God.  

   

Chapters 11-15 of Leviticus deal with regulations pertaining to what’s clean and what’s unclean. These chapters define for us what is clean and what’s unclean. They are set to show how the people could be cleaned from the polluting and defiling effects of the unclean. Leviticus 11 deals with clean and unclean food. Leviticus 12 deals with the uncleanness as a result of childbirth. Leviticus 12-13 deals with uncleanness brought about by skin and fungus diseases, and Leviticus 15 deals with the uncleanness of genital discharge.

Why food regulation? Was it for hygienic and health reasons as some have proposed? The instruction of God in Genesis 9:3-5 was: “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely, I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man.” Mankind could partake of any animal except for its blood. So, God forbade the eating of blood. Then in Leviticus 11, God specified the clean animals that the Israelites could partake. He delineated the clean from the unclean animal. This seems to set forth the regulation that would distinguish the people of Israel from the rest of the world. While the rest could eat any animal, the people of Israel were set apart by the dietary regulation. God wants His people to be distinguished from the rest of the world. By extension, this implies that God wants us to be His unique people, known by our relationship with Him. We can understand why He wants us not to be conformed to this world. Let us be God’s transformed people for His glory!

Leviticus 10:12-20 – The need to be discerning

Although much of the instruction concerning what to do with the grain and peace offerings were already given previously, Moses again reiterated them here. He was probably doing it in the light of what Nadab and Abihu had done, resulting in their death. So, Moses must have felt the need to emphasize to Aaron and the other two surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, on what they could eat and where to eat them. The frequent repetition of the two words “most holy” and the place to eat them shows the need to distinguish between what’s holy and what’s not, and what’s clean and what’s unclean. The holiness of God must be approached with the utmost honor and respect. Approaching God must not be taken flippantly and casually. We must not make light of what is holy. Anything less will be bordering on profanity.  

In verses 16-20, we see Moses chiding Aaron’s two sons. Apparently, instead of bringing the blood into the sanctuary and eating their portion to bear the sin of the people, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons had the goat burnt entirely on the altar.  They did not follow earlier instructions to eat the sin offering of the people in the holy place. The goat was a people’s sin offering to make atonement. It was “most holy” and should have been eaten by the priests in the sanctuary. And its blood was to be taken into the sanctuary. In Moses' eye, they did not follow the protocol. Aaron then stepped forward and took responsibility for what the sons did. He was the one who had instructed them to do it and he had his reasons. Firstly, he argued that in the light of what had happened to him recently, he approached the matter with precaution. He wasn’t sure if he and his remaining sons could partake of the offering in the light of the wrath of God that his family had undergone. He was unsure so he made a judgment call by having the entire goat burnt on the altar of sacrifice instead of bringing the portion due to them into the sanctuary to eat it. Apparently, Moses accepted the explanation and did not pursue the matter further.

This incident points to the necessity for us to distinguish between what’s holy and what’s secular. There is a need to discern rightly so that we will not make irreverent the things that rightly belong to God. Discernment helps us see beyond the common everyday events and to hear what God is saying to us through them. Learn to listen carefully to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and direction in the things of God.

Leviticus 10:1-11 - Honoring God appropriately

It was a happy day. This was the first time the service to the Lord was conducted after the consecration of the Tabernacle as well as the priests. In the middle of the ceremony, Aaron’s two older sons, Nadab and Abihu were struck dead by the Lord. Verse  1 said, “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them.”  They did not follow proper protocol and offered strange fire to the Lord, something God had not instructed. We are told that “Fire from the presence came and consumed them.” They died instantly. Why did the two of them do what they did? We are not specifically told. Perhaps the instruction God gave to Aaron in verses 9-10 that provides the hint. God told Aaron saying, “Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you will not die—it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations— and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean, and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.” They were told that they must remain sober for two reasons: firstly so that they would be able to distinguish between what’s holy and what’s profane. This would be something one could not do under the influence of strong drink. Secondly, so that they would be in a proper frame of mind to instruct the children of Israel. Again, if they were under the influence of strong drink, this would be impossible to do.

Moses next instructed Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, to remove the dead bodies. Aaron and his remaining sons who were alive were told not to do it, Why? They were serving the Lord and to touch the dead would render them unholy. God would not allow that. So, we read that Aaron did not utter a word.  God was the priority no matter what had happened. In serving the Lord, respect for God must be shown at all times. Strict adherence to what is instructed must be observed. To deviate from His instruction renders one liable to discipline. There is no substitute for obedience when it comes to showing honour to God. The privilege of coming before the Lord demands that we act in accordance with His instruction. This passage leads us to what Peter called the believers to do: to remain sober-minded for the purpose of prayer. We must not allow our mind to be needlessly intoxicated by our problems till we are not able to rightly appraise the holiness of God. Let us have a full possession of our mental faculty when we come before God. Anything less would be dishonoring.    

Leviticus 9 – Don't make light of worship

In the closing of Leviticus 8, we learn that the priests were commanded to stay in the tent of meeting seven days and seven nights. Exodus 29:35-37 seems to indicate that every day of the seven days, a bull was offered as a sin offering. Here Leviticus 9 opens with the eighth day, meaning the seven days of hiddenness was done. And the priests had been prepared and were ready to officiate the worship. Remember the priests had been consecrated and ordained. The Tabernacle had been cleansed and dedicated, and the furnishings anointed with oil and set apart by the blood. Even the garments of the priests were consecrated and set apart. Having been installed as the priest, Aaron was now ready to commence his ministry.  

In this chapter, Moses again described how the different offerings were to be made and how each offering was to be executed. Here both the priests and the people were commanded to bring along the animals for the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering as well as the peace offering. Included in the list that Aaron was told to bring were a calf and a ram. Perhaps it was to help him recall the time he failed God in the making of the golden calf. The ram was to connect him to God’s provision of the ram when Abraham went up to Mount Moriah to offer Isaac his son. God provided a substitute for Isaac. So a ram was to be brought for the offering.

Just as the priests had to prepare to be made ready to minister, the people who come to offer their worship must also be prepared through a series of offerings as well. They also had to make a presentation of the sin offering, a burnt offering, a peace offering as well as a grain offering. The purpose of the offering was stated twice,  once in verse 4 and the other in verse 6. Both verses reveal that the Lord would appear to them. Like them, we need to prepare ourselves as we come to worship God. Why? Each time we come to worship we come expecting to encounter God’s presence. This highlights the importance for us to be in readiness for the encounter.

The four different offerings progressively built on the previous one. The sin offering must be the foundation offering. It would be on the basis of a restored relationship with God that one could come before Him. Then comes the burnt offering which speaks of consecration. The grain offering signifies the consecration of the fruit of one’s labor. And the peace offering speaks of fellowship with God made possible by the right relationship brought about by the sin offering. God showed His approval in verse 24. We are told that “Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” What this chapter tells us is this: Worship of God cannot be approached casually. Each time we come to worship God we come in readiness because we will encounter  Him and His presence. It behooves us therefore to come prepared. We must come with our relationship mended. Then we come consecrating ourselves to Him. We come offering all that we are and the works of our hand as we enter into the sweet communion with Him in His presence.  

Leviticus 8:31-36 – Sanctified and obedient

The whole chapter of Leviticus 8 deals with the ordination ceremony and consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests to serve in the Tabernacle. God, as we have said, is a holy God, and everything and everyone that would be part of the worship had to be cleansed, purified and sanctified. The priests were washed, cleansed and anointed with oil. The furnishing in the Tabernacle was also anointed and set apart. Everyone and everything was ratified by the blood of the animals that were sacrificed.

In these last seven verses of chapter 8, we come to the meal that was to be taken by the priests. They were commanded to boil the flesh at the doorway of the tent of meeting and then to eat them together with the bread from the basket of the ordination offering. Whatever they did not finish were to be burnt in the fire for they were considered holy. To prevent them from being defiled there was one other thing those priests had to do. They had to stay in the tent of meeting for seven days and seven nights. All these they did as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Notice that the phrase, they did as the Lord had commanded, recurred so often. This tells us that our God is looking for obedience. If there is any response that will commend us to God, it must be our obedience. First Samuel 15:22 is a good verse to remember. Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” There is no denying that God would rather we obey Him than to offer meaningless services and sacrifices devoid of obedience.  Despite the elaborate description of the ordination, God was truly interested in one thing: obedience. We must be obedient people as we journey with God. What is your obedience quotient? Make sure it is there so that we can delight the Lord.  

Leviticus 8:22-30 – Totally surrendered for His service

The second ram brought by Aaron and his sons was taken and used for the peace offering. Like what they did to the other ram, Aaron and his sons would lay their hands on the head of this second ram as well. Moses, as the officiating minister, then slaughtered it. Few things took place after the ram was slaughtered. Firstly, Moses took some of the blood and applied it on the right ear lobe, the right thumb and right big toe of Aaron. He also did the same for Aaron’s sons before the rest of the blood were sprinkled around the altar.

Secondly, verses 25 said Moses “…took the fat, and the fat tail, and all the fat that was on the entrails, and the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys and their fat and the right thigh”. In verse 26, he also took from the unleavened basket of cakes, an unleavened cake, a cake of bread mixed with oil and a wafer. Together with the fats and what was taken from the basket of unleavened bread, Moses put them into the hands of Aaron and his sons to wave them as a wave offering to God.

Thirdly, Moses would also take all that they had waved to the Lord and “offered them up in smoke on the altar with the burnt offering.” The right thigh of the animal that was being offered was normally the portion of the priest, but since they were presenting the offering for themselves, they dedicated it to God. And fourthly, Moses took for himself the breast of the ram of the wave offering that would usually be given to the priest. Since he was officiating the offering, that portion was given to him.   

Finally in verse 30, “Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.”

The outstanding feature in the whole proceeding was the application of the blood of the slaughtered ram on the right ear lobes, right thumbs and right big toes of Aaron and his sons. This signifies that everything had to be dedicated to the Lord’s service. Their ears must be quick to listen to the Word of God; their hands must be ever ready to do the work of God, and their feet must be ever ready to move wherever God bids them serve. While the application of the blood was just one aspect of the whole activity, it was by way of saying that all that they were had to be offered for God's service. This is a lesson for us too. We must be totally yielded and surrendered to serve God.   

Leviticus 8:18-21 – From reconciliation to dedication

The sin offering described in Leviticus 8:14-17 for the priest brought about his reconciliation with God. That was only the foundational offering. Reconciliation with God must first take place if we are to enjoy His approval. For us, Christ became our sin offering. In Him, we are reconciled with God.

Having offered the sin offering the priest then made the burnt offering. Moses would officiate the burnt offering. Taking one of the two rams that Aaron and his sons had brought, Moses would make them lay their hands on the head of the ram. He would then slaughter the ram and take the blood of the ram and sprinkled around the altar. The ram would then be cut into pieces and offered up the head and the fat in smoke to the Lord. Verse 21 tells us that “after he had washed the entrails and the legs with water, Moses offered up the whole ram in smoke on the altar.” This was a burnt offering offered up as a soothing aroma to the Lord.

The burnt-offering indicates the complete dedication of the lives of the priest as God had prescribed. In these verses, it was the priests that came with the offering like any worshipper. Moses was the one who performed the sacrifice, a role usually done by the priest. For us, we have been reconciled to God through Christ who became our sin offering to God. It is but only the beginning part that initiates our walk with God. Like the priest, we need to dedicate ourselves to Him. Remember, we are all members of the royal priesthood. We are called out of darkness so that we can declare the excellencies of Him who has now planted us into the Kingdom of His marvelous light. Let us be wholly dedicated to the task. He is worthy of it all!

Leviticus 8:14-17 – Thoroughly cleansed for divine service

At the onset of Leviticus 8, Moses was told t0 bring together Aaron and his sons and the garments made for the high priest, the anointing oil, a bull for the sin offering and two rams and a basket of unleavened bread. Verse 4 said that the whole congregation was brought to the doorway of the tent of meeting. Take note that the area outside the tent of meeting could not possibly accommodate the whole company of the people of Israel. It is more likely that the whole congregation here was referring to the elders representing the twelve tribes.

We are told that Aaron and his sons were washed, before Aaron as the high priest was made to put on the garments, complete with the headgear. Then he was anointed with the special anointing oil made from the four spices namely, myrrh, cinnamon, cane and cassia mixed with olive oil. Using the anointing oil, Moses then proceeded to anoint the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Then he brought near the sons of Aaron and clothed them with tunics, girded with sashes and bound them with caps as commanded by the Lord.  

Washing alone was inadequate. It could only cleanse the body but not deal with the guilt brought about by sin. Hence the sin offering had to be offered. The bull was brought for the purpose. Aaron and his sons would lay their hands on the head of the bull before Moses slaughtered it. With his finger, Moses would then apply some of the blood on the horn of the bronze altar of sacrifice to purify it. Then the rest of the blood would be poured out on the base of the altar to consecrate and prepare it for the next sacrifice that Aaron was to make. The blood was not brought into the holy place to apply on the horn of the table of incense because Aaron’s sons were not inducted into office yet and could not enter the holy place.  Notice also that the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat; Moses offered them up in smoke on the altar. No part of the bull from the sin offering was given to Aaron and his sons, for the rest of the animal was taken outside the camp and burnt.

Anything for the service of God had to be thoroughly purified. Not only was atonement required for the priests, but the impurities of the altar also needed to be removed. Hence everything of the sin offering was burnt. What these few verses point to again, is that we are dealing with a holy God. Sin had to be dealt with and the instrument used for His work must also be purified. God requires us to have a serious view of sin. It befits us who want to dedicate our lives to the work of the Kingdom to be cleansed: spirit, soul and body. Let us allow God to purify us so that we can be vessels that are cleansed for His work.           

Leviticus 8:10-13 – Be anointed for service

Everything and everyone that was to be used in the service of God had to be set apart. In Leviticus 8:10-12, we first see the consecration of the tabernacle and its utensils, then in Leviticus 8:13, the consecration of the other priests. Moses officiated the consecration ceremony. He began first by consecrating the tabernacle and its furnishing, preparing them for the sacrifices to be made and offered to the Lord. In our reflection of Exodus, we learned how the multi-layered tabernacle was stupendously constructed with the skin of badgers and linen of multi-colors, reflecting the glory of heaven. Then we also learned of the six pieces of furniture for the service to be rendered to God. Two pieces of the furniture namely, the bronze altar of sacrifice and the laver, were located in the courtyard. The table of shewbread, the golden lampstands and the table of incense were placed in the holy place; and the Ark of the covenant with the mercy seat in the holy of holies. All these were consecrated with anointed oil specially concocted.

According to Exodus 30:22-24, the anointing oil was to be prepared with a mixture of olive oil and four spices namely, myrrh, cinnamon, cane, and cassia. To consecrate these articles to the Lord, the anointing oil was sprinkled on the utensils seven times. These articles then become holy and ready for the service to make sacrifices to God. Then in verse 14, Aaron’s sons were brought near. Clothed with tunics, and girded with sashes and bound caps, they were anointed by Moses.

We don’t need to second guess what’s the meaning and significance of these few verses. In the Bible, the anointing oil and the anointing of the servants of God to be the king, priest or prophet, signify the reception of the Holy Spirit. We all need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is He who will make us ready and effective for God’s service. It is He, who sets us apart for God for unique use. Hence Jesus, at the beginning of His ministry declared the Spirit of the Lord was on Him for the ministry of healing and setting the captives free. Before He ascended, He also told His disciples to wait until they were endued with power from on high. We all need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is He who will help us to accomplish God’s purpose for His glory. So, let’s heed the call of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5: 18 to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. This we can only experience as we stay connected to the Lord each day.      

Leviticus 8:1-9 – God's grace makes us fit for His service.

Leviticus 8:1 to 10:20 takes us into the consecration of the Aaronic priesthood. As we reflect on these Scriptures, we will be negligent if we fail to mention the incredible grace of God. Following the account of the instruction on the consecration of the Aaronic priest from Exodus 29, it reminds us that Aaron reneged on his duty while God was giving Moses the instruction on his ordination. He was participating in the building of the golden calf. The instruction in Exodus was interrupted when Moses was sent down to deal with the sin of Aaron and the people of God. Hence, we see the grace of God using Aaron despite his failure, this tells us how gracious God is. This wonderful grace of God should make us all the more want to live right for God. We must never take the grace of God for granted and make light of it.  

The consecration of the priest and the Tabernacle had to take place in order that the service to God could be conducted. God had already placed a call on Aaron and his family for the priesthood. So He instructed Moses to “...take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread, and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” In verse 6, we see the cleansing of the candidates for the ordination. Before Aaron and his sons could be used, they had to be washed and cleansed. Moses was the mediator and was to officiate the ceremony. Remember we have discovered that the emphasis of the book of Leviticus is on the Holiness of God. Thus, cleansing must play a prominent part for one coming before the Holy God, let alone one who wants to serve Him. This is the attitude you and I need to adopt in life, especially when we seek to come before Him. Outward washing signifies the inner purification of one’s life. Verses 7-9  deal with the investiture of the priestly garment. There was the tunic of the undergarment held in place by a sash. He would then wear a robe before putting on the ephod. For more details see Exodus 28:31-35. A breastplate was then placed over him and on it was placed the Urim and Thummin. Then the turban with the golden plate would be worn over his head. On the golden plate were inscribed these words - Holy to the Lord. We are told that Moses did everything as he was commanded. This tells us that on top of everything, obedience is the call of the day.  

Two things stand out for us. Firstly, we see the reality that God uses flawed man, and He still does so today. We can identify many other Bible characters whom God did not bypass but choose to use after they allowed Him to deal with their flaws. Indeed, God will deal with our flaws and when we repent and change, He will not bypass us for His work.  Secondly, we have a God who is rich in mercy and grace. Despite the horrible sin that Aaron had committed, God did not cast him aside but still ordained him to be the priest. That is grace. And grace is still how God chooses to deal with us as well. In Christ, He looked beyond our faults and saw our needs. We are blessed indeed!

Leviticus 7:28-38 – God's ministers deserve to be sustain

In Leviticus 3 as well as in Leviticus 7:11-21, instruction on the peace offering had already been given. But here in Leviticus 7:28-36 there seems to be additional regulation on the peace offering given.  Notice that these instructions here were not particularly for the priests, they were intended for all the worshippers to take note as well. And verse 30 categorically instructs that a worshipper making the offering must himself bring the offering to the Lord. In other words, he could not get someone to bring the offering on his behalf. This was to ensure that it was an offering the person gave willingly himself and that he was not forced into it. God wants to offer to Him to be made willingly and voluntary, underscoring that our God values the free-will He has given to man. The entitlement of the priest for this peace offering were two parts of the animal that was sacrificed. Verse 30 said that they would be given the breast and verse 35 said they would be given the right thigh.

What is the wave offering? This was the act of lifting the breast to the Lord. This was in effect the priests acknowledging that they were dependant on God for their sustenance. This provision tells us that it had been God’s will to those who serve Him vocationally be provided by the offering given to Him. It has never been the intention of God, to deny His servants their basic needs. Verses 37-38 sum up all that God had instructed on the different offerings described so far. This tells us that the subject would soon be shifted.          

Leviticus 7:22-27 – The basis of effective fellowship with God

In these six verses we see two critical instructions. Firstly,  God forbade the eating of the fat of animals that were sacrificed to God and the fat of clean animals that died. Secondly, He forbade the eating of blood. Anyone who partook of the fat or the blood would be excommunicated. We shall look at each of these commands. Why did God forbid the eating of the fat? The reason firstly is because the fat of animals sacrificed to God was not to be consumed because they belonged to Him. The fat was to burn on the altar of sacrifice as smoke unto Him. And the fats of clean animals that had died were also not to be eaten because they could have died of disease and eating the fat would mean eating the contaminant that caused the animal’s death. This would invariably be harmful to the body of the partaker. God did not want His people to be harmed by the fat that had come into contact with any contaminant. Our good God is concerned for our well-being, both the spiritual and the physical.  

The reason, why the blood of any kind of animals ought not to be eaten, is clearly shown in Leviticus 17:11-12. In these two verses, God said, “‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.’ Therefore, I said to the sons of Israel, ‘No person among you may eat blood, nor may any alien who sojourns among you eat blood.’”  The life of a person or an animal is sustained by the blood. Besides, God uses blood as a means for our atonement, from the very beginning when sin sabotaged man’s relationship with God. Remember when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and became sinful, God took a clean animal and spilled its blood to atone for their sin and the skin of the animal to provide a covering for them. This points us forward to the ultimate blood that was shed at Calvary by our Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin. The blood of Christ not only cleanses us, but it also brought us eternal life.

Fat signifies the richest part of the animal and God required it to be burned as smoke to Him. This tells us that any meaningful fellowship with God is contingent on us offering the very best part of who we are to Him. If we are to establish a deep and profound fellowship with Him, we must offer Him our very best. Not eating blood reminds us that our relationship with God is sealed by the shed blood of Christ. On the basis of Christ's shed blood that God found the ground for us to enter a relationship and commune with Him. So, let us enter into God’s presence through the blood of Christ to offer to Him our very best, and have a deep and abiding fellowship with Him!

Leviticus 7:11-21 – Appreciate God for His goodness

The peace offering had been discussed in Leviticus 3 but here in Leviticus 7:11-21, the priests were instructed on how it ought to be presented to the Lord. The reasons for this offering were three essentially. Firstly, it was presented as a thanksgiving; secondly, as a votive offering. This offering was usually prompted because of a fulfilled vow that one had made. Thirdly, the reason could be a freewill offering just as a spontaneous response to God out of gratitude.

Along with the bull, goat or sheep to be offered to God would also include unleavened pancakes mixed with pure oil. The reason why it was unleavened is obvious. They were made to God. However, the portion given to the priests could be leavened. Note that those that were offered to God would be burnt on the altar.

The thanksgiving offering must be eaten on the same day that the offering was made. Whereas the votive and freewill peace offering may be eaten on the second day but was never the third. Any leftover to the third day must be burnt. It appears that priests could also partake of the offering. However, only those who were ceremonially clean could eat of it. Those who violate this instruction would be cut off or excommunicated from the community.

These instructions on the peace offering stress the importance of our action in the act of thanksgiving. While words of thanksgiving to show our appreciation to God are well and good, but we all know that a life lived out in thankfulness to God would be more judicious. Thanksgiving is good but thanks-living is better. The Bible encourages us to be grateful people. We must not approach God with a spirit of entitlement. Remember we should not be anxious about anything. But in everything, we are to come to God in prayers and supplication, but always with thanksgiving. And as we rise from our prayers, remember to live a life of thankfulness to God.