Leviticus Chapters 7,8,9: Relating to a Holy God

Image via Wikipedia

In these chapters of Leviticus, God continues to specify exactly how Israel is to approach Him in order to receive forgiveness for sin.  By using the word holy or in Hebrew  קָדוֹשׁ (qadowsh) to describe Himself and what is set apart from this world, what is free from impurities or defilement, God has shown Israel that He is an absolutely Holy God who hates all evil. In order for anyone to petition Him or to have fellowship with Him, they were required to confess the evil or sin they have committed and then to transfer their guilt to the sacrificial animal.  In Leviticus 7:1, the guilt offering itself was considered holy. When the offering was accepted, the person was forgiven and then  could enjoy reconciliation and peace with God.

I thought that this phrase was interesting in that God stated that He considered Israel’s confession of sin to be in and of itself holy.  I suppose that that means that the ability to perceive evil or sin in ourselves is really a godly gift in that it allows us to see sin from God’s perspective.  From man’s perspective, sin is really not too bad but from God’s vantage point, where there is no un-holiness, sin is seen as abhorrent and vile.

Before Aaron and his sons could begin to serve as priests for Israel, they underwent a seven day ordination period, during which time they were not permitted to leave the tabernacle.  On the eighth day, after they emerged from the tabernacle, they sacrificed a sin offering and a burnt offering both for themselves and for the people so as to make atonement for them; after this they sacrificed a fellowship offering on behalf of Israel.

Aaron blessed the people, Israel, and then the glory (in Hebrew כָּבוֹד (kabowd)) of the Lord appeared to everyone. Please note that before God appeared to the people, they had to be free of sin and in fellowship with Him.

As a supernatural fire consumed the sacrifices on the altar, all of the people fell down to worship the Lord.  According to the definition in Strong’s H3519, glory signifies something splendid, majestic; magnificent which makes it into a noun defined by adjectives.  I really can’t get a handle on this but I do get that God is amazing, and that whatever Israel saw of God in the desert that day probably helped to define a distinct people that still exist today in spite of all of the attempts over the millennia to decimate this nation.  That Israel exists is a testament to God's reality.

Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for kabowd (Strong's 3519)". Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 28 Aug 2010. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H3519&t=KJV >