Wouldn't you know it? I was watching a the rose parade on my dvr and I saw this float by Lutheran Laymen's League! They even had the musical score from the movie "The Ten Commandments" playing in the background!
So the time came to ordain the priests, their garments, the oil, the sacrificial animals, and the unleavened bread. They gathered the people at the door of the Tent of Meeting and also everything and everyone to be ordained. Moses told the people that he would do what God had told him to do. He brought Aaron and his sons forward and washed them and dressed them in the sacred garments. Then Moses anointed the tabernacle and everything in it by sprinkling oil on everything and everyone. The bull was slaughtered as directed and the sin offering was made. Then the ram for the burnt offering was offered. The next sacrifice was the other ram for the ordination, the blood of which was put on their right earlobes, thumbs and big toes. If this sounds familiar that's because it was covered in Exodus 29 (Jan 26) Moses told Aaron and his sons everything God commanded them to do and they did it.
After seven days, the priests began their ministry. Moses gathered all the people at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so they could witness the glory of God. Aaron and his sons made the sacrifices as they were commanded. After everything was done as the Lord had commanded, fire came down from the presence of the Lord and everything on the altar was consumed! When all the people saw it they shouted for joy and fell on their faces.
Next comes a lesson that I as a willful human being seem to need repeated frequently - although I must admit that I am grateful that I do not have to physically die to receive it. Thank you Jesus!
Aaron's two sons, Nadab and Abihu decided to do things their way and offer their own version of a sacrifice to God. They carried their firepans and put some of the fire in them and topped it off with a little sacred incense (false fire). Fire (a lightening bolt) came down from God and killed them. Moses told Aaron that the Lord said that His will would be done, and that nothing else was acceptable. Aaron remained silent. Moses had Aaron's two nephews come forward and take away the bodies of his two dead sons in their undertunics (they had been stripped of their priestly garments.) They were not to mourn for them, they were not to drink wine or strong drink when they were in the Tent of Meeting, or they too would die. The Lord made clear the difference between holy and unclean, if they were unclean then they would die. So Moses told Aaron's surviving sons, Eleazar and Ithamar to continue in their brothers' place. Moses instructed them to eat the grain offering by the altar, because it is most holy. The breast of the wave offering and the thigh was to be eaten in a clean place by Aaron's sons and daughters. These were given to them by God. When Moses found that the goat for the sin offering had been burned he got mad at Eleazar and Ithamar and asked them why they didn't eat it. Aaron asked Moses whether the Lord would have approved if they ate the sin offering today because of how they had been chastised even after being ordained (given holy authority) by God. Then Moses seemed to be OK with it.
Chapter 11 begins with a list of animals that are unclean and forbidden. The rule was only animals which chewed the cud and had a split hoof were to be eaten. So, no camel, rock badger, rabbit, or pig. The flesh was not to be eaten, or even touched.
Tomorrow read Leviticus 11:9-13:39
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