Ensign: A Certain Man Had Four Sons:

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3




AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS                                        5 February 2016





Again, not my sons.





Our study this week takes us to the book of Leviticus. Granted, not exactly on the top ten list of favorite Bible stories, or even most-read books of the Bible (or the Torah, if we want to start at the beginning). But particularly in the tenth chapter of this third book of the Bible (or the Torah), we see the LORD almost willing and certainly able to extinguish what He had originally planned to be the priestly line serving in His temple.





But a little background first. The story of Aaron's sons begins with Exodus 6:23, with the mention of Aaron, Moses's older brother by three years, and his household. "And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter or Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar." It's a good guess they were born while the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt -- at least, we read of them before Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh.





Once the Hebrews -- the phrase "children of Israel" to designate descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob doesn't get used until the sixth chapter of Numbers -- left Egypt and the Red Sea behind them, and even after Moses came down from mount Sinai and found the Israelites worshiping the golden calf (built at Aaron's direction, an event that almost caused the LORD to destroy the Israelites and start over again with Moses; see Exodus 32 for the full story).



So soon after Aaron and his sons are all consecrated for the priesthood (and the rules are set that only those descended directly from Aaron can serve the LORD as priests; a matter of some complication in present-day Israel, even though some tests prove promising that descendants of his -- at least the two surviving -- sons Eleazar and Ithamar are alive and well), Nadab and Abihu die. Leviticus 10:2. "And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD."



The previous verse tells us that Nadab and Abihu "offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not." There's at least four interpretations I've read of this, from they offered it at the wrong time of day to they were drunk when they offered it, but I'm considering the "which he [the LORD] commanded them not" as I write this. I ask myself, when would God not want an offering from us? Not being versed in the Levitical priesthood as I am, how does this help you and me?

We're not told how much or even if there was a time lag between the events of verses one through seven and eight through twenty -- the Bible I'm using divides them into "The sin of Nadab and Abihu" and "Restrictions for the priesthood" -- but the LORD relaying His instructions for the priesthood to Aaron and his two surviving sons came after the house of Israel mourned the two dead sons' death ("the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled", v.6).

AND they seemed to be broken right away, an executable offense which it sounded like Moses was prepared to carry out -- Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar having not eaten the sin offering but rather having burnt it instead in verse seventeen. But dear dad Aaron comes up to Moses and in verse 19 relates that the burnt and sin offerings had already been given, "and such things have befallen me: and I had eaten the sin offering today, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?"



"And when Moses heard, he was content." So chapter ten ends. Definitely the LORD and not Moses could have been coldhearted enough to destroy the beginnings of His priesthood (and incidentally Moses' own brother and nephews), and nor are we expected to be. Yes, the priesthood then and now performs a vital function mediating between man and God. Jesus Christ the Son of God does today. May we not need such things to befall us. Aaron's the priest, but he can still grieve.


To grieve is the beginning of seeking forgiveness.

And to be forgiven is the beginning of repentance.

And the cool part?

God can still use you in the process!


David




P. S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with you, and I hope it encourages you too. If I'm not or you want me to get lost, please let me know -- thank you!




Thank You, Lord, that we can come to You in praise and prayer and that You provide for all our needs, even the ones we don't know we have! Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence there and around the world.




Thank You, Lord, for all of us in leadership and service here and abroad, as well as for opportunities we have and the promise of new life! I pray we all seek and have a blessed week. Amen.