ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Monite Me 24, 2021

in front of the tabernacle of the Lord

‘i he ‘ao ‘o e Tāpanekale ‘o Sihova 

Levitiko 17 (Leviticus 17)

(v. 1-4) 1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 3 If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, 4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people.

(v. 1-4) 1 PEA folofola ‘a e ‘Eiki kia Mōsese, ‘o pehē, 2 Lea kia ‘Ēlone mo hono ngaahi foha, pea ki ha‘a ‘Isileli kotoa, pea ke fakahā kiate kinautolu; ko eni ‘a e me‘a kuo tu‘utu‘uni ‘e Sihova: 3 ‘Ilonga ha tangata ‘i he fale ‘o ‘Isileli, ‘a ia ‘oku ne tāmate‘i ha pulu pe lami pe kosi ‘i he ‘apitanga, pe ‘oku ne tāmate‘i ‘i he tu‘a ‘apitanga, 4 ka kuo ‘ikai te ne ‘omi mu‘a ki he mata Tēniti Fe‘iloaki‘anga, ke kōpano ‘aki ki he ‘Eiki ‘i he ‘ao ‘o e Tāpanekale ‘o Sihova: ‘e lau toto ki he tangata ko ia; kuo ne lingi toto; pea ‘e tu‘usi ‘a e tangata ko ia mei hono kakai:

 

*Commentary: Matthew Henry*

After the law concerning the atonement to be made for all Israel by the high priest, at the tabernacle, with the blood of bulls and goats, in this chapter we have two prohibitions necessary for the preservation of the honour of that atonement.

That no sacrifice should be offered by any other than the priests, nor any where but at the door of the tabernacle, and this upon pain of death (v. 1-9).

That no blood should be eaten, and this under the same penalty (v. 10, etc.).

*Commentary: David Guzik – Study Guide to Leviticus*

Prohibition of sacrifice outside the tabernacle.

(Lev 17:1-4) Sacrifice must be at the tabernacle and by the appointed priests.

Bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting: In the pagan world at that time, it was customary to offer sacrifice wherever one pleased. Altars were customarily be built on high hills, in forested areas, or at other special places.

The guilt of bloodshed shall be imputed to that man: This looser attitude towards the place of sacrifice may have been fine for the time of the patriarchs. Yet now with a centralized place of worship, the Israelites were not allowed to offer sacrifice any way they pleased - they had to come to the tabernacle and have their sacrifice administered by the priests. If they disobeyed, they would be cut off from among the people - exiled from their community.

This command runs completely contrary to the way most people come to God in our culture. The modern world is characterized by an entirely individualistic way of coming to God, where each person makes up their own rules about dealing with God as they see Him.

In the book Habits of the Heart, Robert Bellah and his colleagues interviewed a young nurse named Sheila Larson, whom they describe as representing many Americans' experience and views on religion. Speaking about her own faith and how it operates in her life, she said: "I believe in God. I'm not a religious fanatic. I can't remember the last time I went to church. My faith has carried me a long way. It is 'Sheilaism.' Just my own little voice." This instinct for an individualistic, set-your-own-rules religion is given free reign in our modern world.