Calling and Character – From the inside out – Leviticus 10:1-20

Calling and Character – From the inside out – Leviticus 10:1-20

Leviticus 10:1-20

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers,
put fire in them and added incense; and they offered
unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his
command. 2So fire came out from the presence of the
LORD and consumed them, and they died before the
LORD. 3Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD
spoke of when he said:
“ ‘Among those who approach me
I will show myself holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.’ ”
Aaron remained silent.
4Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of
Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here;
carry your cousins outside the camp, away from the
front of the sanctuary.” 5So they came and carried
them, still in their tunics, outside the camp, as Moses
ordered.
6Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and
Ithamar, “Do not let your hair become unkempt, d and
do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the LORD
will be angry with the whole community. But your relatives,
all the house of Israel, may mourn for those the
LORD has destroyed by fire. 7Do not leave the entrance to
the Tent of Meeting or you will die, because the LORD’s
anointing oil is on you.” So they did as Moses said.
8Then the LORD said to Aaron, 9“You and your sons
are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever
you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is
a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 10You
must distinguish between the holy and the common,
between the unclean and the clean, 11and you must
teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given
them through Moses.”
12Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar
and Ithamar, “Take the grain offering left over from
the offerings made to the LORD by fire and eat it prepared
without yeast beside the altar, for it is most holy.
13Eat it in a holy place, because it is your share and your
sons’ share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire; for
so I have been commanded. 14But you and your sons
and your daughters may eat the breast that was waved
and the thigh that was presented. Eat them in a ceremonially
clean place; they have been given to you and your
children as your share of the Israelites’ fellowship offerings.
15The thigh that was presented and the breast
that was waved must be brought with the fat portions of
the offerings made by fire, to be waved before the LORD
as a wave offering. This will be the regular share for you
and your children, as the LORD has commanded.”
16When Moses inquired about the goat of the sin offering
and found that it had been burned up, he was
angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining
sons, and asked, 17“Why didn’t you eat the sin offering in
the sanctuary area? It is most holy; it was given to you to
take away the guilt of the community by making atonement
for them before the LORD. 18Since its blood was
not taken into the Holy Place, you should have eaten
the goat in the sanctuary area, as I commanded.”
19Aaron replied to Moses, “Today they sacrificed
their sin offering and their burnt offering before the
LORD, but such things as this have happened to me.
Would the LORD have been pleased if I had eaten the sin
offering today?” 20When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.