The Epistle to the Hebrews part CVI

Leviticus 16:14-15
"And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; (that is in behind the veil) and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times. Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:"

Here we find that he makes the atonement for himself first, and then for Israel. Well, now maybe we should back up a little further to verse 6 to make it a little more plain.


Leviticus 16:6
"And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house."
Do you see that? That tells us then that Aaron was just as much in need of a sinner’s approach to God as the ordinary Hebrew. Then down in verse 14, he was to take the second bullock and sprinkle that blood then for the sins of the people. Alright, we hope we've made our point, that the priesthood of Aaron was a human priesthood and they were just as much in need of forgiveness and the atonement of their sins as the ordinary Hebrew on the street. In all of this we can see the material or externality of the required bull, and goats blood to cover the sin of the people and the priesthood.

Come back then again to Hebrews chapter 5. And so not only was the high priest human so that he could identify with the everyday experiences of the people but also that he recognized that he was a sinner and was just as much in need of forgiveness as the ordinary Hebrew. Now then verse 4 of Hebrews chapter 5.


Hebrews 5:4 "And no man (not even Aaron) takes this honor (that is to be the high priest) unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron."

Get the picture? Who commissioned Aaron to be the first high priest? God did! Let’s go back again and look at the Scriptures. Let’s go back to Exodus 28 where we see the beginning of this whole system of religion. (Remember to that religion means: to bind; bondage to a system of or for the practice of moral duties without a belief in a divine lawgiver, and without reference to His Will or Commands.) The building of the tabernacle, and the establishing of the priesthood, and the clothing that he would wear. This is all back here in Exodus. But let’s just look for now at how God commissioned Aaron to be the high priest. Moses didn’t appoint him nor anyone else. Only God could do that, and here is His instruction to Moses.


Exodus 28:1
"Take to you Aaron your 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, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons."

Then the rest of the chapter covers with instructions for their clothing. On the other side of the coin, turn with us to Numbers 16 and the strange fire of Korah. Now Korah was a member of the tribes of Israel and he got a little arrogant and puffed up and he just didn’t feel that Moses and Aaron were the only fish in the pond. So he took it upon himself to play the role of a priest. And so here in Numbers 16 we find the account.


Numbers 16:1-3a
"Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: and rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, you take too much upon you."

See their arrogance? They’re telling Moses and Aaron, hey, you’re trying to be the big wheel. We’re going to have just as much a part of this as you. And so they say:

Numbers 16:3b-5
"…You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, everyone of them and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift you up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD? And when Moses heard it he fell upon his face: (and the thought how can anyone be so brazen) And he spake to Korah and all his company, saying, even tomorrow the LORD will show who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near to him: even him who he has chosen will he cause to come near."

Now this is Moses’ instruction to Korah and those that were following him.

Numbers 16:6-9
"This do; Take you censers (that is the fire), Korah and all his company; and put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow; and it shall be that the man whom the LORD does choose, he shall be holy; you take too much upon you, you sons of Levi. And Moses said to Korah, hear, I pray you, you sons of Levi: seems it but a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?"

Well, anyway, you know what happened, as the next day comes around and here comes Korah and these 250 and they’re going to play the role of the high priests. Now come on down to verse 20.