|
Introduction and review: Last week we began our study of Leviticus, the third book Moses wrote. We learned that the children of Israel, who left Egypt in 1446 BC, are still camped at Mt. Sinai; a year has gone by since they crossed the Red Sea. Gradually God is shaping them into "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Ex. 19:6) a covenant people, descendants of Abraham and heirs of the promise God made to him in Gen. 12. They are to be different from all the nations and peoples of the world because God chose them and because they have only one God, Jehovah, obeying his laws and worshiping as he commands.
In Exodus, God gave them two great gifts: the law and the Tabernacle. Hebrews tells us that the "[Tabernacle] is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the Tabernacle: 'See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.'" (Heb. 8:5) Moses did that, and we saw the construction of the Tabernacle in Exodus; when we finished the last verse of ch. 40, we left the people staring at the Tabernacle filled with God's glory. But they still don't know how it is to be used. That's what we learn in Leviticus.
Five offerings: There are five great offerings or sacrifices which God instructs Moses to institute in Lev. 1-7: the burnt offering, the grain or meal offering, the peace or fellowship offering - all called "sweet savor" offerings because their aroma pleases God; and the sin offering and the guilt offering, the non-sweet savor offerings, required by God to complete their cleansing from sin.
Sin: Leviticus deals with it, and since God's voice is what we hear throughout Leviticus, God meets sin head on in the regulations and rituals described - and commanded - in this book. Many of these regulations seem outdated to us, and in fact they are. All were made obsolete when Jesus came and offered himself as our sin offering, atoning for all the sins of the world. Hebrews tells us that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Jesus shed his blood; Paul tells us in Romans 8:3 that "what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering." And in II Cor 5:14-21, Paul writes about Jesus' sacrifice and ends with this statement: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Sin affects us physically, emotionally and spiritually; it separates us from God, and we're born into a sinful condition. Look at Psalm 32; David graphically describes a person before and after he's been forgiven. He does this also in Psalm 51.
Sin has 4 characteristics: It's subtle, it begins small but grows, it distorts our judgment and it cascades down through generations. We see a vivid example of these characteristics of sin in Ex. 32 in the golden calf incident. Moses had gone up at God's invitation and was busy receiving the law and the plans for the Tabernacle. He was gone for more than 24 hours. The people got worried and said to Aaron, "where is this Moses? Make us gods to lead us; we don't know if this Moses will return." And Aaron responded by telling them to take off their gold jewelry, melting down their gifts, making a golden calf and inviting them to a party the next day. Sin is subtle: Aaron listened to the people instead of to God. It sounded reasonable: "Moses is gone; we need help." Sin distorted Aaron's judgment: instead of saying to the people "remember the voice of God you heard? Remember the laws he gave us?" he got a creative idea: "I'll make them a god; I'll be the hero." Sin grows: it's grown from being an untrustworthy leader to breaking the first commandment, and then, he tells the people "we'll have a festival to the Lord," and he also tells them "O Israel these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt." He's given them another god beside The God; he's lied about who actually delivered them, taken the Lord's name in vain, and he's broken the first three commands, as well as the 9th about lying!! Sin grows. It cascades down through the generations, and we'll see that in Aaron's sons later tonight.
Leviticus points to Jesus: all five of the offerings that we are studying and we'll see offered over and over again in the OT speak of Christ: who he is and what he did. We needed a savior; as human beings we are powerless to atone for our sin.
Leviticus 1-3, last week, we read about the first three offerings; now in Leviticus 4: we'll study the sin offering, the first of the non-sweet savor offerings. These last two are required; the first three are voluntary. The sin offering is a ritual of purification. We are forgiven by God's grace when we repent of our sins and ask for forgiveness; but we see in Leviticus that the offering or sacrifice was a way to seal the redemption: it made it visible. The person had to "pay" for his/her sin with an animal sacrificed on his/her behalf. This was the means of purification, of wiping the slate clean. God wanted the offering/sacrifice to be complicated so that the people would remember what they had to do to be forgiven and purified, and thus to re-establish fellowship with God.
Later in Lev. 6:24-30 we read more instructions for the sin offering. Note that in addition to the blood being shed, the fat portions burned on the altar and the blood poured or sprinkled, the rest of the animal was taken outside the camp to be burned. This was symbolic: the corruption of sin was thus destroyed away from the holy place. Often sins required people to live outside the community for a period until they fulfilled the time of cleansing. Some law-breaking was so grievous, death was the penalty: breaking Sabbath, dishonoring one's parents, killing a human being. This is the ultimate separation from the community and from God.
In Leviticus 5, we read about some types of law breaking or sins that would require a sin offering: false testimony or refusal to testify; touching something unclean, making a rash vow - once a person understood that he/she was guilty, a sin offering had to be made. Also in ch. 5 we learn that if a person is too poor for a sheep or goat, two young turtledoves or pigeons can be substituted. And if even the birds, which can be caught, are impossible, two quarts of flour can be brought as a sin offering.
How does the sin offering picture the work of Christ? Paul said in Rom. 8:3, "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering." Jesus is our sin offering. Paul tells Timothy, "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (I Tim. 1:15). "He [Jesus] sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself" (Heb. 7:27) Because Hebrews 9:22 tells us "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness," and that Jesus replaced the old covenant - the law - by becoming the sacrifice without blemish, without sin (Heb. 9:13-15). Ephesians 1:7 reads: "In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." And Peter tells us in I. Pet 1:18-19, "for you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."
In Leviticus 5:14-19 and 6:1-7, we learn of the fifth offering, the guilt offering. This is the offering that recognizes that sin has consequences; it does damage. The guilt offering was a sacrifice of an animal and the payment of restitution. Also in Lev. 6 and 7, there are further instructions for the burnt offering, and the peace offering, along with situations requiring such offerings.
Rite I: Rite I in BCP (p. 323) is a great comparison for us - a context into which we can fit the five offerings described in Leviticus.
First we have the reading of the word and prayer; Moses was to remind the people of the law and it was read before the covenant was ratified by them (Ex. 34); prayer was symbolized by the offering of incense in the Tabernacle.
Second we have confession; this is consistent with both the sin and guilt offerings. The individual or group who had broken the law had to confess their sin before the Lord and offer the animal as a means of showing sincerity to God, and attitude of repentance.
Third we have absolution: we're forgiven and we can then enjoy the Peace offering in Holy Eucharist.
Fourth, the Great Thanksgiving acknowledges God's holiness and his power and might; it is also the opening of the Peace or Fellowship offering. We've been forgiven; now we celebrate our peace with God.
Fifth, we have the whole burnt offering when we hear the words "And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy and living sacrifice unto thee. . . " (p. 336). We commit ourselves, our talents, our gifts, our hands and feet, minds and time to God as a "living sacrifice" as Paul exhorts us to do in Romans 12:1-2.
And at the end of communion, our fellowship and thanksgiving meal, we thank God, as I'm sure the children of Israel did when they left the Tabernacle knowing their sins had been covered, atoned for, by the substitute of an animal's blood for their own.
We'll see the Rite I pattern as the priests are ordained: All through the instructions, God tells Moses that Aaron and his sons will take the animals from the people to put them on the altar; we know that Aaron and his sons will staff the Tabernacle and perform these rituals. And in Ex. 28 and 29, God described to Moses the special garments made for the priests' honor and dignity, as well as the way they were to be ordained. Now we'll see this happen.
Leviticus 8: This is the dedication of the priests; they are to be dressed and made ready for the tasks that God has called them to do. Two words are used here: sanctification and consecration. They have to do with holiness or being set apart for God, dedicated to God's use. The holy furnishings and tools of the Tabernacle are set apart for single uses: they are not to be used in any profane way. Now the men who will serve God in this holy place will be sanctified, consecrated and dedicated to his service. There are five parts to the ceremony:
Lev. 8:1-5 is the prologue and presentation
Lev. 8:6-9: the purification
Lev. 8:10-13 the anointing
Lev. 8:14-30 the atoning offerings
Lev. 8:31-36 completion of the consecration
Note that the ordination is accomplished before the entire congregation; the priests are to serve the people. They are witnesses. Everything is done "as the Lord commanded Moses" so the instructions are from God himself. The priests must be cleansed and their sin atoned for before they can serve. They are given instructions to stay in the Tabernacle for the next six days because the entire consecration takes 7 days to complete (7 is the number of completion in the Bible).
While they are in the Tabernacle, they have time to pray and to commune with the Lord; they make offerings, and they learn the various methods they will follow. This is a special time for them - a retreat.
Leviticus 9: The offerings are made as the Lord commanded, and in v. 22, Aaron blessed the people, and the Shekinah glory of the Lord appeared: this was the final blessing on the ordination ceremony and on the priests themselves: God approved and accepted them. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed the whole burned offering and the fat on the altar. The people shouted for joy and hit the ground. They were overcome, overwhelmed by the glory and power of God.
In Leviticus 10, we see inappropriate use of the fire from heaven and God punishes Nadab and Abihu for this sin by killing them. Aaron and his remaining two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, are forbidden to mourn for them. Remember, sin has consequences. And their sin was not taking seriously the tasks God has given them. And God also tells them in v. 8, not to drink wine before performing their tasks at the Tabernacle, a sure clue that that's what Nadab and Abihu did. They celebrated their ordination, took matters into their own hands, and were killed. Aaron and his two remaining sons fast; that's what the last few verses are about - it is their only mourning for Nadab and Abihu. God is serious about the instructions he gives; remember, they are to be a Á"kingdom of priests and a holy nation," set apart for God's use and God's work.
Next week, we'll begin the Kosher food laws, and get into leprosy, its detection, and the way lepers were excluded from the camp. Leprosy is a type of sin, and only God can cure it, just as only God can cure us of our sinful condition by extending forgiveness to us through Jesus atoning sacrifice on the cross.
Let's close in prayer.
|
