Psalm 134:3 "May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion."
This appears to be a reminder to the priests, and those who work in and around the sanctuary...whether that's the temple or the tabernacle to praise God. I wonder if they can get locked into some sort of monotony or autopilot on the "job," and forget why they are there, the reason for their servanthood. It's a reminder that God is real to them, and worthy of their praise as well. It's not just their responsibility to facilitate worship, but to participate in worship as well.
Showing posts with label Priestly duties. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Priestly duties. Show all posts
Friday, July 03, 2009
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
2 Ch. 31: The Giving Spreads
2 Chronicles 31:21 "In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered."
This revival spread quickly. The people went on from their place of worship, not back to their homes to watch the Detroit Lions get pummelled, but to smash idols and asherah poles and tear down the altars on the high places. It was a radical change. Internal changes, where God takes hold of a wayward life, are the most radical. They seemed to give up themselves.
They also showed signs of this renewal by giving tithes, so much so that the temple was not enough to hold all that stuff. They had to put what was given in storehouses. But it didn't appear to go to waste, it was distributed to the priests, the Levites and their families, as prescribed when Moses first got the orders of the priestly duties.
Should I be amazed by this turnaround? When a country of people leave their ways, renounce their idolatry, and suddenly are so deeply affected by what God has begun to do, is it real? I have to ask. Was it the entire country? How many of the Israelites changed their lives, and made decisions to follow God? How many of them did this following the crowd? We'll see.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Nu. 18: Priestly Duties Again
Numbers 18 is a whole lotta review. The LORD is speaking to Aaron.
Basically, it will be the Levites who are in charge of performing all the duties of the Tabernacle. No regular old Israelite was allowed to enter in. They had full responsibility for making atonement and offering sacrifices. Anyone who came near the sanctuary must be put to death. They wouldn't die instantly, I'm thinking. Death would be the punishment doled out by human hands.
The LORD kinda makes it a sweet deal. As Levites, they would be the recipients of all the firstfruit offerings. As God demanded the best of the people, it would be the Levites who reap the reward of this...the best from the fields, from the herds, and from the winepress.
The Levites were not to have an inheritance in the land, however. Rather, God says that He Himself will be the inheritance and share for the Levites among the Israelites.
Then God turns to Moses and lets him know that of this ten percent tithe given by the Israelites, the Levites were in turn to give ten percent of that to God as His offering.
So...there was only one person who could make atonement. Any attempt by an individual to make atonement meant certain death.
Basically, it will be the Levites who are in charge of performing all the duties of the Tabernacle. No regular old Israelite was allowed to enter in. They had full responsibility for making atonement and offering sacrifices. Anyone who came near the sanctuary must be put to death. They wouldn't die instantly, I'm thinking. Death would be the punishment doled out by human hands.
The LORD kinda makes it a sweet deal. As Levites, they would be the recipients of all the firstfruit offerings. As God demanded the best of the people, it would be the Levites who reap the reward of this...the best from the fields, from the herds, and from the winepress.
The Levites were not to have an inheritance in the land, however. Rather, God says that He Himself will be the inheritance and share for the Levites among the Israelites.
Then God turns to Moses and lets him know that of this ten percent tithe given by the Israelites, the Levites were in turn to give ten percent of that to God as His offering.
So...there was only one person who could make atonement. Any attempt by an individual to make atonement meant certain death.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Lev. 22: Keep It Clean, Priesty.
God clearly did not want priests screwing up the offerings that the Israelites brought. This is evidenced by further instructions and guidelines given in Leviticus 22.
The Israelites went to the trouble, both physically and spiritually, to center their hearts, to select a sacrifice without defect, be clean, and bring this sacrifice to the altar. To make an offering (as a priest) while ritually unclean was to desecrate the very name of God. This was punishable by being cut off from one's people. To treat the ceremony with irreverence, meant death. I'm looking at you, Nadab and Abihu. In order to make the atonement count, the one making the offering had to be absolutely pure.
One could become ceremonially unclean as a priest in virtually the same ways one could become ceremonially unclean as laity. You know, having skin disease or discharge, emission, touching unclean things. If any of these applied, he had to wash up, become clean, wait for the sun to go down, and then he eat of the offering, as that was his grub.
The offering food was fair game to anyone in the priest's family. That included hired help (slaves). But, if his daughter married some dude who wasn't a priest, she couldn't eat from the offerings. She belonged to the house of another at that point, apparently. But if she gets divorced or widowed before having children and comes back to papa, she is allowed to eat again. Of the offering, that is.
Any unauthorized one munching offering accidentally had to repay the cost of the animal, plus 20%.
We've heard all along that the male sacrifice must be without defect. Well, here in Lev. 22:22, we get specific guidelines as to what constitutes a defect: blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores, or an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. Ouch. Those could not be offered as a burnt offering. Deformed or stunted oxen or sheep were acceptable as a freewill offering, but not as fulfillment of a vow.
All of these were somewhat repetitive, but...I still don't have all the offerings straight, and I have them clearly right in front of me. How these Israelites managed to do it without the Bible is beyond me. I guess it takes practice. Years and years of bloody, gruesome practice.
God again demands holiness at the end of chapter 22. He is the one who makes things holy, so people should not make effort to make things unholy.
The Israelites went to the trouble, both physically and spiritually, to center their hearts, to select a sacrifice without defect, be clean, and bring this sacrifice to the altar. To make an offering (as a priest) while ritually unclean was to desecrate the very name of God. This was punishable by being cut off from one's people. To treat the ceremony with irreverence, meant death. I'm looking at you, Nadab and Abihu. In order to make the atonement count, the one making the offering had to be absolutely pure.
One could become ceremonially unclean as a priest in virtually the same ways one could become ceremonially unclean as laity. You know, having skin disease or discharge, emission, touching unclean things. If any of these applied, he had to wash up, become clean, wait for the sun to go down, and then he eat of the offering, as that was his grub.
The offering food was fair game to anyone in the priest's family. That included hired help (slaves). But, if his daughter married some dude who wasn't a priest, she couldn't eat from the offerings. She belonged to the house of another at that point, apparently. But if she gets divorced or widowed before having children and comes back to papa, she is allowed to eat again. Of the offering, that is.
Any unauthorized one munching offering accidentally had to repay the cost of the animal, plus 20%.
We've heard all along that the male sacrifice must be without defect. Well, here in Lev. 22:22, we get specific guidelines as to what constitutes a defect: blind, the injured or the maimed, or anything with warts or festering or running sores, or an animal whose testicles are bruised, crushed, torn or cut. Ouch. Those could not be offered as a burnt offering. Deformed or stunted oxen or sheep were acceptable as a freewill offering, but not as fulfillment of a vow.
All of these were somewhat repetitive, but...I still don't have all the offerings straight, and I have them clearly right in front of me. How these Israelites managed to do it without the Bible is beyond me. I guess it takes practice. Years and years of bloody, gruesome practice.
God again demands holiness at the end of chapter 22. He is the one who makes things holy, so people should not make effort to make things unholy.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Lev. 9: The Bloodiest Chapter Yet
Chapter nine is essentially a description of the priests offering the first official sacrifices while on duty. They brought the whole town together for this. Moses relayed that Aaron had to take a bull calf for his sin offering, and a ram for the burnt offering. The Israelites had to take a male goat for the sin offering, a calf and a lamb for the burnt offering, an ox and ram for the fellowship offering, and a grain offering mixed with oil.
"Today," Moses said, "the LORD will appear to you." So they had to get it right and be on their best behavior.
Moses talks Aaron through the sin offering, the burnt offering, the offerings for the people.
And the blood flowed. This must have been quite a sight. The people were probably used to sacrificing, but now there were all these ceremonial rules that had to be followed. The blood had to be used in all these different ways. It was probably a silent crowd that stood and watched Aaron slaughter the animals, sprinkle this, and wave that as he made atonement for their sins.
Then Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. Not sure why, or what they did...the Bible doesn't say. They blessed the people when they came out.
Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Possibly in the pillar of fire, or the cloud, but everyone knew this was God. Fire then roared out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted for joy, and fell face down on the ground. That kind of seems like a weird juxtaposition of actions...shouting for joy, to me, implies jumping up and down and celebrating...like if the Detroit Lions somehow make it into the other team's end zone. With the ball. Not falling face first on the ground, which is what the Lions do when other teams have the ball. But anyway, that's what the Bible says. And I can't imagine the relief these people must have had. There wasn't much communication from God since He said He might kill them all. This consumption by fire was a sign of acceptance. That is what brought shouts of joy. Every one saw the presence of God.
If every one saw the presence of God today, I used to think it would eradicate atheism and usher in a monotheistic world government. The Bible makes it plain that this would not be the case. Kings of foreign lands saw God's mighty working and made nothing but token gestures of acknowledging His existence, while continuing to serve their own interests, and the gods they grew up with. Would probably happen today. If God showed up, I'm sure there would be some conversions, but how many would reject Him based on their own unwillingness to pursue Him intellectually, or in thinking God wasn't who He says He is?
"Today," Moses said, "the LORD will appear to you." So they had to get it right and be on their best behavior.
Moses talks Aaron through the sin offering, the burnt offering, the offerings for the people.
And the blood flowed. This must have been quite a sight. The people were probably used to sacrificing, but now there were all these ceremonial rules that had to be followed. The blood had to be used in all these different ways. It was probably a silent crowd that stood and watched Aaron slaughter the animals, sprinkle this, and wave that as he made atonement for their sins.
Then Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. Not sure why, or what they did...the Bible doesn't say. They blessed the people when they came out.
Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Possibly in the pillar of fire, or the cloud, but everyone knew this was God. Fire then roared out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted for joy, and fell face down on the ground. That kind of seems like a weird juxtaposition of actions...shouting for joy, to me, implies jumping up and down and celebrating...like if the Detroit Lions somehow make it into the other team's end zone. With the ball. Not falling face first on the ground, which is what the Lions do when other teams have the ball. But anyway, that's what the Bible says. And I can't imagine the relief these people must have had. There wasn't much communication from God since He said He might kill them all. This consumption by fire was a sign of acceptance. That is what brought shouts of joy. Every one saw the presence of God.
If every one saw the presence of God today, I used to think it would eradicate atheism and usher in a monotheistic world government. The Bible makes it plain that this would not be the case. Kings of foreign lands saw God's mighty working and made nothing but token gestures of acknowledging His existence, while continuing to serve their own interests, and the gods they grew up with. Would probably happen today. If God showed up, I'm sure there would be some conversions, but how many would reject Him based on their own unwillingness to pursue Him intellectually, or in thinking God wasn't who He says He is?
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Lev. 7: Still More Priestly Duties
Leviticus 7 continues with the priestly regulations.
The Guilt Offering
First described in Lev. 5, it is kind of the same regulations as the sin offering. It can be eaten by any male in the priest's family, but it must be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy...consecrated, set apart. Additionally, the remains belong to the priest, including the hide. I wonder how many stacks of hides the priests collected. Who knows. There is a differentiation between grain offerings. A baked or fried one belongs to the priest who offers it, while those mixed with oil or dry belongs equally to the sons of Aaron. The Bible doesn't say why this differentiation is made, but lets look at the offerings. Those baked and fried require more preparation than just mixing the flour with oil, or just bringing unprepared flour. The priesthood requires more preparation, and thus, in my estimation, is worthy of the more prepared grain offerings.
The Fellowship Offering
Apparently people could present offerings to God out of thankfulness. This kind of breaks my opinion that God was kind of a punisher and referee over the Israelites. The latter half of Exodus and up to this point in Leviticus was a list of rules and laws that the Israelites must adhere to. It told what would happen if someone didn't follow these laws. So to see that a thank offering was allowed for, it shows that God was apparently working in the individual lives of the people, instead of just glowering at them from above and ruling over them.
These thank offerings, however, had their own regulations...how they should be carried out. And I think, "Why? People just want to come and show their appreciation to God, why do they have to follow these rules?" We cannot forget that God has established the fact that he is most holy, and even in their best efforts to salvage or maintain a relationship with God on their own end, the Israelites were still in sin, and their "communication" to God had to be purified.
As an expression of thanks, the person should bring all kinds of the grain offering: The cakes of bread without yeast but with oil, wafers (no yeast, plus oil), and cakes of fine flour (well-kneaded, with oil). Additionally, he is to bring cakes of bread with yeast. This is the first time yeast is required. In all the feasts, there was to be no yeast, so yeast was allowable, just not during festivals. In my opinion, perhaps bread with yeast was tastier...as in more pleasurable than bread without yeast, and sacrificing this pleasure was part of the fellowship offering?
As a result of a vow, the sacrifice should be eaten that day, with leftovers allowed to be eaten tomorrow. On the third day, the leftovers shall be burned. It is unacceptable, and unclean. It probably goes bad by then. Who here leaves meat out for three days? It is so impure that if it is eaten, it won't even be credited to the person who sacrificed it, and the person who eats it will be responsible.
Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten, rather burned. Unclean people who eat clean meat will be cut off from his people. Those who were not cleansed could not reap the benefits of the sacrifice.
Then in Lev. 7:22-27, there is a reiteration of Lev. 3:17, in that the people must not eat the fat or blood. At first, I thought that the fat was important as the blood was...in life. But here in chapter seven, it talks about how it was a sacrifice to the LORD. The fat was His.
The priest's share of all these offerings were the breast, and the right thigh. That's where the good meat is. Tasty.
The Guilt Offering
First described in Lev. 5, it is kind of the same regulations as the sin offering. It can be eaten by any male in the priest's family, but it must be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy...consecrated, set apart. Additionally, the remains belong to the priest, including the hide. I wonder how many stacks of hides the priests collected. Who knows. There is a differentiation between grain offerings. A baked or fried one belongs to the priest who offers it, while those mixed with oil or dry belongs equally to the sons of Aaron. The Bible doesn't say why this differentiation is made, but lets look at the offerings. Those baked and fried require more preparation than just mixing the flour with oil, or just bringing unprepared flour. The priesthood requires more preparation, and thus, in my estimation, is worthy of the more prepared grain offerings.
The Fellowship Offering
Apparently people could present offerings to God out of thankfulness. This kind of breaks my opinion that God was kind of a punisher and referee over the Israelites. The latter half of Exodus and up to this point in Leviticus was a list of rules and laws that the Israelites must adhere to. It told what would happen if someone didn't follow these laws. So to see that a thank offering was allowed for, it shows that God was apparently working in the individual lives of the people, instead of just glowering at them from above and ruling over them.
These thank offerings, however, had their own regulations...how they should be carried out. And I think, "Why? People just want to come and show their appreciation to God, why do they have to follow these rules?" We cannot forget that God has established the fact that he is most holy, and even in their best efforts to salvage or maintain a relationship with God on their own end, the Israelites were still in sin, and their "communication" to God had to be purified.
As an expression of thanks, the person should bring all kinds of the grain offering: The cakes of bread without yeast but with oil, wafers (no yeast, plus oil), and cakes of fine flour (well-kneaded, with oil). Additionally, he is to bring cakes of bread with yeast. This is the first time yeast is required. In all the feasts, there was to be no yeast, so yeast was allowable, just not during festivals. In my opinion, perhaps bread with yeast was tastier...as in more pleasurable than bread without yeast, and sacrificing this pleasure was part of the fellowship offering?
As a result of a vow, the sacrifice should be eaten that day, with leftovers allowed to be eaten tomorrow. On the third day, the leftovers shall be burned. It is unacceptable, and unclean. It probably goes bad by then. Who here leaves meat out for three days? It is so impure that if it is eaten, it won't even be credited to the person who sacrificed it, and the person who eats it will be responsible.
Meat that touches anything ceremonially unclean must not be eaten, rather burned. Unclean people who eat clean meat will be cut off from his people. Those who were not cleansed could not reap the benefits of the sacrifice.
Then in Lev. 7:22-27, there is a reiteration of Lev. 3:17, in that the people must not eat the fat or blood. At first, I thought that the fat was important as the blood was...in life. But here in chapter seven, it talks about how it was a sacrifice to the LORD. The fat was His.
The priest's share of all these offerings were the breast, and the right thigh. That's where the good meat is. Tasty.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Lev. 6: What's a Priest to Do?
Well, the first seven verses of chapter 6 appear to be more of a continuation of chapter 5. But what do I know? It discusses what happens when one person wrongs another, whether by deceiving someone who entrusts property to him, concealing property, swearing falsely against someone, or by extortion, that person must pay back in full, plus 20%. It's not enough to just cover what was taken or stolen. 20% extra makes one square with the house. Well, in addition to his guilt offering (a ram without defect, and of the proper value) brought to the LORD, via a priest. Then he is forgiven. Why 20%? Was that merely a deterrent to people from committing that sin? That seems like a lot. I'd probably steer clear of screwing people over if I knew that penalty was coming at me.
We know from the beginning of Leviticus what the duty of the sacrificer was when he brought his various offerings. Starting with verse 8, Chapter 6 digs into what the priests responsibilities were and why in regard to these sacrifices.
The Burnt Offering
A burnt offering was actually required to keep burning through the night and into the morning on the altar. Not only is it to keep burning, it is not to go out. Then the priest has to put on his linens and remove the ashes from the altar and set them beside the altar. Then the priest has to change into a third set of clothes and take the ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean (presumably oil-anointed) place. Each morning it was the priest's responsibility to put more wood on the altar, and keep that fellowship offering burning. Once again, it was not to go out. Seems like a lot to go through. The ash removal seemed like it could be a swift and easy process, were it not for having to change clothes twice. God must have really wanted the priest to take his time, and do his duty with a lot of thought and reverence and purpose. Not with speed and economy.
The Grain Offering
We know the memorial portion was to be burned, and the rest of it belonged to the priest and his sons, but what did they do with it? Verses 16-23 tell us. The rest of it (not the memorial portion mixed with incense) is to be eaten without yeast in a holy place, the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. God actually says here that He is giving it to the priests as their share of the offerings made to Him by fire. God is giving back to the priests in this situation of the portion given to Him. So...keep sending those checks in to televangelists, because I'm pretty sure this is the same thing.
Additionally, on the day of anointing, the anointee should bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour...half in the morning, half in the evening. It should be prepared by the next succeeding anointed son with oil in a griddle, well-mixed, and crumbled and broken in pieces...as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. It is the share that belongs to the LORD, and is to be burned, destroyed completely, not eaten.
The Sin Offering
You know, slaughtered before the LORD, where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. But the priest who offers it shall eat it, in a holy place, the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. Whatever touches the flesh of the sacrifice will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, it needs to be washed in a holy place. If the meat is cooked in a clay pot, the pot is to be destroyed, but if its in a bronze pot, it needs to be scoured and rinsed with water. Clay can never be cleansed, apparently, only destroyed. Bronze is associated with cleaning though...the bronze laver...It's allowed to be eaten by any male in the priest's family. No chicks.
Any sin offering making atonement in the Holy Place must not be eaten, it is to be burned. What kind of atonement is made in the Holy Place? Presumably sins made by the priests, as they are the only people mentioned in conjunction with having business in the Holy Place.
I should mention that in all these sins, there is always, evidently, a way out. A way to be forgiven. This whole system was set in place because Israelites were not meant to just live with their sins, to just sit in guilt. The System was designed to draw them out of this remorse. These sins don't have to fester, unless the Israelites allowed them. The Israelites were the ones who had to reach out to God and receive forgiveness from Him. Their forgiveness wasn't in their sacrifice, it was still God who forgave them.
We know from the beginning of Leviticus what the duty of the sacrificer was when he brought his various offerings. Starting with verse 8, Chapter 6 digs into what the priests responsibilities were and why in regard to these sacrifices.
The Burnt Offering
A burnt offering was actually required to keep burning through the night and into the morning on the altar. Not only is it to keep burning, it is not to go out. Then the priest has to put on his linens and remove the ashes from the altar and set them beside the altar. Then the priest has to change into a third set of clothes and take the ashes outside the camp to a ceremonially clean (presumably oil-anointed) place. Each morning it was the priest's responsibility to put more wood on the altar, and keep that fellowship offering burning. Once again, it was not to go out. Seems like a lot to go through. The ash removal seemed like it could be a swift and easy process, were it not for having to change clothes twice. God must have really wanted the priest to take his time, and do his duty with a lot of thought and reverence and purpose. Not with speed and economy.
The Grain Offering
We know the memorial portion was to be burned, and the rest of it belonged to the priest and his sons, but what did they do with it? Verses 16-23 tell us. The rest of it (not the memorial portion mixed with incense) is to be eaten without yeast in a holy place, the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. God actually says here that He is giving it to the priests as their share of the offerings made to Him by fire. God is giving back to the priests in this situation of the portion given to Him. So...keep sending those checks in to televangelists, because I'm pretty sure this is the same thing.
Additionally, on the day of anointing, the anointee should bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour...half in the morning, half in the evening. It should be prepared by the next succeeding anointed son with oil in a griddle, well-mixed, and crumbled and broken in pieces...as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. It is the share that belongs to the LORD, and is to be burned, destroyed completely, not eaten.
The Sin Offering
You know, slaughtered before the LORD, where the burnt offerings are slaughtered. But the priest who offers it shall eat it, in a holy place, the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. Whatever touches the flesh of the sacrifice will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, it needs to be washed in a holy place. If the meat is cooked in a clay pot, the pot is to be destroyed, but if its in a bronze pot, it needs to be scoured and rinsed with water. Clay can never be cleansed, apparently, only destroyed. Bronze is associated with cleaning though...the bronze laver...It's allowed to be eaten by any male in the priest's family. No chicks.
Any sin offering making atonement in the Holy Place must not be eaten, it is to be burned. What kind of atonement is made in the Holy Place? Presumably sins made by the priests, as they are the only people mentioned in conjunction with having business in the Holy Place.
I should mention that in all these sins, there is always, evidently, a way out. A way to be forgiven. This whole system was set in place because Israelites were not meant to just live with their sins, to just sit in guilt. The System was designed to draw them out of this remorse. These sins don't have to fester, unless the Israelites allowed them. The Israelites were the ones who had to reach out to God and receive forgiveness from Him. Their forgiveness wasn't in their sacrifice, it was still God who forgave them.
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