Old Testament – Page 17 – Scripture Storyline

Numbers 11-14; Psalms 90, 95

If one is following the progress of the plot from Genesis to Revelation, Numbers 11-14 stands tall. It is not an overstatement to suggest that from the call of Abraham (see Gen 12:1-3) onward, the biblical narrative has focused on Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land. Tragic is the episode of Numbers 11-14.

Each of the three scenes in Numbers 11-12 is a variegated arrangement of the same elements: complaints from Israelites, Moses’ “complaint” for God’s mercy, and God’s jealous response. This pattern was displayed when the Israelites grumbled about their general hardships (Num 11:1-3) and complained about manna (Num 11:4-35), and when Miriam and Aaron protested against Moses’ authority (Num 12:1-16).

Israel’s pervasive complaining in Numbers 11-12 fostered a culture of unbelief. God commissioned scouts from among the various tribes to survey Canaan (Num 13:1-20). Outstanding was the reflexive instruction for the scouts to be courageous, surveying the land for their own benefit (Num 13:20). Upon their return they gave a favorable report concerning the produce of the land: “Indeed, it is flowing with milk and honey, and here is some of its fruit” (Num 13:27). Yet, in their cowering minds the glory of the land’s abundance was not to be compared with the superlative military strength of the people and cities of Canaan.

The seeds of doubt in the report of the ten quickly produced the fruit of moaning amongst the congregation—even to the degree that they again longed for the days of slavery in Egypt (Num 14:1-4). In the midst of this growing skepticism amongst the spies and the congregation of Israel, four men persevered in faith: Caleb (Num 13:30), Joshua, Moses, and Aaron (Num 14:5-9). God buttressed their faith in His presence at the tent of meeting—even while “the whole community threatened to stone them” (Num 14:10).

Numbers 14 records God’s censure of the complaining and doubt of the people. When God confided in Moses that He was ready to destroy the nation and start over with him (Num 14:11-12), Moses begged for God to yet pursue His glory through His people (Num 14:13-19; see Psalm 90). Nevertheless, the unbelieving members of the congregation were sentenced to life and death outside of Canaan (Num 14:21-23; 26-35). As for the spies, the Lord recompensed Joshua and Caleb for their faithfulness—promising them life in the Promised Land (Num 14:24, 30)—and destroyed the ten unfaithful spies for their hardness of heart (Num 14:36-38).

The scenes of Numbers 11-14 provide a rubric for the storyline of Scripture, resounding in Psalm 95, and the epistle to the Hebrews. In the mind of the author of Hebrews, while Moses had indeed acted faithfully as God’s servant in His household (Num 12:7), “Christ was faithful as a Son over His household” (Heb 3:6). Since his audience thus shared in a special relationship to God unknown by the wilderness generation, he expected more from them. He picked up on the words of the Psalmist, who wrote:

Today, if you hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness where your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they had seen what I did. For 40 years I was disgusted with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray; they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My anger, ‘They will not enter My rest’” (Ps 95:7b-11; see also Exod 17:1-7).

The author of Hebrews warned his audience to avoid the unfaithful, complaining spirit demonstrated in Israel. The failure of the wilderness generation serves as a warning in the epistle of Hebrews (Heb 3:7-19). Since the audience in view had become partakers of Christ (Heb 3:14), the author encouraged them that a promised rest yet remained, writing:

Therefore, while the promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear so that none of you should miss it. For we also have received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith (for we who have believed enter the rest)…Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience (Heb 4:1-3a, 11).

Commentary Numbers with Select Psalms Old Testament

Numbers 7-10

These chapters continue the theme of God’s presence among His people. Numbers 7-10 form a bridge between the initial census of Israel (chs. 1-6), and the survey of the land and subsequent failure of faith within the community (chs. 11-14). Here the tabernacle—and its accompanying cultic activities—continues to serve as the fulcrum of the Lord’s covenant with Israel.

The twelve leaders who assisted Moses and Aaron in the census of Israel (see Num 1:4-16) later brought offerings for the tabernacle. Israel and the nation’s leaders understood that they were set apart from all nations by God’s special dwelling among them. In Num 7:10-83 the text records that these leaders brought equal offerings, together representing “the dedication gift” (Num 7:84). The voice from the mercy seat may be taken as the Lord’s approval of these offerings (Num 7:89). As was the case in Numbers 1-6, here too the text details the significance of those who would serve at the tabernacle. Numbers 8 gives special attention to the place of the Levites among the tribes of Israel.

Israel had begun to enjoy God’s favor even while they were yet an enslaved nation in Egypt. But from the exodus onward, the flow of the narrative emphasizes God’s jealous longing for His people to recognize His presence among them in a special way through the tabernacle (see Exodus 25-40). It is thus not difficult to understand why Numbers 9 would accentuate the Passover celebration. The Passover would annually recall Israel to their sanctification by and unto the Lord. The prominence of the Passover in the life of Israel can be deduced from three statements in the text: even some of the ceremonially unclean were allowed to partake of the Passover (Num 9:6-12); all ceremonially clean were required to partake of it (Num 9:13); and the willing foreign resident could observe the Passover according to the same statute as the native-born Israelite (Num 9:14). As Israel looked ahead to the conquest of Canaan, they were also to look back and remember their Deliverer who brought them out of Egypt.

The remaining portion of Numbers 7-10 pictures Israel as a nation preparing for the conquest of Canaan. They were led by the familiar cloud and fire (Num 9:15-23). As they moved forward, two silver trumpets were blown to summon the tribes when it was time to set out (Num 10:1-8) and to gather the tribes for cultic observation (Num 10:10). When the trumpets were blown in times of battle, Israel would be remembered by God and delivered from their enemies (Num 10:9). They were to march out according to their military divisions (Num 10:14, 18, 22, 25, 28).

During this time, Moses persuaded his brother-in law to assist Israel in their journey. As one who knew the wilderness well, he could serve as Israel’s eyes (Num 10:29-32). The scene concludes with the people acknowledging God’s presence among them both when the ark set out, and when it came to rest: “Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say: ‘Arise, LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and those who hate You flee from Your presence.’ When it came to rest, he would say: ‘Return, LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel’” (Num 10:35-36).

Numbers 7-10 emphasizes that as Israel set out for the conquest of Canaan, they were to remember all that God had done for them in the exodus. Partaking of the Passover every year provided Israel a sense of identity. In the storyline of Scripture, Jesus’ crucifixion at Passover provided a new identity to a new people. Throughout 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote that individual faith and church life are to reflect what God had done in Christ’s death and resurrection. For Paul, the fact that Christ had laid down His life as the final Passover lamb had implications for personal morality and corporate edification. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul rebuked the church for their casual attitude toward one of their own that had had relations with his stepmother. Rather than repent, some in the congregation boasted about the sexual freedom they supposedly enjoyed because of Christ (1 Cor 5:6). Paul reminded the church in Corinth that because Christ their Passover lamb was sacrificed, they needed to abstain from their old ways and practice their faith sincerely (1 Cor 5:6-8).

Commentary Numbers with Select Psalms Old Testament

Numbers 1-6

The book of Numbers picks up the history of Israel just over one year after the exodus. In the initial scene God was yet preparing His people to take the land of Canaan (Num 1:1). Numbers 1-6 is the account of how God organized Israel in such a way as to maximize their awareness of His presence among them while they journeyed toward Canaan.

The opening paragraph of Numbers records the census that arranged the Israelites for travel toward the southern edge of Canaan. Several facets of the commanded census are noteworthy: in breadth, “the entire Israelite community by their clans and their ancestral houses” (Num 1:2); in depth, “the names of every male one by one” (Num 1:2); and in purpose, “You and Aaron are to register those who are 20 years old or more by their military divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army” (Num 1:3). In the midst of the detailed conquest preparations, the text records God’s presence among His people. The Levites were to remind Israel of God’s presence by maintaining the worship functions of the tabernacle. The greatest threat to Israelite success was not a foreign army but an offended God: “The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community” (Num 1:53). The bulk of Numbers 1-6 describes the divisions and employment of the Levites.

Aaron was recognized as the head of all those who would serve as priests (Num 3:1-3, 5-10). The priesthood was to be taken seriously and priestly duties were the privilege of Aaron and his two remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar (Num 3:4, 9-10; see Lev 10:1-7). The Levites were designated as the firstborn of Israel, God’s special possession (Num 3:11-12; see Exod 4:21-23, 13:11-16). This theme was emphasized again toward the end of Numbers 3, where the text records that there were 273 more first-born Israelites than Levites—and 1,365 shekels were collected as “redemption money” (Num 3:51) so that all in Israel would be in good standing before the Lord.

The general census of the Levites reveals that there were 22,000 males one month and older (Num 3:14-15, 39). The census of qualified thirty- to fifty-year-olds of the ancestral houses totaled 8,580 men (Num 4:2, 48). All of these were responsible for some aspect of transporting the tent of meeting. The holy things—after the priests had properly cared for the cultic regalia of the tabernacle—were carried by the Kohathites (Num 4:4-15a, 17-20), the physical structures were then moved by the Gershonites (Num 4:25-26) and the Merarites (Num 4:31-32).

Numbers 5-6 stresses that God’s presence among His people was also significant for their activities outside of the tabernacle. Purity was to pervade the camp. Israel was to be pure from skin disease (Num 5:1-4), unresolved offenses (Num 5:3-10), and immorality (Num 5:11-31). Further, the Israelites were also free to take the Nazarite vow of purity. This vow was to be taken seriously and included: abstaining from wine and grape products (Num 6:3-4), keeping oneself from contact with dead bodies (Num 6:6-8), and not cutting one’s hair (Num 6:5).

The initial scene of the book of Numbers records that as Israel sojourned to Canaan, they were to be organized in such a way that they could remember God’s special presence among them. The prayer Aaron and his sons were commanded to perform provides an apt summary of the theme: “The LORD bless you and protect you; the LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the LORD look with favor on you and give you peace” (Num 6:24-26). In this the priests would put God’s name on the Israelites as they set out for Canaan, and He promised to bless them (Num 6:27).

The arrangement of Israel in Numbers 1-6 prefigures a later episode of the storyline of Scripture. Just as God’s presence with Israel was intended for their encouragement as they prepared for the conquest of Canaan, Jesus’ presence has given the church great strength for the offensive of building His kingdom around the world. In the closing words of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go throughout all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that He taught (Matt 28:18-20).

Commentary Numbers with Select Psalms Old Testament

Leviticus 25-27; Psalm 119:89-96

Leviticus is a combination of legal pronouncements couched in the narrative of Israel’s life around Mount Sinai. By setting forth the laws for community maintenance in the Promised Land, Moses reinforced the surety of God’s promise originally given to Abraham (see Gen 12:1-3; 15:1-16). The final chapters of Leviticus provided Israel with principles of how they should be holy with their money, using it for edification and not exploitation.

In Leviticus 25, the text emphasizes that Israel’s corporate occupancy of the land was to be more highly esteemed than the opportunity to maximize individual or familial prosperity. This idea is developed under two headings. The first is “laws concerning covenant socioeconomics and the Promised Land” (Lev 25:1-34). These themes come together in that Israel was to express their stewardship in obeying a Sabbath rest for the land (Lev 25:1-7) and reflect their temporary occupancy in the land by returning land-rights to the original family of ownership at every Jubilee (Lev 25:8-24). All of this was according to the declaration of the Lord: “The land is not to be permanently sold because it is Mine, and you are only foreigners and temporary residents on My land” (Lev 25:23).

The second heading is “covenant socioeconomics and servitude” (Lev 25:25-34). Just as property could be gained and lost temporarily, one’s economic status might change over time, according to the cycles of life. Thus, God commanded that the year of Jubilee have implications for socioeconomics and servitude. Since God had redeemed Israel from Egypt, the Israelites were not to take advantage of a brother who was destitute (Lev 25:35-38). Ultimately those of Israelite ancestry had priority in the land—as evidenced by their mandated release in the year of Jubilee, even if they were owned by a foreigner. This too was according to the declaration of the Lord: “The Israelites are My slaves. They are My slaves I brought out of the land of Egypt” (Lev 25:55).

The socioeconomic stipulations of Leviticus 25 are reinforced by the theme of God’s justice expressed in Leviticus 26. God promised to both reward Israel’s obedience by giving them peace in Canaan (Lev 26:1-13) and recompense their disobedience with exile and difficulty in a foreign land (Lev 26:14-39; see 2 Kgs 17:5-8; 24:10-17). These statements of warning were followed by statements of kindness to those who acted appropriately, and in Lev 26:40-46, God vowed justice toward the penitent by dwelling among them.

Leviticus 25-27 has national socioeconomics in view, that is, commands for Israel to be holy with their money and resources that they might be God’s faithful people in God’s land. Leviticus 27 concludes the instructions for Israel’s financial stewardship in Canaan by stating that if one made a vow in accord with a time of prosperity or need, God took the vow at face value. The text details seven different objects which an Israelite, in a time of prosperity or need, would be tempted to vow and the valuation for each one’s redemption. The proceeds collected would be used to maintain the cultic regime of Israel.

Leviticus 25-27 provided the young nation of Israel with instructions for financial sanctification in Canaan. In the storyline of Scripture, this theme—like so many—is transformed from a paradigm of life in Canaan to a paradigm of life in Christ and the church. Just as Israel was to use their resources for edifying their brothers and sisters, the New Testament records that those of faith in Christ are to use their finances for the same cause. Luke described the general situation of the church in Jerusalem writing that, “There was not a needy person among them, because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as anyone had a need” (Acts 4:34-35). Paul wrote that this atmosphere of financial edification, especially for qualified widows (see Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim 5:2-16), was to characterize life in the church. He urged those with wealth not to trust in their resources, and instead to be generous with what the Lord gave them so that they could lay hold of eternal life, life that is real (1 Tim 6:17-19).

Commentary Leviticus with Select Psalms Old Testament

Leviticus 17-24; Psalm 119:81-88

Moses instructed Israel that God’s holiness was the foundation of their national identity. From His appearance on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 through the days of Israel’s travels to the Promised Land, God wished for His people to understand holiness as the essence of His nature—and to live accordingly. Leviticus 17-24 teaches that God’s holiness was to shape not only Israel’s religious observances, but also their relationships and community interdependence. Perhaps these chapters answer the question, “How should the holy be holy in everyday life?”

Although the laws detailed here could be categorized into a variety of headings, perhaps one could organize the initial instructions under three “lifestyle” issues: corporate gatherings, sexuality, and social relationships. Leviticus 17 and 20 catalog specific laws about corporate gatherings and ceremonies in ancient Israel. As is the case with many points of the Levitical code, these laws were intended to set Israel apart from other nations. Holiness was also to characterize the sexuality of Israel (Leviticus 18 and 20). Leviticus 19 provides instruction for neighborliness in ancient Israel.

While the thrust of these laws was holiness in the daily living of ancient Israel, here God also reminded Israel to maintain their holiness in worship and sacrifice. Israel’s religious observances were to be governed by the concept of wholeness—as evidenced by the priests, whose holiness was related to their physical condition (Leviticus 21-22). The formal worship ceremonies were to be ordered around specific occasions and Holy Days (Leviticus 23) and centered around the tabernacle (Lev 24:1-9). The case of the man who blasphemed God (Lev 24:10-23) underscores the point that Israel was to maintain the same law for the foreigner and the descendants of Jacob. The Lord of Israel is Holy and the behavior of anyone associated with His people was to reflect Him.

The theme of practical holiness in these chapters—especially the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Lev 19:18)—is picked up later in the storyline of Scripture, shaping norms in the new covenant. For Jesus and the authors of the New Testament, love of neighbor is an essential expression of holy living.

(1) Jesus said that all the Law and the Prophets hang on the commands to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matt 22:37//Mark 12:30//Luke 10:27a; see Deut 6:5), and to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:39//Mark 12:31//Luke 10:27b). After Jesus washed the disciples’ feet—an act that they would later understand to prefigure the love He would show them in His crucifixion—Jesus said: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

(2) Paul instructed the Romans that all the commands of the law were summed up in the phrase: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Rom 13:9). He exhorted the Galatians that they should not use their freedom from the Mosaic law for selfish living, but instead serve each other through love—since, again, “The entire law is fulfilled in one statement: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal 5:14).

(3) In order to combat favoritism and greed in his audience, James also quoted Lev 19:18, writing: “If you carry out the royal law prescribed in Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well” (Jas 2:8).

(4) Peter employed Lev 19:2 as the thesis of his first epistle. To those who were enduring difficulty because of their identification with Christ, the apostle wrote: “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Pet 1:14-15). He went on to urge his audience: “By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves for sincere love of the brothers, love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Pet 1:22).

Commentary Leviticus with Select Psalms Old Testament

Leviticus 11-16; Psalm 119:73-80

Leviticus 11-16 states the degree of God’s purity by pointing out how easily Israelites could become ceremonially defiled. Israel’s worship leaders were warned to, “Keep the Israelites from their uncleanness, so that they do not die by defiling My tabernacle that is among them” (Lev 15:31). A means of atonement was therefore necessary for full participation in worship.

Leviticus 11 emphasizes God’s holiness by stating that Israelites could become defiled even through contact with animal life. Here various wildlife (e.g., land animals, aquatic animals, birds, flying insects, dead animals, and swarming animals), were categorized in relation to their cleanliness/uncleanness for ancient Israel. God’s holiness was further displayed in the fact that His people were defiled through even the natural processes of life (Leviticus 12-15). An Israelite’s involvement in marital relations, and the general hygiene of their skin, affected their ceremonial cleanliness. In light of the superlative degree of God’s holiness described in Leviticus 11-15, it is no wonder that a general atonement was necessary for those drawing near to God in worship. That was the purpose of the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16.

Leviticus 11-16 provides a window for understanding the New Testament.

(1) Jesus, Peter, and Paul proposed that laws regarding food cleanliness were to be set aside lest they separate Jewish and Gentile believers. Jesus chastised the Jewish leadership because they maintained many of the commands regarding external cleanliness, including food laws, but lacked love for God and people (Matt 15:1-20//Mark 7:1-23). Jesus declared all food clean, saying that a person is made unclean by what comes out of his heart and mouth, not what goes into his stomach (Mark 7:17-23). To instruct Peter that He was opening the doors of salvation to the Gentiles, the Lord gave Peter a vision of unclean animals and told Peter to eat of them (Acts 10:9-16). The Lord then told Peter to go with the delegation from Cornelius’s house and Peter there declared that God was calling Gentiles to Himself apart from observance of food laws (Acts 10:17-43). Peter went to Jerusalem and reported all the Lord had done, proclaiming that the presence of the Spirit, and not external cleanliness, distinguished the followers of Jesus (Acts 11:1-18). Yet, food laws were so pervasive in the Jewish mindset that even Peter began to follow them again when he came to Antioch—and Paul rebuked him publicly (Gal 2:11-14). Paul repeatedly warned the Jews and Gentiles in his audiences that they should abstain from following food laws if those food laws caused divisions in their churches (Rom 14:1-23; Eph 2:11-22; Col 2:16-19; 1 Tim 4:1-5).

(2) In Phil 3:5, Paul noted that he was circumcised when he was eight days old, in accord with Lev 12:3. Moses commanded that when a Jewish boy was born, he was to be circumcised at eight days old. This command codified the covenant of circumcision the Lord made with Abraham when He commanded the patriarch to circumcise Ishmael and all the males of his household (Gen 17:1-16). Paul noted that, though like many Jews he once thought circumcision to be necessary for salvation (Rom 2:25-29; Gal 2:1-10; 5:1-12; 6:11-16), the Lord opened his eyes to the superior righteousness of Christ (Phil 3:1-9).

(3) Jesus healed lepers by declaring them clean, instantly, apart from the required priestly procedures in Leviticus 13-14 that would signify that a leper had been cleansed. When Jesus healed lepers (Matt 8:1-4//Mark 1:40-45//Luke 5:12-16; 17:11-19), He urgently commanded them to go to the priests and show their new, clean status.

(4) In Hebrews 9, the author argued that Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself fulfilled what the Day of Atonement anticipated. The Day of Atonement was the annual covering of Israel’s sins, for which the high priest and his servants followed specific protocol. First, the high priest dressed in holy garments (Lev 16:3-4). Second, he offered a young bull as a sin offering for himself and his family, sprinkling its blood on the mercy seat and the altar (Lev 16:6, 11-14, 18). Next, he brought two goats as the sin offering for Israel (Lev 16:7-10)—one to be sacrificed and its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat and the altar (Lev 16:15-19), and the other released into the wilderness as a symbolic representation of Israel’s forgiveness (Lev 16:20-22). Fourth, he disrobed of the holy garments and bathed himself (Lev 16:23-24a). Likewise, the man who took the goat into the wilderness was required to wash his clothes and bathe before returning to the camp (Lev 16:26). Finally, the high priest offered his ram and the ram of Israel as burnt offerings to the Lord (Lev 16:24b-25). An additional servant assisted in the process of taking the remains of the bull and goat, which had been used as sin offerings, outside the camp and burning them there. He too needed to wash his clothes and bathe before re-entering the camp (Lev 16:27-28). While the high priest and a few servants worked on this day, it was to be a Sabbath day of consecration for the people (Lev 16:29-34). The author of Hebrews wrote that Jesus entered the tabernacle of heaven with His own blood so that He would appear in God’s presence to atone for the sins of His followers once and for all.

Commentary Leviticus with Select Psalms Old Testament

Leviticus 8-10: Psalms 66, 119:65-72

Psalm 66 records the transparent joy of devout Israelite worship, a direct confrontation of those who continually paint Israel as a people of heartless ritual observance. The burnt offerings and sacrifices presented at the tabernacle were the response of those who enjoyed God’s vindication (Ps 66:13-20). To aid Israel in responding to His goodness, God gave them priests who would minister at the tabernacle. Leviticus 8-10 offers a narrative of how Israel’s holy God sought to relate with His people through sinful humans. Three movements can be identified in the drama of these chapters.

First, when Aaron and his sons were ordained for the priesthood, purification had to be made for their sins (Leviticus 8). God had set apart Aaron and his sons for spiritual leadership at the tabernacle—leadership that was to be recognized even through their attire (Lev 8:1-13). Yet, the bulk of the chapter details the fact that Moses was to offer sacrifices that would cleanse these men of sin before they could begin serving as priests. Even their attire had to be cleansed (Lev 8:14-36). Multiple sacrifices were offered at the inauguration of the priesthood: the bull for a sin offering (Lev 8:14), the ram for the burnt offering (Lev 8:18), and the second ram as a ram of ordination (Lev 8:22). A summary of these sacrifices and the priestly anointing is described in Lev 8:30: “Then Moses took some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments…In this way he consecrated Aaron and his garments, as well as his sons and their garments.”

Second, the office of the priesthood was also inaugurated with sacrifices. Leviticus 9 begins after the week-long ordination service in which many sacrifices were offered. The key element in this chapter occurs in Moses’ interaction with Aaron—namely that Aaron was now to lead in the sacrifices (Lev 9:7-8). After Lev 9:8, the personal pronoun “he” refers to Aaron: he offered the sin offering for himself (Lev 9:8-11); he slaughtered the burnt offering (Lev 9:12-14); he presented the people’s offering (Lev 9:15-17); he slaughtered the ox and the ram as the people’s fellowship sacrifice (Lev 9:18-21); he lifted up his hands and blessed the people (Lev 9:22). The Lord showed His approval of Moses and Aaron’s priestly work by appearing before all the people and consuming the burnt offering with fire on the altar. The result? “When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell facedown on the ground” (Lev 9:24).

Third, despite the glory of the inauguration of the priesthood, Aaron’s sons acted with presumption and profaned their office (Leviticus 10). Just as fire signified God’s glory in the blessing of Aaron’s obedience at the conclusion of Leviticus 9, fire became the means of the condemnation of Nadab and Abihu in Lev 10:1-2. Leviticus 10 records that Aaron’s sons took the initiative in offering a sacrifice that the Lord had not commanded (Lev 10:1). They were presumptuous. The remainder of Leviticus 10 records that Aaron’s two oldest sons would be exemplars of how not to serve the Lord.

Leviticus 8-10 records not only the inauguration of the priesthood, but also details how it would be perpetuated through Aaron’s descendants. The priesthood is a fulcrum for understanding the storyline of Scripture. The author of Hebrews contrasted Jesus’ priesthood with the Levitical priesthood.

(1) In Heb 5:1-3; 7:26-27, he distinguished Jesus’ priestly ministry with that of the Levitical priests because, according to Lev 9:7, Aaron and his sons had to make atonement for their own sins. When Moses inaugurated the priestly ministry, he commanded Aaron and his sons to bring a burnt offering to atone for their own sins and then the sins of the people. The author of Hebrews noted that Jesus had no need to atone for His own sin, but Jesus did atone for the sins of His people. “He did this once for all when He offered Himself” (Heb 7:27).

(2) In Hebrews 5-7, the author referenced Melchizedek to contrast the priesthood of Aaron and his descendants with Jesus’ eternal priesthood. The author of Hebrews saw in Melchizedek two points of contact with the life of Christ. First, Melchizedek’s priesthood was unrelated to Aaron or the Levitical tribe. Melchizedek preceded both by hundreds of years (Gen 14:17-24). The author’s point was that the Levitical priesthood was inextricably related to the Mosaic law and needed to be continued generation after generation. Second, Jesus, like Melchizedek, was an eternal priest outside the line of Aaron. Perfection came though Jesus and not the sacrifices offered according to the law.

Commentary Leviticus with Select Psalms Old Testament

Leviticus 1-7; Psalm 119:57-64

These chapters record the sacrifices and offerings the Israelites were to perform in worship. Israel’s worship was full of work—reminding them that every area of life was to be devoted to God. The bulk of Leviticus 1-7 describes the five specific offerings which appeased God’s wrath against the sin of His people. These can be divided into two categories, voluntary offerings and mandatory offerings.

There were three voluntary offerings, given by Israelites throughout the year as expressions of commitment to God. The burnt offering (Leviticus 1) was the most common offering. While offered daily for the sins of the nation (see Numbers 28), here the burnt offering was set forth as a means for individual worship and cleansing. While the burnt offering promised atonement, the grain offering (Leviticus 2) was the Israelite’s voluntary confession that God was their provider. The fellowship offering (Leviticus 3) was to be burned as a pleasing aroma to the Lord (Lev 3:5, 16). Additionally, this sacrifice was given as a confession offering, a free-will offering, or to fulfill a vow, and was associated with a meal (see Lev 7:11-38).

The Lord set forth two mandatory offerings. The sin offering (Leviticus 4) was for the purpose of satisfying God’s wrath when people sinned unintentionally. That the sin offering was to be given by the anointed priest (Lev 4:3-12), the whole community (Lev 4:13-21), or those recognized as leaders among the people (Lev 4:22-26) demonstrates that both those of position and the common Israelite were culpable before God. The sin offering satisfied God’s wrath against unintentional violation of His law and the uncleanliness of the people (Lev 5:1-13). The restitution offering (Lev 5:14-6:7) was intended to cover the defiling of holy things, touching prohibited objects, and thievery. Since these sacrifices constituted so much of the national and cultural fabric of young Israel, God gave them priests to assist them in their worship (Lev 6:8-7:27). These chapters repeat much of the material in Leviticus 1-5, but here the text also details the role of the priests in making each offering acceptable to God (Lev 6:8, 14, 24).

While the sacrifices of Leviticus 1-7 were laborious and required the utmost reverence from both worshiper and priest, they were yet temporal sacrifices. The Old Testament sacrifices could only appease God for sins previously committed and thus had to be offered day after day. In the storyline of Scripture, these are fulfilled in the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Christ. Jesus, Paul, and the author of Hebrews referenced commands Moses wrote in Leviticus 1-7 in order to teach their audiences about the new covenant and those who minister in it.

(1) Jesus and Paul echoed Lev 7:35-36; 8:31 when they taught that those who minister the gospel are worthy of compensation for their work. The priests were God’s gift to help the individual Israelites offer sacrifices—and these sacrifices were a means of provision for the priests (Lev 7:28-38). When Jesus sent out the twelve, He prohibited them from extra provisions saying that those who work to proclaim the message of His kingdom are to be recompensed accordingly (Matt 10:10). Even though Paul refused payment from the Corinthians, he told them that those who labor for the advance of the gospel, like himself and the other apostles, were to be compensated for their work (1 Cor 9:13-14). Paul told Timothy to establish a structure for the church in Ephesus to pay its elders (1 Tim 5:17-18).

(2) In Heb 10:1-17, the author emphasized the uniqueness of Jesus’ self-offering in light of the repeated sacrifices priests offered in the old covenant. The author of Hebrews argued that the repeated sacrifices offered by Israel’s priests demonstrated that those sacrifices were not effective to take away sins. In his mind, if a sacrifice were able to atone for sins, it would need to be offered just once. This Jesus did by offering Himself, perfecting forever those who are being sanctified (Heb 10:14).

(3) In Heb 13:11-13, the author recalled the location of where the remains of the sacrifice were burned and employed it to call his audience to testify of Jesus. Moses commanded that the remains of the sin offering and of the Day of Atonement offering were to be burned outside the camp (Lev 4:12; 8:17; 16:27). The author of Hebrews exhorted his readers to remember that Jesus was sacrificed outside the city gates of Jerusalem. He wanted the followers of Jesus to leave behind any structures of their religion that did not adhere to Jesus and proceed in devotion to Jesus, testifying of Him outside the camp of their religious heritage.

Commentary Leviticus with Select Psalms Old Testament

Exodus 35-40

These chapters portray Israel at her best, foreshadowing Solomon’s dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8-10; 2 Chronicles 6-7). Israel’s glory at the conclusion of Exodus is linked with the faithful contribution of both treasures and talents for the completion of the tabernacle.

The freewill offerings described in Exodus 35 must be understood against the backdrop of the broader category of offerings in the Old Testament. In Exod 35:4-5, God commanded Moses to take up an offering, but there were no specifics given as to who was required to give, or how much. Thus, the freewill clause had a two-fold implication. Everyone had a free will in deciding if they would give, and those who freely choose to give were also free to choose the amount they would contribute. This contrasts with some other offerings prescribed in the Old Testament, where the Lord commanded the people to give and how much they should give (see the restitution offering in Leviticus 5 and the support for the priests in Numbers 18).

Exodus 35:29 records that when the offering was taken, “The Israelites brought a freewill offering to the LORD, all the men and women whose hearts prompted them to bring something for all the work that the LORD, through Moses, had commanded to be done.” The Israelites contributed so much that the craftsmen individually approached Moses with the message, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work the LORD commanded to be done” (Exod 36:5).

While the tabernacle community displayed broad financial generosity, a few individuals were noted for their gifted spiritual service. In Exodus 35-39, Bezalel and Oholiab served along with the Levites to construct the tabernacle and its furnishings according to the plan God had shown Moses (Exod 35:30-35; 38:21-23). The prominent role of these men in the construction of the tabernacle can be documented quantitatively. The word “he,” referring to Bezalel or Oholiab, occurs more than 150 times in Exod 35:30-39:31. While Moses is not in the foreground of the text until the last scene of the book, from Exod 39:32-40:38 he is mentioned eighteen times. When the gifted servants and artisans completed their work, they brought the tabernacle to Moses for inspection and he approvingly assembled the pieces according to the plan given him on Mount Sinai (Exod 25:40).

While Exodus 40 details Moses’ approval of the tabernacle, it concludes with the Lord’s approval. A cloud covered the tabernacle and the Lord’s glory filled it, preventing Moses or priests from entering it (Exod 40:34-35; 1 Kgs 8:10-11; 2 Chron 5:13-14). God’s presence in the tabernacle established a frame that John saw fulfilled in his vision of the heavenly tabernacle in Rev 15:8. John saw the Lord’s glory filling the heavenly tabernacle, recalling Exod 40:34-35. When John saw the angels with the seven bowls of God’s wrath exit the heavenly tabernacle to pour their bowls upon the earth, the tabernacle was filled with smoke. John wrote that the power of the Lord’s glory filled the tabernacle, and no one was able to enter until the seven plagues of the seven bowls were completed.

Commentary Exodus with Select Psalms and Proverbs Old Testament

Exodus 32-34; Psalm 119:33-56

The previous chapters of Exodus have portrayed God’s jealousy in a positive light. But when Israel forgot His goodness, God’s jealousy took on a corrective tone. God reprimanded His people within a covenantal framework so that their behavior would reflect His call on their lives. When Aaron and Israel constructed the golden calf, they sinned against God by exhibiting a lack of patience and forgetting God’s holiness (contra Ps 119:33-56). Despite Aaron’s excuse in Exod 32:24, “When I threw it (gold) into the fire, out came this calf!” he and Israel designed the object of their worship. Further, while worshipping the golden calf, the people committed immorality.

Moses felt God’s pain and implemented a purification strategy to cleanse Israel of those who were defiled among the people (Exod 32:25-29). Moses’ intercession in Exod 32:11-14 showed that he was faithful to God’s commands, praying, “Oh, this people has committed a great sin; they have made for themselves a god of gold. Now if You would only forgive their sin. But if not, please erase me from the book You have written” (Exod 32:31-32). While God recognized Moses’ plea and did not destroy the entire population (Exod 32:10), the Lord did not immediately affirm that He would accompany the people to the land (Exod 33:3-5).

Even though these events had proven costly for Israel, the bulk of Exodus 32-33 reinforces the belief that God’s word of rebuke is never His final word to those who reform their ways. The pillar of cloud, representing God’s presence, remained over the tent of meeting—a phenomena that elicited the worship of the people (Exod 33:7-11). God affirmed that He would personally accompany His people to Canaan, a pledge He confirmed by showing Moses His glory (Exod 33:12-23). God again came upon Mount Sinai, re-issuing the stone tablets and covenant stipulations (Exod 34:1-28). Moses’ face was illuminated, confirming for the people that their leader had a special relationship with God (Exod 34:29-35)—by listening to him they would hear God’s words. Over and over, God was gracious to His people.

But in time, Israel’s idolatry reached new depths and God annulled His covenant with them (2 Kings 17; Jer 31:31-35; Heb 8:13). Israel’s idolatry and Moses’ response in Exodus 32-34 provided a framework for New Testament authors to explain Israel’s depravity and the glory of the new covenant.

(1) In Acts 7:40-41, 51, Stephen cited Israel’s worship of the golden calf to illustrate Israel’s spiritual dullness. When Stephen defended himself in the presence of the Sanhedrin in Acts 7, he provided an historical review of God’s relationship with Israel. Stephen noted that God called Abraham and demonstrated His faithfulness to the patriarchs and to Moses, leading Israel out of Egypt. Despite God’s loyalty to His people, they worshipped the golden calf and intended to follow idols (Acts 7:39-41; Exod 32:1, 23). Because Israel persisted in the pattern of idolatry established by those who worshipped the golden calf, God turned them over to worship created things (Acts 7:42-43; Amos 5:25-27). Israel’s covenant had been broken.

(2) In 1 Cor 10:7, Paul cited Israel’s revelry in worshipping the golden calf as an activity to be avoided. In 1 Corinthians 8-10, Paul urged his readers to forgo their freedom to eat at idols’ temples so that they might avoid hindering those weaker in faith among them. Paul was concerned with the corporate bonds that are formed in worship. Though Paul and the Corinthians knew that idols were nothing (1 Cor 8:4-6), Paul knew that those weak in faith could stumble by fraternizing with those who were sacrificing food to false gods. Because idolaters believed differently than followers of Christ, their behavior differed. Paul knew from Israel’s history that idolatry leads to sexual immorality. He thus cited Exod 32:6 in 1 Cor 10:7 to warn the Corinthians to avoid Israel’s example of idolatry lest some among their number walk in the immoral patterns that he exhorted them to avoid in 1 Corinthians 5-6.

(3) In 2 Cor 3:7-18, Paul described the glory of Moses’ shining face in Exod 34:29-35 to accentuate the unfading glory of the new covenant. When Moses returned from Mount Sinai the second time, God illuminated Moses’ face. The people were afraid to come near to him, so Moses had to urge them to draw near and listen as he told them the Lord’s instructions. Moses removed his veil when he entered the tabernacle to speak with the Lord. Paul drew two themes from Exod 34:29-35. First, Moses’ face was illuminated only for a time. Eventually Moses’ face returned to its normal color. Paul wrote that the fading glory of Moses’ face symbolized the fading glory of the old covenant. Paul countered that the new covenant, including the ministry of the Spirit who enabled him, endures in unfading glory (2 Cor 3:7-11). Second, Paul noted that Moses’ unveiled face before the Lord symbolized the transparent relationship God’s people enjoy with Him in the new covenant. Paul wrote that believers, with unveiled faces, reflect the glory of the Lord as they are being transformed by the work of the Spirit (2 Cor 3:12-18).

Commentary Exodus with Select Psalms and Proverbs Old Testament

Category: <span>Old Testament</span>