Week 90, Day 3: Corruption in the Priesthood

Today’s Reading:  2 Kings 12:1-21

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

I do not know how else to take what is said in this chapter other than that the priests were not doing their duty.  The king told the priests to take the money and repair the temple.  And yet, it seems that some years later they had not done any of the work.  And when the king reemphasizes that the repairs need to be done then Jehoiada has to take a chest to set by the altar for all the money to go into.  First, what had happened to all the money they had pocketed earlier?  Gone.  Next, is this chest prepared by Jehoiada just a convenient collection tool or is it a secure lock box to keep the money from wandering off.  I see these things are indications of corruptions within the priesthood.  Which is a sad sad indication from those who are supposed to be the spiritual directors and teachers in the land.

Question;  What was wrong with Jehoash paying off the king of Aram to leave Jerusalem alone?

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Week 48, Day 4: Priestly requirements

Today’s Reading:  Leviticus 20:1 – 21:24

Some thoughts from the reading..

Among the many things mentioned in today’s reading, there is a limitation for who can serve as a priest before the Lord.  21:16-24 tells us that no descendant of Aaron who has a defect may not serve as a priest in the tabernacle.  Along with wanting sacrifies that are without defect God required that those who served as priest before Him be without defect.  I believe this to be a continuation of the aspect of the best is given to God.  Those who did not have any defect in them, those who were without blemish. 

Question:  Why do you think that it would be important for those who serve as priest be without any blemish?  What message do you think would be presented if just anyone served?

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Week 48, Day 2: Atonement

Today’s Reading:  Leviticus 16:1 – 17:16

Some thoughts from the reading..

Once a year the high priest was to go into the holy of holies and make atonement for Israel.  Involved in this process is to make atonement for the holy place because of the impurities of Israel (16:16-16).  The high priest shall make a sacrifice to atone for himself and his household (16:6, 11) before offering the sin sacrifice on behalf of Israel.  After making the sacrifice for himself and for Israel he is to lay hands on the scapegoat (16:10, 21-22).  The concept of placing their iniquities on the goat and sending it away is an interesting practice.  This process was all to be done in the seventh month, on the tenth day, each year.

Question:  Why would the high priest need to offer a separate sacrifice for his own sins before offering a sacrifice for Israel’s sins?

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Week 47, Day 5: Leprosy

Today’s Reading:  Leviticus 12:1 – 13:59

Some thoughts from the reading..

We begin to have instructions regarding another function of the priests.  The priests were responsible for helping to keep the people of Israel clean.  This included identifying conditions that would make a person unclean.  In this case it is cases of leprosy that caused the person to be unclean.  So we have an extensive account of how the priest is to identify when a condition is leprosy or not.  What that unclean, leprous, person is supposed to then do is only addressed here in 2 verses (13:45-46).  There will be more given on this subject in upcoming chapters.

I am not familiar with leprosy.  It sounds like it was more common a long time ago or in third world countries.  Does anyone know why we do not have more cases of it today?

Question:  Why do you think the role of pronouncing something or someone unclean would fall to the priests?  What does this indicate about the role that the priests had in Israel?

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Week 47, Day 4: Not Treated as Holy

Today’s Reading:  Leviticus 10:1 – 11:47

Some thoughts from the reading..

Chapter 10 is mainly devoted to events related to the sin of Nadab & Abihu.  They offer “strange fire”.  This is fire that God had not given them instruction to give.  It has been suggested that perhaps this means that they obtained the fire from a different location than where they were supposed to.  It is not specified exactly what this phrase means other than they had not been commanded to do so.  This keeps with the repeated “theme” of stating things were done just as God had instructed them. 

This event is recorded just after Aaron and his sons had been consecrated to be priests.   No exact timing is given for how long it was between their consecration and this event but it seems noteworthy to say that they should have known better.  They had obviously been instructed on what to do, how to do it and here they are already deviating from God’s commands.  We can see from this that God regarded this deviation with contempt.  The Lord had told them that He was to be treated as Holy and to be honored before all the people.  This action of disobedience was a mark of not treating God as holy and as not honoring Him.  Disobedience shows a disrespect for God.  We may think it is nothign big to alter things but keep this account in mind.  Are we “splitting hairs” as some would accuse today to say that we need to find our guidance for worship and service to God within the scriptures?  Or is it a manner of treating God as holy and showing Him honor. 

Question:  Why were Aaron and his sons not allowed to mourn over the loss of Nadab & Abihu?

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Week 47, Day 3: The Priest begin serving

Today’s Reading:  Leviticus 8:1 – 9:24

Some thoughts from the reading..

In these chapters we have the beginning of the service of Aaron and his sons as priest in the tabernacle.  Moses is instructed to serve in the role of “presiding” over things.  There is a process of sacrifices through which Aaron and his sons are consecrated for their service as priests.  This is a great moment for Israel.  They will now be able to begin offering sacrifices in order to obtain forgiveness of their sins.  How important this step was for them.  Once again God has provided a way for man to obtain forgiveness and to be able to worship Him. 

Question:  Why did Aaron and his sons present their offering first (9:7) before presenting the people’s offering (9:15)?

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Week 43, Day 5: The priest are consecrated

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 29:1-46

Some thoughts from the reading…

Now that the instructions for constructing the tent of meeting have been given, the next “step” is to consecrate the priest to serve before the Lord.  Aaron and his sons are taken with their priestly garments and spend 7 days to go through this process.  7 is a number that we see repeated throughout the scriptures used in connection with holiness.  This process would set them apart as holy and able to serve in the role of priests.  At the same time they were to make atonement for the altar and consecrate the altar as well (vs. 37).  This action introduces an interesting action that we will see from time to time.  During certain occations the priests were to anoint the articles of the tent with blood.  By doing this they were cleansing the items, purging them.  We will talk more about this as we see this taking place.  

Question:  Why was their a need to go through a process to consecrate the priests and the altar?

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Week 43, Day 4: The priestly garments

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 28:1-43

Some thoughts from the reading…

It is impressive to envision what the garments of the high priest looked like.  They were to be “for glory and for beauty” (vs 2).  There is an impressive amount of gold and fine jewels that were a part of his attire.  And I do not imagine this attire as being common in appearance in any way.  The person who made these garments was skilled and endowed with the spirit of wisdom by God (vs. 3).  Thus I believe the skill and craftmanship going into these garments would rival the best craftmanship that we could think of.  If you have ever seen the works of skilled craftmen of the past you can have some picture of what these men could have made.  Fabrege is one example.  This man made some exquisite works of art.  They have some amazing detail crafted into the work (look up the imperial egg on the internet for an example).  This might give us some understanding of what a skilled person whom God gave a spirit of wisdom could accomplish.  These garments were not something that looked like a 4th grader made in wood shop.  They were crafted “for glory and for beauty”.  I am not saying that the garments had to be something complex in design, they could have been simple in design, but they were certainly beautiful to behold.

I also want to encourage you to consider what the high priest would have looked like when he was working around the tent of meeting.  All of the gold shinning in the sunlight must have been impressive.  Even in the material of his garments themselves, gold was woven into the material (Exo 39:3).  Gold thread was woven into the garments themselves.  It must have been very impressive to see the high priest.

Something else that I think is interesting is the addition of bells to the high priest’s robe.  So as he walked around there was a tinkling sound heard (vs. 35).  This passage mentions that these bells were on him so that he will be heard coming and going before the Lord and not die.  I do not understand why this is needed but it was what God commanded to be done.

Question:  Why do you think God gave these skilled workers a spirit of wisdom?

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