Num 18:1, So the Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's household with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood. 
This morning, we will once again share several quotes from Dr. Ronald B. Allen in his writing on the Book of Numbers contained in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. We are at a point in our reading of Numbers which would benefit from a better understanding of what is before us. Many readers may feel that the two chapters, 18 + 19 in Numbers, are just an unneeded insertion within the book. Dr. Allen makes it very clear that these chapters are vitally part of the entire book of Numbers as directed by the Holy Spirit. 
The chapters immediately follow the affirmation of God's selection of Aaron as the chosen priest of God to the people through the use of the rods from all the tribes. If you will recall, the rod of Aaron not only budded, but blossomed and brought forth the almonds over night, thus making it very clear that Aaron and his sons were God’s choice of priests for the entire nation. This is where we will begin our recitation of Dr. Allen’s expertise. 
Quote, The house of Aaron has been convincingly validated by the miracle of the budding, blossoming, and fruiting staff (Num 17). Now, as Aaron was growing older and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar were assisting him more and more in his sacred duties, tasks that would be theirs alone on his demise, it is necessary to explain more fully the manner of the priesthood. The inclusion of chapters 18-19 in the story line of the desert experience is not intrusive but compelling. 
	Nevertheless, the modern reader comes to chapters 18-19 with a sense of foreboding; what, we may wonder, is in these chapters for me? The answer to that question is fivefold:
1.	The reader of Scripture needs to have general knowledge about the major institutions of the biblical period just for Scripture to make sense.
2.	Our understanding of the true worship of God begins with the sense that He controls and directs true worship; who the priests are and how they function are first His concerns. This means that worship is not a game where we may make up the rules as we play.
3.	A general knowledge of the work of the priests in the Hebrew Bible gives many insights to the modern reader as to the interests of God in our own worship. Often we think of worship in terms of what we like and appreciate. This misses the mark; worship is principally for God’s pleasure.
4.	A general knowledge of the work of priests in the time of Hebrew worship gives the Christian reader significant insights into the priestly work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Book of Hebrews has an intense priestly orientation in its presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ, priest of God in the manner of Melchizedek.
5.	In contrast with the highly regulated, highly structured patterns demanded of the priests of the Hebrew economy, the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ today has a direct access to God through the Savior that is nearly unbelievable. We are all priests; we can come near the presence of the Lord without an intermediary. Yet our privilege as believer-priests can only really be appreciated against the background of priests in the biblical period.
End quote.
	Let us first consider the basic and core truth of worship as expressed by Dr. Allen in his statement - Our understanding of the true worship of God begins with the sense that He controls and directs true worship; who the priests are and how they function are first His concerns. This means that worship is not a game where we may make up the rules as we play.
	The key reality is that these chapters are part of the Book of Numbers for our edification today. They belong to it and in this part of it because they show us that God is the One Who ordains those who will minister. God is the One Who establishes the practices of worship that will be glorifying to Him. As is emphasized, God is the One Who controls and directs worship. It is not something that we should ever dare to hijack or try to manipulate to our own likes and dislikes. It is not something that we should ever demand as our own and to be forged by our preferences and our demands for a place of honor among men.
	Think back to the rebellion of Korah and his cohorts from a couple chapters ago in our reading. The truth is that Korah and his co-conspirators probably really thought that they knew better than Moses and Aaron how to bring the sacrifices into the Tent of Meeting. They were all prominent leaders of their tribes, fully vested in the betterment of their social order. 
What they forgot, however, was that Moses and Aaron were leading the nation because of their intimate communion with God. All the ordinances and the regulations and the order of how to sacrifice and what to sacrifice and what to offer and how to come before the presence of the Most Holy God were put before the Children of Israel from the mouth of God through these two men.
The rebels had forgotten, or chose not to believe this as the truth. Thus they suffered the dire consequences of trying to come into the presence of the Most Holy One through their own devices and means of human understanding, which will never be able to please God, let alone honor Him, or minister before Him. 
This opens up another of Dr. Allen’s observations concerning the choice of Aaron and his lineage by God for the service that God required. This is in regard to this morning’s passage and reading in Numbers Chapter 18. 
Quote, The Lord’s choice of Aaron and his family as the true priests of holy worship presented an onerous task. The lament of the people in chapter 17, verses 12-13 (Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying!  "Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, must die. Are we to perish completely?") was a genuine expression of distress; grievous sins against the holy meeting place of the Lord and His people would be judged with death. It was only in the mercy of the Lord in providing a legitimate priesthood that there could be any hope for deliverance from judgment. Modern readers are not always aware that the Lord’s provision of the priesthood was an aspect of His grace. Without proper priests doing their work effectively, there would be only death among the sinning community. Psalm 99:6 (Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the Lord, and He answered them) points to the grace of God in providing priests for His people. The provision of the Great Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb 4:14, Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession), is in line with this work of His grace.
	A characteristic phrase troubling to understand, is the line “you… are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary.” This NIV rendering is somewhat expansive but is a development of the meaning of the Hebrew term awon (“iniquity”). At times it is used to describe the iniquity that one commits or that mars one’s life. But in this context awon relates to the whole sphere of sin, guilt, and responsibility for offense. The words of the people in Chapter 17:13 were based on reality: it is a fearful thing to make an inappropriate approach to the shrine of God’s dwelling. The priests, who have their work in the precincts of his dwelling, must realize that they are there at the leave of God. But they cannot forget where they are nor be casual in what they are to do. To act foolishly, brazenly, carelessly in the holy places is to invite disaster. Their priestly ministry puts them in roles of awesome responsibility…End Quote.
	This is all part of the reason that it has to be God Who chooses those who are His ministering agents for worship. He chooses those who are the teachers of His people and those who are in any of the offices of His ordination. There is a most tremendous responsibility that flows forth from the throne of God’s sovereignty, by His grace unto His people. Everything in the service of the Lord is to be dealt with in the most serious deliberation of the manner and the fulfillment of that work. Nothing about worship, nothing about ministry, nothing about teaching, nothing about bringing honor unto God dare be minimized or carelessly performed. All must be at the highest level of diligence and conscious endeavor, as the chosen priests of the Almighty Lord God.  
This, then leads to the next point that Dr. Allen highlights, A general knowledge of the work of the priests in the Hebrew Bible gives many insights to the modern reader as to the interests of God in our own worship. Often we think of worship in terms of what we like and appreciate. This misses the mark; worship is principally for God’s pleasure.
	Sadly, this is the characteristic that is present in so many Christians. They choose the church that they like and that fits their ideas and their concepts of what it means to go to church. Many do so with the idea of what they will get out of it, whether that is being entertained, or challenged, or fulfilling some cultural or ritualistic edict. They go to church to feel good about themselves in having performed the duty of their religious teachings. 
But that is not what worship, true worship is all about. It is ordained by God for the purpose of His creation being enabled to bring Him the pleasure of what He has done. In the Old Testament, without the prescribed manner of cleansing and substitutionary sacrifices as performed by the priests of God’s selection, the people had no means of coming unto God to worship Him. It took the work of the priests absolutely fulfilling the every requirement from preparation through the sacrifice to the very means of discarding of the sacrificial refuse that allowed the people the opportunity to come together in the worship of the Lord God Jehovah.
For us, today, it is because of the work of Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice provided by God, Himself, by Whom we are enabled to come together in true worship and adoration of God. Without the work of God, through the death and resurrection of His Son, we would have no avenue of worship and no means to bring honor to Our Lord God Almighty. Since it is all on the basis of His glorious work, He is the One to Whom worship should be addressed and for Whom it should be offered. 
It must never be a matter of our likes and our dislikes and our thoughts and our conceptual preferences. It must always be that worship is offered unto God by the very leading of His Own Holy Spirit. John 4:24, "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." It is for the expressed purpose of bringing unto Him the adoration and the worship that He, Alone, is due. We must continually seek to remove ourselves from the equation in order that He is the absolute focus and His good pleasure is the entire goal of our gathering together before Him. It is not for us, but for Him that we join our hearts together and bring unto Him sacrifices of worship and praise.   
	Hopefully this study will make it very evident why, initially, these two chapters were included by God in His Holy Word. They show the full magnificence of what He has done for the sake of all His people in order for us to have access to His throne of grace and mercy. 
Without the work of the priests throughout the Old Testament, as a pattern of the perfect High Priest to come, Our Lord Jesus Christ, they would have been fully under the distressed and mourn-filled cry expressed in Lev 17:12b-13 …"Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying!  "Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, must die. Are we to perish completely?" 
The installation of the priests by God showed His great mercy and grace in action on the behalf of His people. It was the means by which they could come unto Him and receive forgiveness for sin and trespass and not die but live.
	For the New Testament Church, that expression of God’s love and mercy through the priestly order has been completed in Jesus Christ. This will be further examined when we conclude this specific study next time. It is in Jesus, the Perfect High Priest, that we have our hope of salvation and redemption. In Him, we are given life everlasting as well as the honor of giving God more perfect worship and praise unto His glory Alone. So be it. 
So the Lord said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's household with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood. Amen.

This morning’s benediction is Ps 7:17. I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. Amen.