This week’s Parashat has so much in it. Before we get into this week’s reading let me go back to the previous reading. We learn about the offerings that will be given in the Tabernacle. We learn about Aaron’s and his Son’s portion. Then we learn about Aaron and his Sons being consecrated publicly in front of the entire congregation. They were washed and dressed in the special clothing prepared for them. Moses took oil unleavened bread and he sacrificed a bull and 2 rams to prepare Aaron and his Sons as well as the alter. Moses takes the blood from the 2nd RAM and placed blood on Aaron’s and his Sons’ right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. Everything God does is through the might of His RIGHT ARM. This is why God only has Moses put the blood on the RIGHT side. They were anointed to only hear the word of God and follow His instruction. Their thumbs were anointed to they could do the work of the Lord. The big toe was anointed so they stay balanced and walk in the way of the Lord. Aaron and his Sons were then commanded eat of the offering.
Aaron and his Sons were commanded to stay at the door of the Tabernacle for 7 days. Now before we move forward you need to realize that their are 2 Torahs. There is the written Torah that we call the Bible. There is also the Oral Torah which are stories and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation that were not written down or added to the Bible. These stories and traditions fill in the gaps and this week’s Parashat benefits by knowing what happened during the 7 days Aaron and his Sons did during the 7 days they stayed at the door of the Tabernacle.
The Oral Torah tells us that Aaron, his Sons, and the Levites are trained in setting up and tearing down during this 7 day period of time. Aaron and his Sons cannot leave because they are overseeing training and making sure everything is done according to God’s instructions. Now that we know that we pick up with this week’s Parashat. On the 8th day Moses inspects the Tabernacle and makes sure everything is in it’s proper place. Now Aaron and his Sons are told to take a young bull (a calf) to offer as a sin offering, a ram for a burn offering and a goat as a sin offering. God tells them to do more sacrifices but I would just like to focus on the 1st ones mentioned here. Aaron sinned when he made a GOLDEN CALF so God tells him to offer a bull to atone for the sin committed in the wilderness. God then tells Aaron to take a RAM the holiest of all offerings (Jesus is called the LAMB, he was an adult male when He was crucified.) a burnt offering 100% belongs to God. Then God tells them to make a sin offering via a GOAT. Almost very time a GOAT is offered it is a SIN OFFERING. There are sheep and goat nations. Goats do their own thing they don’t follow a Sheppard like sheep. They fight and bunt heads to get to the top of the mountain. They are full of pride.
What is so amazing is that after all these sacrifices were placed in the alter the GLORY OF GOD came and burned up the offering.
Leviticus 9:23-24
“And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.”
Now after this amazing event Aaron’s son Nadab and Abihu were so overwhelmed with zeal that they took their incense burners and put fire in it. They then went into the HOLY OF HOLIES and the fire of God burned them up. These 2 men were invited to go up the mountain with Moses, Aaron, and the 70 Elders. They had a covenant meal with God on the mountain. While on the mountain the Glory of God came down and fire appeared. Then Moses was called to go higher up the mountain. They saw this event as a mountain moment. They saw the similarities but did not have discernment or relationship with the Father to know His will.
After Nadab and Abihu are dead God tells Aaron that he nor any of his sons must never drink before coming to the tabernacle. If they do they will die. This makes me think that Nadab and Abihu may have gotten caught up in the celebration of becoming priests and the consecration of the Tabernacle. Maybe they had a little something to drink. Maybe they had a different kind of spirit influencing them.
The question we have to ask ourselves is do we have a deep personal relationship with the Father that we know His will? Are we able to discern what God is doing? Can we discern what God desires us to do? If you cannot say 100% that you know what God’s will for your life is then now is the time to get to know Him like never before.
