Christ in all the scriptures Aspects of sanctification

 Christ in all the scriptures

Aspects of sanctification   Leviticus 10

The chapter is "book-ended" by the two men Aaron and Moses being humbled before the Lord.  Chapter 10v3 "Aaron held his peace"; chapter 10v20 "And when Moses heard that he was content".   This gives the balance to an aspect of sanctification, as we shall see.  Aaron was feeling very raw, his two sons had been executed before his eyes.  He was in shock, grieving for his two sons, also embarrassed that his sons had brought shame on the congregation.  The temptation to complain was immense, the feeling of discrimination must have been considerable.  Like another man, Job, one of Aaron's contemporaries, who lost everything, his business, his possessions, his children, his health.  Yet the comment is "In all this, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly"-Job1v22.  He had learned in all things to accept the ways of the Lord without question, even in the face of personal loss.  God is God and He has no need to explain Himself, (though often He graciously does).   Aaron was faced with sudden, deep, emotional loss, but when  God declares His majesty through Moses, Aaron kept his peace.    

What follows is a series of sanctifying measures as the priesthood is established.  No pause was allowed in the proceedings even in the face of human tragedy, God's work must go on, there is to be no mourning in the face of Divine judgment.  This continues in the following chapters, we are about to discover the meaning of "I will be sanctified in them that draw nigh unto me".

1)  The swift removal of all defilement    (v4-7)   The two bodies had to be removed from the tabernacle.  Dead bodies are a source of defilement and were carried out of the camp.  This was done by the cousins of the sons of Aaron, so that no defilement would be incurred by the priests in the service of God.  They were "carried in their coats", there was no ceremony, the bodies were carried outside and cremated.  The priests, the sons of Aaron, were to show no emotion, but allow the congregation to mourn in their stead.  Extraordinary qualities are demanded of the priests of the Lord in their singular devotion to Him.  This was an important day in Israel, which had been tarnished by the blatant rebellion of Nadab and Abihu, the honour of God had been compromised.  They were forbidden to remove their bonnets (which would be the normal practise around death); they were not allowed to rnd their garments, a token of public grief; they were warned not to leave the precincts of the tabernacle.  The penalty was death, this was the most severe Divine sanction.  Why was it so serious?  God will not tolerate defilement in His presence, this is how He regards sin before Him.

Modern application   The grace of God does not diminish sin, it condemns it and puts it away.  References to the Lord's people, whether, individuals, churches, or universal, are described as the inner temple, the holy shrine of God-refer 1st Cor 3v17; 1st Cor. 6v19; Eph.2v21-22.   His attitude to sin has never changed, and He has commanded that, in all its forms, whether of people or practices, that it be put away from His sight: readers are encouraged to consult the following scriptures to assess responsibilities today.  He has promised to be with us always but He will not dwell with sin or defilement:

Matthew 18b16-18; 1st Cor. 3v17; 1st Cor. 5v11-13; Colossians 3v5-9; Ephesians 4v22; Titus 3v10-11.  God will have sanctity in His house.  Note the language of these verses, "put away", "put off", "reject", "mortify".  The concept of a "broad church" is not in scripture.  

2)   Personal sobriety    Leviticus 10v8-10.  Strange to see this prohibition here, but it may be Nadab and Abihu were under the influence of strong drink as they corrupted the worship of God.  There are extremes to be avoided in the matter of drinking wine.  There is no prohibition on drinking wine in scripture, otherwise the Lord Jesus would not have turned water into wine at a wedding feast.  We should not be adding human rules which bring God's people into bondage.  However there is a warning against strong drink and drunkenness in scripture.  In the service of God, the priests of the Lord were not to even drink wine, so that they were sober while officiating at the Lord's altar.  Since wine is part of the memorial service, it is part of Christian worship, but symbolically only, not for personal consumption

Modern application   We are encouraged to demonstrate sobriety in Divine service.  Of the various words used to describe sobriety in the N/T (sophron, sophrosune, nepho), all of us in service have to be sober, sound of mind, self controlled, having a balanced and prudent approach to life, watchful:

Romans 12v3  Sobriety in thinking about ourselves, properly assessing our abilities and limitations; 1st Thess. 5v6-8 awareness of the darkness around us and of the end of things; 1st Timothy 3v2-3 with Titus 1v8, elders to avoid winebibbing and to attend to personal character; Titus 2v2-5 Older men and women to teach sobriety to the younger, for which they must be examples themselves; 1st Peter 1v13 Gird up the spiritual loins, by removing all hindrances to progress in Divine things; 1st Peter 4v7, watchfulness in prayer; 1st Peter 5v8, be aware of an adversary stalking you to bring you down.  You have greater resources but you need soundness of mind.   Learn discrimination between good and evil, clean and unclean.

3)  Teaching the statutes of the Lord   Leviticus 10v11.   Priests are usually associated with ceremony and ritual.  However this aspect of their work is more prominent in scripture than thought.  Alongside their duties to maintain ceremonial worship, was the injunction to teach the people of God Divine principles.  Consider the following: Deuteronomy 17v8-11; 33v8-10; Ezra 7v 10 "For Ezra (the priest) had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments"; Ezekiel 44v23-24; Malachi 2v4-7 "...the law of truth was in his mouth (Levi, the priestly family) and iniquity was not found in his lips; he walked with me in peace and equity and did turn many away from iniquity.  For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts".  

Modern application  There is no longer any priestly caste, separate from the people, for all of God's people are priests by new birth into the family of God (1st Peter 2v5-9) as we have already observed.  In that sense we are all obligated to teach the word of God in our varying capacity: apostles to the entire church, part of the great commission (Matthew 28v20 "...teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you"-also 1st Corinthians 12v28-31, teaching local churches).  Local elders feeding the flock of God (Acts 20v28; 1st Peter 5v1-3).  Older women to teach younger women aspects of Christian family life (Titus 2); older men teaching younger men the need for Christian character (also Titus 2).  All of us teaching one another as good stewards of the grace of God (1st Peter 4v10).  The need for teaching the things of God is paramount in the present day, and it is perhaps the lack of it that has led to many of our problems.  Many Christian groups tend to point to Acts 2 as the basis for their gatherings.  So why has the teaching of the apostles doctrine been either discarded, or consigned to secondary status, as it has been in modern churches.  One can hardly find a church today where the teaching of the word is at the top of the agenda as it should be, as it was in the early church??

Compassion to be always the attitude in the service of God   Leviticus 10v12-20

Moses, rightly reiterated what the priests should do in the service of God, how they should share with each other and the Lord in the sacred ceremony.  In the circumstances Aaron and his sons were unable to partake as they were grieving at heart.  Moses remonstrated with them, but Aaron stood firm that they were not in the right frame of mind to carry out the procedure.  If they did, it would only be ritual and not from the heart.  Worship should not be ritualistic but from deep within.  The chapter which began with Aaron accepting God's judgment on his sons, ends with Moses acknowledging the real heart grief of his brother.  The situation brought humility from both of them.  This aspect of sanctification is important, for God is compassionate to the infirmities of His people and this should mark us.  "He knoweth our frame, He remembereth we are but dust"-Psalm 103v14.  We can ill afford hard headed legality, for we are all subject to infirmity 

 

Christ in all the scriptures The awesome persona of God

 Christ in all the scriptures

The awesome persona of God

"I will be sanctified in them that come nigh unto me, and before all the people I will be glorified"  Leviticus 10v3

This phenomenal assertion of the Divine nature should be emblazoned on every platform and imprinted on every mind.  The reality of it will never be altered and calls for reverential fear of the Lord.  This involves every living human being, describing the only true division of mankind.  There are those who draw nigh to Him, and they are His people.  In them He will be sanctified, that is set apart for sacred service.  There are those who remain aloof from Him,  who ignore Him, or oppose Him, who make gods of lesser things.  In them He will be glorified.  It is necessary therefore to expound the meaning of this remarkable word, which should cause every one of us to sit up and take notice.  

Scriptures are emphatic that there are, in the sight of God, only two classes of people, and we can trace this throughout.  Saints and sinners, godly and ungodly, righteous and lawless, saved and perishing, wise and foolish: this is the terminology of scripture, this is God's view of humanity.  Ultimately, only His estimation will count.  God is God and He will have the last word, there is no middle ground.   Following the punitive removal of the sons of Aaron, the Lord declares through Moses the reality of who He is.  He reminds them of His Holiness in unmistakeable terms.  Note the distinction between God's people and all other people: He says "IN them that draw nigh, He will be sanctified; then He says "BEFORE all the people I will be glorified".  There will be no sanctification for the Godless world, what they will receive is a display of  His compelling Majesty.

"Before all the people I will be glorified"     He is the God "with whom we all have to do"-Hebrews 4v13.  No matter the priesthood and the sacrifices, all of which point to Christ, (God's merciful and gracious provision), yet the ungodly remain aloof from God.  Atheists, Agnostics, False religions, Religious Professors, Foolish, and the like are in abundance in the God-hating world.  They, steadfastly, ignore or reject the Divine approaches in mercy.  There will be a final separation at the last day, but not before every one who ever lived will glorify Him.  God will be glorified in all flesh, no matter their eternal destiny, holy scripture asserts.  God will be vindicated in all things, He will be universally acknowledged to be right: 

"Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father".  Philippians 2v9-11

Note the awesome extent of this: Every knee shall bow...every tongue confess...of things in heaven and on earth and under the earth.  No one omitted from this subservience in whatever sphere they ended, all will accord honour to God through Jesus Christ.  They will bow with their knee and confess with their tongue that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, and this will be to the Glory of God the Father.  Had they done that in life they would be saved and reconciled to God.  Now they must accept their destiny even as they bow before Him.

1st Chronicles 29v11 "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine, thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all".

Psalm 86v9 "All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name".

Revelation 5v13 "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying Blessing and honour and glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever".

"In them that come nigh unto me, I will be sanctified...".   This is a call to reverential living on the part of those who are His people.  This means doing things His way, respecting His wisdom and His holiness unlike the actions of the sons of Aaron.  Concerning those who are estranged from God, there is no fear of God before their eyes, but it should be different with us.  His word must become our law and purpose of living.  Pleasing Him to become the prime motivation of all that we are.  Peter records "If ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear"-1st Peter 1v17.  This is not a cringing, abject fear of someone greater, this is reverential fear of One who is majestic.  His ways and His wisdom are so magnificent we are compelled to follow Him.   The early church, quickly realised this: Acts 2v43 "Fear came upon every soul...".  This respectful attitude was accentuated in the wake of the sudden, and very public execution of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5.  The result of that reverberated throughout the Acts.

Acts 5v11 "And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things".

Acts 9v31 "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied".

God is holy and those who approach Him in worship must be holy, as it says in Peter "Be ye holy for I am holy".  This is not religious hypocrisy, or sanctimonious jargon but a real sanctity imputed to us leading to progressive sanctification and ultimately practical holiness in His presence.  This demands of us reverential fear of the Lord as we grow in the Christian life.  In personal life and in corporate testimony we must proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us.  

The apostles were in accord with the standards given Moses: Paul's word to the Corinthians was (2nd Cor. 7v1) "Having therefore these promises dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God".  Each of us will be able to assess before the Lord, as to what that means to us.  Peter said "The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?"-1st Peter 4v17-18.

Christ in all the scriptures Strange fire

 Christ in all the scriptures

Strange fire   Leviticus 10

"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He commanded them not.  And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord".

How typical of humanity to mar the most sacred of occasions.  Disobedience is essentially the human problem.  The eldest sons of Aaron, promoted to highest ceremonial office, following seven days of meticulous preparation, decided they knew better than God.  Such is the shocking nature of this event, we must take time to digest the issues involved.  Their timing could not have been worse; it is the commencement of a new worship, the beginning of a new phase in world history, and these men disobeyed the will of the Lord whom they were to lead in worship!  Who contradicts the object of worship, yet that is precisely what they did!?

These men first appear, in scripture, on Mount Sinai, with Moses and Aaron with the seventy elders of Israel, when they were the guests of Almighty God-Exodus 24v1-2 and 9-10.  They were then witnesses over approx. nine months of the construction of the tabernacle.  They witnessed the glory of God descend on the sacred structure in Exodus 40. They were exalted to priesthood in Exodus 28, initiated as priests of the Lord in Leviticus 8 (note the repetition of "Aaron and his sons", 8v2v6v13v14v18v22v24v27v30v31v36).  They were instructed in all the commandments of the Lord pertaining to ceremonial worship.  In Leviticus 9 they had spent seven whole days in preparation for this most exalted public service.  They had just witnessed the approval of the Lord in the kindling of the fire on the altar to consume the sacrifice.  The whole nation rejoiced in the spectacle, man and God in harmony.  After all that, Nadab and Abihu decided to do it differently.  They had been instructed that the fire for the censers for the burning of incense must be taken from the altar, it must be the fire from God-refer Exodus 30v7-9 and Leviticus 16v12.  They kindled a fire from another source and brought the strange incense to the Lord.  What possessed them to do this, we can only wonder, but the response of God was swift and terminal, as it was also shocking.  Suddenly the whole camp of Israel knew that it must be God's way or not at all.  We may read this and criticise the sons of Aaron for their stupidity, but we may well consider our own ways, whether how we are approaching God is the proper, reverential way.  There are many individuals and churches bringing strange fire unto the Lord.  Each of us should consider our practices as we approach Him.

This goes to the heart of the human problem, the inward tendency to rebel against authority, even Divine authority, and in the face of Divine benificence.  "I did it my way" is the favourite principle of the world; the song, popularised by the American singer Sinatra, is now the theme tune at most western funerals. It must be God's way, otherwise we make ourselves God.  It is a problem of attitude to God, which is clearly established in scripture.  From the beginning it has been so:

Romans 5v19 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners...".   Ephesians 5v6 "Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience".   Titus 1v16 "They profess that they know God; but in works deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate".  Even those who profess to know God with their lips, deny Him by their lives.  The day of reckoning will come, according to 2nd Thessalonians 1v7-8 "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ".  Ignoring or rejecting the gospel of Christ will be met with eternal punishment.  To fail to come to God in His way is disobedience.  Faith in Christ is obedience to God; Paul was given apostleship "for the obedience of faith among all nations for His name"-Romans 1v6.  Faith is obedience, it follows lack of it is disobedience.  Peter sums it up in 1st Peter 4v17 "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God"?   At the beginning of the priesthood of Israel, God acted in summary judgment against the sons of Aaron; at the beginning of the church He did the same with Ananias and Sapphira who were struck dead in public for lying to God in the matter of the sale of their land.  This makes sore reading, yet God's people are not immune from disobedience.  He cannot condone in the church what He will condemn in the world.  Failure to abide by the principles of worship will always invite His displeasure.  What brings pleasure to God is that, and only that, which comes from the altar.  This brings us to the correct view of the work of Christ,

In contrast to the rebellion of men, His whole life and death was an act of OBEDIENCE.

Romans 5v19 again "...so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous".  It is not always considered but Jesus entire ethos was to fulfil the will of God.  In the finest detail He fulfilled the law of God-Matthew 5v17-18; John 8v29 John 17v4; John 19v28-30; Hebrews 10v7-9.  From cradle to grave He obeyed God.  He was the perfect servant of God-Isaiah 50v5 "The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back".  In Gethsemane, He said, as He contemplated Calvary, "Not my will but thine be done".  At Calvary He did not utter "finished" until He had fulfilled the last scripture concerning His death-John 19v28-30.  In the servant song of Philippians 2, it is recorded, "He made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant...He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross".   Hebrews 5v8 puts it like this "Though     He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things that He suffered".  In heaven He was the Master, everyone obeyed Him, moving swiftly at His every command.  The animals and birds obey Him, the elements of nature obey Him, the swarms of insects.  He was subservient to no one and nothing, yet when He came in flesh He had to learn obedience, and He did so by the things He suffered.  Worship to God is subservience to God and Christ is the Supreme example.

We live in days of constant change, and new alternatives are being foisted upon us under the guise of moral relativism and cultural change.  We serve a God who changes not, why would you change perfection?  Simple obedience in worship is what He demands.  Much that is passing for worship today is strange fire, and we risk the displeasure of the Almighty, and we tarnish His holy name.  Anything that does not emanate from the sacrifice of Christ is unacceptable to the Lord.  Jesus said, God is spirit, and "they that worship must worship in spirit and in truth".  In John 4 He teaches that we can worship God anywhere, but not any how!  

There are notably fewer commandments in Christianity as compared to Judaism, but there are commandments involving church order and worship.  Paul had to say to the Corinthian church that the things he wrote were the commandments of the Lord (1st Corinthians 14v37).  The Lord expects all things in church worship to be done decently and in order.  A summary of the first epistle indicates the scope of this:  Chapters 1-4 Unity; 5-7 Morality; 8-10 Liberty; 11-14 Ministry; 15 Destiny; 16 Piety.  Within all these there are sacred principles developed that we should observe, which properly reflect the God of our salvation.  Nadab and Abihu disobeyed, and suffered Divine government, as others have done since.  Moses said to Aaron concerning this "This is that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh unto me, and before all people I will be glorified"-Leviticus 10v3.  Aaron held his peace, enough said!

Christ in all the scriptures Leviticus 9

 Christ in all the scriptures

The God who answers by fire  Leviticus 9

The key to this chapter is verse 24, which announces God's approval to the delight of the people.  The entire contents are a summary of all that has gone before, the offerings, the priesthood, and now the initiation of the priestly worship of Israel.  This is a new beginning, the first public gathering for worship, the first sacrifices offered, the first order of ceremony established, culminating in the answer of God from heaven.  Following seven days of continuous preparation, in which the priests learned the meticulous order of ceremony, the day of glory arrived.  It was the eighth day of ceremonial procedure.  Eight in scripture indicates a new beginning (seven days completes a week, and the eighth day starts a new week).  Never before had there been anything like this.  The people who had served the godless Pharaohs in bitter bondage were now the happy servants of the God of heaven.  Thus the only priesthood that God instituted on earth came into being.  He ratified their service in unmistakeable fashion...Moses and Aaron blessed the people, the glory of the Lord appeared in the whole congregation, and the fire of God kindled the sacrifice on the altar-Leviticus 9v22-24.  THIS WAS DIVINE APPROVAL INDEED!

The significance of this should not be lost upon us.  God kindled a fire that would never be extinguished (refer Leviticus 6v9v12v13).  In this, the first dedicated offering, God answered by fire, a fire that was never to be put out.  This was the Divine stamp on Israel's priesthood.  He is the God who answers by fire, no one could mistake the symbolic evidence.  No one did, for this sent the people into raptures (9v24).  On a number of occasions, in history, God answered by fire from heaven, in times of great moment:

Leviticus 9v24                  Aaron

Judges 6v21-24                 Gideon.

Judges 13v19-23               Manoah

1st Kings 18v24-39          Elijah.

1st Chronicles 21v26-28  David

2nd Chronicles 7v1          Solomon  

The wording at the confrontation by Elijah of the false prophets of Baal in 1st Kings 18 is significant, "The God that answereth by fire, let Him be God (other versions He is the God!), all others are false.  The result was emphatic, "Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, The Lord He is the God, the Lord He is the God."  One prophet against 450 false prophets prevailed as vindicated by God.  Likewise, the people of Israel were left in no doubt that God ratified the design and construction of Moses, and the Aaronic priesthood by fire from heaven, and the glory of His presence.  What was it that caused the Lord above to so endorse and glorify the worship of His people?  The priesthood had honoured the institution of God; the offerings (all of them) were sacrificed in order; Aaron and his sons were sanctified; the people were sanctified and blessed.  Everything was done in accordance with the will of the Lord.

Fast forward to the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, at the initiation of the Church.  God ratified the work of Christ in His death and resurrection by sending the Holy Spirit in cloven tongues of fire, so visible it was seen by those from all nations of the earth.  Thus was the new age ushered in, and within 30 years the known world was evangelised.  The statements in the Acts of the apostles reveal the wonderful reality of God speaking to the world in no uncertain terms...at Thessalonika, where the city was in uproar, "these that have turned the world upside down have come hither"; Paul to King Agrippa-Acts 26v26"this thing was not done in a corner".  The fire of God spread across the entire world, and, indeed through the centuries of time, for the fire has never gone out, and never will.  Nigh on 2000 years and the Spirit still works, still saves.  The Church will go through many barren times, face many problems, but "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  THE FIRE WILL NEVER GO OUT!  At this the people shouted with joy, and this should be our joy today, for in our weakness God's strength is made perfect.  The fire that the Holy Spirit kindled within us on the day of our conversion will remain until the end.  If, perchance, it is waning a little the way to fan it is to return to the time of first awakening individually.  If our corporate testimony is waning, it is to return to day of Pentecost, when the Church lived in the first light of the apostles' doctrine, and all things were done for His glory.  In days of departure and weak testimony, the need is to heed the call of Paul to "stir up the gift of God that is in thee..." 2nd Timothy 1v6.  The word used is "anazopureo", which literally means to rekindle, to fan the flame, which is fading away, to bring to life what is dying down.  The flame has not quite gone out, but because of the hardship of the way, Timothy has been cooling down a little, has become less forthright, less courageous, less lucid than before.  This is a reminder we should be on fire for the Lord, "who maketh His ministers a flame of fire"; this is applied to angels but we are now fellow servants with them.  Our Lord, at the end of His life, entered the temple to rid it of the moneychangers, and the disciples remembered that it was written of Him, "The zeal of thine house hath consumed me"-from Psalm 69v9.   He declared the lukewarmness of the Laodiceans nauseated Him.  We are told not to quench the Spirit; we must become passionate about the things of the Lord.  It was General Booth, founder of the Salvation Army who said, "The tendency of fire is to go out; it needs constant rekindling".  No one doubts the fire for the Lord in his heart!  

We remember the honest exclamation of the couple who walked with the Lord on the road to Emmaus..."Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?-Luke 24v32.  Listen to the Apostle Peter's thoughts of the perspective of the blessed people of God with hearts on fire for God...

1st Peter 1v3 Abundant mercy; 1v4 An Inheritance Incorruptible, Undefiled, and that Fadeth Not Away; 1v9 Joy unspeakable; 1v22 and 4v8 Fervent Love; 2v9 Marvellous Light; 4v10 Manifold Grace; 5v4 A Crown of Glory; 5v10 Eternal Glory; 2nd Peter 1v1 Precious Faith; 1v4 Exceeding Great and Precious Promises; 1v11 An Abundant Entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom; 1v17 the Excellent Glory; 3v13 New Heavens and a New Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteousness.  Nothing half hearted or lukewarm about any of this, Peter's Christianity.  The spiritual fire was burning in the life of Peter, will it burn in ours?

On this note, may I wish all readers a merry Christmas with your families, as we remember the joy brought to the world by the coming of our Lord.  I will resume studies early in the New Year; meanwhile may you all experience the presence of the Lord in all your celebrations.  Thank you all for your continued support.

George

Christ in all the scriptures Leviticus 8

 Christ in all the scriptures

The fitness and function of the priesthood  Leviticus 8

Priestly service is that which is done (however menial) in the sight of the Lord, and for the benefit of men.  It is the highest form of service to be undertaken by mortal man, and requires fitness for the task.  God, Himself has provided that fitness, and we have entered a blessed occupation that will never end.  Firstly, we should consider what priestly function means in New Testament terms, so that we understand what is expected of us who are the recipients of this high calling.

We can do this by tracing the priestly terms used: they are "serve or service"; "sacrifice"; "ministry"; "acceptable"; "pleasing"; "offering".

Service   Gr. latreuo it means to serve, as in temple service, as priests of old did, directly in the sight of the Lord.  This word is used in Romans 1v9 in context of gospel preaching, "whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son".  Also, Luke 2v37and 2nd Timothy 1v3-unceasing prayers; Philippians 3v3 and Hebrews 9v14-worship; Hebrews 12v28-reverenceand godly fear; ceaseless and eternal devotion-Revelation 7v15 and 22v3.

Sacrifice  Gr. thysia it means whole of life devotion to the Lord expressed many different ways, and without limitations.  Romans 12v1-wholehearted presentation of our bodies to the cause of God; Philippians 2v17-unfettered devotion to the edification of the saints in pastoral care; Philippians 4v18-material support to the servants of the Lord; Hebrews 13v15-the fruit of our lips in praise, whether in words or in song; Hebrews 13v16-doing good works and communicating with God's people, whether of material or spiritual graces; 1st Peter 2v5-preparations of spiritual worship to the Lord.

Acceptable/well pleasing  Gr.  dektos, apodektos, euarestos this is the sweet savour aspect of service, that which brings pleasure to God.  1st Timothy 2v3- prayer for rulers and all men for peace in the world and for their salvation; 1st Timothy 5v14-care of elderly parents; Philippians 4v18 material support for the work of the gospel; Romans 12v2-non-conformity to the world, renewal of our minds; Romans 14v18-gentle tolerance of the weakness of brethren; Ephesians 5v10-ordering our lives as children of light, as decided before the Lord; Colossians 3v20-children obeying parents in all things; Hebrews 13v21-allowing the Lord to have His way in your life, to do His will.

Ministry, minister      Gr. diakonia, diakoneo  this is humble service, literally it means "table waiters", those who serve others in the work of God.  Acts 6v1v4-literally serving tables; Acts 13v2-worship to the Lord while seeking guidance; Romans 12v7-service of administrative nature in the church; Romans 15v31-Paul's discharge of his responsibility in the gospel; 1st Corinthians 3v5-Paul and Apollos and every believer's discharge of speaking the gospel to others; 1st Corinthians 12v5-translated "administrations", the responsibility of all, this includes the gift of teaching, helps, and governments (1st Cor. 12v28); Ephesians 4v12 the work of mature saints for the edifying of the church; 2nd Timothy 1v18-providing spiritual refreshment as Onesiphorus did often to Paul; 1st Peter 4v10 "As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the grace of God".  

Essentially, priestly service is that which is done in the sight of the Lord, and in accordance with His will.  All of us can find occupation for life, from unseen good works in private to the very public necessary spiritual exercises.  The rest of the chapter outlines the context in which we serve.

Cleansing of the priesthood  Leviticus 8v6.  Service is Godward, and, since God is holy those who serve must also be holy.  This can only come from God who has cleansed us and fitted us for holy service in Christ.  This is the once for all cleansing that took place at conversion.  Relevant scriptures are: Ephesians 5v26; Titus 3v5; John 13v8-10.  Every believer has been cleansed and fitted for temple service.  Our part is to make use of the various measures indicated to keep ourselves clean in practise.

Clothing of the priesthood  Leviticus 8v7-13.  Under our great high priest, who is enrobed with garments of glory and beauty, and who is enthroned in highest authority, the priests were dressed in white linen garments, interpreted in Revelation 19v8 as "the righteousness of the saints".  The glorious character of Christ as our high priest is reflected in the righteous character of the serving priests.  Psalm 132v9 "Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your godly ones sing for joy".  Isaiah 61v10 "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels"; Zechariah 3v4 "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and will clothe you with festal robes".  We have been endowed with a heavenly beauty instead of the ugly nature of earth.  We must become what we already are by the grace of God.

The consecration of the priesthood  Leviticus 8v14-36   The bull for a sin offering; two rams, one for a burnt offering, and another for the consecration of the priesthood.  The priest hood was established on the blood of animals; New Testament priesthood (which is us according to Hebrews 3v1, 7v12, and 9v14) is established on the blood of Christ.  The ram of consecration was killed and the blood sprinkled and marked upon the right ear, the right hand, and the right toe of all the priests, to consecrate them to the service of God.  Thus the whole person was consecrated from head to foot (this is in contrast to their condition in unbelief and disobedience described by Isaiah in chapter 1v5-6 where they were from head to foot contaminated with sin)  Now they are sanctified and fitted for service.  Consecrated just means the practise of "filling the hands", where they were wholly committed to the service of God.  They were now priests of the living God.  Believers, today, in the same way are committed to holy and heavenly service, and it is necessary we understand this, as it brings a whole new perspective.  When we consider that our individual bodies (1st Cor. 6v19), and our local churches (not the building) (1st Cor. 3v17), as well as the Church, the body of Christ (Ephesians 2v21) are all called the temple, the inner sanctuary of God, we begin to understand the sacred nature of our lives on earth.  We began by indicating many ways in which we can be occupied for God, each according to their several ability, God-given; there is no reason to be idle or marginalised in the things of God, and we should be filling our hands for Him.  At this initiation they were to remain 7 days, for this was to become a permanent occupation.  We serve under the example and guidance of One who was wholly committed to God in His work, and who served for the benefit of others.  We serve in the light of His consecration, in the words of the hymn..."The vow was on thee, Thou didst come, To yield thyself to death; AND CONSECRATION MARKED THY PATH AND SPOKE IN EVERY BREATH!" He was committed to us, are we also committed to Him?

 

Christ in all the scriptures Leviticus 8

 Christ in all the scriptures

 Institution of the priesthood  Leviticus 8

Leviticus 8 repeats the details of Exodus 29: there it was the principles of the priesthood, necessary to conduct the worship of God, now it is the practice laid down for proper approach.  The fact that this was repeated underlines its importance.  We have established that modern priesthood is of a different order to the Aaronic priesthood, and therefore renders the first obsolete.  Nevertheless there are abiding principles that we can apply today from this important chapter.  The essential difference is that what was done by hands back then, is done in hearts: we worship in spirit and in truth.  No more visible altar, or killing of animals, or sprinkling of blood, or anointing with oil, or distinctive garb, or ornate temples.  Worship is spiritual today, and God resides in redeemed hearts.  Tragically, much of the ceremony of present day religious ceremony finds them living in the past.  God has moved on and so must we.  We can glean from the chapter some of the spiritual realities that are symbolised here.

The call to priesthood   Leviticus 8v1-5

The cleansing of the priesthood  Leviticus 8v6

The clothing of the priesthood  Leviticus 8v7-13

The consecration of the priesthood  Leviticus 8v14-36

The call to priesthood       8v1-5        "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; and gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."

A priest is one who preserves and promotes the worship of God.  As such it is a status and privilege of highest honour and those who are so called are the elite of humanity.  This privilege was granted to Israel in Exodus 19v5-6, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation". This honour was conditional upon their obedience, and the treachery and idolatry in chapter 32 removed it from the nation.  It was given to the tribe of Levi who, in the face of this evil had remained loyal.  The priesthood was therefore passed to the Levites, and this order continued until the coming of Christ-as late as Malachi 2v9, the Lord remonstrated with Israel for "corrupting the covenant of Levi", thus perpetuating the exclusive right of priesthood to the Levites.  Thus priesthood was not based on achievement or merit, but simply by birth into the lineage of Aaron!  In the chapter, many times over we read of "Aaron and his sons", or similar: (refer 8v2, v6, v13, v14, v18, v22, v24, v27, v30, v31, v36).      

Fast forward to New Testament times, 1st Peter 2v5 N/T believers are said to be "...a spiritual house, an holy priesthood..."; 2v9 "...a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation...";  Revelation 1v6, 5v10, 20v6 we are called a kingdom of priests.  We are so by NEW BIRTH IN CHRIST JESUS.  Peter describes us as priests in the context of new birth-1st Peter 1v23 and 2v2!  Every believer in Christ, by reason of new birth, is conferred with holy and royal priesthood to represent God in this world.  Our conversion to Christ is a call to serve the living God, as is evident from the gist of scripture.  This elevates every believer to highest service, a fact which needs to be proclaimed from every Christian platform.  Martin Luther made the priesthood of all believers as one of his main objections to Catholicism during the Reformation of the 17th century.  There remains a hierarchy, but this is intended to maximise the working of the whole (refer Ephesians 4v7-13).

Jesus is our great High Priest (Hebrews 2v17; 4v14-16; 6v20; 7v26; 8v1; 9v11; 10v21).  The sanctuary is in heaven, (Hebrews 3v1; 4v14; 6v20; 8v1; 9v24; 10v12-13; 10v19).  We function for God in a heavenly context.  The chapter begins with what is necessary for such a function-8v2: Garments, which speak of character; Anointing Oil which symbolises the Holy Spirit; Animals for sacrifice; Baskets full of bread for fellowship.  Service for God will require all of these.  For us today it means: Excellence of character, Holy Ghost energy, Discernment of the sacrifice of Christ for acceptance and commitment, and Baskets full for sharing holy things.  These are the ingredients for Divine service, in which all believers are occupied today.  

TO BE CONTINUED...

Christ in all the scriptures ORDINATION OF THE PRIESTHOOD

 Christ in all the scriptures

    Ordination of the priesthood  Leviticus 8

Chapter 8 presents the natural progression of things in scripture, in relation to Christ.  Chapters 1-7 depict Christ's death for our reconciliation in the different aspects of the one offering of Christ: chapters 8-10 depict His life as our great High Priest for our preservation and instruction in life.  The Christ who died for us, now lives to intercede for us.  This is important to realise, and is one of the most neglected truths of the bible today.  It is the subject matter of almost every epistle of the New Testament, yet it is not fully expounded or understood.  We begin by asserting the teaching of scripture, that there is a Priesthood of which Christ is the great high priest, and in which every believer in Christ is a priest!  The modern concept of priesthood is altogether unbiblical.  A separate caste of special people who wear distinctive garb, and perform religious ceremonies to which all adherents must conform.  They operate in places of worship, overseen by an often invisible hierarchy, in public buildings designated as sanctuaries.  Even evangelicals of all denominations, as well as "non-denoms" have it wrong by the erroneous belief that when they gather together the Lord descends to be with them.  This arrogance is accentuated by the delusion of some, that theirs is the only place of worship, to the exclusion of all others.  Thus, some sectarianists seek to "domesticate" Christ to themselves, resulting in multiple divisions and endless confusion in the minds of believers, not to mention the disastrous effect on the unbelieving world.  Scriptures are emphatic:

1)  "God dwelleth not in temples made with hands..."  1st Kings 8v27 "But will God indeed dwell on earth? behold the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" (also 2nd Chron. 2v6); Acts 7v48-49 "Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?"; Acts 17v24-25 "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things".

Conclusion: THERE IS NO BUILDING ON EARTH WHICH IS A PLACE OF WORSHIP, OR SANCTUARY, WHERE GOD DWELLS.

Some will counter that God built a dwelling place on earth in the Tabernacle.  This notion is false for what He built was "the patterns of things in the heavens"-(Hebrews 9v23); the entire system was only a "shadow of heavenly things"-Hebrews 8v5.  Jesus said in John 4v21-24, in connection with present day worship "Woman believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet in Jerusalem, worship the Father...the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him...".  Worship today is spiritual and has nothing to do with buildings or ceremonies.  The Apostle Peter said the same, that we are "a spiritual house, an holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ"-1st Peter 2v5.

2)  There is a new order of priesthood in place today.   "Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedek"-Psalm 110v4, repeated also in Hebrews 5v6v10 and 6v20 and 7v11 and 7v17.   This new order is superior to the Aaronic priesthood, which is now superseded (Hebrews 7v12).  "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building"-Hebrews 9v11.  In this new order, Christ is our great high priest, as is made clear as follows:

He deals with the sins of His people "He is a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people"-Heb. 2v17.   

He is "the Apostle and High Priest of our confession"-Heb. 3v1.  As Apostle He represents God to us; as High Priest He represents us to God. 

His sphere of operation is the sanctuary in heaven...."We have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God"-Heb. 4v15; "We have such an high priest who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man"-Heb. 8v1-2; "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us"-Heb. 9v24.

He deals with our infirmities, our weaknesses, our frailties.  He has lived here in this world, and experienced the hardships of life in a world opposed to God.  He knows, not only the facts of life on earth, but the feelings of our infirmities.  He knows about bodily weakness and pain.  He knows all about the inhumanity of man to man.  He knows about the loneliness of standing for God in this world.  He knows about the frustrations and disappointments in so-called friends.  He knows about the wiles and flaming darts of the devil.  Everything that we will suffer here, He has suffered, and He is fully qualified to succour us in our trials.  Relevant scriptures are: Heb. 2v10, 2v17-18, 4v15, 7v24-25.

This is the reality of worship in the present time.  We can worship Him from wherever we are, both individually and collectively.  It must be obvious to us that when we gather to worship, the Lord does not descend to our man-made buildings, rather we ascend in spirit to the sanctuary in heaven where our great high priest presides over our sacred exercises to the glory of the Father.

The Aaronic priesthood is now set aside, but it was the only priesthood instituted by God, and many of the features are retained, ether by comparison or contrast, as we shall discover when we study Leviticus chapter 8-10.  There is no separate priestly caste today, as we shall see in the next study.