Then the Lord said to Aaron. The first time in Leviticus that God speaks directly to Aaron rather than to Moses for relay to Aaron. The divine address directly to the surviving high priest in the aftermath of his sons' deaths communicates both the intimacy of God's relationship with Aaron and the urgency of the instruction that follows. Aaron is directly addressed at the moment when he most needs direct guidance: the instruction about alcohol in the sanctuary is given to Aaron personally, communicating that the high priest must understand and own these regulations as his own, not merely as transmitted commands.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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