“And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and
between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the
statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.” (Le
10:10-11 AV)
This statement was made right
after Aaron buried his two disobedient sons.
There was a harsh reality learned here.
These two sons offered strange fire and God killed them for it. Aaron and his other two sons were not allowed
to attend the funeral service because the anointing oil was still upon them. They had gone through the ceremonial
cleansing and were in the midst of serving the LORD in the tabernacle. If they were to leave the duties of the office,
they would have defiled the office. The
LORD caused this harshness to be an example of the absolute nature of the
law. They could not do what others would
be able to do because there is a difference between holy and profane.
There is a cost to teaching
the holy and unholy. A cost which lends
to credibility. A cost that states the
law is worth our obedience even though it may cost us personally. This was the burden of the Levite. This is also the burden of the child of God.
We wish to win the world to Christ
but we have little desire to sacrifice our own personal liberty to do so. We cannot see that sometimes, obedience no
matter what the cost, is the foundation of our credibility to those around
us. Our children watch what we do. If we are unwilling to pay the price for
obedience, they will see the exercise of liberty as a right. They will take our example and go one step
further. Obedience has to cost
something. It has to matter. Obedience cannot be motivated simply because
of benefits we might receive or avoiding unwanted consequences. There has to be a time when we gain nothing.
When the cost is clearly for the glory of God.
It is in those times when our children and grandchildren learn the most
important lessons of life. Submission to
a holy God who deserves all our submission no matter how hard it might be.
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