Leviticus 10:3; “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.”
This is a very sobering verse for those of us who seek a closer relationship with God. The sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu had offered “strange fire” before the Ark of the Covenant and were struck dead. For one thing, on the Day of Atonement they were to take the fire from the Brazen Altar where, we learn in Leviticus 9:24 a fire from heaven came and consumed the burnt offering. Perhaps Nadab and Abihu were spooked out from the miracle of fire from heaven and preferred to take the fire from another source, hence strange fire (Hebrew – Ish zarah, common fire). Some commentators say that they were drunk and became careless with the fire in the censors setting themselves on fire. Other commentators suggest God struck them dead because they were disobedient in using strange fire and not the fire from the brazen altar. Still, they were not the ones to offer this fire in the first place, only their father, Aaron, had that privilege as he was the high priest and only the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement.
Still Moses sought the Lord for an answer as to why this tragedy occurred and then reported to Aaron that God said: “I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me.” Following proper syntax he then said that before the people God would be glorified. In other words, for those who were close to God they would sanctify God and those who were not so close would glorify Him.
Now we face three important words, come nigh, sanctify and glorify. As believers God expects to be glorified through us. The word used here for glorify is kavod which has the idea of heaviness, or to be weighty. Probably within this context other usages would fit such as to honor, or make great. It also has the idea of showing oneself off. The word has its origins in the ancient method of testing the purity of silver. This was (and still is) done by weighing the silver on a scale, then putting it in a bowl of water and then measuring the amount of water it displaces. Somehow this will tell you just how pure your silver is. Needless to say kavod originated from the idea of something that is weighted down to lift another up. This is what giving glory or kavod is, we being weighted down or humbled to allow God to be lifted up so the world can see Him and not us.
Well, that is the duty of every believer, but to those who come nigh, it is their duty to not only glorify God but to sanctifyHim. We all know sanctification is to make holy. What is holiness? We also know that it is to be separate. In this context, however, I fail to see why God should be separated from us when we seek to draw close to Him? I believe in this context we need to examine other usages of this word sanctify which is the word kodesh in Hebrew. This word has been applied to something that is sacred, to a prostitute, an asylum or a sanctuary. All these applications carry the idea of separation. I believe the intended usage of this word it this context is to be a sanctuary or a place of refuge.
When we draw near to God, God will seek us out as a refuge. I was reading the story of Amanda Knox who spent four years in an Italian prison under suspicion of murder before being acquitted and allowed to return home to the United States. She told of the lingering fears and anxiety she still suffers from her prison experience. She then tells how her boyfriend would come up behind her and put his arms around her and hug her and when he does this all the fears and anxiety leaves and she feels safe in his arms. This case has been re-opened. Can her boyfriend protect her from that? Can he protect her from being kidnaped or from some bureaucratic snafu which many send her back to Italy to stand trial again? Probably not and she knows it but still when her boyfriend hugs her, for that moment she just enjoys life and being alive and free. She finds a refuge from all that craziness around her.
Does God really need us to hug Him so He can feel safe? Yeah, I know, that is ridiculous. What does God need a shelter from? Maybe He needs to be surrounded by those who truly love Him those who have no ulterior motives; they just love Him because He is God. It is in that love that God’s perfect love is completed and He can enjoy this love coming voluntarily from the life He created.
Take a look at this word for come nigh, it is the word beqerovay from the root word qarav. This word has a double meaning. It can mean to draw near, or to be in the midst or middle. I would suggest that in this context and with the use of the preposition Beth it has the idea of being in the midst of. The word is spelled Qof, Resh, Beth. The letter Qof represents a wholeness or completeness. The Resh represents the Holy Spirit and the Beth represents the heart and home. Hence, I would offer that this idea of coming near to God should really be expressed as completing the love of God by finding a home in the heart of God.
God faces a lot of rejection, He created us in His image so we could understand what rejected love is like and hopefully we will not be the ones to bring this pain to his heart. Perhaps, if we seek to know and understand His heart, He will find a refuge in our hearts, a place where He is totally accepted and wanted and can complete that circle of love that He created us to do in the first place.
It I had one, my hat would be off to you for this one. What a superb viewpoint and pure thinking outside the box. My heart rejoices! and so does His. :-)
Hi Chaim, Just a thought, having had my wife leave me I understand just a little of the Pain Yah must constantly be in with people He love’s & yearns for, turning their backs on Him all the time. One of the roles of the bride (in Hebrew culture) is to protect & comfort her groom. When the Millennial reign ends our tears will be wiped away & the former things forgotten, ok for us but Yah won’t forget all the people he loved who rejected him, He will still need His bride (whom by that stage He will know truly loves Him) to comfort Him