The Priests
The priests were Aaron’s sons.
A priest had to be descended from
one of Aaron’s sons.
Aaron’s son’s names were: Eleazor, Ithamar,
Nadab, Abihu
Their dress were breeches, a finely
woven white garment, a tunic woven as one piece, just as Aaron’s garment
was. They had a belt like Aaron’s and white head bands (Bonnets). Leviticus 8:13
They wore Blue fringes on the hem of their garments
Numbers
15:38-39
To be a priest they had to qualify by fulfilling the legal
requirements as listed above. They did not have to be believers in their
“Messiah” to be priests.
The Consecration of the priests
Leviticus
8
1: The entire assembly of
The Consecration of the priests – Cleansing
Leviticus 8:6
2: The priests presented themselves at the
tabernacle and were washed by Moses with water.
The Consecration of the priests – The High Priest Clothed
Leviticus
8:7-9
3: Aaron was clothed with the
clothes of his office.
The Consecration of the priests – The High Priest Anointed
Leviticus
8:10-12
4: Moses took the anointing
oil and he sprinkled it seven times over every item in the tabernacle. Seven
being the number of completion, all was now complete and was set apart to
the Lord for His service.
Aaron was anointed by having
the oil poured on His head, to set him apart as special to the service of
God.
REV C.I Schofield D.D
Aaron was anointed before
any sacrifices were slain at this time, demonstrating that Christ the sinless
one needed no sacrifice before being anointed by the Holy Spirit for service
to God.
Only upon the High Priest was the anointing oil poured.
John 3:34
“For the one whom God has sent, speaks the words
of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit\measure.”
Hebrews 1:9
“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness, therefore God, your
God has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of Joy.”
The Consecration of the priests – The Offerings
Leviticus
8:14-29
5: A number
of animals were offered at this time:
A: A
bullock for the sin offering.
Aaron and his
sons placed their hands on the bullock’s head,
which was
then killed.
Moses smeared
the blood on the horns of the altar, purifying the
Altar, the remainder
of the blood he poured out at the base of
the altar
to make atonement.
The innards fat, the Caul, the two kidneys and their fat were
burnt up on the altar.
The bullock’s flesh, it’s hide and dung Moses burnt
with fire,
outside the
camp.
B: Rams for the
burnt offering.
Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bullock’s head,
which was then killed.
Moses sprinkled the blood around the altar.
Moses cut the ram into pieces, burning the pieces, the head
and the fat.
Moses washed the innards and the legs in water and burnt the
whole ram on the Altar for a sweet savour offering to the Lord.
Two rams were offered according to Exodus 29:19 & 31.
Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the bullock’s head,
which was then killed.
Moses placed some blood upon the right ear, thumb and big
toe of Aaron and then his sons. He also sprinkled blood all around the altar.
Moses took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat of the innards,
the caul, the two kidneys and their fat and the right shoulder
Moses took one unleavened cake, a cake of oiled bread and
one wafer.
He put these cakes on the fat and then placed all these upon
the right shoulder: He put all of these upon Aarons and His sons hands for a wave offering before the Lord. Moses took
all these parts out of their hands and burnt them on the altar as a sweet
savour offering.
Moses then took the breast and waved it as a wave offering.
The second ram was a ram of consecration. It was Moses part and as commanded
by the Lord.
The Consecration of the priests – The Anointing of the Priests
Leviticus
8:30
Moses took the anointing oil and the blood, which was upon
the altar and sprinkled Aaron and his sons and their garments.
Aaron was anointed again at the same time as the priests,
because he was now representing himself as a sinful creature who
needed Christs Atoning work.
The Consecration of the priests – Food for the Priests
Leviticus
8:31-32
The flesh that was to be cooked was to be boiled at the door
of the tabernacle. They were to eat it with unleavened bread, which had
been consecrated. If anything remained it was to be burnt.
The Consecration of the priests – The Priests separated unto God
Leviticus
8:33-36
The priests were to stay by the door of the tabernacle for
seven days.
This was the days of their consecration. When this was all
completed their consecration was at an end.
In Leviticus 9 on day eight, the priests begin their ministry.
It was then that a number of offerings were offered for Aaron,
the priest, the elders of
Ezekiel 18:4
“Every living soul belongs to Me, the father
as well as the son, both alike belong to Me. The soul who sins is the one
who will die.”
Jeremiah 10:23
“I know, O Lord, that a mans life is not His
own; it is not for man to direct His paths.”
The Profane fire of Nadab and Abihu
Nadab and Abihu took fire from the “burnt Altar” and put it in their
censers and put incense on coals and offered profane fire before the Lord,
which the Lord had not commanded them to offer.
Fire came from the Holy of Holies and devoured them.
They died immediately the “Sin unto Death”. The incense was
profane, alien, unauthorised because they were not allowed into the Holy
of Holies.
The Profane fire of King Uzziah
and his punishment of leprosy.
2 Chronicles
26:16-21
“Then Moses said to Aaron, this is what the Lord spoke of when He said,
Among those who approach Me I will show myself
Holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honoured. And Aaron remained
silent.”
Leviticus
10:3
REV C.I Schofield D.D
Nadab and Abihus’ sin was acting in the things of God without consulting
the mind of God. They were acting presumptuously in WILL WORSHIP, which
may display some form of humility and wisdom, but is unacceptable before
God.
TRUTH – DEVOTION
TO CHRIST
LIVING BY THE
HOLY SPIRIT
------------------------------------
Religious feelings,
excitement and warmth
Purely formality
Worship
The
warning for the Church
We as believers can go the way of Nadab
and Abihu, with a false worship with approaching
God in an unfit fashion, and in a disrespectful manner, as the Corinthian
believers were in approaching the Lords table.
1 Corinthians
11:29
“A person ought to examine themself before they eat of the bread and drinks
of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognising the body
of the Lord eats and drinks judgement on themselves. That is why many among
you are weak and sick and a number of you have fallen
asleep (died), but if we would judge ourselves we would not come under judgement.”
Other incidents of
unauthorised fire within the Church.
Colossians
2:8
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive
philosophies which depend on human tradition and the basic principles of
this world rather than
on Christ.”
1 Corinthians
1:12
“I follow Paul, I follow Apollos, I follow Peter, I
follow Christ.
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you.”
Colossians
1:16-18
“Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard
to a religious festival, a new moon, or a Sabbath day. These are shadows
of the things that were to come; the reality however is found in Christ.
Do not let anyone who delights in false humility disqualify you for the
prize.”
The Privilege of the Church
Revelation
5:10
1 Peter
2:5 & 9
“You are being built into a spiritual house, to be
a Holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ.”
“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people belonging to God, that you might declare the praises of
Him, who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
The encouragement for the Church
Philippians
1:6
“Being confidant it this, that He who began a good work in you will carry
it to completion until the day of Christ”
2 Timothy 2:11-13
“Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
If we endue we will endure, we will also reign with Him.
If we deny Him, He will also deny us.
If we are faithless, He will remain faithful
for He cannot disown Himself”.
The Levites
Leviticus 10:8
“The Lord separated the tribe of Levi to bear the Ark of the Covenant
of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister unto Him and to bless
in His Name, as they still do to day. This is why the Levites have no share
or inheritance among their brothers; the Lord is their inheritance, as the
Lord your God said. ”
The Churches Encouragement and Joy.
1 Peter 1:4
“We have an inheritance that can never perish spoil or fade, kept in heaven
for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming
of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this
you greatly rejoice.”
Wherever the tabernacle was transported,
it was carried by the priests with the poles on their shoulders and was
not to be transported in a cart.
The tabernacle was packed into carts for transportation. The
Kohathites were not given carts or oxen, as they carried the Holy furniture.
The “Kohathites” were given the task of carrying the Holy
furniture, after the priests dismantled and packed the items of furniture.
The “Veil” that led into the “Holy of Holies” covered the
The badger skins and then a blue cloth then covered the ark
so it could not be seen and would be waterproof.
A Blue cloth covered the “
2 Samuel 6:1-15
The “Gershonites” disassembled the
Tabernacle objects. They disassembled the curtains and coverings from the
roof of the “
The “Meranites”
disassembled the frames of the Tabernacle, with its boards and bars. Then
they removed all the posts, pegs and cords.