Christ in all the scriptures
Sacred privileges and solemn responsibilities Numbers 3
Aaron and his sons
Almost 100 times we read of Aaron and his sons, from Exodus to Deuteronomy. They were exalted to high office in Israel despite Aaron's capitulation, in the matter of the golden calf. The Lord accepted Moses' intercession for his brother, and reinstated Aaron to public service. A similar act of mercy is granted to the apostle Peter, who was similarly restored to public office only days after denying his Lord. God is not capricious, but merciful to forgive the failings of His people on repentance. Well He knows He is dealing with failing creatures, but He is gracious to favour them upon true remorse, which was the case with both Aaron and Peter
The oft repetition of the term "Aaron and his sons" makes it an important theme, and it is on this we now focus. Aaron was the first High Priest in Israel, and his sons were priests under him by right of birth. This dignity was not conferred because of any personal achievement, but alone upon natural birth. The function of the priesthood was to represent God to men, and men to God, in the things of God. The choice of Aaron for this work was a good one, for we have a humbled man, aware of his own failings, dealing with men of the same propensities. Time and again, in the comparison between the Aaronic and Melchisedek priesthoods in Hebrews, we read of infirmities-weaknesses, inabilities to do the right things (Hebrews 4v15, 5v2, and 7v28). Chapter 5v2 sums it up perfectly, "Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity". Remarkably Jesus, whose Priesthood is superior to Aaron's, is "touched with the feelings of our infirmities"-4v15. He had no infirmities of His own, but He took part in human suffering and is able to succour God's people. So the work of the priest is not of a policeman applying law, but of humble people dispensing instruction and care.
Christ is our Great High Priest in the sanctuary of heaven today, for all His people, the subject of the letter to Hebrews. His is the Priesthood of a different order, the order of Melchisedek, superior to that of Aaron. He represents us before God, and God to us; He intercedes for our sins, and He succours for our infirmities. In like manner to the sons of Aaron, all God's people today are priests under Christ, they are so by spiritual birth through faith in Christ. They are priests by birth and not by life achievement. All in Christ today are priests, able to function in prayer, and worship, and instruction with compassion. We are not policemen imposing law, we are priests dispensing love. This important status conferred on all believers in the New Testament, particularly in 1st Peter 2v5-9, where in our spiritual house we are "an holy priesthood" to bring worship to God and "a royal priesthood" to bear witness to God. This. we have stated before, but it bears repetition. It is a great dignity given to us, and we do well to dispense it with humility. There is no priestly caste today, as is present in many so called mainline churches. All believers are priests by reason of new birth in Christ. There is no need to wear distinctive clothing, save the clothing of humility and of a Christ-like demeanour. It is a spiritual house, so any distinction should be of sterling character. There is no building on earth confined to this work, as the sanctuary is in heaven from which we operate in spirit in the presence of the Lord. There is an obvious hierarchy for the purpose of orderly operation, but all the members are of equal status in the eyes of the Lord, and each has their own function to perform. It follows then that under Christ we should all be involved in the work, all in unity moving forward, and all subject the one to the other for the glory of God. This is the reality of Christian worship today. Everything else is a relic of the past and does not represent God.
Aaron had four sons, and only Aaron's sons could fulfil the priestly function. Only the generations of Aaron and his sons could be priests, no one else. In pride of place at the entrance to the tabernacle were the tents of Moses, Aaron and Aaron's sons. High privilege indeed, but with privilege comes responsibility. The four sons are named, Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. They were "anointed and consecrated to minister in the priest's office". Apply that to believers today, and we are all anointed by the Holy Spirit for sacred service. Consecration just means "to fill the hands", and so we are all to be fully occupied in the service of the Lord, as He leads us.
Aaron's two oldest sons committed great sacrilege in the course of their ritual. They brought strange fire to the Lord. Fire to burn the incense at the golden altar had to be taken from the brazen altar-Leviticus 16v12-13. Only fire from the altar of burnt offering (symbolising the death of Christ) could be used to burn the incense to envelop the mercy seat with the fragrance. This they were told to do on pain of death. Nadab and Abihu decided to bring fire from a different source and they were immediately struck down by a bolt of fire from heaven. What possessed them to "do their own thing", "do it their way" in contempt for the commandments of the Lord? I was taken aback a few years ago, when challenging the practices of a professing church in a real life situation, which I considered to be unscriptural; the answer given was "We have our own way of dealing with things here!" We are operating in the Divine sanctuary, this is the house of God. You would not expect me to enter your house and rearrange the furniture, nor would I, if you visited my home. The only way to serve in God's house is to do it His way. Too many churches are doing things their own way, which makes them a cult, not a church. Nadab and Abihu paid with their lives, and the congregation lived thereafter in the reverential fear of the Lord. It is highly unlikely in these days of departure that such severe discipline will be enacted. Similar judgment took place in the early church (Acts 5), and in the church at Corinth (1st Corinthians 11), and the need of the day (as with all times) is to respect God's way, for He knows best.
"We are holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling"-Hebrews 3v1; "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,
SACRED PRIVILEGES BRING SOLEMN RESPONSIBILITIES
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