CALVARY PANDAN BIBLE- These two principles are spelt out in this PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH study. [Adapted from Bethel Bible-Presbyterian Church, 10 Downing St. Oakleigh, Vic., 3166] OUTLINE

DHW BIBLE CLASS A. The Public Ordination of and LESSON 5 His Sons to the High Priesthood of Israel (8:1-36). LEVITICUS 1. The LORD commanded Moses CHAPTERS 8, 9 & 10 to carry out the ordination of Aaron and his sons (v.1). INTRODUCTION 2. Moses made initial preparation (v.2). In chapters 1 to 7, God prescribed the five basic sacrificial offerings (and a. He gathered Aaron and his consecration) (7:37) for the purification sons. of the people. Chapters 8 to 10 describe b. He took the sacred the application of these sacrificial garments, the anointing oil offerings. Chapter 8 narrates the and a bullock for the sin ordination of Aaron and his sons to the offering and two rams and a priesthood. Chapter 9 describes how basket of unleavened cakes Aaron carried out his first duty and (v.2). responsibility as the high priest in behalf of the people of Israel. Chapter 10 3. Moses gathered the people at relates the sad incident of how Aaron’s the entrance of the sons breached the laws of God and (v.3-5). were struck dead -- the fire “went out of 4. Moses prepared Aaron and his the LORD, and devoured them” (10:2). sons (v.6-9). The heart of the book of Leviticus a. He washed Aaron and his revolves around the concept of holiness. sons. As born-again children, we need to know how we can be holy as He is holy, b. He put the high priest sacred how we ought to behave and do the garments on Aaron. things that are most pleasing and God- 5. Moses anointed the tabernacle honouring in His sight. (v.10-11). Before Aaron could serve God and 6. Moses sanctified Aaron and his the people of God, he must be sons (v.12-17). consecrated and he must get right with a. He anointed Aaron with the God first. A servant of God must get anointing oil. right with God and be an example for others to follow before he can serve and b. He put the sacred priestly lead others. A servant who does not do garments on Aaron’s sons. the work of God in the way prescribed in c. He offered the bullock of the His Word will be removed from office. .

DHW LESSON 5 LEVITICUS 8, 9 & 10

7. Moses offered the first ram for 3. The congregation obeyed and the in behalf of gathered before the tabernacle Aaron and his sons (v.18-21). (v.5-6). 8. Moses offered the second ram 4. Aaron obeyed Moses by offering for the peace offering in behalf of the sacrifices for himself first Aaron and his sons (v.22-30). (v.7-14). a. The ram of consecration. a. Moses commanded Aaron to offer the sin offering and the b. Aaron and his sons burnt offering for himself. performed the . Aaron obeyed. 9. Moses gave final instructions b. (v.31-36). • He offered the sin a. Aaron and his sons to offering. boil the flesh of the • His sons assisted him. peace offerings and partake of the meat • Then he offered the within the tabernacle. burnt offering. b. Aaron and his sons • His sons assisted him. confined themselves in 5. Aaron offered the sacrificial the tabernacle for seven offerings in behalf of the days. (v.15-21). a. He offered the sin offering. B. Aaron Performed His First Duty as b. He offered the burnt offering. the High Priest by Offering Sacrifices in Behalf of the People c. He offered the grain offering. (9:2-24). d. He offered the peace 1. Moses called Aaron, his sons offerings assisted by his and the elders of Israel (v.1). sons. Aaron took the breast and 2. Moses instructed Aaron (v.2-4). e. the right shoulder for a wave a. Aaron to offer a sin offering offering before the LORD. and a burnt offering for himself. 6. The glory of the LORD appeared before the people (v.22-24). b. Aaron to call the people to offer: a. Aaron blessed the people after making the offerings. • a sin offering b. Moses and Aaron entered • a burnt offering the tabernacle and came out to bless the people. • a peace offering c. Fire came out from before • a grain offering. the LORD and consume upon the altar.

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DHW LESSON 5 LEVITICUS 8, 9 & 10

d. The people saw, shouted eating the sacrificial meat (10:12- and prostrated on the 20). ground. 1. Eat the priests’ portion of the grain offering without leaven and in the holy place (v.12, 13). C. The Judgment of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron (10:1-7). 2. The breast and the shoulder of the wave and heave offerings 1. Nadab and Abihu disobeyed the would be their portion to be LORD in offering “strange fire” eaten in a clean place (v.14, 15). (v.1). and Ithamar erred by not 2. The LORD punished them by 3. death (v.2). eating the meat of the sin offering (v.16-20). 3. Moses warned Aaron of the meaning of the judgment. a. Moses found out and chided them. 4. Aaron kept his peace. b. Aaron defended his two sons 5. Moses commanded Aaron’s and gave his reasons. cousins, Mishael and Elzaphan to bury their nephews outside c. Moses was satisfied. the camp. 6. Moses warned Aaron and his COMMENTARY sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, not The Consecration of Aaron and to mourn the death of Nadab and his Sons Abihu lest they be punished too. The LORD called Moses and 7. They obeyed Moses. instructed him to take Aaron and his sons to consecrate them and to gather the people at the entrance of the D. The LORD commanded Aaron tabernacle to witness their consecration. regarding some prohibitions and Accordingly, Moses brought Aaron and their duties (10:8-11). his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and 1. The LORD commanded Aaron Ithamar. He washed them with water. not to drink wine when they Outward washing in the Bible is entered the tabernacle (v.8-9) symbolic of an inward spiritual cleansing. wrote, “Who shall 2. Aaron must make a distinction ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who between the holy and the unholy, shall stand in His holy place? He that the clean and the unclean (v.10). hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who 3. Aaron to teach the children of hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor Israel the statutes of the LORD sworn deceitfully” (Psalm 24:3, 4). as given to Moses. Then Moses dressed Aaron with the 1 garments of the high priest. Aaron’s E. Moses’ Instructions to Aaron and his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, about 1 These priestly robes are fully described in Exodus 28 and 39. 3

DHW LESSON 5 LEVITICUS 8, 9 & 10

priestly robe singled out his office as the to listen to God’s Word; consecrated high priest, representing the 12 tribes hands to do God’s holy works; and before the LORD. These priestly robes consecrated feet to walk righteously helped the Israelites to identify the before God. In the New Testament, Paul priests as people of authority and described it as dying to sin and living to accord them the proper respect. Having righteousness.3 clothed Aaron, Moses anointed the Moses led Aaron and his sons in the various items in the tabernacle and wave offering and burnt the offering on Aaron with the special oil2 to sanctify the altar. Moses himself took the breast them (8:11, 12) and dedicate them to for a wave offering and the meat was God’s service. given to him as the priest who officiated Having consecrated them, Moses in behalf of Aaron and his sons. The officiated the offering of the sin offering other part, the shoulder, was not in behalf of Aaron and his sons. The mentioned. Moses offered it to the bullock of sin offering was brought and LORD. This intimated that both Moses everything was done in accordance to and the LORD carried out the what God had prescribed. The sin consecration. The remaining flesh was offering was a purification offering to given to the priests. They must consume atone for the sins of the worshipper. it in the tabernacle. The priests must not This illustrated that God could not be go out of the tabernacle for seven days, approached without the shedding of cutting themselves out of any social blood for the remission of the sins of the interaction for that period. On each of worshipper. There was no other way the seven days, a ram of consecration apart from what had been prescribed. was offered (8:32). Sins must be dealt with first before a The ordination of Aaron and his person could draw near to God in sons was by fiat—they were the choice worship. of God. Observe that someone needed Then Moses brought the first ram, to officiate the ceremony. The person which was for a burnt offering of a sweet who performed the rituals was Moses. aroma to the LORD and the other “the Moses was specially chosen by God to ram of consecration”. The significance be the mediator between Him and Aaron of this burnt offering was to indicate that and his sons. Today our Mediator is Aaron and his sons sought reconciliation Christ Jesus, the Son of God, our Lord with God by offering up a ram in their and Saviour. He is our sin offering, burnt place as ransom for their sins. The other offering and peace offering. We can ram of consecration was to indicate the confidently approach Him to worship dedication of themselves to God. Note Him, offer our praises, and place our that the tip of Aaron’s right ear, the petitions before Him knowing that we will thumb of his right hand, and his great obtain mercy and find grace in our times right toe were smeared with blood. Why of need (Hebrews 4:16). the right side? The right side is the more From the lengthy consecration and important and favoured side of a person. dedication service, we can draw the The person must have consecrated ears principle that God was the author of the

2 The recipe of this special oil is given in Exodus 30:23ff. 3 Paul discusses this in Romans 6:5ff). 4

DHW LESSON 5 LEVITICUS 8, 9 & 10

priest’s consecration and Moses was his LORD to make an atonement in behalf instrument. The whole congregation was of the people. This was what the LORD present at the ordination. There was no commanded. The purpose was that the democratic choice. The people played LORD could appear to them in His glory the essential part of witnessing God’s (9:4, 6, 24). The glory of God is His call. This is the pattern set for us to awesome holiness, majesty and power. follow. God’s work must be done in His If they carried out the sacrificial offerings way. Hence, in church government and as commanded, they would not be the appointment of pastors, elders, struck dead when God appear to them. deacons and other church leaders, the Aaron obeyed and did as he was Bible-Presbyterian church is guided by commanded. Note that Aaron had to this principle. The nomination of pastors, offer a sin offering and a burnt offering elders and deacons to the Session is for himself again (9:7). This teaches us the responsibility and decision of the the gravity of sin, and the universality current ruling board of Elders of which and pervasiveness of sin in man. After the serving Pastor is the moderator. The the last offering (wave offering), Aaron general body of the church will elect lifted up his hand towards the people from those whom the board of Elders and blessed them (9:22). He “came have nominated (approved) to serve in down” (9:24b) implying that Aaron had the church. They do so by casting their to walk up to a higher ground to vote in a secret ballot.4 administer the various sacrificial offerings at the brazen altar. Then The order of the sacrificial offerings Moses and Aaron went into the in the consecration of the priests is tabernacle and came out and blessed clear: the consecration, the sin offering, the people. The glory of the LORD the burnt offering, followed by the peace appeared to all the people. Fire came offering. The theological doctrine is out from before the LORD and clearly spelt out: (1) consecration — a consumed the burnt offering and the fat person desirous of coming to God, (2) on the brazen altar. This phenomenon he must purify himself by making a sin struck the people with awe and fear. offering — purification by the blood and When they saw it, they “shouted” and death of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God; fell prostrate on the ground (9:25). They (3) burnt offering — acknowledgment of gave a loud cry of joy and praise at the the ransom paid by Christ Jesus; (4) way God worked. That they responded peace offering — complete the by falling prostrate on the ground reconciliation so that there is fellowship showed their total acknowledgment of with God, accompanied by thanksgiving the holiness and greatness of God. God for His provisions. deserves nothing less than the The Consecration of the consecration and dedication of our Congregation whole being when we worship and serve Moses called Aaron, his sons, and Him. the elders of Israel together. He The Judgment on Those Who specifically instructed Aaron to offer a sin offering and a burnt offering to the Disobey This chapter records a very sad and

4 serious incident. Nadab and Abihu, two See Bethel BPC Constitution, Article 18, of Aaron’s sons, offered “strange fire” in particular, Section 18:6 & 18:7. 5

DHW LESSON 5 LEVITICUS 8, 9 & 10

before the LORD. The nature of the assured that, despite the sins of his two “strange fire” was not mentioned. The sons, God had retained him as His high text records that each of them took “his priest to act as a mediator between Him incense,” and put it on the fire before the and the people. God told Aaron to LORD. They might have offered an abstain from drinking alcohol (10:8, 9). incense which was not prescribed by Why? The answer is in the next verse. God or they might have offered it at the The priest’s job was to make decisions wrong time.5 Nadab and Abihu were between holy and common things, struck dead instantly! The consequence between the clean and unclean, and to of disobeying God is death. Sin is a teach the people the laws of God. If the serious thing in the eyes of God. The priest made a mistake in these matters, fact that we do sin but are not struck it might provoke God’s judgment and dead does not mean that God has lead to death. In order to avoid making changed His attitude towards sin and such mistakes, they had to abstain from the sinner. Rather, God has been alcohol. 8 merciful. The judgment on Nadab and Another incident that was related to Abihu tells us that God takes a very the sin of disobedience happened to serious view of sin. Sin cannot be Eleazar and Ithamar. Moses was angry tolerated. We should learn that we that they did not eat the meat of one of deserve death when we sin but God in the sin offering, namely, a goat (9:15). His mercy forgives us when we repent.6 They had not followed the rules of the God forbade Aaron and his other second offering. They had burnt the two sons to join in the customary rites of meat instead of eating it (10:16-18). mourning for Nadab and Abihu. If they Aaron explained to Moses that they were to disobey, they would also be were afraid that if they had eaten it and struck dead and God’s wrath would be it was not right, they might be struck upon the whole congregation (10:6). dead. They feared God and were extra Aaron and his other two sons, Eleazar careful not to sin against Him in view of and Ithamar, must be seen as what had happened to Nadab and identifying themselves entirely with Abihu. Aaron explained that in all the God’s viewpoint. There must be no hint confusion of that festive day, they were that they condone Nadab’s and Abihu’s not sure whether it was all right to eat it. sin. If they were to join in the traditional He asked Moses the question to confirm custom of mourning, they might, in their it. When Moses heard it, he was grief, blame God for their deaths.7 satisfied. This suggests that God was more gracious to those who made The LORD spoke to Aaron. This mistakes because they feared Him than was the only record of a direct those who carelessly and imprudently communication between the LORD and offended Him, as in the case of Nadab Aaron. At all other times, the LORD and Abihu.9 spoke through Moses. Aaron was

5 There was a proper incense for use at the altar (Exodus 37:29); and there was the proper time to offer the incense (Exodus 30:7-9). 6 Jesus Christ commanded the woman taken in adultery not to sin again (John 8:11). 8 Ibid., 159. 7 Wenham, 157. 9 Ibid., 160. 6

DHW LESSON 5 LEVITICUS 8, 9 & 10

PRACTICAL VALUE DAILY READINGS & DISCUSSION These three chapters demonstrate QUESTIONS the universality and pervasiveness of Daily Readings sin—it affects man who had to be cleansed, it affects the things touched Monday: Leviticus 8:1-17; Ephesians by man, and it affects even the 5:26; Colossians 3:12. garments he wore. But thankfully, the Tuesday: Leviticus 8:18-35; Romans sin can be cleansed. In the Old 12:1; Galatians 2:20. Testament, God had prescribed the way Wednesday: Leviticus 9:1-14; Hebrews to atone for one’s sin. In the New 9:11-15. Testament, since the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the Thursday: Leviticus 9:15-24; Romans remission of sins has been dealt with 5:1-2; 1 John 1:3. once and for all through the blood and Friday: Leviticus 10:1-20; John 4:24; death of the Lord Jesus Christ. We need Philippians 2:12; Acts 20:27. to acknowledge Him and receive Him into our hearts by faith. God’s work must be done in God’s Discussion Questions way in accordance to His Word. As 1. What offering was offered first? Why church leaders and members of the was it placed before the burnt body of Christ in a local church, we must offering? always remember this principle and apply it to our worship and our activities. ______And leaders will face a greater ______judgment when they sin against God — ______to whom is given much, much will be ______required. ______

2. Why did the priests have to put on special garments? ______

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DHW LESSON 5 LEVITICUS 8, 9 & 10

3. Why do you think the tip of the right ______ear, the right thumb and the great ______right toe of Aaron were smeared with ______blood? ______7. How would you describe the spiritual ______health of the people of Israel at this ______juncture (9:23, 24)? ______4. How is the universality and ______pervasiveness of sin shown in ______chapter 8? ______8. What is the “glory of God”? ______5. What must Aaron first do before he ______could make offerings in behalf of the ______people? What is the lesson behind ______this? ______9. How does verse 3 apply adversely to ______Nadab and Abihu? ______6. In what way does this chapter signify ______the turning point of God’s people? ______

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DHW LESSON 5 LEVITICUS 8, 9 & 10

10. What do you understand from verse TEACHING LESSON 3? The Ordination of Aaron and his sons ______1. What principle can we draw from the ______ordination of Aaron? ______a. He was called to serve the ______LORD. ______b. His sins needed to be atoned for ______by the offering of the sin offering. ______c. Then he offered the burnt offering as an expression of his gratitude for sins atoned and his dedication 11. Why were Aaron and his remaining wholly to the LORD. sons forbidden to mourn for Nadab and Abihu? d. Observe that his right ear, right thumb and his right big toe were ______smeared with blood. This tells us ______that he must have consecrated ______ears to listen to God’s Word, ______consecrated hands to do God’s ______holy works, and consecrated feet ______to walk righteously before God. ______e. His priestly clothes were meant to show his nature of office,

responsibilities and duties rather 12. What do you think are the most than to bring attention to himself. important lessons in this chapter? f. Principles drawn: ______• Before any person is allowed ______to serve in the Church of ______Christ, he must first be a ______Christian. His sins must be ______atoned for by the blood of the ______Lamb of God. ______• Then he needs to consecrate himself wholly unto the Lord, offering himself as a living sacrifice. • He must be governed by the Word of God - to obey Him, do His work and walk uprightly before Him. • Application in the Church context: Pastor, Elder,

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DHW LESSON 5 LEVITICUS 8, 9 & 10

Deacon, leaders of the c. Was God harsh? various ministries in the d. Aaron and his two other sons church and teachers of the were not allowed to mourn for Word. their deaths.

e. Principle: God’s servants must The Consecration of the serve God in His way. There is Congregation no other way. Aaron then performed the sin 2. • The necessity to know the offering, the burnt offering, the peace Word. offering and the grain offering in behalf of the congregation. • God takes a serious view of our carelessness or deliberate a. the sin offering to atone for the rebellious action. sins of the people. b. the burnt offering for the • We are to honour and exalt consecration of the people. God for His ways are always righteous. c. the peace offering for fellowship with God. • Christian leaders have a grave responsibility of d. the grain offering as an removing any church leader expression of their gratitude to from serving in the church if God for His blessings. he or she persists in serving e. Application: The pastor of the in a way that is not in church or any leader of a ministry accordance with God’s way. of the church should always (1) intercede for the sins of ignorance of the members, (2) The Responsibility and Duty of Aaron encourage them to dedicate and his sons to teach the Law of God themselves to the LORD, (3) to to the People (10:8ff) maintain a close fellowship with 4. They must abstain from alcohol so the Lord and (4) to thank the Lord that they might be sober at all times for the blessings that He has and be able to discern right from bestowed upon them. wrong, clean from unclean, holy from unholy.

a. They must teach the Law of God The Judgment of Those Who Disobey to the people. 3. The disobedience of Nadab and Abihu. b. Application: Leaders of the church should place a high a. They offered strange fire. They premium on the teaching of the did not serve the Lord in the way Word. To hear and to obey. prescribed.

b. The judgment of the Lord came upon them—they were struck dead.

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