Levítico 9
John Calvin · Citado em PreceptAustin
Levítico 9
Calvin - Lest posterity should doubt of this matter, as if it were not thoroughly certain, Moses says that the whole people was stirred up by the sight to praise God, “and fell on their faces.” John
Levítico 9
Calvin - What follows, “the glory of the Lord appeared,” may be read separately, viz., that the majesty of God was manifested in some conspicuous sign; or else it is connected with the concluding verse, where it is said, that “there came a fire out from before the Lord, etc.” If we prefer the latter, the account of the consuming of the sacrifice was added expositively, as if it were said that God appeared when He sent forth the fire to consume the sacrifice. By this auspice, or rather miracle, God manifested that He was the Author of the legal priesthood, so that it should be held in reverence for ever. Hyatt - And The Glory of Jehovah appeared to all the people. Then the promise that Moses had made in verses 4 and 6 was fulfilled. The splendid beauty of the fiery light that represented the glorious revealing character of Jehovah burst forth from within the Cloud that was above The Tabernacle. It was of such special brilliance that it was magnificently impressive even under the full glare of the desert sun. When the people saw The Glory, they knew that Jehovah Himself was present to bless and protect them. The glory of the LORD (See related resources: Shekinah glory cloud and Shekinah) - This was the designed purpose of the sacrifices (Lev 9:4,6). The appearance of the glory of God marks consummate purpose for all the sacrificial offerings. We as NT priests who are engaged in His service, do well to ever keep in mind that all of our "sacrifices" and all of our "service" is that it might others aware of God's glory, i.e., that the glory of the LORD might appear. Jesus said it this way… Let your light shine ( = a command to carry this out now! It is urgent! Remember that the only way to carry out a supernatural command is with supernatural enablement from God's Spirit, abiding in the Vine that we might bear much fruit. Don't fall into the trap of doing works that are "your" works rather than God's works, for only the latter Spirit energized works are good works that will endure eternally! cp Jn 15:16) before men in such a way (Key phrase! Don't ever try to receive the glory! God is a jealous God and He alone deserves the glory!) that they may see your good works , and glorify (doxazo) your Father Who is in heaven (So how is the invisible God made "visible" to the lost world?). (Matt 5:16-note) Beloved, what about your congregation? Is the glory of the LORD present when you come together? Can others say of your worship, “that God is certainly among you” (1Cor 14:25)? The appearance of the glory of the LORD is every New Testament believer's blessed hope (absolute assurance), for as Paul writes to Titus, we are… looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus Who gave Himself for us (The laying on of hands in the OT sacrificial substitute pointed to the Perfect Substitutionary Lamb of God), that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds (Why would we be zealous? Because we begin to realize what the OT sacrifices were pointing toward and how we now are the beneficiaries of this "so great a salvation" which should motivate us out of love to be zealous for Jesus). (Titus 2:13-14-note) Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears (IN GLORY) we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope (THE ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE THAT WE SHALL SEE THE GLORY OF THE LORD AND EVEN THE ASSURANCE THAT WE WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO HIS LIKENESS IN A MOMENT) fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (Note again how the prospect of the appearance of God's Glory serves to motivate a life of holiness!). (1Jn 3:2-3-note) G Campbell Morgan on Lev. 9:23 - Thus when all things were done in accordance with the Divine plan, Moses and Aaron had access to the Tent of Meeting, and by that access were enabled to pass out and bless the people. In the Chaldee Version of the Pentateuch the words of the blessing are thus reported: "May the Word of Jehovah accept your sacrifice with favour, and remit and pardon your sins." Whether these were the actual words or no, the truth remains that these men pronounced a blessing upon the people which was of Divine authority. The principle is abiding. The servants of God, whether prophets or priests, have no power to bless men save as they receive it in direct communion with God. Before we can go out and bless the people, we must go in to the Place of Meeting with God. This is so self-evident that it seems hardly necessary to state it. Yet we are perpetually in danger of allowing our very eagerness to serve men, to interfere with our communion with God. To do so, is to fail disastrously. It is only as we serve in the Holy Place, in worship, in silence, in reception from God, that we are able to serve in the camp in work, in speech, in giving to men. Forgetfulness of this is the secret of much futility in Christian work, of much fussiness, of much feverishness. It is the souls who are strengthened, en-lightened, quieted in the Tent of Meeting, that pass out to the places and ways of men, carrying blessings with them. (Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible) TODAY IN THE WORD (Moody Bible Institute) Some people believe that biblical references to God’s glory, such as the one found in today’s verses, are actually evidence for UFOs. This theory, initially popularized by the book Chariots of the Gods in the 1960s, is held by some even today. According to them, “God” is a name designating advanced extraterrestrial beings who flew around in flashing, glowing spaceships. From these ships, the super-beings spoke to Job, Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Paul and others. The Bible’s teaching of a “Second Coming” may in fact be preparation for a future alien invasion or takeover. How sad that some people find these crackpot ideas easier to believe than the challenging, holy reality of God Himself! Immediately following their consecration described in yesterday’s reading, the priests began to minister before the Lord. Within the sacrificial system, they represented God to the people and represented the people to God. As they received the sacrifices and ate the fellowship offerings with the people, their actions showed the covenant relationship and God’s acceptance of their worship (Lev 9:6). Taking up their commission of spiritual leadership on this momentous day, Aaron and his sons offered their first round of sacrifices, including sin and burnt offerings for themselves, and sin, burnt, and fellowship (plus grain) offerings for the people. God had promised to appear, and everyone needed to prepare to meet Him (Lev 9:4). So the sacrifices were offered, a blessing was spoken, and the glory of God came down. His glory probably manifested itself in a form similar to the pillar of cloud and fire that had guided and protected the Israelites thus far, especially given the miraculous fire that consumed the burnt offering. The people responded with reverence and joy, which they expressed by shouting and falling facedown to worship the Lord (Lev 9:23, 24). TODAY ALONG THE WAY - In the Old Testament, the priests ministered before the Lord. The New Testament affirms that all believers are a “royal priesthood.” As such, we also have a responsibility to serve the Lord. Specifically, evangelism, proclaiming the good news of the gospel of God, is our “priestly duty” (Ro 15:16). We are to “declare the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1Peter 2:9). Have you witnessed this message of life to someone recently? Pray for an opportunity in the near future. TODAY IN THE WORD - Leviticus 9 Fire and Blessing: Consuming the Sacrifice - After the death of Steve Jobs, the world waits to see what will become of Apple. Steve Jobs brought the force of his creative leadership to Apple, and no one doubts that the success of Apple—and the innovations of the iPhone, iPod, and iPad—can largely be credited to him. The world needs great leaders, but leadership is often hard. In today’s reading, we see an important transfer of some of that responsibility to Aaron and his sons. During the seven-day ordination ceremony, Moses presented the sacrifices on behalf of the priests. On the eighth day, he commended to Aaron this work. Aaron must present offerings on his behalf, on behalf of his sons, as well as the entire community. And he was careful to do the work just as God Himself had prescribed. We draw two important conclusions from the work done by Aaron and his sons at the altar. First (and as we’ve already seen), atonement must be made for the people to draw near to God and for Him to draw near to them. Sin will prevent a holy God from communing with an unholy people. The sacrifices symbolize this divide and the need for divine mercy. Second, we see God’s grand plan to bless His people. When Aaron finished offering the sacrifices, he raised his hands to bless the people. Atonement is a sure path to joy: God’s overriding impulse is that of blessing: in the Garden, He blessed Adam and Eve. When He called Abraham, He promised him blessings of land and legacy. When He rescued Israel, it was for the purpose of blessing them. Here, at the entrance to the tabernacle, the fire of God’s holy blessing falls, and the people breathe joy and holy fear. Apply the Word - One of the devil’s oldest strategies is to try to convince us that God’s plans for us are not good. Have you fallen for that lie? Maybe there’s been suffering and great pain in your life, and you questioned the character of God. May you trust and believe today that He is good, and may that faith lead you into deeper joy. TODAY IN THE WORD - The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. … And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown. - Leviticus 9:23, 24 - Some people believe that biblical references to God’s glory, such as the one found in today’s verses, are actually evidence for UFOs. This theory, initially popularized by the book Chariots of the Gods in the 1960s, is held by some even today. According to them, “God” is a name designating advanced extraterrestrial beings who flew around in flashing, glowing spaceships. From these ships, the super-beings spoke to Job, Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Paul and others. The Bible’s teaching of a “Second Coming” may in fact be preparation for a future alien invasion or takeover. How sad that some people find these crackpot ideas easier to believe than the challenging, holy reality of God Himself! Immediately following their consecration described in yesterday’s reading, the priests began to minister before the Lord. Within the sacrificial system, they represented God to the people and represented the people to God. As they received the sacrifices and ate the fellowship offerings with the people, their actions showed the covenant relationship and God’s acceptance of their worship (Lev 9:6). Taking up their commission of spiritual leadership on this momentous day, Aaron and his sons offered their first round of sacrifices, including sin and burnt offerings for themselves, and sin, burnt, and fellowship (plus grain) offerings for the people. God had promised to appear, and everyone needed to prepare to meet Him (Lev 9:4). So the sacrifices were offered, a blessing was spoken, and the glory of God came down. His glory probably manifested itself in a form similar to the pillar of cloud and fire that had guided and protected the Israelites thus far, especially given the miraculous fire that consumed the burnt offering. The people responded with reverence and joy, which they expressed by shouting and falling facedown to worship the Lord (Lev 9:23, 24). TODAY ALONG THE WAY - In the Old Testament, the priests ministered before the Lord. The New Testament affirms that all believers are a “royal priesthood.” As such, we also have a responsibility to serve the Lord. Specifically, evangelism, proclaiming the good news of the gospel of God, is our “priestly duty” (Ro 15:16). We are to “declare the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His wonderful light” (1Peter 2:9). Have you witnessed this message of life to someone recently? Pray for an opportunity in the near future. Leviticus 9:24 Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Verse 24. And fire came forth from the face of Jehovah and consumed the rededication offering and the fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Fire: Lev 6:13 Ge 4:3,4 Ge 15:17 Ex 3:2 Jud 6:21 13:19,20,23 1Ki 18:38 2Ki 19:15 1Ch 21:26 2Chr 6:2 2Chr 7:1-3 Ps 20:3,4 80:1 they shouted: Ge 17:3 Nu 14:5 Nu 16:22 1Ki 18:39 2Chr 7:3 Ezra 3:11 Mt 26:39 Rev 4:9, 5:8, 7:11 Leviticus 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries GOD CONSUMES THE OFFERING WITH FIRE Lev 6:13 Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out. Then - A small but useful expression of time (then marks succession of events or sequence) which should prompt a pause to ponder and question, asking "What happened then?," "Why now?", etc Beatitude (blessing) is followed by beauty (glory). God had given His divine seal of approval so to speak on everything that had taken place in Lev 9:1-23. Allen Ross observes that "all this procedure is designed to be a vivid picture of the great theological doctrines of the faith. Approaching God by stages represents the pilgrimage from sin and separation through atonement and purification by the blood of the sacrifice into the presence of God in glory. It should come as no surprise then that Paul constructs the argument of the Book of Romans around the main features of this sacrificial worship, for through it the believer moved from sin to sanctification to service (see the concluding observations)." (Holiness to the Lord- A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus). Hyatt - Finally, another marvelous event occurred. Fire burst forth from The Tent of Meeting and consumed the offerings that were still roasting on the altar. The Hebrew says literally “ate the offerings.” The fire must have been the same as the fiery Glory they saw in the Cloud. The Cloud and the Fire were both over The Tabernacle and inside The Tabernacle over the Ark of the Covenant at the same time. It is a mistake to assume, as many interpreters have, that the Fire ignited the offerings, because roasting offerings on the altar had been specifically stated eight times during the hallowing ceremonies and during the first offerings officiated over by the new priests (Lev. 8:17,20,21,28; 9:10,14,17,20). Coals for roasting the offerings had obviously been lighted eight days earlier when the first offerings were offered on the altar on the first day of the hallowing, ceremonies as described earlier in this MESSAGE (8:14-29). The purpose of this fire was to instantly and completely consume the offerings. Since the Glory fire symbolized the presence of Jehovah, the fire’s bursting forth from The Tabernacle meant that Jehovah was accepting the offerings that had been presented to Him, including His share of the fellowship meal that had been placed on the altar from slaughter-offering of the congregation. The people were deeply impressed and were overcome with emotion. They shouted for joy and then fell to the ground on their faces, expressing the great humility they felt in seeing such a tremendous and awesome demonstration of Jehovah’s approval of the offerings. The Jewish rabbis had a tradition that the Fire of God that burst forth from The Tabernacle was kept burning on the altar until the fall of Jerusalem before the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. However, this passage contains no statement that it was God’s intention to light the coals that would roast the offerings. If that had been His intention, He certainly would have worked that wonder eight days previously when the first offerings were offered on the altar during the hallowing of Aaron and his sons. It is virtually impossible that fire could have been preserved for such a long time, especially through the neglect and misfortunes that befell The Tent of Meeting during the period of the judges and that befell the temple during such periods as the rule of Manasseh. Besides, the fire that so quickly and instantly consumed the offerings must have more nearly resembled lightning than igniting coals, and lightning cannot be preserved. This fire was a one-time event, dramatically demonstrating that God accepted fire-offerings that were properly offered on His altar.. From before Jehovah - Before is the Hebrew adverb lipne which is from a root that means literally to turn (to turn towards). Lipne is in the same family as panim which means face. It seems the idea is that fire comes out from before the face of God, and most likely came forth from the Holy of holies. The God Who had revealed Himself at Sinai was now the God of the Holy of holies, Who would dwell in their midst (Ex 24:17; 2Ch 7:3). Many see the fire in response to their obedience and gathering together at the beginning of the Levitical priesthood as a precursor or foreshadowing of the "tongues of fire" that fell on all who were gathered together on the Day of Pentecost, the falling fire marking the inauguration of the New Covenant. (Acts 2:1-11) David