TODAY’S READING: LEVITICUS 6-9
OVERVIEW:
Re-stating of the sacrifices in a new order and with an additional offering; Aaron and his sons consecrated for and instituted in service to God.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
We can be certain that our all-knowing God doesn’t suffer from short-term memory loss. When God repeats Himself, start digging because you’re standing on buried treasure! In chapters 1-5, the sacrifices are listed in the following order: burnt, meat, peace, sin and trespass. This order shows God’s transcendence toward man in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus voluntarily offered (burnt offering) His sinless life (meat offering) to reconcile (peace offering) God and man by atoning for man’s sin (sin and trespass offerings). In chapters 6 and 7, the sacrifices are listed in a new order and another sacrifice has been added: burnt, meat, priest’s, sin, trespass and peace. This reveals man’s ascension toward God only through Jesus Christ, the great High Priest. It’s no accident that the priest’s offering serves as a bridge between the burnt and meat offerings and the sin and trespass offerings for “there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all” (I Tim. 2:5-6a). Jesus is our only bridge to God. The last offering listed is the peace offering because peace is the result of Jesus Christ standing in the gap between God and man; “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
Another noteworthy truth is found in chapter 6 and verse 13: “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.” The fire of the altar was forbidden to go out. This signifies that our God is always ready, willing and waiting for us to enter His presence through the appropriate sacrifice. Psalm 86:5 declares, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee”.
Once the path to God has been established and clearly marked (chapters 1-7), God prepares His children for consecration to His service and to experience His glorious presence. Chapters 8 and 9 show us the consecration of the priests and the preparation for God’s glorious presence. At this point it’s important to take note of a few things: first, that all priests are Levites, but not all Levites are priests. Only Aaron’s sons could become priests. In other words, you must be born a priest. The same is true in the New Testament: only those who have been born-again into the family of the great High Priest, Jesus Christ, can serve and worship God in holiness. Next, only the High Priest wears the “holy crown” (Lev. 8:9) teaching us that there is only one High Priest who is also a King, the Lord Jesus Christ, and only He holds the place of preeminence (Col. 1:18). Third, when Aaron and his sons were consecrated for service to God, blood was placed upon their right ear lobes, right thumbs and right toes symbolizing that all of their strength (denoted by the right hand side) was devoted to hearing and obeying God’s Holy Word, carrying out God’s holy work and continuing in a holy walk. And such should be the case with New Testament priests (Col. 1:10). Finally, in chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, Aaron makes atonement for himself and the people as a prerequisite to God’s glory descending upon the tabernacle. Atonement precedes God’s presence. Unless we are in a right relationship with God, completely consecrated to Him, we will never experience the glory of His presence in our lives (Lev.9:24).
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As our MEDIATOR and HIGH PRIEST who intercedes before God on our behalf. – Lev. 9:7-24 (I Tim. 2:5; Heb.7:22-26)