For those of
you who have been following the Parashot (parashas) each week, recently, in Parashat
Shmini (shortly after the death of Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s oldest two), an interesting
episode concerning Aaron’s two other sons is being described. It is this
incident that prompted one of those “Oh wow, I’ve not seen this previously!” But before we go there, I want to interject
that lately my mind has been focused on Yeshua’s last Pesach meal with His
disciples. In John 18:1 it says: “When Yeshua had spoken these words, He went
out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which
He and His disciples entered.” What were
the words that Yeshua had just spoken? What did He say to His disciples before
they entered the garden? Actually, in
order to find out what Yeshua shared with them at that time we need to go all
the way back to John 13:31, to the moment after He sent Judas Iscariot out on a
mission, which the others thought was to buy food for the next night’s
Seder. So with the “last supper” in mind,
we go back now to Moses, who was scolding Aaron because Itamar and Elazar, who
when sacrificing the sin offering (korban chatat) were supposed to eat it, so
that the congregation of Israel could be forgiven, did not do so. Instead, they let it burn up completely, which
means that its purpose was lost while what they
did could be classified as profaning the holy which may have even cost them
their lives. This was the reason Moses
was so angry at Aaron. (See Leviticus
10:12-20, especially vs. 16-18.)
It seems
strange that this mistake by the two boys (which brought about an insight) somehow
eluded me, when just a couple of Parashot ago we were taught about korban chatat
that was to be eaten by the officiating priests (Lev. 6:25-26). But what
now caught my inner eye was twofold. At
that last meal Yeshua focused on the “sin offering” that He was to become for
humanity (see John 1:29; Rom. 8:3b; 2nd Cor. 5:21). Therefore, when
He said to His disciples “take eat, this is my body,” He was referring to that
specific offering. What’s more, because
only the priests were to partake of this offering, it brought me back to YHVH’s
declared intent for Israel to become His priestly nation (see Exodus 19:6).
Is this another
birthmark of our identity as Israel, and why we can no longer be identified
with any other nation? Formerly, you
from the lost sheep of the House of Israel, were totally identified to the
nation of your residence, but now you belong to the commonwealth of Israel,
and all that pertains to it.
The sin offering connection is fascinating! Thank you for sharing your insight!
ReplyDeleteInderdaad, zoals U zei: "Oh wauw, ik heb dit niet eerder gezien!", Dank U wel
ReplyDeleteWow! So in other words Yeshua was making the declaration to the disciples that they are a kingdom of priests and a set apart nation!! It was ushered in at that moment!! Have we truly operated in this understanding is now the question that is before us?
ReplyDeleteThank you Ephraim for sharing the insight. It is a conformation of something I have believed all along, the Melekizedek Priesthood (first-born position) that was placed on corporate Israel in Exodus 4:22-23, “You shall say to Pharaoh, Thus said YHWH, Yisrael is My son, My first-born, so I say to you, let My son go to serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, see, I am killing your son, first-born”, was not negated by the Aaronic Priesthood.
ReplyDeleteThis goes along with Exodus 19:5-6, verse 5 “Now, If you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. Verse 6, “and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation. Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisrael. All those of the nation of Yisrael that diligently obey YHWH’s voice are still a reign of Melekizedek priests.
This appointment was not negated when Levi was chosen to serve before YHWH, after the golden calf incident. We know this because Peter affirms the statement in Exodus 4:22-23 in 1 Peter 2:9.
With all this said, I have wondered also about why Aaron did not allow the eating of the sin sacrifice which shows the acceptance and atonement of YHWH for Yisrael.
When I was looking at all the circumstances of this occurrence it came to me that the death of Nadab and Avihu was a generational curse. Why I think this is something I have noticed, which I have come to call a biblical principle, is that sinning when you have the knowledge that what you are doing is a sin against YHWH comes with a price. A sin unto death will bring death.
The instances that we can see in scriptures are as follows. Adam knowingly sinned and lost two sons, one to exile and the other to death. Judah descended to a cursed people and took a wife, then producing three sons. He lost the first and second born to death. Elimelek, Ruth’s father-in-law descended to Edom, a forbidden people, and lost his first and second born to death. King David descended to a forbidden woman, the wife of Uriah, and lost three sons. The tribe of Judah descended to idols and the gods of other nations and lost two temples.
Aaron who was left in charge of the people had, along with all Israel, just pronounced that they would do all that YHWH had said, when He spoke the commandments from the fire and smoke. Aaron knew what he was doing when he made the golden calf. The payment for that sin was high.
If Aaron was paying the price for a known sin would it have been proper for him to precipitate atonement for the community? The cleansing of the High Priest has to be done before He can officiate the atonement for the sins of the community.
Just some of my thoughts.