IT is very interesting to observe that in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers we have the account given of what took place on a certain day of immense importance to the children of Israel, and that in each account we have a totally different set of events described by the Holy Ghost. The observing of this difference will help not a little in the understanding of the different lines on which the record given by God is arranged in each of these three books.
The day is that remarkable day mentioned in Exodus 40:2, 172On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. (Exodus 40:2)
17And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up. (Exodus 40:17). In Exodus the divine record shows us the picture of Moses receiving from the hands of the people the fruit of their labor, blessing them, and then setting up in its exact order, according to the command of Jehovah, the tabernacle with all its vessels. As soon as this is done the glory of Jehovah fills His dwelling-place. Then in Leviticus we find that on the same day, as comparison of Exodus 40:9-169And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy. 10And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy. 11And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it. 12And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. 13And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 14And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: 15And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations. 16Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he. (Exodus 40:9‑16), Leviticus 8:10-1210And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. 11And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them. 12And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. (Leviticus 8:10‑12), and Numbers 7:11And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them; (Numbers 7:1) will show, another wonderful scene takes place, the anointing and consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests. Finally, in Numbers 7:1010And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. (Numbers 7:10), we are shown the princes of Israel bringing their gifts for the dedication of the altar. So the setting up in Exodus apparently occupies one day, the consecration in Leviticus seven days, and the dedication in Numbers twelve days. This is interesting and suggestive, and helps to bring out what is the special object of God in each of these three books in connection with His dwelling among His people and its basis, the priesthood and the order of His house, His government and its history.
One thing is very striking, that, with the exception of Leviticus 24:10-2310And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; 11And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) 12And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be showed them. 13And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 14Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. 16And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death. 17And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. 18And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast. 19And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; 20Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again. 21And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death. 22Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the Lord your God. 23And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses. (Leviticus 24:10‑23), all the history contained in Leviticus is found in chapters 8 to 10 It is always important to observe what God selects to tell us, because we can discover from it what is in His mind. For example, when in Genesis we find that God dismisses the mighty Babylonian kingdom of Nimrod in three verses, while He occupies twelve chapters with the history of a wandering sheep-owner, and twenty-seven more with the history of his son and grandson, we cannot fail to see that the history of the path of faith is of more interest to God than what the world calls history.
So here the selection of this little bit of history coming in between the order of approach to God, and the subsequent details of the holiness suited to God’s house, shows that everything depended on the priesthood, then shows that priesthood breaking down in the very thing for which they were appointed, and everything is thrown back upon the unfailing mercy of God.
The order of the chapter (Lev. 8.) is marked out, as in Exodus 40, by the words, “as Jehovah had commanded.” We find:
1. Moses brings Aaron and his sons, the bullock, the two rains, and the basket of unleavened bread to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and gathers thither the whole assembly to witness what Jehovah had commanded to be done. This is what they saw:
2. Moses bathes Aaron and his sons with water, and clothes Aaron with his garments of glory and beauty. (Leviticus adds here the inner girdle, and the Urim and Thummim.)
3. Moses anoints the tabernacle, the altar, and the laver. Then he anoints Aaron, and goes on to clothe Aaron’s sons with the priestly vests, girdles, and caps.
4. Moses offers the bullock of the sin offering. (Leviticus adds the important details that he cleansed the altar from sin, and hallowed it, making atonement for it.)
5. Moses offers the ram of the burnt offering. (Leviticus adds the washing of the legs and inwards in water.)
6. Moses presents the ram of consecration, and
(a) puts its blood on the right ear, thumb, and great toe of Aaron and his sons. (Here Exodus adds the sprinkling of the garments with blood and oil).
(b) fills the hands of Aaron and his sons with the fat, shoulder, and bread of the wave offering.
(c) himself waves the breast of the wave offering.
7. Moses completes the hallowing by sprinkling with the anointing oil and the blood on the altar both Aaron and his garments, his sons, and their garments. They then boil and eat the flesh of the consecration offering and the bread left in the basket at the entrance of the tent of meeting, where they remain seven days, day and night, keeping the charge of Jehovah.
Exodus, occupied with the principles upon which God’s dwelling amongst His people depends, adds the details of the continual burnt offering, the handing down of the priestly garments from father to son, and closes with the promise so wonderfully fulfilled in Exodus 40, and Leviticus 10 and 16, “I will meet,” “I will hallow,” “I will dwell” ―most solemn and yet most blessed.
One thing must not be lost sight of, and that is, the place that Moses has in this. Nothing could have been carried out without him. He received the pattern and communicated it. He set up the house. He brings forward the priest and his sons and introduces them, so to speak, to the place where the glory already dwelt. He offers the offerings, fills the hands of the priests, and places them in the position where they were to carry on the whole order of the House of God. All this was the mediator’s work, and must be carefully distinguished from the priest’s work. Nothing could be established without the mediator. Hebrews touches both on Moses’ faithfulness in his position, and on the importance and meaning of Aaron’s office, keeping the two distinct throughout, though both meet in Him whom we are to consider, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.
After the priesthood is thus established, Aaron in his place, and his sons associated with him, the next thing is the picture of the priesthood fulfilling the office appointed to them, and the result in blessing. It is interesting to notice the occasions upon which blessing is pronounced upon the people in their journey: ―
Then comes the supreme test of the whole order of the things thus set up, the glory of Jehovah appears to all the people, and fire comes out from Jehovah and consumes the burnt offering on the altar. This brings out the failure that must be found in everything that depends in any way upon man. The failure is a double one.
1. Nadab and Abihu offer strange fire before Jehovah “which He had not commanded them.” As ever, disobedience is the cause of the breakdown. At once the very fire which had come out from Jehovah to consume the burnt offering, comes out to consume them; judgment comes from the place whence blessing had come.
2. The goat of the sin offering which should have been eaten by the priests in a holy place, is found to have been burnt. But this had been given to the priests that they might bear the iniquity of the people, to make atonement for them before Jehovah. Hence the very essential part of the priests’ service breaks down at the outset.
These two failures are closely connected. Failure in obedience leads to failure in that service which depends on obedience. There are always the deepest reasons for obedience; the character of Christ is always involved, for His obedience always was in type, and is now in reality, the obedience to which we are sanctified. We need not know the reasons for obedience. It is enough to obey, but we may be certain that disobedience will spoil for the time the display of what God counts most precious, and guards most jealously.
But His mercy endureth forever, and He has a way out of the hopeless breakdown, for it was as hopeless as that of Exodus 32. The 16th of Leviticus shows this. Instead of the goat of the people which should have been eaten by the priests, we have the fullest type of the work of the blessed Lord Himself, both in propitiation and in substitution, and it becomes the ground on which God can continue to dwell amongst His people. Aaron takes the ground of failure, and Moses is content. So ends this brief but wonderful bit of history where we have the pattern of blessing and its source, and the secret of failure, and the mercy of God behind it all.
Answers to Questions
1. Answered above.
2. The first thing they had to do after having their hands filled (that is the meaning of consecration), was to feed on the ram of consecration, and on the bread, and to wait at the entrance of the tent of meeting seven days (Lev. 8:31-3631And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it. 32And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire. 33And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you. 34As he hath done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you. 35Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not: for so I am commanded. 36So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. (Leviticus 8:31‑36)).
4. In Genesis 15:1717And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. (Genesis 15:17) we find the covenant established by the burning lamp passing between the severed pieces of the victims. The other occurrences are Lev. 9:2424And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. (Leviticus 9:24), Judges 6:2121Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. (Judges 6:21), 1 Chron. 21:2626And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the Lord; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. (1 Chronicles 21:26), 2 Chron. 7:11Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. (2 Chronicles 7:1),
Subject for August.
―the Law of Clean and Unclean Things (Lev. 11.).
The following questions may be searched out and answered: ―
1. What are the principal differences between the law in Leviticus 11 and in Deuteronomy 14.
2. How is the thought of uncleanness taken up by the prophets?
3. What is the Lord’s teaching in the Gospels as to uncleanness and defilement?
4. What scriptures show the attitude of Peter and Paul towards ceremonial uncleanness.
B. S. ED.