Leviticus 9 Expecting the Glory of God
Leviticus • Sermon • Submitted
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· 112 viewsThis chapter reveals the desire of God to fellowship with His people. He wants to dwell with them and be worshipped by them. He wnats us to know Him and this chapter lays out the manner in which that is made possible. The passage also reveals that those who have this hope will live pure lives.
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Introduction
Introduction
what a marvelous scene of the process of acceptance of the people by the Lord. It must have been an awesome sight. for the last week Moses had been offering the sacrifices for Aaron and His sons as they were being consecrated for this service. Now that was finished, they were consecrated and ready to begin the ministry God had for them. What was the purpose of all of this? , so that His people would know and worship Him.
God wants His people to know Him. To know someone you have to spend time with them. You have to dwell with them for a time. but how do you get to know God who is holy when our unholiness prevents us from being in His presence? That is where this chapter and this book comes into the picture. It is a precursor to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now to help us discern this there are three sections in this chapter,
I. The promise of His presence, 1-7
II. The path to His presence, 8-21
III. The product of His presence, 22-24
I. The promise of His presence, 1-7
The thought that God wants to make Himself known to you and me is mind boggling to say the least. Nevertheless, He wants us to know him. 2x, v.4,6 Moses states “the Lord ill appear to you.’ the first time it is in perfect tense. He speaks as though it has already happened. Emphasizing that His appearance is certain. the second time it is imperfect and the idea is that of purpose.
Aaron and his sons have been consecrated to the Lord. They are holy and fit to serve as Priests. Their holiness remember is not their own, but what has been provided them through the divinely given coverings, consecrated vessels and the sacrifices that make atonement for them and the people, v.7.
So now Aaron, through no merit of his own is prepared to make sacrifices for himself and the people.
And they come to the front of the tent of meeting where they stand before the Lord. Notice the times it says “before the Lord” v.2 “offer before the Lord”
v.4 “sacrifice before the Lord”
v. 5 “stood before the Lord”
These coupled with the 2 mentions of the Lord’s appearance makes clear the promise of His presence
The fact that the sin offering, burnt offering, for the priests, and the sin, burnt, peace, and grain offerings for the people underscores the necessity of forgiveness for sin before one can be in God’s presence.
“Kaiser is certainly right when he states: “The closer one follows the Lord in obedience and service, the more conscious that person becomes of how short each individual falls from the holy standard of God.” ( Rooker, M. F. (2000). Leviticus (Vol. 3A, p. 150). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Atonement has to be made for sin before one can enjoy God’s presence.
1 Rooker, M. F. (2000). Leviticus (Vol. 3A, p. 150). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
II. The path to His presence, v.8-21
This path is spelled out in two aspects, that of the High priest and that of the people.
Notice the process of the offering. Aaron has to offer a calf for himself which most surely corresponds to the sin of the golden calf. With the animal slain, blood applied, the proper sin offering burned, with the carcase burned outside the camp. Then the burnt offering and blood applied. This atones for his sin.
then we have the offering for the people, v.15-21 with the sin, burnt, grain, peace offering made. the blood applied and wave offering made before the Lord.
The order of the offerings is once again of importance. As Wiersbe asserts, “We must first deal with our sins before we can dedicate ourselves totally to the Lord; then we can enjoy fellowship with Him.”1
1 Rooker, M. F. (2000). Leviticus (Vol. 3A, pp. 152–153). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Of the three concepts enunciated, the one that had priority concerned cleansing from sin, denoted by the sin offering. When proper atonement had been made, the worshipper was to surrender his life and labour to God, as indicated by the burnt and cereal offerings. Finally, he was to enjoy fellowship with God within the context of a communion meal, which the peace offering furnished.
III. The product of His presence, 22-24
A. Aaron’s prayer of blessing,
Jewish tradition says this was prayer more for the people to experience God’s power, presence and peace.
After that He came down from the altar which was about 4.5 feet tall, where he finished offering the sacrifices that provided the path to His presence. the blessing of the people was one of the duties of the Priest, ; .
At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord to stand before the Lord to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day.
Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled.
This reminds us of the work on the cross of Jesus
This reminds us of the work on the cross of Jesus
B. The glory of God appears,
Moses and Aaron had entered the holy place of the tabernacle, and remember according to the tabernacle had already been filled with the glory of God so this is only about a week later.
They blessed the people together when they came out. Maybe the same blessing.
The glory of God appears and fire consumes the offering. This shows that God accepts them.
The glory of the Lord- associated with the cloud at Mt. Sinai,
This reminds us of the work on the cross of Jesus
The glory of the Lord- associated with the cloud at Mt. Sinai,
. it rests on the tabernacle, now it does here.
It shows God’s desire to dwell with His people. as seen during the exodus.
It left the people of Israel under Eli in
It filled the temple at the Dedication of the temple of Solomon
the glory leaves the temple
Returns with Jesus John 1:14
It will fill the whole earth one day,
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!
; ; . Isaiah speaks of a coming time when all will see His glory and He will be present with men, ; .
Isaiah speaks of a coming time when all will see His glory and He will be present with men,
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
; .
This showed in our text God’s approval and acceptance of Aaron’s blessing and sacrifices.
The glory that dwelt in the tabernacle eventually left the camp because of the sins of the people (). It returned at the dedication of the temple, but then the Prophet Ezekiel watched it depart because the nation had become so sinful (; ; , ; ). The glory came to earth when Jesus was born () and tabernacled in Him (), but sinful people nailed that glory to a cross. Today, God’s glory dwells in the bodies of His people (), in each local assembly of His people (3:16–17), and in His church collectively (). One day, we shall see that glory lighting the perfect heavenly city that God is preparing for His people ().
Then fire comes down V24
1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Holy (pp. 37–38). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
V24
Fire- often symbolizes God’s presence as in the pillar of fire during the Exodus, the burning bush, ; Mt. Sinai, . also i think of Elijah and the offering there in that was consumed by fire. and in at the end of Solomon’s prayer
John’s statement in about Jesus baptizing with spirit and fire, of course the Holy Spirit like a fire coming on believers at Pentecost.The fact is the glory of God is seen in the church and in the believers.
1 Cor. 6.19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
God’s glory appears in an astounding way.
God’s glory appears in an astounding way.
C. the response of the people ,
1 Rooker, M. F. (2000). Leviticus (Vol. 3A, pp. 155–156). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
They shouted and fell down on their faces.
However, surely the shout aloud was due to a mix of emotions, fear and joy and thanksgiving that God was present with them.
However, surely the shout aloud was due to a mix of emotions, fear and joy and thanksgiving that God was present with them.
They were completely submissive to the Lord.
Conclusion
The fact that God appeared to the people shows that God had accepted them and received their worship. The priesthood was accomplishing their purpose. The offerings were accepted. ,; .
It also shows that God wants us to know Him, . This is what stands behind this promise to appear to them. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. He reveals His glory to us. In NT, ; reinforce that Jesus is the one who provides for us this experience. He provides the way for relationship to Him, ; .
This also points out that that those who see His glory also reverence Him. The fall down before Him. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge according to Proverbs. This fire coming down and consuming the offering is an awesome, fearsome display of His power, who in their right mind would not fear Him.?
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
These verses spell out our response to and the hope of seeing the presence of God
1 Rooker, M. F. (2000). Leviticus (Vol. 3A, p. 150). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.