Last week, we examined a warning to Aaron that he was not to mourn the loss of his sons who offered "strange fire" before the Lord and were consumed by that same fire. The Lord then gave Aaron further instructions:
“You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean, and so you can teach the Israelites all the decrees the Lord has given them through Moses" (Leviticus 10:8-11).
This stipulation is similar to someone who voluntarily entered into what was called a Nazirite vow, which we will discuss later in this series. A Nazirite was not to cut their hair, drink wine, or partake of any grape products whatsoever. Why this restriction?
Wine could be used to deaden one's senses or pain, and certainly Aaron was in pain over the loss of two children. Wine can also be used during celebrations to enhance one's mood of joy and the Israelites were commanded to partake of wine and "strong drink" during their festivals (no, this was not to cross over into drunkenness). Jesus advised His listeners not to put new wine into old wineskins, and He was using wine to represent the new covenant He had come to establish.
We could spend more time on wine and what it represents, but in the context of this story, it would seem that Aaron was not to do anything that would help him cope with the current situation except to do the work and be the representative God had chosen him to be. Perhaps it could be likened today to the many ways people try to deaden their pain or escape their responsibilities with such activities like binge watching TV, shopping, eating, family drama, or other activities that in and of themselves are not evil or wrong unless they are used as a means to avoid the realities one's human experience and current situation.
God is to be the source of your help in times of trouble and temptation. Are you pressing into Him during difficult times? Are you embracing your call or frittering away your time on empty diversions? Is your creativity all it can be or do you keep yourself occupied with lesser things to keep yourself from disappointment or failure? Read what Peter wrote, keeping in mind that his exhortation to "sobriety" was not to avoid alcohol but a directive that you are to keep your wits and spiritual perspective at all times:
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings (1 Peter 5:8-10).
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