“As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” Leviticus 13:46
This entire section in Leviticus deals with health and sanitation issues. These two chapters in particular focus on skin diseases and mildew. It is clear, from God’s instructions, that He wants His people to be aware of the potentially serious consequences when opportunities for diseases to spread rapidly exist. Such was certainly the case with Israel, so many people (probably nearly 1.5 million) living in such close proximity.
God knows how quickly physical disease can spread and physical disease (like the spiritual disease of sin) can actually thwart the purposes and plans of people. We have choices to make in dealing with sickness; we have choices to make in dealing with sin. Unresolved sin in a life is comparable to the spreading mildew in a garment. It will destroy what it is “attached” to.
Just as the people of Israel were given instructions about their need to take disease seriously, we are given many warnings in Scripture regarding the seriousness of sin. We must heed these warnings, or be prepared to suffer the consequences!
“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” John 15:3-4
“Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.” Leviticus 10:3
The priesthood begins its ministry among the people. Sacrifices are offered in accordance with God’s instructions given through Moses. Everything is moving forward as envisioned by God. Then Aaron’s sons go “outside” the instructions God gave and offer “unauthorized fire.” This was an offering given by Nadab and Abihu that demonstrated disobedience before God because they were not submitting to God’s plan; they were developing and implementing their own plan. God shows His displeasure by killing them with fire. Prior to this God had sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice on the altar.
God can, and does, show His pleasure or His anger toward His people. Although, through Christ, we live in the age of grace, we must understand that there are certain things that God loves; things that He rewards as we respond to Him in love. There are also things God hates. He no longer sends fire from heaven when we disobey or disappoint Him, but when we sin we must understand He is not pleased and we therefore need to seek His forgiveness. We need to be sensitive to His voice and obedient to His call.
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah.” Psalm 95:7-8
“Bring Aaron and his sons, their garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams and the basket containing bread made without yeast, and gather the entire assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.” Leviticus 8:2,3
More details regarding various offerings are given to the people. Instructions about what parts of the sacrifices are able to be eaten and an explanation as to what the priests can claim for themselves follows. It is clear that God wants the priests to be well cared for. Chapter 8 provides us with a look at the ordination ceremony of Aaron and his sons. The detailed instructions given to Moses by God are followed carefully.
The nation of Israel was to value and care for the priests. The intricate details and vivid imagery presented in chapter 9 give us some insight into the holiness of this calling. These were men who had been given a special calling, but upon whom God had also bestowed special honor and responsibility.
As followers of Christ, and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, we also have been given a special honor – “we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” However, along with that calling, we have a tremendous responsibility to serve people; to demonstrate God’s holiness by allowing Him to live through us; and to present those with whom we have contact the opportunity to worship God acceptably through the sacrifice that has already been made on their behalf, Jesus Christ!
“…with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, …” Revelation 5:9,10
“When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the Lord … a sin offering.” Leviticus 5:5
The details of the regulations for various sacrifices are explained. God demonstrates His grace, even in the midst of a very strict legalistic code. If there were those who did not have the financial resources to offer the lamb, that person would be allowed to offer two birds (pigeons or doves) instead. If he could not even afford the birds he would be allowed to substitute flour as an offering. No one, no matter what their financial situation was (or is) prevented from receiving God’s forgiveness. Each one is expected to give what they can afford.
God’s forgiveness is free for those who would receive it, but God paid a significant price! We must continue to balance this concept of free, but yet costly, forgiveness and grace in our own day and situation. God freely offers forgiveness to all who would accept Jesus’ payment on their behalf. Yet our freedom did cost Him His life! He was put to death in our place. Our response to Him is a love response, a surrender response. We give ourselves and all that we have to God and His work out of love for Him and out of a desire that He would free others as He has freed us!
“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
“If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect.” Leviticus 1:3
Two things impress me out of these chapters: 1) The cost of sin. Sin resulted in an incredible number of the best animals being sacrificed. The blood was poured out; the flesh was burnt up on the fire. An interesting act of identification was required. “Lay your hand upon its head and then slaughter it.” In a very significant and symbolic act the person bringing the sacrifice was identifying themselves with the animal about to be slaughtered. The animal was a representative for them; the animal was giving its life so that the person could live. The air and the surrounding area near the Tabernacle would carry the awful smell of burnt and rotting flesh, providing a powerful reminder of the cost of sin!
2) The detail of the ritual. Put some drops of blood here; smear some blood there. It seems as though, to the Jews, there was symbolism in this ritual. We might discover some of that symbolism through further study. However, even without that knowledge, we can be truly thankful that Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice, once for all and that He put an end to the need for ongoing sacrifice. The unfortunate aspect is that we are not confronted with the graphic sights, sounds and smells, which remind us of the cost of our sin. Perhaps if we were confronted with these reminders we would be less prone to continuing in sin!
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18
“Then the LORD said to Moses: “Set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, on the first day of the first month.” Exodus 40:1, 2
The detailed descriptions of the Tabernacle, its furnishings and the priest’s garments, are followed very carefully by the artisans of Israel. It is difficult to imagine how long it would have taken to create all of this out of the raw materials the people had brought with them out of Egypt. All of the work would be done by hand, a painstakingly slow process. Yet, they realized that they were worshipping God through the process, not only with the end product.
Once all of the individual pieces had been completed God provides further instructions on how the pieces are to be arranged together. There does not appear to be anything particularly significant about this set up, at least not yet, but God’s plan is followed. The Tabernacle set up is competed and God is honored by the obedience of the people as well as their creative abilities used to get the individual pieces prepared.
God is the Master craftsman, at work in the lives of Christians everywhere. He is trying to make us into individual pieces that can be built together into His body, a spiritual house. The greatest beauty we can exhibit and the greatest obedience we can demonstrate in not as an individual piece, but as part of the greater whole: the body of Christ, the Church. We must be willing to be a small stone in that spiritual house God is building!
“…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5
“This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord and offering …” Exodus 35:4, 5
The people get busy building the Tabernacle and its furnishings. First, of course, they must have a supply of raw and refined materials. The call goes out for the people to bring whatever they are willing to bring: gold, silver and bronze to olive oil, spices and precious stones to colored yarn and linen. The people were so inclined to give that they quickly had more than enough. So, Moses issued the order to stop giving! (36:4-7)
How often have God’s people responded so abundantly in our day? This was not an appeal for drought aid, famine relief or the crisis of an earthquake! This was a building fund drive. Stop – you are giving too much! Our shifting values as a society are betrayed by our financial commitments. Unused buildings are not necessarily the best places to spend money, but our unwillingness to glorify God through architecture demonstrates (symbolically) that our focus has drifted from God to people. We must love and serve people, but that love flows from a genuine love for God! As we express our love for God and allow that love to consume us, we will overflow with love AND generosity to others!
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7
“As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. … The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” Exodus 33:9, 11
Moses meets with God in the “tent of meeting.” The writing of the Law on new stone tablets takes place in these two chapters. We might say it is irony or coincidence that, sandwiched between the delivery of the duplicate sets of Law tablets, God’s personal presence among the people is emphasized so strongly. However, we might also recognize that God did this purposefully to show how this law brought Moses and the people of Israel into a deeper understanding of their need for God.
In the New Testament (Gal. 3:24) Paul wrote, “the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” The people, by their quick disobedience, demonstrated that God’s presence was the only thing that could keep them on the right path, physically and spiritually. “If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (33:15).
How often to do we use the law to “batter” people – rather than allowing it to bring me into the presence of God? I need to spend more time in God’s presence so that I can shine brightly with His glory and grace!
“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai … his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” Exodus 34:29
“Then the Lord said to Moses …” Exodus 30:11
This section opens with Moses on Mount Sinai speaking with God. God is providing detailed instructions pertaining to a variety of items and issues, with all of them relating back to God’s holiness in some way. These instructions establish the process whereby sinful people can come into the presence of a holy God and worship Him. God, in His holiness and splendor, had already terrified the people by coming down on the mountain, Exodus 19:16.
While God is setting out the protocol for worship the people become impatient. We are not given a clear length of time Moses was on the mountain top, but we know he spent at least six days before God even began to speak. There appears to have been a desire on the part of the people to worship the God that delivered them out of Egypt. “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” (32:4b). Their downfall was giving definition to God and deciding amongst themselves what appropriate worship involved.
Nearly every generation of Christians must develop their appropriate style of worship. When we acknowledge the personal aspect of our relationship with God, this should not surprise us. We must not judge, or be critical of, other worship styles, but we must be sure that our worship is, first and foremost, pleasing to God. He is more concerned about the inner aspect, our heart and attitude, than the outer expression of our worship!
“… call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.” 2 Timothy 2:22, 23
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