We are in rolling into chapter ten of Leviticus with our word for today which is a phrase. לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה had not commanded, has not commanded. It is used 7 times in the Old Testament. We see our word used half of the time to point out the consequences to going ahead and doing what God has not commanded should be done. We see this right at the beginning of the Bible. Genesis 3:11, 17 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which צִוִּיתִ֛יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֥י I commanded you not to eat?” … Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which צִוִּיתִ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֥א [literally I commanded you saying not] I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Everyone who is alive faces these consequences of sin. This idea of doing what God has not commanded and facing the consequences is how our word is used in our chapter. In this example we have Aaron’s sons whose actions prove instantly fatal. Leviticus 10:1-3 Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace. And our last use in this sin against what God already commanded us not to do followed by consequences we have this warning for false prophets and God’s people. Deuteronomy 18:20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that לֹֽא־צִוִּיתִיו֙ I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. God loves us and that love is protective. He will be seen as holy which means we need to have the highest respect for his commands. The other 3 uses of our phrase are more of poetic in nature. We find our phrase used in a question. By using the negative in a question it emphasizes the command to be followed. A great example of this is when YHWH or the LORD talks to Joshua after the death of Moses. Joshua 1:9 הֲל֤וֹא צִוִּיתִ֙יךָ֙Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Our phrase is used here to give Joshua a charge or challenge to encourage and empower him. In our next example it is used by Deborah to give courage to Barak who is hesitating. Judges 4:6-7 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, הֲלֹ֥א צִוָּ֣ה “Has not the Lord, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor … And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin's army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand’?” In our last use it is in reference to God employed to emphasize his power. Lamentations 3:37 Who has spoken and it came to pass, לֹ֥א צִוָּֽה [literally if not sovereign or master has commanded it] unless the Lord has commanded it? 

It is good to remember that God’s heart is for us. He loves us and wants us to connect with him. The tabernacle worship was set up for people to draw close to God and worship him. When anyone gets in the way of the relationship between God and his people God’s jealousy kicks in. This is why Jesus harshest warnings were on the leaders who were supposed to help people connect with God but instead were getting in the way. I’ll close with these passages. In speaking about the church which is God’s plan to save the lost world and bring people to himself, we have this warning. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. Jesus challenges the Pharisees with several indictments then concludes with this judgment. Matthew 23:32-35 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.