The Bible reading plan has me moving through the book of Numbers. And the book unfolds as a microcosm of the whole of Scripture. Israel continually ignores and breaks the law of God, which brings God's wrath and mercy. In the different accounts, Numbers foreshadows the coming, role, and need of Christ.
One account in particular comes in Numbers 16 after God punishes Korah, Dathan, and Abiram for their rebellion against Moses. The people continue in the spirit of rebellion by grumbling against Moses bringing about the death of these men, their families, and their followers. God then brings punishment upon the people by means of a deadly plague. It begins making its way through the people, which leads Moses and Aaron to intercede on behalf of guilty Israel.
And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Get away from the midst of the congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." And they fell on their faces. And Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun." So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. (16:43-48)
As Hebrews reveals, Christ is our perfect High Priest who intercedes and makes atonement on our behalf before God. Christ's sacrifice on the cross placed Him between the living and the dead. His sacrifice was the pleasing aroma going up before God on our behalf. His blood made atonement to cover our sin of rebellion against God.
Aaron running into the midst of the people with an offering to satisfy the wrath of God provides a physical depiction of what Christ has done for us. But all the more amazing, Christ stands before the living and the dead once and for all. He doesn't need to keep making sacrifices as Aaron and the priests after him would have to do. He was the perfect sacrifice and has forever removed God's wrath for those covered in His blood.
One account in particular comes in Numbers 16 after God punishes Korah, Dathan, and Abiram for their rebellion against Moses. The people continue in the spirit of rebellion by grumbling against Moses bringing about the death of these men, their families, and their followers. God then brings punishment upon the people by means of a deadly plague. It begins making its way through the people, which leads Moses and Aaron to intercede on behalf of guilty Israel.
And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Get away from the midst of the congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." And they fell on their faces. And Moses said to Aaron, "Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun." So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. (16:43-48)
As Hebrews reveals, Christ is our perfect High Priest who intercedes and makes atonement on our behalf before God. Christ's sacrifice on the cross placed Him between the living and the dead. His sacrifice was the pleasing aroma going up before God on our behalf. His blood made atonement to cover our sin of rebellion against God.
Aaron running into the midst of the people with an offering to satisfy the wrath of God provides a physical depiction of what Christ has done for us. But all the more amazing, Christ stands before the living and the dead once and for all. He doesn't need to keep making sacrifices as Aaron and the priests after him would have to do. He was the perfect sacrifice and has forever removed God's wrath for those covered in His blood.
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