In the foregoing message we covered the lesson for the priests. In this message we will consider the regulations for the priests.
Although on a day of glory, a day full of blessing and enjoyment, something severe happened to Aaron (10:1-11), in 10:12 we have a further expression of God’s mercy and grace. “Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who remained, Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of Jehovah by fire and eat it unleavened beside the altar, for it is most holy.” This verse speaks not of the burnt offering, the sin offering, or the trespass offering but the meal offering. The meal offering here is a matter of God’s mercy and grace. To our thought, immediately after the correction in 10:1-11, Aaron and his sons needed a sin offering. But Moses told them to eat the meal offering. Something was presented to Aaron and his sons for their eating. To give others something to eat at the time of need is to show them mercy.
The holy fire that consumed Nadab and Abihu was for judgment. This judgment was exercised not on unbelievers but on God’s people. According to 1 Corinthians 11:27-32, this kind of judgment is a disciplinary punishment, a merciful correction, not a judgment for perdition. The judgment of God on Aaron’s two sons did not terminate God’s mercy on His people. As Leviticus 10:12 indicates, here God’s mercy went along with His punishment and correction.
Aaron and his sons ate the remainder of the meal offering, of the offerings of Jehovah by fire, without leaven in a holy place beside the altar, as their portion (vv. 12-13). This signifies that the remaining part of Christ in His humanity as our meal offering is for us, the New Testament priests, to enjoy as our portion. According to Leviticus 2, the top portion of the meal offering, with the frankincense, was to be offered to God by fire. The remainder of the meal offering was for the priests. As the meal offering, Christ is firstly for God’s satisfaction, and then He is for our enjoyment and satisfaction.
Once again I would emphasize the fact that the meal offering in verses 12 and 13 comes immediately after the disciplinary judgment upon Nadab and Abihu and indicates that God is merciful. After this death-judgment Moses did not say, “Aaron, you have made mistakes, and now is the time for you to offer a sin offering to God.” Rather, instead of telling Aaron and his sons to offer a sin offering or a burnt offering, Moses told them to eat the remainder of the meal offering. This indicates that the judging and correcting God continues to be merciful.
The meal offering, which was most holy, was to be eaten in a holy place, that is, in a place where God is. This means that the meal offering was to be eaten in God’s presence. Furthermore, it was to be eaten beside the cross (the altar). Without the cross we have no position to enjoy anything of Christ. Also, the meal offering was to be eaten without sin (unleavened) as an offering that could be accepted by God in the fire of His holiness.
The breast of the people’s peace offerings as the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering offered to Jehovah with the offerings by fire of the portions of fat were to be eaten by the priests in a clean place (vv. 14-15). This signifies that we, the New Testament priests, share with God some aspects of Christ as the believers’ peace offering.
The breast of the wave offering signifies the loving capacity of Christ in His resurrection. Christ has the particular capacity to love with God’s love. His loving capacity is not in the natural life but in resurrection.
The thigh of the heave offering signifies Christ’s strengthening power in His ascension. The strongest parts of our physical body are the thighs. They have not only the standing power but also the strengthening power. Today Christ is strengthening us in His ascension.
The breast and the thigh were to be eaten in a clean place, signifying a clean condition apart from sin or any negative thing. Furthermore, they were to be eaten as an offering that could be accepted by God in the fire of His holiness.
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