שׁמיני — Leviticus 9:1–11:47
This week, we are going to resume our journey with Israel in the wilderness as we continue studying the book of Leviticus. The parasha this morning is called Shemini, meaning “eighth,” and this section stretches from Leviticus 9:1to the end of 11.
Now, if you have ever read this portion of Scripture, it is sometimes easy to go on “auto-pilot,” meaning we read it, but we are not paying attention to the details. Here, we deal with matters like the dedication of the priesthood, different sacrifices, and what animals Israel was permitted or prohibited from eating. We do not often see many devotions or sermons dedicated to these chapters.
However, not only does this parasha mark a major shift in the life of Israel, which we are going to see, but as readers, this section of Scripture also presents us with a very important question: Are we being responsible with the calling God has placed on our lives? This parasha essentially presents two paths before us, and it reminds us of the responsibility you and I have in living before a holy God.
Our parasha begins in chapter 9, where the priests are being dedicated to the service of God. At this point, Israel built the tabernacle, they knew the sacrifices they had to do, but now the priests are finally being commissioned to work in the tabernacle to have God dwell with them.
In the process of dedication, the priests were told to quarantine and wait for 7 days; they were not allowed to leave the doorway of the tent of meeting (8:33). Now finally, we come to the 8th day. Moses called them out and told them to offer the sacrifices, claiming “For today the Lord will appear to you.” (Lev 9:4). The priests were ready to engage in sacrifice and bring the presence of God! In a way, they were given the keys to the Garden of Eden.
Imagine the excitement. You know, they say one of the most exciting parts about getting a new item — computer, phone, tablet, whatever — is the unboxing period, when you open it and see it for the first time. Can you imagine how Israel felt, seeing the priests come out from the doorway of the tent of meeting, ready to be dedicated and engage in their service for God? They were about to live in the presence of God.
Now, we could look at the priests and say, “Wow, they had such a great responsibility.” But it is important to remember that, according to 1 Peter, we are also called a “royal priesthood,” “God’s own possession” who must be ready to proclaim His glory (1 Pet 2:9). We are also being sent out, ready to tell people about the presence of God dwelling in us.
And just like the priests’ calling was all-encompassing — their way of life, what they ate, how they dressed, would all change — so you and I are called to present ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice to the Lord (Rom 12:1-2). The question is: Are we being faithful to that calling?
And Parasha Shemini lays out two paths for us. The first path is lived out by the high priest Aaron in Leviticus 9, alongside his four sons. He followed the instructions of Moses faithfully, and was careful to observe what God had commanded, and as a result, it concludes: “When they [Moses and Aaron] came out and blessed the people, the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering” (Lev 9:24). This is the graciousness of God being shown. This marks the first time they were able to enter the Tent of Meeting (9:23).
But the second path starts in Leviticus 10. While Aaron was a positive example of obedience, here we have the story of Nadab and Abihu, two of Aaron’s sons. And instead of following the instructions of Moses carefully, instead of being faithful to their calling, it says that Nadab and Abihu “offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them” (Lev 10:2). What happened? “And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them” (Lev 10:2). This is the judgment of God being shown.
Now, what is it that Nabad and Abihu actually did wrong? We are not entirely sure. Some say they took fire from the wrong place (Lev 16:12), or that they were intoxicated (Lev 10:8). But this is the main point: they offered something they were not supposed to.
Unfortunately, this was not an accident. Nabad and Abihu knew the command in Exodus “You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar” (Exod 30:9). And they had just spent the previous chapter being shown by Aaron how to properly engage in sacrifices. So, it is not that they made a mistake, but rather, they became careless with their responsibilities.
And we see the result, and what a contrast: with Aaron, “fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering” (Lev 9:24). With Nadab and Abihu, it says: “fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (Lev 10:2).
The danger of becoming careless with our calling could happen to anyone. Nadab was set up for success: he was Aaron’s firstborn son, meaning he would take over as high priest (Num 3:2), and he was amongst the 70 elders in Exod 24:1–9 who saw God. But he stopped paying attention.
We have a similar case in the New Testament with Annanias and Saphira in Acts 5 —they became careless with their calling to give to the poor, and instead kept money for themselves. And for this, God judged them.
So, what can we learn about these two paths? Today, you and I have a calling before God, but we have the choice of being faithful like Aaron, which requires us to pay attention to God’s instructions, or we could allow ourselves to become careless with our responsibilities, like Nadab and Abihu. And in this process, this parasha is an important reminder about the nature of God — God is gracious, whereby He invites Israel to dwell in His presence (Lev 9), but He is also just in His interaction with humanity (Lev 10).
It reminds me of that famous scene from the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardobe when the people from Narnia are discussing Aslan the lion, who represents Yeshua. And when one of the characters finds out that he is a lion, she gets worried! “Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. [As a lion] Is he-quite safe? “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver “Who said anything about safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.” So, let’s not forget the One who calls us.
So, it is my prayer as that we, as a community, will continue to pursue our calling, to push one another on to holiness, and to better represent the God of Israel in the sight of all people.