The union of priestly temporal and spiritual rule was set aside by the establishment of Jehovah’s priesthood in Israel. Further, the head of the family, and even Moses himself, could act as priest no longer. The priests were entrusted with spiritual duties, the end of which was by serving Jehovah to bring the people into fellowship with Him.
The solemn service by which the priests were separated for their work occupied seven days, and on the eighth day, Aaron and his sons being fully equipped, the nation, which had assembled together before the tabernacle for the seven days to witness the consecration of the priests, was called upon to worship Jehovah.
The day opened with the early burnt sacrifice upon the brazen altar, as opened every succeeding day in tabernacle or temple court, and then followed the three great sacrifices by which Israel’s national worship was inaugurated. First, a sin offering – the confession arid the putting away of sin before God; next, a burnt offering – the sweet savor of the sacrifice to God; lastly, a peace offering – the communion in the sacrifice, of man with God.
The great center in the day’s worship was the altar. The high priest served it, and on the completion of the service of sacrifice, and while standing upon the altar slope, which reached midway its height, he turned towards the thronging multitude, and all eyes being on him, “he lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them.” The sacrifices were accepted. The nation was blessed in the power of the sacrifices. Then Aaron “came down” from the altar.
This blessing of the high priest recalls the uplifted hands of Jesus and the blessing of His disciples after His sacrifice of Himself on the cross (Luke 24:50-5150And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. (Luke 24:50‑51)) before He ascended and passed through the heavens to appear in the presence of God for us.
The smoke of the altar fire still arose on high, the priests had to complete their part of the service in eating the sin offering, and the people, represented by the princes, had to partake of the peace offering; and while this part of the service proceeded, Aaron, accompanied by Moses, entered the tabernacle. For the moment Israel’s high priest and king were hidden from view. What transpired within the sanctuary we know not, no mention being made of any act performed in the presence of Jehovah by Aaron and Moses. Our thoughts are to remain centered on that which took place in the court of the tabernacle. When “Moses and Aaron came out” from Jehovah’s presence “they blessed the people.” This was the blessing of both priest and king arising from the hidden resources of the sanctuary. It prefigured the blessing which Christ the Priest and King will bring to Israel when He comes forth on their account from the heavens, where He now is.
In immediate response to this blessing, “the glory of Jehovah appeared unto all the people,” and to emphasize to all Israel the fountain head of God’s glory and man’s blessing on the earth, “a fire came out from before Jehovah and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat” of sin offering and peace offering. All Israel shouted their praises, and prostrated themselves before the glory and the majesty of God, with which He had crowned the altar.
The beginning of Israel’s national history as worshippers of the living God was inaugurated with the glory of the altar; their restoration to national blessing will be their recognition of the true altar, the cross of Christ. But what shall be said of Israel now? It possesses neither altar nor glory. Yet the nation shall once more unite at the altar, and shall prostrate itself in worship before Jehovah with shouts of praise, and shall recognize with tears of contrition their sin offering, their burnt offering, and their peace offering in the Christ they despised, rejected, and crucified.
The eyes that witnessed the fire of Jehovah consume the sacrifices of His appointment, had seen pomp and display in Egypt a thousand times in religious ceremonies, but heaven had never sent answer to one of its pagan shows, nor smiled upon one of its idol feasts. The priestly caste obtained reputation by the ceremonies as is common to the caste – but what should be said by Israel now?
What should be said now when divine glory crowned altar and sacrifice, and rendered the very court, where the feet of the priests trod, glorious by approving fire? Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s eldest sons, were elated. Priestly robes were a distinguishing honor in Israel! They would exalt themselves. They forgot their service in their pride of office. Their censers, the emblems of priestly honor, they lifted up above the altar of their God. Arrayed in their vestments they assumed to themselves, like Egyptian high priests, the right to enter God’s presence at their pleasure; they “took either of them his censer and put fire therein, and put incense thereon” – “strange fire... which He commanded them not” fire of their own kindling, not lighted by divine command. They did that which was not commanded; they inaugurated an act of worship of their own invention, will, and pleasure – a sin common in religion. They stretched forth their censers and “offered.. before Jehovah.”
Jehovah answered their fire by the fire of judgment: “there went out fire from Jehovah and devoured them; and they died before Jehovah” – the priests in their vestments, grasping their censers, lay dead by the altar.
“I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified,” said Jehovah. Israel stood astounded and trembling. Aaron might not mourn. The priesthood of Israel was covered with grief and shame that day; and the priests in their vestments were carried forth without the camp and buried with the accompanying lamentations of the people. Jehovah at once placed the priesthood at a distance from Himself; later on, the entrance of the high priest into the Holiest at all times was forbidden, and was limited to once a year, and then Aaron was not to approach Jehovah’s throne in his golden vestments, but in the pure white robes; indeed, unless it was on the occasion of Aaron’s entrance with Moses into the sanctuary, he never represented Christ in the garments of glory and beauty before the throne of God..
The exceeding solemnity, and the terribleness of the judgment upon Aaron’s two eldest sons, call for some remarks. The transgression was against God’s holiness – “I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me,” He said, and the transgression consisted in non-obedience to His commands; it was an act of willworship. The fire was not of God’s ordering, it was therefore “strange” fire. Whence it was taken does not concern us to suggest.
We have to learn from the silence of Scripture. Not one word is said of the censer, in the commandments of God respecting the three great sacrifices by which Israel’s public worship was inaugurated. The altar is the consideration. Upon the altar the sacra faces and the fat were laid, upon their burning the approving fire from Jehovah fell, and this fire caused all Israel to fall upon their faces as worshippers. In the midst of God’s order, the priests lifted up their censers, they intruded themselves, they aimed at making themselves important in the eyes of Israel, and before the eyes of Israel they paid tribute to the honor of the altar by bringing down upon themselves the fire of God’s judgment and lying before the altar prostrate in death. The first transgressors in Israel’s public worship were the priests appointed by God to conduct it.
The order of God is: first, the sweet savor of the altar of burnt offering; next, the sweet savor of the altar of incense; first, the sacrifice in the open court; next, the incense within the sanctuary. First, “It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again”; next, “It is Christ who is now at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8:3434Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)). Censer-bearers transgressing the order of God will have their fire of presumption answered by God’s fire of judgment. The fire which fell upon the altar was that of acceptance, the fire which fell on the transgressors was that of judgment.
The sin of Korah offers another prophetic incident in the story of the priesthood, and St. Jude refers to it in describing the end of those in Christendom who rise up in rebellion against Christ – “they.... perished in the gainsaying of Korah.”
The tribal rights of Israel, and the honor of the heads of families in their priestly position, were set aside to a considerable extent by the divine institution of rule and priesthood. A widespread and determined opposition grew up, which culminated in an organized rebellion against the prince, or king, and the high priest. Princes and chiefs were the aggrieved parties; they leavened the mass of the people with their own spirit, and a combination of certain princes of Levi, Reuben, and other tribes was formed. The high priest was first aimed at as an usurper of rights, the shaft directed against him being cut from the popular tree of national holiness. “All the congregation are holy,” ran the gainsaying of Korah the Kohathite. “... Jehovah is among them... wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of Jehovah?” (Num. 16:33And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? (Numbers 16:3)). Since all are holy, all are His congregation, and consequently all may approach Him; why then one high priest? The plea is so similar to widespread religious teaching of our own time that, while few are inclined to doubt the antiquity of this part of the Book of Numbers, yet the voices of the Levites of today seem giving forth their sound according to St. Jude. No small number of pulpits and platforms teach the inherent holiness of all men, and therefore the right of all to draw near to God without the intervention of the One High Priest, Christ Jesus, by Whom and by Whose propitiation alone, the access may be obtained.
The Reubenite princes, Dathan and Abiram, whose tents were in proximity to those of the Kohathites, while uniting with the religious party, cared little for Aaron’s honors though much for Moses’ rule; they had descended from Jacob’s firstborn, and were supplanted.
Moses proposed a religious test for Korah and his company of princes. Let them bring their censers, incense, and fire – since they would be priests – to the door of the tabernacle. He taunted them with their own taunts. Whom Jehovah should choose he should be holy, and all the congregation should see the result.
Dathan and Abiram would have none of the religious test. “We will not come up,” said they.” You have brought us up out of the true land of milk and honey, Egypt, to kill us in the wilderness, and for what cause,” “except thou makest thyself altogether a prince over us?” The milk and honey, the fields and vineyards Moses had promised were shadows – his promises, dust, thrown in men’s eyes.
This bitter reproach made Moses exceedingly wroth; for his was but the word of Jehovah. The morrow should decide the issues of the rebellion.
With inexplicable assumption, the non-priests, the two hundred and fifty princes, assembled at the gate of the tabernacle, censer, incense, and fire in hand! Their rebellious spirit is intelligible, but their presumption in the presence of Jehovah, so often proved a consuming fire, is almost impossible to realize. However, they were princes, great men, and as such had rights which Jehovah should not dispute – at least so they dreamed. And great men in the world do assume in extraordinary fashion rights even to the censer, which are in reality possessed only by the Great High Priest in heaven. “And what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?” He is God’s high priest, and beside him there is none other.
In answer to the fire of the censers of these princes, the judgment fire of Jehovah came forth – they perished at the entrance of the tabernacle. Their assumption became a warning to Israel for all time. And none the less is their sin a warning to all censer-bearers-would-be priests, but not so called of God, who are really enemies of the altar of Christ’s cross.
As for the defiant princes who taunted the ruler of God’s appointment, the determined men, who cared not for religion, and who hated the king, the earth opened its mouth under their tents, and they “perished from among the congregation.” Their words and doom recall the end of the enemies of Christ as foretold in the Revelation.
But by no means was the spirit of rebellion stayed. “On the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord.” The leaven of a corrupt religious idea pervaded the people with the deadly result of the utter perversion of the divine character in their eyes. ‘That should save Israel now? There was but one hope. It lay in “the censer,” the high priest’s own censer. The consuming wroth of Jehovah had gone forth; Israel was dying of the sudden plague. “Go quickly,” cried Moses to Aaron, “take the censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense;” and Aaron “ran into the midst of the congregation,” and “made an atonement for the people,” and “the plague was stayed” (Num. 16:46-5046And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun. 47And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. 48And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah. 50And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed. (Numbers 16:46‑50)).
The true high priest of God’s appointment was proved by his saving power. Israel’s rebellion had swept away their every hope; the mediatorship of Aaron saved them. Our High Priest “is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing Ile ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:2525Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)).
On this occasion Jehovah once for all answered all questions as to the tribe which alone should bear the priesthood. Each tribe was ordered to present its rod before Him. Our earlier pages had much to say about the rod of authority and power, and the remarks there made should be borne in mind in connection with the present incident.
The twelve chief princes, under the open knowledge of their respective tribes, brought each man his rod with his name written upon it to Moses, and he also wrote “Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi.” These were laid up before the ark within the Holiest, where the tables of the law were placed. “On the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi, was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds” (Num. 17:88And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. (Numbers 17:8)). He showed the rods to the princes, “and they looked, and took every man his rod,” his lifeless stick of authority, with his name upon it – the pronouncement of the uselessness of mere human rule in the things between man and God – and returned to their tents.
No element in religion is more worthless than earthly rule without heavenly fruitfulness. It were well for this earth if its “princes” who bear authority, were as dumb as were the twelve princes when they received their staves from the Holiest where Jehovah dwelt. And better still were it if the words of Jehovah respecting Aaron’s rod were heard: “Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from Me, that they die not.”
The rod of Aaron was cut from the almond tree, the name of which signifies in Hebrew the “wakeful,” for amongst the trees it awakens the quickest after the winter to bear the blossoms of its new life. This rod is a poetic figure of resurrection. The dead branch, cut off from its source of life, lives to bear its buds, bloom its blossoms, and yield its fruit in the very presence of the unfailing word of God. In this rod is the “token” of true priesthood. In heaven the gracious service of’ our High Priest sustains and preserves a murmuring people before God on the earth.
The almond blossom has five petals. The Egyptians connected this number in a striking way with their priesthood. The five points of the star were reproduced upon the garment of certain high priests, in relation to heavenly wisdom. Could it be that in the primal days there was planted in man’s mind in connection with priesthood the understanding of its true, and therefore heavenly, character; its connection with the living God in heaven, Who by it shows forth His light and life-giving to man?
The last incident in the story of the priesthood to which we shall refer is tinged with a peculiar sadness of its own, though none the less is it one of excessive beauty. The sadness emanates from the voice and eye and hand of man the greatest and the meekest of the human race; the beauty from the words of God and the figures which proclaim His Christ.
The people found themselves after thirty-eight years’ wanderings in the very same locality where they had stood and murmured at the beginning of their pilgrimage. Once more they thirsted in the district of the Desert of Sin (Num. 20:22And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. (Numbers 20:2)). True, most of the older men of the host had carried their murmurings into the silence of the grave they had paid the penalty of their unbelief; yet Israel was unchanged, and none the less were Jehovah’s resources for Israel unchanged The host was near the rock which had been smitten for them by the rod of judgment, and which had poured out its waters for their children and their cattle (Ex. 17:66Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17:6).), and now once again the rock should satisfy their thirst. “Take the rod,” said Jehovah to Moses, “and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron, thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock.”
The sacrifice, the censer, and the rod were Israel’s hope. “Take the rod” – the fruitful priestly rod from “before the testimony” (Num. 17:1010And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. (Numbers 17:10)). We picture the scene as painted in the words of God. Moses stands with Aaron before the rock in view of all Israel. He lifts up the rod in its new-life fruitfulness before all the eyes fixed upon him, the background of its beauty being the cliff. To the rock Moses speaks! What shall he ask? There is but one word he can utter before the great assembly he has gathered together: the wants of all are spoken in one word – Water! The rock responds, and from it, as from those rifts made in the rock of Horeb a generation gone by, the living fountains flow. All Israel drink, and behold in the threefold combination – words spoken, rod uplifted, rock outpouring, – the provision of Jehovah for human need.
But the divine ideal was not realized; the patience of the most patient of men was exhausted – the meekness of the most meek had failed him. The angry eyes of the people caused his eye to flash upon them, and he spoke to them and not to the rock. “Hear now, ye rebels,” he cried; “must we fetch you water out of this rock?” and as voice and eye overcame his arm, “he smote the rock twice.” Thus in his own way, and not in God’s way, did he fetch them water out of the rock. He sanctified not Jehovah before them, he transgressed His words, and thus lost the honor of leading Israel into rest.
We can see in him, the Law, and we can hear in his voice the words of the Law – “Ye rebels!” and thus perceive that the Law brings not into rest. To effect this a greater than Moses is required. One, Whose gentleness, Whose meekness, are exhaustless; One, Whose personal excellence is devoted to sanctifying God in every word and act the Man, Christ Jesus. But we can also see in the act of Moses in smiting the rock the sin which so widely prevails of smiting afresh the Christ once crucified, a sin which also changes the rod of His priesthood in Jehovah’s presence into a rod of judgment. Speak to the rock, to Christ once smitten for human sin, now risen from the dead, lift up the fruitful rod of His priestly glory, and the waters shall be rivers in the desert. To smite again the smitten rock, to use the rod of priesthood in order to repeat His sacrifice, is to bring down the force of these solemn words upon one’s head: –