Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Leviticus Chapter 10
Metaphysically Interpreting Leviticus 10:1-20
10:1And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them. 10:2And there came forth fire from before Jehovah, and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah. 10:3Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that Jehovah spake, saying,
I will be sanctified
in them that come nigh me,
and before all the people
I will be glorified.10:4And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Draw near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. 10:5So they drew near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. 10:6And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Let not the hair of your heads go loose, neither rend your clothes; that ye die not, and that he be not wroth with all the congregation: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Jehovah hath kindled. 10:7And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, lest ye die; for the anointing oil of Jehovah is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.
10:8And Jehovah spake unto Aaron, saying, 10:9Drink no wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tent of meeting, that ye die not: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: 10:10and that ye may make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; 10:11and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which Jehovah hath spoken unto them by Moses.
10:12And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meal-offering that remaineth of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy; 10:13and ye shall eat it in a holy place, because it is thy portion, and thy sons' portion, of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire: for so I am commanded. 10:14And the wave-breast and the heave-thigh shall ye eat in a clean place, thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they are given as thy portion, and thy sons' portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace-offerings of the children of Israel. 10:15The heave-thigh and the wave-breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave-offering before Jehovah: and it shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, as a portion for ever; as Jehovah hath commanded.
10:16And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin-offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron that were left, saying, 10:17Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin-offering in the place of the sanctuary, seeing it is most holy, and he hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before Jehovah? 10:18Behold, the blood of it was not brought into the sanctuary within: ye should certainly have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded. 10:19And Aaron spake unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before Jehovah; and there have befallen me such things as these: and if I had eaten the sin-offering to-day, would it have been well-pleasing in the sight of Jehovah? 10:20And when Moses heard that, it was well-pleasing in his sight.
August 10, 1902: Leviticus 10:1-11
Leviticus treats of the duties of the Levites, or priesthood, who in the Hebrew ceremonial had charge of the whole system of sacrifices, feasts, etc. These priests represent the thoughts of the mind that carry forward the regenerative process.
A new life is introduced into the consciousness which must be kept active. Fire is the symbol of life and the priests are those thoughts which preside over this Divine Life, which they keep burning on the sacred altar within.
In Scripture symbolism a son always means thought. Aaron represents the Word of Strength and his sons’ specific thoughts about the character of that Strength. Abihu means “father,” or “faith,” and he represents our abiding faith in the Divine Strength. Nadab means “a free gift,” and represents the unlimited source of strength and the freedom with which it is given to us by God.
The fire and incense which these priests put in their censers represent life in its ascending action, constantly becoming more and more spiritualized through processes of right thought. But this is dependent in its upward trend upon our obedience to the higher understanding. If we allow our minds to be confused with the thought that the sense life and the Spiritual life are the same, these priests will offer “strange fires before the Lord,” that is, instead of the ascending current of new life in the body, there will be a descending current that will kill out our faith in the Divine Source, and destroy the consciousness of its unlimited quantity. Thus we see how these two priests are “devoured.”
“I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me,” means that the Spirit of the Lord is so pure that it purifies everything it touches. If there is any impurity in those who come into its consciousness, that is consumed.
When Moses, the Divine Law, gives us clear perception between the “holy and unholy and between the unclean and the clean,” the bodies or material aspects of our two priestly thoughts, are carried out of the camp “in their coats,” or temporary thought forms. Then the Moses, Understanding, warns us not to mourn for them. Do not regret or bewail your tendency to error, but rejoice that you have again found the true way.
“Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation.” Do not stimulate your thought with an external stimulant when you commune with God. We should beware how we go into the silence with an intellectual thought which we have gotten from without, as to the character of Spiritual things. The Spirit within will reveal its character to you direct, if you divest your mind of all material concepts.
– UNITY magazine.
March 31, 1918: Leviticus 10:1-11
The rites and ceremonies of the priests in the tabernacle represent the action of Spiritual forces in developing the body. The great object of man's existence in planetary consciousness is to build a body after the ideals given by the Lord. The physical body the tabernacle or temporary structure in and through which the enduring body is formed, and regeneration is a combination of chemical and mental processes.
Digestion is the separation of energy stored in material envelopes or cells. This energy may be used to vitalize the muscles or aid in brain building, but it must get its fire or life from the Spirit. If it fails to do this, the structure it builds is lifeless.
It is evident from the command given in the ninth verse of this lesson that Nadab and Abihu put alcohol in their censers (stomachs) instead of the natural regenerative fire of the Spirit. Alcohol is an attempt by man to make a substitute for the natural life energy which is imparted to him from the Lord. When this artificial fire is put into the stomach, it clashes with the finer energies of the system and the result is a destruction of the cell, similar to the burning out of a dynamo.
For this reason it is more dangerous for one who has entered the regeneration to drink wine, or anything containing free alcohol, than the unregenerate. In the latter the Spirit fire from on high has been kindled, and after a period of stupor the nerves and temporarily excited cells are at peace. But one who has started the soul life in his system should beware how he attempts to stimulate that life from the Spirit.
Every adept and initiate, Christian or Gentile, has an understanding in greater or lesser degree of the necessity of temperance in eating and drinking on the part of those who are in process of building the Christ body. As a rule the Spirit guides in the choice of food and drink but this is not always clearly discerned, especially if the mind is educated in that easy way of eating “what is set before you, asking no questions.” Here it is plainly stated that individual discrimination is necessary “That ye may put difference between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.”
– UNITY magazine.
August 29, 1937: Leviticus 10:1-2,8-11
What is the theme of this lesson? This is a lesson on temperance under the divine law. That the divine law requires men to be temperate is proved by the effects of temperance as compared with the effects of intemperance on them.
Explain the first two verses of this lesson from a metaphysical viewpoint. The burning of incense symbolizes transmutation, in which the animal nature goes through a refinement and is changed for the better. That which degrades the animal nature is not tolerated by the spiritual nature.
Explain the Mosaic reasons for the commandment in verse 9. “Drink no wine nor strong drink ... that ye die not.” Habitual use of alcohol ends in the death of the body. “And that ye may make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.” Alcoholism degrades and cheapens the moral nature and makes men incapable of choosing what is best for them. It renders them powerless to develop along the line of their highest thought in accord with divine law.
October 31, 1943: Leviticus 10:1-2,8-11
How does indulgence in alcohol affect the worker? It disqualifies him for doing good work by a progressive disturbing of his mental faculties and physical functions. It impairs his judgment, releases in him a false sense of self-importance, and promotes erratic thinking and irresponsible behavior. Habitual indulgence in intoxicants affects the nervous system adversely, destroys muscular control, and breaks dental the vital organs.
Does alcoholism unfit one for leadership? It does, because leadership requires clear thinking and cool reasoning, with a large measure of understanding than the general average of the masses can command. Intoxication even in slight degree diminishes these qualifications instead of increasing them.
What phases of leadership are covered by the text of this lesson? Religious and political leadership. Nadab and Abihu were in training for the priesthood, and John the Baptist was designed for religious leadership from birth. Lemuel was a king.
What is essential to the proper discharge of such high offices? Abstinence. To be conscious of the obligations of his station a king must be sober and abstemious. Otherwise his judgment together with his influence over his subjects is impaired. The religious leader above all others must keep his moral nature uncorrupted (make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean). Abstinence is a long step in this direction.
Is it true now that drinking wine and strong drink ends in death, as in the days of Nadab and Abihu? Yes, because the body (tent meeting) is first desecrated and finally destroyed by the drink habit.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-26-2014
