LEVITICUS 26


     We will begin this lesson in Leviticus 10:8  "And the LORD spake
unto Aaron, saying,"

     Notice the change in who the LORD speaks to here. We have been
reading over and over {the LORD spoke to Moses}, but here He speaks
directly to Aaron. This is because Aaron is the anointed high priest.
Now God would speak to the people through Aaron the high priest.

     Leviticus 10:9 "Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy
sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation,
lest ye die: [it shall be] a statute for ever throughout your
generations:"

     This is the Scripture that makes many believe that Nadab and
Abihu were drinking in the sanctuary when God struck them dead. They
had been eating their part of the offering, and it is not too wild a
speculation that they were probably washing it down with a little
wine. The truth of the matter is that most people can not stop with
just a glass of wine and usually become intoxicated. The best way not
to get drunk, is not to take the first drink. The entire sanctuary was
a very holy place. No drinking at all should have taken place here.
All strong drink was forbidden to the priests while they were serving
in the sanctuary. God tells Aaron directly, here, that {strong drink
will never be allowed} in the sanctuary. There are several instances
in the Bible when strong drink brings disaster. Lot got drunk, and
each of his daughters slept with him and committed incest.  The
families these 2 girls had from these babies were always at odds with
God.  Genesis 19:33 "And they made their father drink wine that night:
and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived
not when she lay down, nor when she arose."  Genesis 19:34 "And it
came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger,
Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine
this night also; and go thou in, [and] lie with him, that we may
preserve seed of our father." Genesis 19:35 "And they made their
father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with
him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose."
Genesis 19:36 "Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their
father." In a drunken stupor, Lot had done what he would have never
done had he known what he was doing. Alcohol harms those who get
involved in its use then, or now. Most all the ordinances God has
placed on man are for man's benefit.

     Leviticus 10:10 "And that ye may put difference between holy and
unholy, and between unclean and clean;"

     If drinking is bad for the world, then it is terrible for those
who are the called of God. Alcohol causes confused thought. A person
who has been drinking does not have full control of himself and would
probably make the wrong decision many times. Holiness requires
separation from all worldly things. Alcohol is very definitely
worldly.
     Leviticus 10:11 "And that ye may teach the children of Israel all
the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of
Moses."

     We see that the responsibility to teach the people the things of
God has been taken off Moses, and is now on Aaron. It is Aaron's
responsibility to teach the congregation the way to live day to day in
a way pleasing unto God. We have spoken before about the difference in
an evangelist and a pastor. One of the pastor's duties is to teach the
people to live daily lives pleasing unto God. We see from this that
Aaron is to do the job of a pastor of the church now. God gave them
these statutes through Moses. Moses gave them the instructions, but
Aaron is to see that they keep them from day to day. In this, you can
see the role of the evangelist in Moses and the role of pastor in
Aaron.

     Leviticus 10:12  "And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar
and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that
remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it
without leaven beside the altar: for it [is] most holy:"

     In this message, Moses continues the service that had been
interrupted by the death of Aaron's 2 sons. Notice, Moses reminds
them, not to sin in the eating of the meat offering, lest they, too,
might die. In other words, he says do it exactly the way you were
instructed and do not add to or take away from the instructions. We
see from the verse above, Aaron has 2 more sons Eleazar and Ithamar.

     Leviticus 10:13 "And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because
it [is] thy due, and thy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made
by fire: for so I am commanded."

     We remember from the earlier lessons that this was the part Aaron
and his sons were to eat of the offering. They were to live of the
things of the sanctuary.

     Leviticus 10:14 "And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye
eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee:
for [they be] thy due, and thy sons' due, [which] are given out of the
sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel."

     The quarters that the family lived in is the place intended, but
even in this place there must not be anything or anyone that would
cause it to be unclean. As we said before, the priest's family was to
live of the things of the tabernacle.

     Leviticus 10:15 "The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall
they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave [it
for] a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy
sons' with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded."

     We will remember one thing in particular about this offering,
which we have covered in other lessons. The heaving and waving of this
before the Lord was thanking God for this and other blessings He had
provided.

     Leviticus 10:16  "And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin
offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and
Ithamar, the sons of Aaron [which were] left [alive], saying,"

     In the confusion, when the 2 sons of Aaron had been killed of
God, a grave error had been made in the offering Aaron had made.  The
sin offering which should have been eaten by the priest, had been
burned. The error was, that Aaron had not eaten the meat of this
offering for the congregation.  Possibly in the commotion that
followed the death of 2 of Aaron's sons there was a mistake made.
Aaron took the blame upon himself for not seeing this done properly.
He was so disturbed about his sons defiling the sanctuary, that he
just overlooked this detail.

     Leviticus 10:17 "Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in
the holy place, seeing it [is] most holy, and [God] hath given it you
to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them
before the LORD?"

     We see from this that, the ceremonial value of the priest eating
this is what is concerning Moses. The minister of the congregation
certainly does take the sins of the people on themselves as this
states here. The main thing I see in this, however, is that Jesus the
High Priest, has born the iniquity of us all. Jesus our High Priest is
our atonement.

     Leviticus 10:18 "Behold, the blood of it was not brought in
within the holy [place]: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy
[place], as I commanded."

     Moses has seen the wrath of God devour 2 of Aaron's sons this
day, and he is reminding Aaron of the seriousness of what he has done.

     Leviticus 10:19 "And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have
they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the
LORD; and such things have befallen me: and [if] I had eaten the sin
offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the
LORD?"

     Aaron gives his excuse for his actions here. He first defends the
2 remaining sons, by saying they have offered their sin offering. Then
Aaron says, that because his other 2 sons sinned so great a sin in the
sanctuary, he was not sure God still wanted him to eat the flesh of
the offering. All of these statements are understandable under the
circumstances.

     Leviticus 10:20 "And when Moses heard [that], he was content."

     In this we see that Moses accepts Aaron's excuses. Moses, it
seems, was still in the position of authority over Aaron. It was in
his {Moses' power} to excuse the oversight.

                             Questions 26

1.  What is different about verse 8 and the previous times God had
    sent a message?
2.  Why does God speak to Aaron here?
3.  Do not drink____ or ______ ______, thou, nor thy sons with thee.
4.  Where was this ordinance from God for?
5.  If Aaron or his sons disobeyed this ordinance, what would happen
    to them?
6.  Most people who drink at all soon become ___________.
7.  Name an Old Testament person who did terrible things under the
    influence of strong drink.
8.  Who was just as much to blame for the sin as he was?
9.  What are most of the ordinances that God has made for?
10. Alcohol causes ________ thought.
11. Holiness requires separation from what?
12. Who was to teach God's statutes to the children of Israel?
13. What is the role of an evangelist?
14. What is the role of a pastor?
15. Which of these do Moses and Aaron remind us of?
16. Who did Moses tell to take of the meat offering and eat?
17. What did Moses warn them about eating this offering?
18. This most holy offering was to be eaten where?
19. What are the names of the two remaining sons of Aaron?
20. Where were they to eat of the wave breast and the heave shoulder?
21. Who were added to the list of people that could eat of this
    offering?
22. What was the one regulation placed on the eating of the peace
    offering?
23. What were the heaving and the waving of this offering symbolic of?
24. In the confusion when the 2 sons of Aaron were killed what did
    Aaron do that he should not have done?
25. Who was Moses angry with for this oversight?
26. What excuses did Aaron give for the error?
27. What had really concerned Moses in this?
28. What effect did this have on Moses?