Levítico 10

Levítico 10

Spurgeon - How many reverse this counsel and sin but tremble not. O that men would take the advice of this verse and commune with their own hearts. Surely a want of thought must be one reason why men are so mad as to despite Christ and hate their own mercies. O that for once their passions would be quiet and let them be still, that so in solemn silence they might review the past, and meditate upon their inevitable doom. Surely a thinking man might have enough sense to discover the vanity of sin and the worthlessness of the world. Stay, rash sinner, stay, ere thou take the last leap. Go to thy bed and think upon thy ways. Ask counsel of thy pillow, and let the quietude of night instruct thee! Throw not away thy soul for nought! Let reason speak! Let the clamorous world be still awhile, and let thy poor soul plead with thee to bethink thyself before thou seal its fate, and ruin it for ever! Selah. Ps 30:12 That [my] soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent (Lxx = katanussomai = be pierced, be pained sharply in one's mind). O LORD my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever. Spurgeon - It would be a shameful crime, if, after receiving God's mercies, we should forget to praise him. God would not have our tongues lie idle while so many themes for gratitude are spread on every hand. He would have no dumb children in the house. They are all to sing in heaven, and therefore they should all sing on earth. Ps 31:17-note Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I call upon Thee; Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol. Ps 35:15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me, They slandered me without ceasing. Ps 37:7 Rest (A command. Lxx = hupotasso = command to be in subjection to) in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Spurgeon - This fifth is a most divine precept, and requires much grace to carry it out. To hush the spirit, to be silent before the Lord, to wait in holy patience the time for clearing up the difficulties of Providence—that is what every gracious heart should aim at. "Aaron held his peace:" "I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it." A silent tongue in many cases not only shows a wise head, but a holy heart. Ps 62:5 My soul, wait in silence (A command; Lxx = hupotasso = command to be in subjection to) for God only, For my hope is from Him. Spurgeon - When we have already practised a virtue, it is yet needful that we bind ourselves to a continuance in it. The soul is apt to be dragged away from its anchorage, or is readily tempted to add a second confidence to the one sole and sure ground of reliance; we must, therefore, stir ourselves up to maintain the holy position which we were at first able to assume. Be still silent, O my soul! submit thyself completely, trust immovably, wait patiently. Let none of thy enemies' imaginings, consultings, flatteries, or maledictions cause thee to break the King's peace. Be like the sheep before her shearers, and like thy Lord, conquer by the passive resistance of victorious patience: thou canst only achieve this as thou shalt be inwardly persuaded of God's presence, and as you wait solely and alone on him. Unmingled faith is undismayed. Faith with a single eye sees herself secure, but if her eye be darkened by two confidences, she is blind and useless. Ps 131:2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child [rests] against his mother, My soul is like a weaned child within me. Bishop Hall on Aaron's silence - He might have had a silent tongue, and a clamorous heart. There is no voice louder in the ears of God, than a speechless repining of the soul. There is no greater proof of grace, than to smart patiently, and humbly and contentedly to rest the heart in the justice and wisdom of God’s proceeding. Joseph Seiss (Lutheran Pastor from 1800's author of a literal interpretation of the Revelation - see The Apocalypse) has an interesting analysis of Aaron's reaction in the face of this dramatic divine judgment - Serious people sometimes wonder how it shall be at the last day--how godly parents shall be able to bear the sight of their Christless children given over to everlasting death; whether the knowledge or sight of near and beloved relatives in perdition will not interrupt and destroy the peace Of heaven. But, if such persons would reason upon the subject from a standpoint higher than the mere sympathies of nature, they would have less trouble concerning it. Aaron looking upon his slain sons, is a picture of how it shall be. When God’s ultimate judgments shall go into effect, their justice shall be so conspicuous, and the goodness and glory of God in them shall be so luminous and manifest, that it will not be in the power of any ransomed soul to think of demurring, or indulging one tearful regret. When we come to see things in the light of heaven, every enemy of God will appear so essentially an enemy to ourselves and our peace, that, however otherwise related to us, we will be glad to see them shut up in the dreadful prison-house for ever and for ever. (Ed: Compare "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God." Ro 2:5-note) What are domestic ties and sympathies in comparison with the glorious will of our blessed Lord? Jesus says, “He that loves father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me: and he that loves son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me.” Every saint is fully wrapped up in the righteousness, wisdom, and goodness of his Lord. Everything that God does carries the heart of the ransomed ones so completely with it, and so overwhelms and swallows up all other affections, that they are as utter nothing. Nadab and Abihu may die for ever under Aaron’s very eyes, and yet God’s honor and glory in it leave him not a tear to shed, and not a word of lamentation to utter. Biblical Illustrator - The broken heart is like a broken harp. The harp is either absolutely silent, or sends forth discordant sounds. Human grief is so deep that it is either speechless or gives expression to bitter complaints and hard thoughts. Whatever human ministries may accomplish by way of modifying it, they do not heal. Here is the superiority of Christ Jesus in His treatment. He “heals” the broken-hearted. F B Meyer (Our Daily Homily) writes that Aaron held his peace. His heart must have been rent with paroxysms of grief, as he beheld the bodies of his beloved sons on the floor of the Tabernacle, stretched out in death. He repressed the cry, choked back the sob, staunched the flowing tear, and continued to perform the holy duties with which he was charged. He was no stoic, and tears are not wrong for our dead; but his relationship to God was so overmastering as to still the expressions of nature. He saw the wrong from God’s standpoint. — It was of great importance that the Divine regulations and enactments should be maintained, and that the ministering priests should always prefer God’s work and service above their own ideas. Aaron was able to appreciate that position, and saw the sin of which his children were guilty. They had forgotten the voice which said, Sanctify thou Me. Obedience is the foundation of reverence, honor, and service; and if it were relaxed with the priests, how for the people! How careful they should be who bear the vessels of the Lord! With what fear and trembling must they work, who work with God! He acquiesced in the Divine dealings. — To take the yoke, and meekly bear it; to put the hand on the mouth, and bow in the dust — this is rest and peace. In this way we drink Christ’s cup and become partakers of his sufferings. He felt that his work as priest must take precedence. — -It was a solemn and awful thing to be God’s anointed priest, and the office must come first, even to the denial of the dues of nature, if that were necessary: so always with us, there must be the subordination of everything to our service and work for God. Aaron; or, the disturbing and tranquilizing influences of life (Biblical Illustrator) I. The disturbing influences. Physical sufferings, secular anxieties, social grievances, moral remorse, heart bereavements. To the last of these Aaron was now the victim. 1. He has lost two sons. A double trial. 2. He had lost two sons after they had reached maturity. 3. After they had entered upon the most important and honourable office in life. What a disappointment! 4. In the most sudden way. 5. With no hope for their future blessedness. They were struck down by offended justice, without a moment for repentance. II. The tranquilizing influences of human life. “He held his peace.” 1. There are three kinds of calming influences that are resorted to by men under trial--the carnal, the stoical, and the Christian. 2. The last of these is the only true tranquilising force. It contains at least four doctrines that tend to pacify the human spirit under the most trying circumstances of life. Lesson: The closer a man is to God the stricter the standard he will be judged by God. Luke writes "the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. (Luke 12:48). Peter adds "For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1Pe 4:17). James warns "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment." The story of Nadab and Abihu vividly illustrates these NT warnings. TODAY IN THE WORD - A Far Side cartoon pictures God as a white-bearded old man seated at his computer. On the screen we see a hapless young man walking down the street. A piano is suspended by a rope over his head. God’s finger is poised over a button labeled “Smite.” All too often, this caricature is how many people, even including some Christians, picture the judgment of God. But as we see in today’s reading, the judgment of God is never arbitrary or cruel, but always just and holy. Aaron’s two eldest sons dishonored God and their priestly calling, and were punished by Him with instant death. Why did Nadab and Abihu’s action merit such an extreme penalty? It was not because they made a small mistake about some ritualistic detail, but because they did what they pleased how and when they pleased, publicly defiling the act of worship. Their blatant disobedience in the holiest of places and with the holiest of tasks called for swift and public justice: God had sworn to show Himself to be an utterly pure and holy God. Aaron’s silence indicated sad agreement with His justice (Leviticus 10:3). It may have been that the two men were drunk, which would have made God’s follow-up instructions a corrective measure (Leviticus 10:9). Excessive alcohol works against the faculty of reason, underscoring the irrationality of disobeying God. No doubt Israel was shocked by this event, and the people were allowed to mourn for the two men. Aaron and his two remaining sons, however, were not permitted to participate, because their service before the Lord took precedence over family concerns (Leviticus 10:6, 7). TODAY ALONG THE WAY - As we see from the fate of Nadab and Abihu, disobedience and disrespectful worship are serious business. Ask God to examine your heart on these same questions today. Have you ever entered a worship service with your focus on self, your thoughts distracted, or something else at the top of your priority list? Do you think God was pleased with your worship on that day? J J Knapp - And Aaron Held His Peace Lev. 10:3 Already in the old dispensation the Lord our God wanted to be sanctified in those who approached Him to serve on the altars. The eyes of all were upon them, and so a heavy responsibility rested upon them as spiritual leaders of the people. The two sons of the High Priest Aaron could not bear the weight of this responsibility. They ignored the Lord’s command to fill the censers with the holy fire from the altar of sacrifices, but came with strange fire before the Lord. Then a consuming glow went out from God’s countenance. As if hit by lightning they fell down and tumbled into eternity,—an awesome judgement that could not have been avoided lest the whole congregation were spoiled; if the priests desecrated the Name of the Lord, what would the congregation of Israel have done? Aaron saw it, but put his hand upon the mouth, … Aaron held his peace. How should we take this quietness of the servant of the Lord? It was not a quietness because of insensitivity like we sometimes see in gruff natures. Aaron’s father-heart, no doubt, suffered bitterly to lose in one day in one moment two sons. A priestly heart like his was tender, it did not harden itself against suffering, but it cringed under the strokes of the rod. It was also not a quietness of impotence to which a person may come by the conviction that it does not help to resist the Almighty; such a quietness is not an act of faith and it requires no heart that says respectfully amen upon all God’s ways, even though these ways are unsearcheable and painful for our flesh and heart. It was rather the peace of quiet surrender, the quietness of a heart that does not murmur when it pleases the Lord to take from us the dearest of what we possess; when He makes it empty and barren in our house and especially in our heart; and when He sends us into life at large as loners, so that we would learn to cleave more and more closely to Him in that loneliness and to experience in this way that His grace is always sufficient. This was the hardest thing for Aaron. He saw his sons fall under the avenging righteousness of the Lord, … and yet, he did not open his mouth and not even a complaint came across his lips. What about us,—when we see our dearest depart in peace because they lay down their tired head in peace upon the promises of the Lord, that in Jesus their sins have been covered and their guild has been satisfied; would we murmur about the ungrasped disposals of the Lord? Is it not better to bow the head in humble adoration, so that it may also be written in the book of our life: “He sorrowed greatly, yet he held his peace.” James Butler - Sermon Starters - NOBLE ATTITUDE Leviticus 10:3 “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” (Leviticus 10:3). It had been a very bad day for Aaron. His two sons had died because of offering strange fire in the Tabernacle. Sorrow surely gripped his heart when he beheld his boys dead on the Tabernacle floor. Then Moses told Aaron that the judgment emphasized the necessity of coming to God in the right way (his boys did not come the right way and some preachers believe his boys were drunk as the context strongly suggests it). After Moses statement which could be construed as also a rebuke, Aaron “held his peace.” This was a very noble reaction, and it showed that Aaron recognized what his sons had done was sin, that the judgment was just and that He should continue to serve God. FIRST—THE RECOGNITION OF SIN It is easy to recognize sin in others, but when it comes home to your own family, it is often a different story. We often argue against the facts in order to justify the conduct of our children. Parents are especially this way if their child gets in trouble at school. However, Aaron did not argue with Moses but “held his peace.” He did not argue to justify his boys or discredit their condemnation. He recognized that his two boys, Nadab and Abihu, were wrong that their conduct was indeed sinful in the Tabernacle. In all of this trouble, Aaron did not pervert the standard of right and wrong. SECOND—THE RESPECT OF THE SENTENCE The sentence of death upon his two boys was indeed very strong. Many would argue that God was cruel and lacked compassion. But Aaron did not question the sentence. Rather he submitted to it without argument. This is not usual, but it is very commendable. Sin must be duly punished and our courts are failing to do this. The government makes many laws that do more to protect the victim than the criminal. This attitude of leniency is especially strong when a child is punished by the school or society. Folk protest and complain at church if the pastor preaches against sin but at church. they can be very cruel in ousting the pastor and think nothing of their gross hypocrisy. THIRD—THE REMAINING IN SERVICE Aaron did not quit, he kept serving the Lord. In spite of his troubles, he did not let grief control his life. He did not become bitter at God and quit because God struck down his boys. He did not heap blame upon God and try to justify his sons before the people. Sometimes God may shake us up a bit in our service for Him. He would remind us to have a holy motivation for our service. He would emphasize that service requires us to be clean and consecrated. Aaron did not let family troubles hinder his service. And Aaron did not complain about the holy regulations of service. We would all serve better if we practiced Aaron’s attitude of “held his peace” during a great crisis. Leviticus 10:4 Moses called also to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, "Come forward, carry your relatives away from the front of the sanctuary to the outside of the camp." Uzziel: Ex 6:18,22 Nu 3:19,30 1Ch 6:2 carry: Luke 7:12 Acts 5:6,9,10 8:2 Leviticus 10 Resources Mishael… Elzaphan - Why choose the first cousins? Why not Eleazar and Ithamar? Because touching a dead body would make them unclean or defiled (Lev 21:1-note). Outside of the camp - As this was done with the ashes of sacrificed animals (Lev 6:11-note), so it was done with the remains of these two priests who received God’s wrath. Outside the camp - several of the following notes discuss this topic (this exact phrase 28x in 27v in NAS) - Ex 29:14; 33:7; Lev 4:12, 21-note; Lev 6:11-note.; Lev 8:17-note.; Lev 9:11; Lev 13:46-note.; Lev 16:27-note (good note by Richard Phillips).; Lev 17:3-note.; Lev 24:14, 23-note.; Nu 5:3-4; 12:14-15; 15:35-36; 19:3, 9; 31:13, 19; Dt 23:10, 12; Josh 6:23; Heb 13:11-note Heb 13:13-note. and "outside the gate" in Heb 13:12-note. Leon Hyatt - Verse 4. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel, an uncle of Aaron, and he said to them, Come near! Carry your brothers from the face of The Holy [Place] toward the outside of the camp. Moses then called on Mishael and Elzaphan to carry out the bodies of Nadab and Abihu. They were cousins to the slain men (Ex. 6:18,22), and thus they were members of the tribe of Levi. This sad duty was a foreshadowing of responsibilities that were later to be assigned to the Levites (Num. 3:5-13). They were commanded to carry the dead bodies, not just outside of The Tabernacle but also outside of the camp. This command showed that Nadab and Abihu’s sin not only made them unworthy of serving as priests but also of belonging to the people of God. They were not truly God’s people because their sin amounted to rejecting Jehovah’s covenant and open rebellion against God. This incident was the first evidence that, even after the renewal of the covenant that followed the rebellion of the Golden Calf (Ex. 34:10-27), not all the Israelites truly committed themselves to God. It was a sad commentary on how many in Israel only gave lip-service to the covenant, when two out of the first five priests were rebellious and still not truly believing. In this verse, The Tabernacle is called “The Holy [Place],” one of the nineteen names used for The Tabernacle (see comments on Lev. 1:1-note in MESSAGE 1 under the heading out of The Tent of Meeting and on Lev. 4:6-note in MESSAGE 2 under the heading of The Holy [Place]). The Tabernacle was holy because it was set apart to God’s service. (Leviticus 15 - Message 11 - Lev. 10:1-7) Leviticus 10:5 So they came forward and carried them still in their tunics to the outside of the camp, as Moses had said. Leviticus 10 Resources Still in their tunics - The fire did not destroy the tunics, just their life, another clear indicator of the supernatural aspect of this fire of judgment. This aspect also reminds us of the eternal fire of hell (gehenna) which Jesus described as a place "where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED." (Mk 9:46) Henry Morris said "The undying worm indicates never-ending disintegration and the unquenchable fire indicates eternal suffering, however they may be implemented. The contemplation of such a future ought to drive men to "flee from the wrath to come" (Matthew 3:7), but instead it often impels them to even more adamant unbelief. Nevertheless, it was their very Creator Who was here issuing the warning." Elsewhere Jesus described the fire of hell as "eternal." (Mt 18:8, 25:41, cp Jude 1:7). John