1 Samuel 28-31: Saul's Last Battle

Abandoned by men of faith, Saul resorts to sorcery before dying in his final battle.

Introduction

Once again, the Philistines gather against Israel. This time, Saul has neither Samuel (who is now dead) nor David (who is in exile) to be his strength in the battle. Without these two faithful men present in his life, Saul turns to "a woman that hath a familiar spirit"—a person he was forbidden from dealing with by God (Leviticus 19:31). The woman would have been a sorcerer or medium, and the "familiar spirit" would be how she communicated with the dead. Since God does not give us these abilities (hence forbidding them), we know it is the devil who rules these people.^[3]
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Saul

Breaking God's Law

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Mario Alberto Magallanes Trejo

The woman is initially wary of fulfilling Saul's request; wizardry, witchcraft, etc. were all against God's law, and thus also against the laws of Israel. As king, Saul was to uphold God's law so the woman likely thought he was setting her up. Saul, however, had drifted so far away from God that he believed breaking God's law would bring him closer to God. Saul needed comfort and reassurance, but he no longer had a relationship with God. When Saul prayed, God didn't answer. This drove him to such desperation that he swore an oath to God not to punish someone for breaking the law of God. This is the exact point I was trying to make in my response on a pastor teaching his congregation to be "clean and empty;" when you are full with God's Spirit, you run the risk of filling yourself with something that isn't good for you.

Relating to Today

This is an important part of Saul's story because it gives us a framework to remember about our own lives. Saul put himself in a situation many of us have been in or will be in at some point in our lives. We have a tendency to put God on the back burner, and then when life gets tough, we want Him to be at our beck and call. No where in the passage do we see Saul repent of the wrong he's done or make amends for all the time he's spent away from God's presence. Saul jumps straight into worrying about the battle and asking for God's help. Similarly, we often will go days, weeks, maybe even months without thinking about God, until something happens and we are forced to pray for His help.

When God doesn't immediately answer, Saul impatiently jumps to the next thing. How often do we do that? When we don't hear from God or can't understand His voice, we often try to take matters into our own hands, which is never a good idea. I say "can't understand His voice" because I think most of the time, it isn't that God isn't answering so much as the fact that we either aren't listening or have forgotten His voice. There are many verses that state God will never leave or forsake us (i.e. Deuteronomy 31:8, Hebrews 13:5), but that doesn't mean we won't feel forgotten. We are told the Spirit of God leaves both Samson and Saul at some point during their lives. In Samson's case, when he repents, God returns, giving him the strength to carry out the mission. The key there is the repentance. Saul does not repent, so God does not return to save the day for Saul.

We should remember this. When we feel we have lost the presence of God, we should reflect on our behavior, on our relationship with God prior to our current situation. Along with repenting, we must exercise patience and faith that God will return to show us the way. It is this patience that will keep us on the right path.

Did Saul Actually Speak to the Dead?

As we know, Saul didn't do this. Instead, he convinces a sorcerer to contact the spirit of Samuel. Remember Leviticus 19:31 and Deuteronomy 18:11-14? God told the Israelites not to try to communicate with the dead. Saul clearly didn't remember this, or he deliberately chose to disobey God. When a man appears, Saul infers him to be Samuel and begins a conversation. It's important to remember that 1 Samuel 28:14 says "Saul perceived that it was Samuel," which means it may not have been Samuel. If it was Samuel, I would think the text would have said something along the lines of "Saul saw Samuel..." As it is written, it could just as well mean that Saul only thought this person was Samuel.

However, the words of Samuel are what lead me to believe Saul spoke with the real Samuel. Samuel tells Saul that he will lose the battle, his sons will die in battle, and the kingdom will pass to David. All three of these prophecies come true, just as Samuel predicted. In the New Testament, one of the ways to discern a prophet of God from a false prophet is whether their prophecies come true or not (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Since we know the real Samuel was a real prophet, it follows that the real Samuel would give a true prophecy, but a demon posing as Samuel may not. That being said, although the devil isn't all knowing like God, he does know some things. Since his game is deceiving people, it seems unlikely the devil would give the full story in a prophecy, however he may have been using Saul as a pawn. When Saul's soldiers saw that he consulted a medium (ungodly), spoke to the dead (ungodly), and received a valid prophecy, they may have followed in his footsteps.
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Saul's Defeat

As predicted, Saul does not fare well in battle. 1 Samuel 31 recounts the death of Saul and his sons. Saul is initially wounded by an arrow, but the wound must have been too great for him to continue in battle. Knowing that he would be tortured when captured, Saul requests his armor bearer finish the job before the Philistines capture him. When the armor bearer refuses, Saul kills himself by falling on his sword. The armor bearer commits suicide after discovering Saul has killed himself, and all three of Saul's sons die in this battle. Although Saul escaped torture, his body was desecrated when the Philistines found it on the battlefield. I imagine this was a great day of mourning for the Israelites.

The act of killing oneself to avoid torture has been a long standing tradition and found in many cultures. I find it interesting, however, that this trait has been found mainly in those who are/were against God. Jesus, our ultimate example, did not kill himself when He was taken from the garden. He didn't avoid the torture of being whipped, crowned with thorns, hung on a cross or pierced in the side. The only man of God (that comes to my mind) who "committed suicide" was Samson. Though, Samson didn't commit suicide to avoid torture; Samson killed himself in the process of killing a multitude of Philistines (more like a suicide bomber). Even so, I wouldn't count Samson among the most faithful and godly men; he got himself into bad situations by disobeying God the same way Saul did. How we respond to adversity is definitely something to think about. It seems to me that the key difference is in the faith affirmed or denied in the action. By falling on his sword, Saul admitted that he had no faith in God delivering him in the battle. He was convinced Israel would lose, the Philistines would capture his body, and he would live long enough to be tortured, which means the wound couldn't have been that bad. This lack of faith is perfectly juxtaposed with David's valiant faith as these last few chapters parallel the two battles. David's army is tired and worn out, but David doesn't put off the battle, nor does he give up. Instead they trusted God to lead them to victory and came out unscathed.
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David

1 Samuel 29 switches to the Philistine side of the battle, primary because that is where David is. While Saul is cowering and consulting sorcerers to prepare for the battle, David and his men are following the Philistines into battle. David and his men were located in the rear of the main army, with Achish, the king of the Philistines. Naturally, this made the Philistines nervous. The princes complained, suggesting that David would turn on them in battle. With David and his men located at the rear, he could easily trap the Philistine army by cutting off their retreat should he decide to fight for Israel instead. Achish has great faith in David that he wouldn't betray them, but eventually, David is dismissed back to Ziklag.
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Would He Betray Them?

I often wonder if David would have betrayed them. Samuel told Saul that he would lose the battle, and it is assumed that it was God's Will for Saul to lose and die and that moment. Thus it stands to reason that God did not intend on David fighting for Israel that day. If David had fought and switched sides mid-battle as the Philistines feared, surely Israel would have won. However, if David had fought for the Philistines, why would Israel accept him as king? Would that not be fighting against God? It seems unlikely, to me, that David was ever inclined to fight his own people. Achish's faith in David was based on a misunderstanding which convinced Achish that David had already attacked his own people, but David had done no such thing.
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Ziklag

We get a better glimpse of David's mindset when he returns to Ziklag 3 days later in 1 Samuel 30. While they were gone, the city had been invaded by the Amalekites. The Amalekites burned the city and took the women captive. This included the wives of David, as well as, the wives of the soldiers. The people were so angry, they threatened to stone David!

Unlike Saul, David knew he could not fix the situation by himself. He calls upon Abithar, a priest, so that he may consult God for direction. Abithar brings David the ephod, and then David asks God what he should do. It interesting that the ephod is mentioned just before David prays to God, and God answers David. It almost seems that David used the ephod to contact God. I find this interesting, only because I've heard theories from ancient alien theorists that many of God's holy items were actually high tech communication devices to "alien" space ships.

While I don't necessary share the same ideas or beliefs as these theorists, God (along with the angels) are not earthlings which technically makes them aliens... I'm not sure whether the ephod served as a "telephone" to God, or if it was just a symbol. Back in Leviticus, the ephod was described as an article of clothing, however as the Bible continues, scholars agree the word "ephod" seems to take on a different meaning.^[1][2]
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David's Victory

God was marching with David, so even though his men were tired (they had just walked 3 days from the location of the Philistine battle to their "home" in Ziklag) and distraught (over the situation in Ziklag), David still defeated his enemies. When David and his men set out behind the Amalekites, they happened upon an Egyptian servant from the Amalekite army who had been left to die. Not only does this man confess that he was there when they burned Ziklag, but he agrees to take David and his men to the army, provided they do not harm him. This man took a leap of faith on David. An ungodly man would have killed the servant once they had the information they needed, but David promised neither to kill nor hand over the servant. This is one of the passages in the Bible many Southern whites apparently skipped during American slavery.

In remaining true to God, both in his heart and in his actions, David ensured he would win. He was able to recover all of the stolen goods along with all of the people who had been kidnapped without losing any soldiers in the process. How often do people win battles without losing something? I guarantee it only happens when God is present. Further confirming his allegiance to God and Israel, David sends the spoils of his victory to the elders of Judah (1 Samuel 30:26).
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References

1. Emil G. Hirsch, Immanuel Benzinger, Solomon Schechter, and Louis Ginzberg. "Ephod". Jewish Encyclopedia. 2016
2. "What was the significance of the ephod?". GotQuestions.org. 2016
3. "What are familiar spirits?". GotQuestions.org. 2016

1 Samuel 4-7: The Ark of the Covenant

1 Samuel 4-7 marks the first time the Israelites lost the Ark of the Covenant. We can learn a lot from this incident.

Introduction

The Ark of the Covenant was perhaps the holiest object the Israelites possessed. It was very important to them and their relationship with God. Today, we know that they eventually lose the Ark, but during Samuel's day, this was probably an unheard of course of action. Yet, in their haste to force God's hand, Israel did just that, lose the Ark of the Covenant.
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Warring with the Philistines

As was the case from the time the Philistines arrived, even unto today, the Israelites and the Philistines were involved in a conflict. When Samuel sent a message out to Israel, the people were inspired, so they rose up against the Philistines. We are told they heard the message of Samuel, but we aren't told that they consulted God before running off into battle. As seen in the books of Joshua and Judges, without the blessings of God, no battle is successful. In the first battle, the Israelites lost 4,000 men and were defeated. After this defeat, they thought to take the Ark of the Covenant with them to battle. Again, no actual consultation with God is mentioned. With the aid of Eli's son (big clue that this plan wasn't going to work), they took the ark to their camp. At the sight of the ark, the Israelites began to rejoice; their rejoicing was so loud they put fear into the hearts of the Philistines. The rejoicing signaled to the Philistines that God was with the Israelites. They knew that this was the God who had defeated Egypt. However, when the battle came, the Philistines successfully defeated Israel, killing 30,000 men. On top of that, they stole the ark and killed Eli's sons, fulfilling God's prophecy that Eli's sons would fall on the same day.
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The Aftermath

A Benjamite who fought in the battle escapes to tell the people of Shiloh (including Eli) about their defeat and loss. Eli, who was 98 at the time, falls and breaks his neck when he hears the news. He dies from the incident, having served Israel for 40 years. We are also told of the great sorrow of the wife of Eli's son Phinehas. She gives birth to a son shortly after and names him Ichabod because the glory of God (the Ark) has departed from them. Ichabod means "no glory."^[1] The rest of the town also goes into mourning.
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Relating to Today

The lesson of the passage is something we all struggle with today. We often want something, assume God also wants it for us, and rush into "battle" without God's approval. Though we don't have Ark of the Covenant, we may prepare for these "battles" with the Word, our church family, or symbols such as a cross, to no avail. The key ingredient that was missing was instruction from God. This passage touches on one of the trickiest parts about being human. The Israelites likely thought they were supposed to go to battle with the Philistines simply because God had previously ordered such a battle. However, this time, the timing wasn't right. We will see how God uses this failure to spread His glory and remind Israel that they need Him. We can also learn a lot from this incident.

Not only did Israel bypass God and simply do as they pleased, they elevated the Ark of the Covenant to an idol. The Israelites thought the sheer presence of the object would grant them victory, but it was actually the presence of God they needed. Do we do this today? Absolutely. There are people who think churches are safer than regular homes, who think crosses and holy water have power over sickness or demons. These people are imbuing objects with the power of God. Only faith and God's presence can manifest such power. You are much safer in an apartment with great faith, calling on the name of God, than in a church with little faith.

We have to work hard to make sure God stays the center of our faith.
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The Fall of Dagon

The Philistines took their spoils of war—the Ark of the Covenant (that's a major trophy!)—back to one of their major cities. In a the city, called Ashdod, they set the ark before one of their gods, Dagon. Dagon was a fish god, or possibly an agricultural god that had been made the head god of the Philistines pantheon.^[2][3] By showing this false god the ark and leaving it with him, the Philistines were declaring Dagon's defeat over the God of Israel (at least that's what they thought). It was almost like an offering. Of course we know that the Lord is the only God and He used the Philistines to show His power.

When the Philistines came back the next day, the statue of Dagon had fallen. They may have thought something of it, or they may have brushed it to the side, but they didn't make a big fuss; they simply propped the statue back up and continued their day. The day after that, they found the statue fallen again. This time the head and palms were cut off. God was making the statement to the Philistines that they may have beaten Israel but they had not beaten Him. After this, the people of the city neither approached the Ark or their false god. Even so, they did not return the Ark, and plagues from God spread in the city.
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Cities Afflicted

Knowing the plagues were a curse from God, but not wanting to admit defeat, the Philistines simply moved the Ark to Gath. I can't imagine that they didn't have an inkling the plagues would follow the Ark, so this says alot about their lack of loyalty to their own people. It was also a gamble, because nothing was to stop God from cursing both cities at the same time (after all, they still hadn't returned the Ark to Israel). The people of Gath probably didn't know what had occured in Ashdod. It's not like they had cable news or even a newspaper, word would have had to travel by mouth from someone who had journeyed from one city to the next. What they did know, however, was that this was the famous Ark of the Covenant that the God of Israel sat upon. It is unknown if God gave them a warning, like in Ashdod, but in the end, they also ended up with "emerods."

The word "emerods" made me think of hemerrhoids, which are definitely painful and still technically located on your "secret parts" as 1 Samuel 5:9 describes. The scholarly notion, however, is that emerods were some type of boils or tumors.^[3] Boils on the secret parts sounds like herpes, to me. I can imagine that the city would be quick in wanting to get rid of any of the three!

Like their neighbors, the people of Gath simply pass the ark along. This time, to a city called Ekron. Once again, God poured out His wrath and plagued the people. The people of Ekron finally came to the consensus that the Ark had to go or else they would all die.
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Retuning the Ark

The Philistines called upon "top-notch" diviners and priests to solve this problem of what to do with the Ark. It is difficult to tell if the events in the latter part of 1 Samuel 5, where the men of Ekron determine the Ark must go for them to live, and these events (discussed in 1 Samuel 6) are the same. If the events are not the same, it reads as though after determining what must happen, the men of Ekron did not trust their own instinct and sought out pagan priests and sorcerers to verify their conclusion. The Philistines were too proud to simply hand the Ark back over to Egypt, so even as they experienced death from its presence, they had to confer amongst each other about what to do with it. We behave like this ourselves sometimes, even today.

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Marie Jeanne Iliescu

The Philistines devised a plan to return the Ark that was also a test of if they should return the ark. They loaded the Ark into a wagon with a trespass offering of gold mice and gold emerods; perhaps this was a statement to God of who the offering was from since these were the things plaguing them. They hitched the wagon to two cows that had never carried a load before; such cows would not know how to work together to pull the cart. The Philistines reasoned that if God was behind the actions, He would steer the cart where He wanted the Ark to go. God delivered, and after the Philistines hitched up the wagon, the cows ran straight for Israel's city of Bethshemesh.
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Relating to Today

We can be blind to our problems in this manner, too. We may want to keep something—a habit, relationship, or possession—and that something may be terrible for us, but instead of simply eliminating the object from our lives, we overthink the situation. Our overthinking is a method of searching for a way to justify keeping the object, despite what we know deep down. Sometimes it takes drastic measures (like emerods!) for us to wake up to God telling us to get something out of our life. We must remember that it is only after we obey that we can heal.
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Back in Israel

The wagon came to a halt in the field of a man named Joshua (not to be confused with Joshua who succeeded Moses). The Israelites rejoiced at the return of the Ark. They used the cows as an offering to God. The Philistines must have sent spies to see what happened with the Ark, because it is recorded that when they saw what occurred, they reported back to their people.

Possibly indicated by the fact that the Israelites made offerings with out journeying to Shiloh, the men in Bethshemesh had not learned to respect the law of God. Instead of returning the Ark to its rightful place immediately, they decided to take a peek inside. This resulted in the death of 50,070 men. God had already given instruction that they were not to touch the Ark, let alone look inside. Only the priests were supposed to move the Ark, and they even had instructions for how to move it!
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Wait...How Many People Died?

Scholars assert that the text has been altered in our English translated of 1 Samuel 6:19.^[3][4] The original text does not render the numerals in a traditional manner and omit the "and" joining 50,000 and 70. Some suggest only 70 men died. Scholars believe the city wasn't big enough to have a population of 50,000 people to smite. In attempt to understand the passage some have suggested 50,000 was the number of people in the city and 70 was the number of men killed.
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In the Right Hands

Those who where left called upon another city within the tribe of Judah to come get the Ark. There, the people sanctified a man named Eleazar to keep the Ark. The Ark was in this city for 20 years! No explanation is given for why they did not take the Ark to Shiloh. My guess would be that Shiloh was occupied by the Philistines at the time. The Israelites lament their defeat, while Samuel encourages them to give up their false gods and return to the true God. Eventually, they do.
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Battling the Philistines

When the Philistines head that God's people were gathering together,they took the opportunity to seek out a battle. The Israelites clung to God this time, offering a lamb and praying for help. God hears the prayers and protects the Israelites in tis battle. The Philistines are defeated and pursued as they flee, enabling the Israelites to take back their land. For the rest of the time Samuel was living, the Lord set His hand against the Philistines.
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References

1. Mike Campbell. "Ichabod". Behind the Name. 1996
2. "Who is Dagon in the Bible?". GotQuestions.org. 2016
3. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 477. 2016
4. "1 Samuel 6:19 Commentary". Bible Hub. 2016

1 Samuel 1-3: Introducing Samuel

The first 3 chapters of 1 Samuel introduce us to Samuel, the last judge of Israel.

Introduction

The first 3 chapters of 1 Samuel introduce us to Samuel, the last judge of Israel.
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Samuel's Birth

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Bruno Legrand

Samuel is the son of Elkanah and Hannah, and from the tribe of Ephraim. [UPDATE: 1 Samuel 1:1 states that Elkanah is an Ephrathite, which is not the same as an Ephraimite. Ephrath was a name for Bethlehem-judah, thus Elkanah was likely from the tribe of Judah.^[3]] Like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Samson's mother before her, Hannah was barren. Elkanah had 2 wives, and the issue of Hannah's inability to bare a child was the source of a rivalry between the two women (like Rachel and Leah). When the family travels to Shiloh to present offerings to the Lord, Hannah makes a vow, dedicating her child to God. While she is praying, the priest mistakes her desperation for drunkenness! This may have been a sign of the corruption of the priesthood that he was so out of touch with God and with the people he could not differentiate between drunkenness and fervent prayer.

Naturally, God hears and honors Hannah's request. It is after this vow that Hannah gives birth to Samuel. After he is weaned, the family travels back to the temple for an offering. 1 Samuel 1:24 says that they took 3 bullocks, while 1 Samuel 1:25 only mentions one. The likely explanation is that only that 1 bullock was meant for thanking God for the child, while the other 2 were for other purposes. Some also claim that the text should read a 3-year-old bullock instead of 3 bullock.^[1] The first explanation makes the most sense to me, since there were a host of sacrifices that were typically made in the Old Testament.
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Prayer and Song

Hannah's prayer song to the Lord both exalts God and reminds us how quickly He can turn things around. Hannah reminds us that God has control over all things; He can make the fertile barren and the barren fertile. Hannah's words in 1 Samuel 2:6 seem to be prophetic, speaking of the Messiah and everlasting kingdom. After Hannah's prayer, Samuel ministers before the priest (1 Samuel 2:18). Unlike the typical image we have in our head of "ministering," which equates to preaching, the original definition of the word used here is servitude.^[2] Even as a child, Samuel knew that we are all called to servitude.
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Misuse of Offerings

As is the pattern, we learn about corruption within the priesthood. Eli's sons were stealing parts of the offerings meant to be for God. On top of stealing, they were not burning the fat of the sacrifices, a deliberate act of disobedience! When the people began to protest, Eli's sons threatened to take the offerings by force. Can you imagine? Clearly, the citizens of Israel possessed more Godly morals than the priests. Consequently, sin became great in Israel and the Israelites came to despise giving to God because of Eli's sons.

This misuse of power is a great lesson to study, because it is a common thread in the history of Christianity. Many of us believe we will know when a pastor/preacher/priest/etc. is corrupt; we are resolved to leave a corrupt church. Thus, we often skip over warnings such as this, believing we don't have to worry about this issue.

The issue was quite difficult to overcome until recently. In Samuel's day, there weren't churches on every block and a church for every possible interpretation of scripture. There was one temple and one group of priests. Through the Reformation, this structure persisted. If you argued with the church, you were considered an enemy of the state and told your soul was lost. Until Jesus' sacrifice, if the priests failed in interceded for the citizens, their sins were not covered. This was quite a problem, one that we don't have to deal with, thankfully. If our church is corrupt, we can leave without fear of retribution (unless it's a cult, then you may need help getting out).

However, the task of identifying corrupt leaders and the ramifications of their actions is still a very real problem today. I know so many people who have turned away from God because of the failures of the church. Between the false doctrines of preachers and the ungodly behaviors of people professing to be Christians, the message of God has been lost. Like the Israelites, these people grew to despise God, and it is our fault. Can you imagine standing before Jesus on judgment day and being told that not only were you not entering the kingdom, you were responsible for the eternal death of someone else? Eli's sons turned a whole nation against God!

We should remember the trouble caused by Eli's sons as we go about our daily lives, especially when we are in positions of influence. The juxtaposition of Samuel serving God against the corruption of Eli's sons is meant to focus us on the ever waging war between good and evil. We must always choose to serve God, not just for our own salvation but for the salvation of those around us.
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Eli's Sons

When Eli discovers what his sons, Hophni and Phineas, have been up to, he rebukes them for their sins. Not only were they stealing from God, they were sleeping around with the women who brought offerings. It's almost 3,000 years later, and these problems still plague the church. The issues are prefaced with Eli's old age in 1 Samuel 2:22. It seems is logical to believe age played a large role in Eli's failure to stop his sons, but when God's messenger approaches Eli, he is still blamed. There are multiple possibilities for this, all of which translate to us today.

One possibility is that Eli's fault was in how he raised his sons. When we become parents, it is our responsibility to train our children correctly and to introduce them to God. While we cannot force them to pursue a relationship with God, there is some responsibility of the parent to instill in their children a love for God. Proverbs 13:24 reiterates the parents' responsibility to discipline each child.

Another possibility is that Eli used his age as a excuse. Many times when we do not feel like attending to something, we make excuses out of semi-valid facts. For instance, I may skip class due to a headache and reason that I am sick, thus my absence is justified. However, my headache may not be so bad as to prevent me from attending class. Eli was old, but as their father, a stern talking to should have been all it took to deter them. Eli could have also attended sacrifices to watch over them and reassure the Israelites that their offerings were properly carried out. This may have given the same affect an empty police car on the highway does. Eli might have also delegated their job to nephews or brothers he might have had, and fired them.

The messenger from God accuses Eli of placing his sons above God. Since God knows all and sent this man to warn Eli of their impending doom, we can be sure there was more to the story than Eli's old age. God declares that Eli's line was not fit for the priesthood and announces the coming death of the two men. Instead of raising one of Eli's sons as a successor, God promises to raise up a faithful priest. This priest would build a strong house, full of descendants who would follow God's Will. God warns Eli that his house would eventually beg to be in league with the new priest.

This is a reminder that God is supreme; He gives and He takes away. Those who turn against God may prosper shortly, but in the end, they will fail.
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Hannah's Faith

When Hannah takes Samuel to the Temple, they realize that is where he belongs. Having made a vow to God, just as Samson's mother had, Hannah knew that she must proceed in the direction God directed. Doing so, she leaves Samuel at the Temple where he begins to minister, donning his own ephod, despite not being from Aaron's lineage. To show her love, Hannah would make a coat for him each year and bring it to him when they returned to the Temple. Eli bestows blessings on the family for their son. God also blesses Hannah, giving he 3 more sons and 2 daughters.

Hannah was like Abraham in a way. She was barren and unable to produce a child, but when God blessed her with a son, she was expected to give it up. Abraham was asked to actually sacrifice his son's life, but Hannah was asked to leave her son with someone else. In doing so, she would not get to enjoy watching him daily in his growth from a young boy into a man, or raise him. That's quite the decision. Someone with little faith would be hard pressed to hand over their miracle child, but Hannah had great faith; she trusted in God's plan and was rewarded. We may want something with all our heart, but we should know that, like Hannah, when God gives it to us, if we give it back to Him we receive more blessings.
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God Calls Samuel

One night, while Samuel is asleep, God calls to him. Thinking it is Eli, Samuel answers to Eli who, of course, says he did not call. On the third occasion, Eli understands that God is calling Samuel and instructs Samuel on how to respond. When God calls Samuel the fourth time, Samuel asks God to speak and God reveals the destruction that is coming to the house Eli. Samuel is at first afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli reminds him that he is not to hold back information God is giving him. In response to Samuel's vision, Eli says "let God's Will be done," implying that despite his son's failure, he had great faith. It seems that Eli was a great teacher.

A bit of a related aside: something that has annoyed me during my 28 years on earth, is the number of "preachers" who want payment for Gods word. There are countless sites with partial information, followed by "read the rest in my book!" directing you to purchase additional material. Just as Eli said to Samuel, when God reveals Himself to a person, that person is to spread God's Word, not conceal it. None of God's people ever asked for payment before sharing the visions God gave them; this is not a fruit of the Spirit. I automatically assume anyone who requires payment to share the word is a fraud. (Note that when I say payment, I'm not speaking of travel accommodations for a visiting pastor or caring for the local pastor; I mean entry fees and books meant to explain the revelations God has given them).

The fact that God called Samuel four times tells us a lot about the nature of God. For one, we see that God was patient; this wasn't a one time, if you don't answer you snooze you lose type of deal. Though, I do wonder what would have happened if Samuel has simply rolled over and ignored the all completely. God knew that Samuel didn't understand it was Him speaking, but He witness Samuel trying to answer the call. Samuel was trying to answer, he just didn't know how. I believe this is the case with many of us today; we are trying to be servants of God and answer His call, but sometimes we don't know what to do. Like with Samuel, God will be patient as we seek Him out. The Bible doesn't say that God went to Eli and said "tell Samuel I need to talk to Him," but God knew that Eli would eventually figure out it was God's voice young Samuel was hearing. This is probably why God wanted Samuel in the Temple in the first place. God places us around specific people for a reason. Sometimes we are Samuel, in need of direction, but other times we are Eli, needed for direction.

The vision marked the announcement of God's purpose for Samuel; he would be that strong priest to replace Eli's line. In a time were Israel was very corrupt, hearing from God was even more precious. People throughout the nation heard the news and knew of Samuel's anointing.
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References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 472. 2014
2. "1249. diakonos". Strong's Greek Concordance. 2016
3. "Ephrathite". Bible Study Tools. 2016

Leviticus 21&22: More on Priests

More information on how priests were to behave is given in Leviticus 21 and 22.

Introduction

The priesthood was crucial to Israel's relationship with God, especially since the priests were only people allowed to approach God. Unlike Jesus, the Levites were not perfect so it was important for them to perform rituals for their own cleanliness. Leviticus 21 and 22 expand upon the behavioral conduct God expects from the priests.
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Priests Cannot...

The priests were forbidden to touch the dead, unless it was a close blood relative. With sisters and daughters, they were only permitted to touch the corpse if the woman was virginal or divorced/widowed with no children. Also, they were not supposed to shave their head or the corner of their beard. Priests were not to profane the name of God.
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Marriage

Before the civil rights movement, most people considered interracial dating "an abomination," and many Christians tried to claim the Bible supported this idea. While the Bible does talk about who to marry and who not to marry, the Bible never condemns interracial marriage (probably because "race" doesn't really exist). Note that Moses, an Israelite, marries a women who is described as Ethiopian. Joseph also marries a non-Israelite, when he takes an Egyptian bride.
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Marriage and Our Relationship with God

Who a person marries is very important; the Bible tells us that husband and wife are one flesh.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.Genesis 2:24 KJV

One flesh means the share the same desires. Most husbands desire to make their wives happy, while most wives desire to make their husbands happy. A few weeks ago a video of Rev. Devon Franklin standing up for his wife's (Megan Good) immodest clothing went viral. Beneath the video was a comment in which a person claimed a man's wife came before God. Not only did this person believe it was alright to but a person before God, people agreed with this person! God already said no one was to come before Him, that is the first of the 10 Commandments. The New Testament continues discussing how family affects our relationship with God.

³⁶And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. ³⁷He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.Matthew 10:36-37 KJV

¹²But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. ¹³And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. ¹⁵But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. ¹⁶For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?1 Corinthians 7:12-16 KJV

³²But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: ³³But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. ³⁴There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.1 Corinthians 7:32-34 KJV

As you can see from the above quotes, who someone marries has a direct impact on their relationship with God. In the 1 Corinthians 7:1 and 1 Corinthians 7:8, we are told it is better not to marry, the statements listed above are presumably the reasons why. Just as we can sway a spouse toward God, a spouse can lead us away from God.
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A Priest's Wife

For this reason, it was crucial that God explain to the priests which women would be acceptable wive to maintain their relationship with God. (Remember if the priests were not righteous and maintaining their relationship with God, all of Israel would suffer.) Priests were not to take promiscuous women as wives (the KJV Bible uses the word "whore"). A question that could be asked is whether the word "whore" here is referring to her sexual life on Earth, her spiritual life, or both. The Bible consistently refers to idolatry as whoredom, so I'm not sure if God meant "whore" in this sense or if He meant "whore" in the way we mean the word today.

They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.Leviticus 21:7 KJV

Essentially, the wife of a priest was to be holy and righteous, like the priest. Priests were to take wives of their own people. While this implies exclusion of interracial marriage, we must remember 2 things:

1. The Israelites were of mixed race. Moses' children had an Ethiopian mother, yet they were Israelites and of the people. Joseph's wife was Egyptian so the entire Tribe os of Manasseh and Ephraim had Egyptian heritage as well.
2. The purpose of this requirement was to keep the priesthood holy. Women from the surrounding areas were known to tempt the Israelites to idolatry. God's requirement for the priest to marry Israelite women was less about race and more about spirit/dedication to God.

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Priests Today

Ministers, reverends, pastors, and priests of today are not quite the same as the priests of Moses' day, since our salvation is not really dependent upon their relationship with God or Christ. Today's ministers are more like the apostles; their job is to teach us how to form a our own relationship with God. Instructions for their married life are given in the New Testament (see 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1). Protestant churches allow the church leadership (pastors, deacons, etc.) to be married, while Catholic churches forbid priests to marry. Yet, the fact that Levitical priests, including the high priest, were permitted to marry only proves that the notion of priests abstaining from marriage is ridiculous. While celibacy may be preferred to marriage when possible, particularly in leadership roles for the church (re: Jesus, Peter, and Paul), it is clearly not a Biblical requirement.
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Priests Without Blemish

Only those descended from Aaron without blemish were to serve as priests. Blemishes are defined in Leviticus 21:16-24 and include men who are blind, lame, dwarfed, crookbackt, scurvy, scabbed, brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, as well as, men who have their stones broken, a flat nose or any thing superfluous. The exact definition of some of the terms is debated. Some believe crookbackt to mean hunchback, while others believe it to mean brow/forehead.^[1] Based on the sentence in which the word is found, I think the correct definition would be hunchback—what does it mean to be "brow?" A "flat nose" is thought to mean split nose, which may be a reference to cleft palate.^[1][2] "Stones broken" is thought to refer to an ailment with the testicles.^[1]

In total there are 12 blemishes that bar a descendant of Aaron from approaching the veil. The Israelites would later add to this list, creating a total of 142 blemishes.^[1][3] Note that only 12 are Biblical, and while those with blemish were denied the privilege carrying out an offering or approaching the veil, they were still recognized as part of the congregation and were not considered unclean. Those with blemish were still to eat the bread of God with the priests who were without blemish.
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Purity

The holy place (the tabernacle, later, the temple) was to be pure and revered. As such priests who were in an unclean state were forbidden to enter; a priest who ignored this command and entered the holy place whilst unclean was to be cut off from the people. While priests were unclean they were also to refrain from eating holy food; this is further proof that the blemished mentioned above were not viewed as unclean. Once the priest became clean again, he could resume his priestly duties.
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Eating the Holy Food

The Israelites, especially priests, were not to eat animals that died on their own or were torn apart by other animals; only sacrificed animals were to be eaten. Eating animals that died naturally or by animals was to defile oneself.

The holy food was not to be eaten by strangers (foreigners), not even servants. Only those that became part of the family could eat the holy food this included those a priest bought with money (slaves). Interesting that in this regard, slaves were seen as more worthy than servants.^[1] When a priest's daughter married a stranger, she lost her right to partake of the holy food; it is not specified whether stranger refers to non-Israelite or someone not of the priestly lineage. If it refers to non-Israelite, it is not specified whether she is still permitted to eat the holy food if she marries an Israelite, while marrying a priest obviously gives her the right to eat the holy food. Widows and divorcees who returned to their father's house childless could resume eating the holy food.

Anyone who was not to eat the holy food, but did so by accident, was to offer a 1/5 part of it and give it to the priest.
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Offerings Without Blemish

All offerings were to be without blemish. This was to ensure God only received the best. Offerings were to be given of freewill, and they were not to kill a mother and her calf on the same day. God gives examples of blemishes (broken, maimed, etc.) in Leviticus 22:21-25. The Thomas Nelson Study Bible suggests that castrated bulls were never accepted as offerings to God,^[1] however, the wording of Leviticus 22:23 leads me to believe that it was accepted as a freewill offering but not for a vow. When Jesus died on the cross, He took on the role of perfect sacrifice, without blemish.
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References

1. Thomas Nelson Bible Publishers. KJV Study Bible. pg. 237-239. 1988
2. "Flat Nose". Bible Gateway. 2016
3. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 212. 2014

Leviticus 8-10: The Priesthood

God shares more details on the priesthood and reveals the death of two of Aaron's sons.

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Joel Dietle

Introduction

Chapter 8 takes us through the actual ceremony God stipulated in Exodus 29 to anoint Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. Moses gathered the whole congregation to witness the anointing so everyone would see that Aaron and his sons were set apart. This chapter, while a bit repetitive for readers, serves to confirm that Moses followed God's instructions pertaining to the installation of Aaron and his sons as the priesthood; for a discussion on God's instructions see Exodus 28-31: The Priesthood. Likely, the point of the repetition is to allow us to see both what God instructed and what was carried out to erase any doubt that Aaron's line was authorized by God to serve as priests. Repetition is also often used to add emphasis. It is clear that God wanted us to know that Aaron and his sons were called to be priests and how they were consecrated for that position. As far as the anointing and consecration of Aaron, the only thing we learn is that during the 7 day process, he and his sons were required to stay in the tabernacle. Staying inside the tabernacle kept the new priests clean during the process because they could not come into contact with anything unholy there.
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First Offerings

Once the consecration was over, Moses tells Aaron to prepare for offerings and records for us the first offerings given. These offerings were much like a dedication ceremony; I suppose the closest thing we could relate to the event today would be a grand opening. The first offering given was a sin offering for Aaron, which is telling. Aaron had been in the tabernacle for 7 days being consecrated, but he still needed to atone for his sin. The Bible does not contradict the possibility that Aaron's sins were not absolved during the consecration process; however, the fact that God specifies how sin offerings should be given from priests let' us know that God expected them to have fault and to stumble at times. This sequence of events shows us that even though Aaron was deemed holy by God, he was not perfect, nor did God expect him to become perfect.We are also shown one reason why we needed Jesus to assume the position of high priest. Neither Aaron nor his sons were perfect people. Before they could atone for someone or for the congregation, they had to atone for their own sin. If the priest didn't atone for himself, wasn't clean, or made a mistake during the offering, the sacrifice was not accepted by God. This left Israel vulnerable to losing contact with God everyday. Thankfully, today, we have Jesus who is sinless (therefore not indeed of atonement), always clean, and never makes mistakes.

After making the sin offering with a calf for himself, Aaron made a sin offering on the behalf of the people. Perhaps this was in repentance of the golden calf incident. For the people, he offered a goat followed by both burnt and meat offerings. When he had completed the series of offerings, Aaron blesses the people. Perhaps to back up Aaron's blessing or to show His approval, the glory of the Lord appears. As a fire, He consumes the burnt offering from the altar and the Israelites fall on their faces to praise God.
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Laws for the Priest

Unholy Offerings

We saw in Exodus 30:9, strange incense was not to be offered to God. Only that which He commanded was permissible as an offering. For some reason, however, Aaron's sons—Nadab and Abihu—break this command. When they offer up their strange fire, God comes out from the fire and devours them. The fire was considered strange, because it came from somewhere other than the holy altar God has designated.^[1]
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A Question on Funerals

When Moses and Aaron find the two, Moses discerns what has occurred and suggests that the two sons had not glorified God. Aaron holds his peace and does not mourn in the tabernacle; he seems to know that this is not behavior God would accept. Moses calls Mishael and Alzphan, the sons of their uncle, Uzziel, to transport the bodies outside of the court. At this point Aaron and his other two sons are instructed that mourning rites are not to be carried out, because it will bring about God's wrath.

This is interesting, since today, most funerals are held in a church, granted the priest does not move the body and no one rips theirs clothes (as was part of the Israelite custom^[2]). While our churches are far from the tabernacle and temple God instructed the Israelites to build, they are where most people expect to find the presence of God—of course God is anywhere His believers are, but that's a topic for another post. We know from the passage that God didn't want the dead bodies in the tabernacle and will see in Leviticus 11 that dead bodies are unclean. In Leviticus 21, priests are explicitly told not to touch the dead unless they are blood relatives. Considering what happened during the Ebola outbreak and the plagues of Europe, we have evidence that God knew what He was talking about when He pronounced the dead bodies unclean. While this particular incident may have been slightly different in so much as Nadab and Abihu had directly offended God,—their death was not like the death of someone who was murdered or died of old age—the next few chapters of Leviticus confirm that God didn't want anything unclean in the tabernacle, which included dead bodies. So, why do we have funerals at churches? Where did the custom of looking about the dead lying in the casket come from?

The Bible doesn't really tell us how to handle deaths. When people die in Genesis and Exodus, no rituals are given. We see that Abraham purchases a cave in which to bury Sarah and eventually his descendants are also buried there. Jacob asks to be buried in Canaan and Joseph asks to be transported back when the Israelites return. Even as God commands Aaron not to partake in mourning rites, we see that some form of tradition was present at the time. It is possible that after 400 years in Egypt, the Israelites adapted some of Egypt's funeral rites. We know that the Egyptians had elaborate funerals and beliefs about the afterlife, but we also know that God commanded the Israelites not to be like the Egyptians or the Canaanites and not to participate in pagan activities. Yet, God only forbids the priests from mourning Nadab and Abihu. The community is still permitted to mourn. though it doesn't say how. The idea of wearing all black or facing bodies in a certain direction in the cemetery do not seem to be present in the Bible. The habit of wearing black stems from the Roman Empire.^[3] Originally, Christian funerals had no set rituals; it was much later than the tradition moved to churches and required preachers.^[4] The tradition of repast, or a meal after the funeral, and neighbors bringing food to the home seems as though it could stem from God's command to take care of widows and orphans.
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Wine and Food

When the priest entered the tabernacle, they were not to drink wine or other strong (i.e. alcoholic) beverages. We wouldn't want an intoxicated priest trying to offer up sacrifices, plus since drunkenness is described unfavorably throughout the Bible, this would also prevent the priest from effectively atoning for someone since he would need atoning for himself.

Food, specifically grain offerings, on the other hand, had to be eaten in the tabernacle. The breast and shoulder the priests received from sacrifices were to be shared with their families and could be eaten in any clean place. After the death of Nadab and Abihu, Moses sees that the remains of a sin offering have not been eaten by Aarons other sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, but were burnt instead. Moses confronts them about this behavior and Aaron explains that they see the tabernacle as unclean due to Abihu and Nadab, not wishing to further defile the tabernacle, they burned the offering instead of partaking in it. Moses finds this to be an acceptable answer.
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References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg 192. 2014
   
2. Rich, Tracey R. "Life, Death and Mourning". Judaism 101. 2011
3. "Why We Wear Black to a Funeral". Une Belle Vie Memorial Urns. 2015
4. "What is the Origin of Church Funeral Services". Opposing Views. 2015

Leviticus 6&7: Offering Laws

As with everything else in the books of law, for everything God commanded the Israelites to do, He had to provide a how-to and consequences for no abiding His instructions. The end of Leviticus 6 clarifies what is necessary for trespass offerings with respect to whether the sinner committed the sin willfully or ignorantly. Leviticus 7 goes on to provide additional information on the types of offerings listed in Leviticus 1-6.

Introduction

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Agnieszka Mac

As with everything else in the books of law, for everything God commanded the Israelites to do, He had to provide a how-to and consequences for no abiding His instructions. The end of Leviticus 6 clarifies what is necessary for trespass offerings with respect to whether the sinner committed the sin willfully or ignorantly. Leviticus 7 goes on to provide additional information on the types of offerings listed in Leviticus 1-6.
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The Law of the Burnt Offering

Burnt offerings were named for the fire used to burn the offering all night. The priest was to wear his linen garments to take up the ashes and place them by the altar. Those ashes were to be taken to a clean place after the priest removed the holy garments. The fire on the altar was never to go out. This would have been a nearly impossible task had the Israelites lived in a climate where it rained heavily and daily.
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The Law of the Meat Offering

Meat or grain offerings required the priest to burn a handful of flour anointed with oil and frankincense. The rest of the offering was for the priests to eat. it was specified that they were to eat it at the tabernacle court, unlike offerings that could be eaten anywhere clean. These offerings were not to be baked with leaven and where deemed most holy by God. All males descended from Aaron were therefore to eat from this offering. In addition to the meat offerings of the people, Aaron and his sons were also to offer a grain offering in the morning and evening. With these special meat offerings, nothing was to be eaten and everything was to be fully burnt.
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The Law of the Sin Offering

When a sin offering was given, it had to be killed in the same location as the burnt offering, with special instructions concerning the blood of the sacrifice. When the priests garments became splattered with blood, he was to wash them in the holy place. If an earthen pot was used, it had to be destroyed (the blood would seep inside the pores), however a brass pot could be cleaned. The priests were permitted to eat the offering provided they ate it in the tabernacle and it was not brought by a priest. Sin offerings given by priests were to be burnt in their entirety.
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The Law of the Trespass Offering

The trespass offering was to be killed in the same place as the burnt and sin offerings. God repeats which parts are to be given to Him and dictates that the hide of the animal belongs to the priest. The officiating priest was to receive a portion, with the rest being given to the other priests.
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Sins Against the Lord

Sin against God is considered to be defiling holy objects. Those who did this through ignorance or accident were to bring a ram for a trespass offering, as well as the sum of the estimated value of damages in shekels of silver. After making amends, the priest was to perform the atonement.
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Unknown Sins

If a sin was committed unknowingly, the person was still considered guilty because the consequences of their sins would still occur. For instance, if you accidently break a window, the window is still broken—while the person owning the window may be less angry, it still has to be fixed somehow. To make amends for this offense, they were to sacrifice a ram as a trespass offering instead of as a sin offering and were not required to pay restitution.
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Known Sins

God also addresses those who act against His law knowingly. God gives the examples of lying, violent theft, swearing falsely, and not speaking up when finding a lost item. For this he must pay restitution, as well as, give an offering. The restitution was to be paid in the value the priest placed on the sin plus a fifth more. Thus, if you stole $100.00, you would owe $120.00. The sacrifice was to be a ram without blemish that would serve as a trespass offering. The priest could then make atonement for the sin.
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The Law of the Peace Offering

There were three types of peace offerings: thanksgiving, vow, and freewill. All of these were voluntary and joyous offerings. Thanksgiving offerings required a blood sacrifice along with 3 breads: unleavened cakes mingled with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil of fine fried flour. In addition, God's peace offering required a leavened piece of bread. This is the only offering where leaven is allowed. As with the other sacrifices, the priest was to handle the sprinkling of the sacrifice's blood. Everything from the thanksgiving offering was to be eaten by the next day. Vow and freewill offerings could be eaten on the second day, but were to be burned on the third day.
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Reminders

In the last few verses of the chapters God takes the time to remind the Israelites not to eat fat or blood, as well as, identify what would make a sacrifice unacceptable. Sacrifices that were eaten past when God specified became unacceptable. A person who was unclean or touched something unclean was not to partake in eating the sacrifice of a peace offering; anyone who did so was to be cut off from Israel. If the flesh of a sacrifice touched something unclean, they were to burn it instead of eating it. The priest was to get the breast and shoulder of a peace offering.
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References

None

Lessons Learned: A Reminder of Where We Came

Exodus the book is synonymous with the exodus (the journey), and rarely do people remember anything else. Both movies, The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt, end after Moses is given the Ten Commandments (the former shows the ordeal with the golden calf, while the latter does not). Neither discuss the priesthood or tabernacle, which are also discussed heavily in Exodus. Also, in addition to Ten Commandments, we see other laws which are rarely discussed.

Introduction

Exodus the book is synonymous with the exodus (the journey), and rarely do people remember anything else. Both movies, The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt, end after Moses is given the Ten Commandments (the former shows the ordeal with the golden calf, while the latter does not). Neither discuss the priesthood or tabernacle, which are also discussed heavily in Exodus. Also, in addition to Ten Commandments, we see other laws which are rarely discussed. Many overlook these portions of the book in favor of the action-packed showdown between God and the pharaoh or because they feel information on the old covenant doesn't pertain to them any more. Yet, the connections between Moses' day and now are so numerous I couldn't keep track of them all.

God vs. Pharaoh

God's conversation with Pharaoh, through Moses, shows us a lot about today's society. Moses performs a miracle by God's hand, then Pharaoh has his magicians imitate God's miracle, to which point Pharaoh denies God. This leads Pharaoh's heart to harden to the point than when the magicians can no longer imitate God, Pharaoh is delusional and unwilling to admit that God is all powerful and in charge. This happens all around us with science today. Scientists replicate God's majesty in theories and laws, but they can't recreate His actions. People think they are being smart by following the scientists, just as Pharaoh thought he was being smart. However, there will come a time when it is too late to turn back (after the mark of the beast is issued) and many will be victim to falling for these false substitutions for God. I believe this is part of the reason God gives us this full story with so much detail. Not just to remind the Israelites what He did for them but to warn us of our future.

Priesthood/Tabernacle

Today, we have churches, none of which can compare to the splendor of the Tabernacle. In fact, Churches are not like the Tabernacle at all, even though some churches put the word tabernacle in their name. For starters, only the clean and holy were allowed on the premises and only the priests were allowed beyond the vail where God dwelled. While modern churches have pulpits where only the preacher is allowed to stand, the choir often stands behind the preacher and there is no vail that separates this area. Similarly, while priests were responsible for knowing and maintaining the law, nowhere in Exodus does it say that the priest was to give sermons and especially not from the Tabernacle. Teaching was a duty ascribed to the disciples and apostles in the New Testament. In Exodus, we see the priest's duty was to atone for the people's sins—a duty Christ took over after His resurrection from the crucifixion. Exodus' description of the priesthood explains why we need Jesus. Before He took over the office of High Priest, one would have had to consult the priest at the temple in Jerusalem which is now gone and previously could have been quite a distance to travel. The priest had to atone for your sins because only the priest was worthy to speak with God. However, the priest had to atone for his on sins as well, and if a priest was corrupt (like Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu—see Leviticus 10) the whole community was doomed. We don't have this problem with Jesus, as He is perfect; He is always available where ever we are, and He is never defiled. We have no use for priests under the new covenant, but Exodus reminds us of why the new covenant is special.

Reflections on Sin

Since most churches teach that the law was abolished on the cross (see The Law for more details), only the Ten Commandments are used as a basis for sin—remember sin is disobedience of the law.^[1][2] It is easy (for me at least) to step down the Ten Commandments and think I have committed no sins. It is much harder to look at the other laws listed in Exodus (and Leviticus) and maintain that I have not committed sins. It is a great reminder of all the wrong Jesus took upon himself at the cross.

Egyptology

Reading about the Israelites' journey to and from Egypt made me curious about the history of Egypt. Some of the information I have researched is presented in the posts on Exodus as they apply, more research is likely to appear as I continue on.

Reference

1. Romans 4:15
   
2. 1 John 3:4

Aaron

Born to Amaram and Jochebed, Aaron, the brother of Moses, becomes the first priest of the Israelites; through him begins the priesthood of Israel. Generally, Aaron is considered the eldest since he is listed first in the genealogies presented in Exodus; his position as eldest can be proven in Exodus 7:7.

Introduction

Born to Amaram and Jochebed, Aaron, the brother of Moses, becomes the first priest of the Israelites; through him begins the priesthood of Israel. Generally, Aaron is considered the eldest since he is listed first in the genealogies presented in Exodus; his position as eldest can be proven in Exodus 7:7. Aaron is and his family are Levites.
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Bible Verses

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.Exodus 4:14 KJV

And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.Exodus 7:7 KJV

And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.Exodus 28:1 KJV

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Character

Disclaimer: Liberty taken with the depiction of Aaron.
Please remember the Bible does not
specify a description for most individuals.

Aaron must have been a great orator—he speaks for Moses (who is speaking for God) before both the Israelites and the pharaoh of Egypt. We don't get much in terms of the relationship between the famous brothers, but we see that he believes in Moses (and God) enough to stick by him. Throughout the narrative, Aaron is presented as a great believer, hence being installed as priest by God. Aaron's shortcoming is highlighted in the narrative of the golden calf—when the people come to him to build the golden calf idol, Aaron obliges. He takes their gold and molds it into an idol even though God has just commanded that they never do this. Like Adam and Eve, Aaron does not admit his guilt but shifts the blame to the people instead. We know that Aaron repents of his action, as God still allows him to lead the priesthood. When Moses calls on people to defend God, the sons of Levi stand with him, which should include Aaron as he is also a son of Levi. This is likely the point at which Aaron repented of his actions.
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Descendants

Aaron marries Elisheba who gives birth to four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. His sons are anointed by God to continue the priesthood.
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Other Posts About Aaron

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References