Don't You Just Love It When a Plan Comes Together?
- When last we left Aaron and his sons, they'd gone into the tent of meeting to stay for seven days.
- Besides sending the message that they are holy men separated unto God, it also gives them plenty of time to catch up on their Hulu queue.
- On the eighth day, Aaron and his sons come out of the Tabernacle and see their shadows. Looks like forty more years of wandering in the desert.
- They also perform their first official sacrifices as Israel's authorized priests.
- By now you know the drill. Burnt and purification offerings to make atonement for themselves and for the people. A grain offering, y'know, for thanks. A peace offering to commemorate the sacred contract between God and his people.
- And then somebody turns on the light. When Moses and Aaron bless the people, everybody sees the light of God (the glory, kavod, of YHVH). What's more, flames! God's light shoots out fire that burns up the offerings on the altar, this time with no Nazis in sight.
- Remember the command in chapter 6 never to let the altar fire go out? Now it really means something.