Journaling: Leviticus 9-12

Leviticus 9-12The glory of the Lord is associated w/His salvation or salvific intentions (Lev 9:1-6, 23 w/Exo 16:7, 10, 24:16-17, 28:2, 40, 33:12-23, 40:35; also Num 20:4-8; Tit 2:13).Approaching God for salvation requires: 1) a holy place (9:23; Exo 24:16, 29:42-46; 1Ki 8:11; 1Ti 3:15 w/Act 20:28), 2) holy sacrifices (9:7 [“draw near”], 22-24; Heb 10:1-18 = Christ the most holy sacrifice; 1Co 5:7; Rom 12:1; Heb 13:16; 1Pe 2:5), 3) holy fire (9:24; Act 2:3; 2Ti 1:6), 4) a holy mediator (9:1, 5-7, 21, 10:3-7, 11b-12, 11:1, 12:1 = Moses commanded/said; God’s ministers’ approach God thru His mediator = Lev 9:23 [“Moses (as mediator) and Aaron (as minister) went into the tent of meeting…and came out and blessed the people”] w/Lev 16:1-34 [Aaron the minister-mediator of most holy sacrifices]; Heb 3:1-6, 9:11-15a [Christ as the new minister-mediator and the most holy sacrifice]; Act 7:38), 5) holy people (11:1-47, 45; Exo 19:10; Heb 10:22-26; 1Pe 1:14-16), 6) and holy ministers (9:1 w/7-18 = Aaron’s mediator-ministry worked thru his minster sons, 10:8-11, 12:6-8; Joh 20:21-23; Heb 13:7-8 = The mediator still works thru His ministers – Hence v17).People who attempt to approach God outside of His prescription/requirements will end up like Nadab and Abihu (i.e. what once saved now slays) (10:1-2; also Num 14:9-22, 16:18-50; 1Co 11:28-32; Heb 10:27; N&A were ml drunk and in the HoH – consider Lev 10:9 w/16:1-2; Num 1:51-53; “YHWH consumes Nadab and Abihu as he had formerly consumed the sacrifices in 9:24” – Michael Morales [Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? A biblical theology of the book of Leviticus]; Heb 12:29).A person or family’s calamity or death – spiritual or physical, which is the direct result and divine punishment for their sin is never an excuse for: 1) sadness or mourning in relation to them (10:1-6a; Deu 19:21), 2) neglecting our spiritual duties to the Lord (10:7).Congregations/covenant communities w/unholy (or disobedient/compromising) ministers are congregations/covenant communities under God’s holy wrath (10:6b w/16-20; Num 1:51-53; Deu 19:20-21; 2Jo 1:9-11).There are two kinds of laws that make up God’s Law that are to be taught by God ministers to His people: 1) “clean laws” (10:10), 2) moral “statutes”/commands (10:11) (re: the NT ministers as teachers of God’s Law, see 1Ti 1:7-8 w/11).God’s fire is simultaneously associated w/both life and death (Compare 9:24 w/10:1-2 w/10:19 – Both events happened on the same day; Consider once more our salvation w/HS fire that will also destroy us if we fail to approach God the right way – again Heb 12:12 w/10:29).Jewish kids didn’t have aquariums, pet rodents, birds, lizards, snakes – or play w/insects and roadkill (11:1-47).Though people or things can no longer of themselves be unclean/sinful, their context or behavior can still make them unclean/sinful; which means we must still make such distinctions if we are to be holy before God (11:47, 12:4-8; 1Co 8-10; 2Co 6:14-7:1).God still requires circumcision to be clean before Him (12:1-3; Col 2:11-14 w/1Pe 3:21).