By Kyle Beshears
Instructor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
Set Apart
Leviticus 9:15–24; 10:1–3
Cleansed (9:15–21)
“Why is your god so obsessed with blood? Isn’t that rather gory?” I was once asked these questions by a well-meaning skeptic who was honestly puzzled by passages such as these in Leviticus. Can you blame him? Slaughtering, blood splattering, burnt pieces of animal flesh; the Motion Picture Association of America would certainly not rate this passage for a general audience were it made into a film. Why? Because atonement is a messy affair. God is not obsessed with blood; rather He is ardently passionate for reconciliation.
Such passages show the extreme lengths God is willing to go in order to reconcile us to Himself. The blood of goats and oxen was meant to remind Israel of the reality of sin’s consequences. “The wages of sin is death,” Paul reminds us (Rom. 6:23a). Seeing the blood of animals drain from their bodies was a grisly and uncomfortable experience, which was precisely the point. We are not meant to be comfortable with sin or death. Yet the reality remains — our sin leads to death.
Praise be to God, however, that the blood of goats and oxen also was meant to cast Israel’s hopes forward, “a shadow of the good things to come” as the author of Hebrews says (Heb. 10:1). This gruesome system of sacrifice foreshadowed the ardently passionate work of Christ on the cross for our reconciliation. Animal sacrifice does not save us. Only Christ’s shed blood and the victory of His resurrection can save. Faithful belief in this fact, coupled with the confession of sin, is the only way to experience reconciliation with God.
Blessing (9:22–24)
The offering made was an offering received. God’s presence was made known to the people as a consuming fire accepted their offering. As before, this scene foreshadows the perfect sacrifice of Christ accepted by God.
It is important to note that God’s presence came as the sacrifice was being made. Christ’s sacrifice makes it possible to be in God’s presence, a blessing beyond description. Elsewhere, the Bible tells us that God is not satisfied to reconcile one or two people here and there. No, His ultimate goal is a much grander reconciliation — sin and death will be destroyed and God’s presence will forever fill the earth as His people worship and glorify Him (Isa. 6:3, Ps. 57:5). A preview of this beautiful scene is given in this passage, where God’s presence, having been welcomed by sacrifice, results in the people’s worship.
Holy (10:1–3)
This is a familiar pattern within the community of Israel. God acts in mercy and blessing but Israel responds with shortcomings and failures. At the peak of this grand inauguration of the priestly system, Aaron’s two sons failed to obey God’s statutes and were killed as a result. The punishment might seem severe but it serves to remind us of the seriousness of sin against the backdrop of the holiness of God. Had God allowed this transgression to go unpunished, their carelessness would spill over into Israel’s neglecting of the whole law. Additionally this sacrifice can have no more or less than what God requires, which in turn is a stark reminder of our relationship to Christ’s sacrifice. Christ offered no less to God than perfection; we cannot offer more to Christ’s finished work by way of our own works.
The lesson we learn from Aaron’s sons is valuable. Our worship of God cannot be marked with carelessness or irreverence. Praise God that He has indwelled us with His Holy Spirit so that we may worship Him in spirit and in truth.
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