On the same day, the very day of their ordination, two of the priests, Nadab and Abihu, sinned grievously, offending God’s holiness. The Lord killed them. We learn sober lessons. God regulates worship. Worshipping the Lord is a matter of life and death. Destruction comes to all who do not worship God as he has revealed himself.

Because Leviticus is at times hard to get a handle on or difficult to read, it’s wise to think about the book’s big picture. We’re learning the logic of the book. That’s what we’ve been doing in this brief series. In Leviticus 1-7, we highlighted God’s promised fulfillments to give us access into his presence, assurance of his love, peace with him, purification of our sins, and forgiveness for our infidelity. In Leviticus 11-15, we watch out for the serpent (11), the Seed/Son (12), the spreading of sin (13-14), and sanctification (15).

Our focus now is on that bridging section in chapters 8-10. To frame our thinking, and to bridge the gap between 1-7 and 11-15, we need two things: Place and Priests. In chapters 1-7, we have the sacrifices necessary to offer for the people because of ritual and moral impurity. In chapters 11-15, we have the way prescribed for how to maintain purity in the camp. Now, chapters 8-10 form one literary unit. They are a single story running throughout three chapters. The story being told is that God makes a way for his people to be with him in his place and mediated through his priests. God provides the place and the priests for his people. The Lord accomplishes this through the ordination and installation of his ministers.

Leviticus 8-9: Consecrated Place & Priests

Because God in Christ cares for his place and his people, he purifies and atones them. In 8-10, we come to the very first ordination and installation service, the moment that all future Levitical priests of Israel would turn to as their own origin story as priests in God’s world. If God is going to manifest his majesty and munificence, he will need a consecrated place. The consecration will take place through sacrificial blood and anointing oil. Your family has a place to be (regardless of the size), to commune with each other, to live life with one another. In a similar way, God provides a place for his people to draw near to him, feast with him, and live with him. By consecration, this place, the Tabernacle, becomes a holy space for the Lord’s holy saints. God sets apart this Tabernacle for his people to come, worship, and meet with him. When the Son of God came to the earth, he Tabernacled among us, choosing to dwell with his people. At his baptism, the Spirit of anointing flew upon him, setting him apart unto the Father. At Bethany, when the woman fell at Jesus’ feet, she anointed them for burial, for wherever he walked, his feet made holy ground. When we, the Temple of God, assemble for worship, we meet God in his heavenly holy place. There’s no better place to be assembled, sprinkled seven times with salvation, worshipping God.

Read More