02.10.2015 Old Testament: Lev 10.16–20

To read the Bible in a year, read Leviticus 10–12 on February 10, In the year of our Lord 2015

By Don Ruhl

The two older sons of Aaron violated the Lord’s law for sacrifices and as a result, fire came from the Lord and burned them up. However, the work of the tabernacle had to continue, but the surviving sons of Aaron could not eat the sacrifice, and this angered Moses,

Then Moses made careful inquiry about the goat of the sin offering, and there it was—burned up. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, “Why have you not eaten the sin offering in a holy place, since it is most holy, and God has given it to you to bear the guilt of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? See! Its blood was not brought inside the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded.” And Aaron said to Moses, “Look, this day they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and such things have befallen me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been accepted in the sight of the Lord?” So when Moses heard that, he was content (Leviticus 10.16–20). 

Eleazar and Ithamar had offered sacrifices that day, even the same day that they lost their brothers, but to then eat the sacrifices did not seem right. When Aaron explained that to his younger brother Moses, he accepted the explanation.