Jehovah’s Glory Appears Leviticus 9-10

You are the son of an ancient Israelite, of the tribe of Levi.  The prophet instructs you that today the LORD’s glory will appear before everyone and we need to prepare the proper sacrifices to atone not only for yourself but for the rest of the nation.  Today is a special day because the LORD Himself is going to visit the nation with His glory to commemoratee the instition of your father, Aaron as the chief priest, as well as your position as priest for the nation.  You have spent the last week inside the tabernacle going over and over the proper way sacrifices must be cleaned, killed, and prepared.  You are told that because of the LORD’s holy character there is no room for mistakes in His presence.  What a human priest might think maybe be frivilous protocol, may be the difference between staying alive in God’s holy presence.

The stage is now set, and you father Aaron has prepared the atonement sacrifice. The sacrifices has been prepared according to the Lord’s intructions is now sitting on the altar but with no fire yet lit under it. The prophet Moses and you father Aaron step ouf the tabernacle together and bless the people according to the Lord’s instructions and has they do, the “Glory” of The Lord appears before the people, and a fire spills out from the mansifestation and consumes the atonment sacrifice.  The people immediately fall on their faces before such an awesome sight, and a very reverant worship continues.  Nobody is faking it now, nobody is pretending; the sight of a very awesome God instills reverant fear into the hearts of all behold Him.

You suddenly remember that you are a priest in this awesome God’s service.  For whatever reason you take the censor at your side and fill it with burning embers and begin to offer your own style of worship.  Surely being a priest must mean that you have some authority to put your own spin on things right?  After all, God really is only concerned with the sincerity of one’s heart and not all the technical stuff right?

But the folly of your actions is realized too late.  The same magnificent awe inspiring fire that ignited the sacrifice completely consumes you in a flash. Fear falls on the people watching and become distressed, especially your father, the chief priest.  At your death, some people now understand that God’s Holiness does not mix with sin or mistakes.  Others may question God’s holiness, making judgements without understanding it and how it requires perfection from those in His presence.  How can the love of God and His holiness ever mix with sinners? But whatever the case, a question is raised, “Who is there among men that can stand before God’s holy presence and live?”

All it would take is a single impure thought, motive, or breach of protocol.  If there is no priest abel to stand before a Holy God, then who can effectively speak to God on the behalf of a sinful people let alone atone for them?

This question was answered on the cross and the earth shook.  Jesus the Son of God took that position and completed the whole work of a priest and more.  He not only became the priest, and the sacrifice, but also our friend.  He understood our failures and He served rather be served.  He stood in our presence when we could not stand in His and condemned us not, but offered to us a sure hope.  A hope that when we believe on His name and come humbly to the cross we find that God will accept us through Jesus.

Without Jesus there is no place for us to stand as priests before God because He is a God of consuming fire, for we ourselves would be consumed. But now those who love Jesus stand as priests for Him, even as friends already accepted and beloved by God.