Leviticus Lesson 5

Leviticus

Lesson 5

Hi! Welcome Back!

As you, no doubt, recall, in our last lesson, among other things, we discovered what the word, Holy, means.

In this lesson, we are going to look at Holy and Holiness in Worship in more detail. Specifically, we are going to see what happens when a Holy person or nation approaches a Holy God. And, we are also going to see what happens when an UNholy person attempts to approach God in a way that is NOT approved by God, in a way that is of the "individual's" own making and choosing.

We will learn that there is a right way and a wrong way to approach a Holy God and that there are very awesome and significant consequences resulting from these 2 different ways of approaching God.

So, with that in mind, let's continue in our study of Leviticus.

Ready for an assignment? Sure. So, your assignment now is to read Leviticus Chapters 9 and 10. Just read them. Do not get involved in details or specifics. Don't look for anything to mark. Just simply read these two chapters. When you are finished, there will be some questions for you to answer, but they will not be difficult. So, don't worry about them now. Just read.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< Pause while you do this assignment <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

Ok! Finished! Great! So, now, let's think about what you just read. For you surely noticed that there was a vast difference in what happened as a result of the "worship" that occurred in Chapter 9 when compared with that which was done in Chapter 10. But, the question is WHY? Why were the consequences of the way the worship was done in Chapter 9 so strikingly different from that in Chapter 10?

Well, that is what we want to find out now, because the answer to this question is the reason why these two chapters are in the Bible. They are there to teach us something VERY important about Worship.

So, let's find out what it is that the Bible is telling us about approaching God in Worship -- How to do it and how NOT to do it.

And a good way to do this is to do a side by side comparison of the events in these two chapters. This will help us to see the contrasts between the Right way and the Wrong way to approach God and the consequences resulting from each approach.

So, in the chart below (or on the next page), I will ask you some questions and, based on what you read in Chapters 9 and 10 of Leviticus, fill in the appropriate information in the appropriate columns. Don't go into major details, we just want to see the high points, the big picture, of what happened in these two chapters. (I will do the first two for you to give you an idea of how to do this.)

A comparison of the 2 ways to Approach and Worship a Holy God

as shown in Leviticus 9 & 10

Wow! What an awesome contrast!

Offerings to God which ARE given according to His precise specifications, rules, and ways ARE accepted by Him and will enable those making the offerings to be considered to be HOLY in the sight of God. And, in this position of Holiness, the individual (or nation, in the case of Israel) can approach and worship and fellowship with a Holy God.

But, offerings which are NOT made according to God's specifications, rules, and ways are NOT accepted by Him. And, those offering Unholy offerings are NOT declared to be Holy. Indeed, they are UNholy. And since God is a Holy God and can not associate with Unholy people, nations, or things, then the Unholy person (or nation or thing) must be and is DESTROYED!

These two chapters teach a very important principle, one that unfortunately has been overlooked by many people in the past as well as today.

Indeed, many people think that they are so special and so important that they assume that God will accept them and their sacrifices, offerings, deeds, and works on their own terms. They want to come to God on their own terms and want to do things their own way. They don't think they really have to do it God's way. They think they can do it, as the song says, "...my way...." Well, let's think about that as we remember what happened in Chapter 10;

Nadab and Abihu were indeed very special and important people among their nation. They were both not only leaders of their nation, they were also Priests! In fact, Nadab, as the oldest son of Aaron, was the next in line to be the High Priest. He certainly was "important".

And, not only that, but, less than a year before this presumptuous and tragic event, which resulted in their deaths, Nadab and Abihu had actually been personally in the presence of the awesome God! When was that? you ask. Well, let's look at that event. It occurred on Mt. Sinai and is recorded in Exodus 24. I will print it here for you. And, as you read this passage, underline the encounter that Nadab and Abihu (with others) had with the Holy God of the Universe.

Exodus 24:9-11

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise His hand against these leaders of the Israelites, they saw God, and they ate and drank.

Yes, Nadab and Abihu were "important." They had seen God! They had seen God's Glory! They had even fellowshiped with God!. They should have known better! For they, better than most, knew that God was and is a Holy God and that He demands and expects that His people be holy and to obey all of His (God's) commands. Yet, less than a year later, they presumed to make an offering which had not been requested or approved by God. They had offered UNholy fire!

And what were the consequences of this presumption -- of offering an offering that appeared to the offerers and to the viewers to be beautiful, holy, and significant --but which was an offering that was not authorized or commanded by God? What were the consequences of deciding to approach God in their own way and on their own terms? Well, we know the answer; we read it in Chapter 10. But, the answer is so important, that we need to not only read it, but, we need to firmly imprint it in our minds and on our hearts. So, in the space provided below, write what happens when a person approaches God in their own way instead of in the way that God has ordained:

(Lev. 10: 1-2)

In the next verse, Lev. 10:3, we are told WHY this sin of "doing it my way" is so offensive to God. You have already read this verse, but let me put it here for you again, perhaps in a different version from the translation you are reading. As stated in the NKJV, it is very obvious why God has such strict requirements about approaching Him.

Leviticus 10:3 NKJV

And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying:

'By those who come near Me

I must be regarded as holy;

And before all the people

I must be glorified.'"

Nadab and Abihu offered UNholy (unauthorized) fire before the Lord, contrary to His command. In so doing they showed that they did not regard God as holy. If they had, they would have been very careful to come near (approach) Him in only the precise ways that they knew that their God demanded. By offering this UNholy fire, they did not worship God in order to glorify God before the people. Rather, they wanted to do things their way.

They had decided to worship God in their own way, using their own methods and presenting their own works, thinking that God did not really mean what He said and that God would overlook the fact that this was not the way He had told them to approach and worship Him. And it cost them their lives!

Now I can just hear you thinking -- but this is surely an isolated and extreme situation. God only did that once, right? Wrong! This is not the only example of what happens when a person treats God and His holy things in an Unholy way. There are other times recorded in the Bible where people treated God or His Holy things in an Unholy way and with dire consequences resulting. In this lesson, we will look at 4 of these times.

One such time is recorded in Chapter 7 of the Book of Joshua. The event recorded there has to do with an Israelite from the tribe of Judah who, contrary to the command of God, stole some of the riches of Canaan. As a result he lost his inheritance in the promised land and the entire nation suffered a severe military defeat at the battle of Ai. If you have time, it would be good if you would read the entire chapter. But we must continue on.

Another example that shows how serious God is concerning the way people approach Him and or treat His holy things is recorded in 2 Samuel 6:1-7. This is a short but very important passage, so I will print it here for you. As you read it, put a circle around the name of the person who was killed because of his UNholy act. Also, underline WHY this person was killed and Who it was that killed him.

2 Samuel 6:1-7

(King) David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all. He and all his men set out from Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, Who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the Ark. They set the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart with the Ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the Ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

Wow! What a story! And this sounds harsh. But let's look at it.

First of all who was killed? ___________________ . And what was Uzzah doing to cause him to be killed? (Briefly, summarize the event in your own words in the space provided:)

And Who killed Uzzah? __________________ .

Why did God kill Uzzah? ______________________________________________________

You are correct, God killed Uzzah because of his irreverent act of touching the Ark of the Lord. No one, except the priests, were to ever touch the Ark and even they did not "touch" it. Rather, it was to always be handled or carried by the two long poles which had been inserted into rings on the sides of the ark. And furthermore, the Ark was not to be carried on carts or by any other means of conveyance other than by being carried by the poles which rested on the shoulders of the priests who were specifically assigned to that task. No one, even when carrying the Ark, was to touch it in any form or fashion. Uzzah knew this! David knew this. All the priests knew this. Indeed, the entire nation knew this, because detailed instructions concerning the handling of the Ark and of all the sacred objects had been given to them while at Mt. Sinai.

So, when the ark was carried on the cart, David, Uzzah, and the entire nation were handling this holy object in an UNholy way. God could have destroyed all the people for even putting it on the cart ... but He didn't, He was merciful. But, when Uzzah actually touched it, even in what appeared to be a good deed, this was the "last straw" so to speak. And he died!

Severe penalties, you say! But not really. Why? Because, God is a holy God! We can not say this enough. And the Book of Leviticus says this several times. And this theme is repeated throughout the Bible. God is H O L Y ! No ifs, ands, or buts about it! God is Holy and only holy people in holy ways can approach Him or His sacred things. Period.

And the sooner we learn this and begin to acknowledge God's holiness and recognize what it means and what it requires, the better off we will be and the more wonderful, meaningful, and intimate will be our times of worship and fellowship with our Holy God.

But these are all Old Testament examples, you say. Surely, God is different now and is more "understanding" and tolerating of what we do. Surely this severe standard of holiness has now been relaxed. After all, doesn't the New Testament say that we are now in a time of grace? So, don't we have some leeway in the way we approach God now? Surely we don't have to be THAT holy, do we? Surely God does not still demand such exactness and such holiness today, does He?

Well, before you answer those questions, let me give you a New Testament example of what happens when people try to treat God in an Unholy way, when those who come near Him do not regard him as holy and when they do not glorify Him before all the people, but rather, try to approach God on their own terms and try to pretend to be doing something holy when they are not.

Let me set the scene. Some of you know the story. It is recorded in the Book of Acts. It is in the days of the Early Church. The new Believers are beginning to meet and worship together. Many are selling what they have in order to share from their abundance with fellow believers who are in need. And ... well, let's pick up the story here as recorded in Acts 5:1-11. I will print it here for you. As you read these verses, as you did before, put a circle around the names of those who were punished by God for their Unholy acts and underline what it is that they did that was Unholy.

Acts 5:1-11

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife, Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back a part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet. Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Wow!

So now we have seen examples in both the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

But, why are these examples of such extreme consequences recorded for us in the Bible? And why doesn't everyone who does something UNholy also get zapped and zotted immediately by fire or death or whatever? Why some and why not others, you ask?

Good question! And actually, it IS the grace and mercy of God that has often delayed the punishment for Unholy acts. But, all sin and all Unholiness will one day be punished. So don't think you are getting away with something when you do a sinful or Unholy act or deed and are not immediately "zapped or zotted."

God is watching and taking note of all that you do. And, if, you have not confessed and repented of these deeds and if you have not accepted the free gift of forgiveness from Jesus (which provides the required covering for your sin and Unholiness by Jesus' blood sacrifice), then you will pay the penalty for them at the time of the Bema Judgment or at the Great White Throne Judgment, depending on which one you will be attending. (If you are not aware of what these Judgments are, how they differ, and what happens at each, there is a Bible study on our web site which will give you the details. So, we will not go into the details now. Just know that ALL that you do that is Unholy IS being recorded and there will be a price to pay. And either you will pay the penalty price OR you will let Jesus' sacrifice pay the penalty for you. It is up to you to decide who will pay, but rest assured, someone will.)

But, back to the question at hand. Which is -- Why did only some receive such severe and immediate penalties for their Unholy acts?

Well, as you probably have noticed, there seems to be a pattern concerning the timing of the Unholy acts that were reported in these Scriptures and the punishment that resulted. If you look at them closely, they all seem to have occurred at the beginning of something. Let's think about that.

In the case of Nadab and Abihu, they had just become __________________ for the Nation of Israel. Indeed, Israel was just now becoming a Nation and was receiving her laws, rules, and regulations concerning how to live with each other, as well as concerning how to obey, serve, approach, and worship their Holy God. Therefore, does it make sense that since this is a new beginning for them (as priests), their nation, and the worship of their God, then, any action that was Unholy and which did not bring glory, praise and honor to their Holy God should be met with severe punishment? Yes!

Why? (write your answer in the space below.)

Yes, you are correct. Whenever there is a new beginning of anything -- whether you are beginning to teach a child "right from wrong", or to obey you as a parent, or whether it is the first day of school, or whatever the beginning is -- whenever new rules, regulations, standards, beginnings, etc are occurring, it is essential to let the child, students, or people, know and understand the importance of the rules, laws, standards, and requirements.. They must understand that these new standards and rules MUST be obeyed and adhered to. They must know that these are not suggestions. They must know and understand that these are THE standards and requirements and that any deviation from them MUST and WILL be strictly and immediately punished. Anything less will result in the rules not being taken seriously and soon disobedience and defiance will be the rule instead of the exception.. Every parent, teacher, policeman, judge, etc. knows and understands this principle. And, now the people of Israel, involved in this "new beginning" of their nation and of their worship of their Holy God, will also understand that God says what He means and means what He says!

In the case of the Israelite from the tribe of Judah (in Joshua 7) who lost his inheritance and whose unholy act resulted in military defeat at the battle of Ai., one of the lessons to be learned is that not only will unholiness cause personal loss, but it also often causes severe consequences to others who were not even aware of or involved in the unholy act. But, also, the timing here is significant in explaining the severity of what happened to him and his fellow citizens. For, at the time of his Unholiness before God, the Nation of Israel was finally entering the promised land and was beginning their new life in that Land. God, therefore, was showing them once again that it was He Who is the One they are to worship and to obey and that He will not tolerate people treating Him or His sacred things in an unholy way.

And, concerning the death of Uzzah when he touched the Ark of God, there are several lessons to be learned. One of these lessons is that those who claim to serve God (David, Uzzah, whomever) must acknowledge God's Holiness, Sovereignty, and Rule. And they (and we) must follow and obey precisely and in every detail, all of the demands and commands of God. This is not optional. God's laws and rules are not suggestions. They are His commands. It is not up to us to figure out the way we want to do things. Those who serve God are to serve Him according to His plans and rules.

However, there us also the lesson to be learned concerning the timing of when Uzzah touched the Ark and was killed by God. This Unholy act occurred at the beginning of the Rule and Reign of King David. Another beginning! And, once again, God is emphasizing to David and to the Nation Israel that He is God and that He is to be obeyed in all things and in all ways. Improvisation on His laws is NOT and would not be allowed (then or now).

And, concerning the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, these occurred at the beginning of the _____________ age.

Yes, as the Church age was being instituted, their deaths emphasize that God is still on His throne, He is still a Holy God, and that He still can not and will not tolerate sin and Unholiness in any form or from any person, even if that person is "important" or is a "leader in the Church."

The new Church had to be made aware of the fact that they existed for God and not visa versa. The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira provided another affirmation that all worship and offerings must be holy and not Unholy fire.

Indeed the comparison between the "worship" of Nadab and Abihu and that of Ananias and Sapphira is remarkable. Think about those two events and, in the space below, write what you see in the way of comparison of their offerings, the results of their actions, what God seems to be teaching to each group they represented, and why.

Yes, Just as Nadab and Abilhu's unholy worship resulted in their deaths, similarly, that of Ananias and Sapphira did also. In both situations, the punishment for UNholy worship was intended to make the Jewish nation (in the case of Nadab and Abihu) and the Christians and the new Church (in the case of the deaths of 2 of their leaders, Ananias and Sapphira) acutely aware that God is a holy God and that He must be approached and worshiped only by holy people, holy God honoring methods, and in truthfulness and honesty.

And, just as Nadab and Abihu were important people in the new Nation of Israel and were religious leaders, Priests, in that nation, -- similarly, Ananias and Sapphira were Christians and active and important leaders and members of the new Church. Their actions were watched by others. People would pattern their lives and actions based on what they saw their leaders do. Therefore, God could not allow such Unholy acts to go unpunished, especially at the beginning. Immediate and appropriate punishment had to be meted out to serve as examples and to invoke a Godly fear in the people of the Nation of Israel and in the Christians of the new Church. It was essential and important to set the ground rules of these new beginnings and to show the seriousness of what is involved in approaching, worshiping, and serving a Holy God in an Unholy way.

Indeed, in all 4 of these situations (which we read that were recorded in the OT and the NT), we see a commonality of new beginnings and an occasion where someone tried to usurp and circumvent the explicit commands of God. In each case, they tried to approach God with offerings or acted in ways that were Unholy! This is never acceptable to God, but it is especially unacceptable at the beginning of anything. Standards have been set and they must be upheld. These illustrations of the consequences of UNholiness are meant to serve as examples!

In each of those situations in the past and, sadly, in innumerable situations today, we see people trying to do things their way instead of God's way. This will never work. If a person is going to acknowledge Holy God as his God, then he must approach, worship, serve, and obey God in a holy way. All other approaches are unacceptable and must be punished.

So, from the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, as God began His Nation, to the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, at the beginning of the Church, the principle is clear! It doesn't matter if a person is important, or if they are a leader of their nation or of the church, or even that they are priests or prominent and wealthy members of the Church -- God is Holy and the only way that anyone (important or not) can come near (approach) God is by regarding Him as holy and by being holy themselves and by offering holy offerings to Him, their Holy God.

Yes, there is a Right way and a Wrong way to approach and worship a Holy God. You can approach Him with Holy Fire, the offerings and sacrifices which He has commanded. Or, you can approach Him with Unholy fire, the offerings and sacrifices and deeds that you have thought up and decided would be the way to approach Him. One way brings holiness and life. The other brings death and loss.

So, you can either approach God HIS way

or,

you can approach Him in YOUR way --singing, as the song says .... "I did it my way !"

But, be careful, be very careful which way you choose, because, as we have discovered,

there is a difference --a big difference in the results !

Leviticus 10:3 NKJV

And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying:

'By those who come near Me

I must be regarded as holy;

And before all the people

I must be glorified.'"

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from

The NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION.

Used by permission of Zondervan Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW KING JAMES VERSION

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