I. I STORY ABOUT A BAD DAY
A. Song Lyrics “You had A Bad Day” – by Daniel Powter
Where is the moment we needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to grey
They tell me your passion’s gone away
And I don’t need no carryin’ on
You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You’re faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life’s been way off line
You’re falling to pieces everytime
And I don’t need no carryin’ on
Cause you had a bad day
You’re taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don’t know
You tell me don’t lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
B. It Was A Bad Day For The Hebrews In The Wilderness
1. The setting was sometime just after the 10 commandments were given on Mt. Sinai – still encamped at base of Mt. Sinai
2. Leviticus is a pause in the wilderness journey – tabernacle instructions
3. Now it was their first time really sacrificing, making sin offerings
a. Leviticus 9:22-24 - it started out as a good day – offerings for priests came before offerings for the people
b. Lord accepted offerings, glory of Lord appeared to all people
C. Leviticus 10:1-17 – Things Started Going Bad Wrong
1. Two of Aaron’s sons (Nadab & Abihu) perish
a. “strange fire” – incense on it & offered “profane fire”
b. they did something different than what God had prescribed
2. BAD DAY - Flash fire / explosion – 1st day on the job - Lord killed them
a. terrible event – 2 out of 5 highest ranking priests knocked off
b. sin offerings for the people had yet to be completed
c. devastating – whole country in peril
d. Aaron & 2 remaining sons no mood to continue
3. Lord speaks through Moses (who quickly stepped in / damage control)
a. I am to be regarded as holy – “Aaron held his peace”
b. Moses calls near relatives to remove bodies
c. Illegal for Aaron or 2 remaining sons to touch bodies nor mourn
d. no time for mourning, get back on the job – critically unstable
B. Leviticus 10:16-20 – BAD DAY CONTINUES – They Hit A New Low
1. Goat (Sin-Offering) left on the alter – burned up
a. was supposed to be cooked up, but not burned up
b. was supposed to be eaten by High Priests & his sons
- consumed with holy attitudes because it was holy
- consumed w/ joyful attitude because it was celebration
c. but Aaron & 2 remaining sons had not eaten it
2. Almost see Moses trembling with Anger – BAD DAY not over!
3. Aaron & sons
a. deep in bottle up grief
b. fearing for their lives – paranoid temple service
c. questioning & second-guessing everything they were doing
4. Situation of walking on dangerous thin ice
a. feeling anything but holy, now to insist on eating holy meal?
b. feeling anything but joyful, now to insist on “be happy”?
5. Eat? It would have been only a mechanical routine rather than holy meal
C. They Were Caught Between Contradictions
1. Already 2 sons had died because of doing something contrary
2. Now Aaron & 2 remaining living sons caught between contradictions
a. not trying to be contrary, in fact that’s what they wanted to avoid
b. to not feast would have been a contradiction of God’s law
c. to feast dispiritedly (hypocritically) was dangerous too
3. Either way, they were condemned men – would fall through the ice
a. condemned if they feasted
b. condemned if they didn’t
II. HAVE YOU EVER HAD A BAD DAY - “CAUGHT BETWEEN THE CONTRADICTIONS”
A. By This I Mean:
1. No matter what I do, it’s wrong & I’m condemned
2. No matter what I do, someone’s going to find something wrong with it
3. No matter what I do, God’s not going to be totally happy with me
B. The Times I Feel “Caught In The Middle” or “Caught Between Contradictions”
1. Doctrinally – no two people think alike, because of that no 2 people agree
a. credentials interview in Alabama - Escatology
b. I believe in Heaven, Hell, 7-day creation, Trinity, End Times
c. Mostly - no creed but Christ, no law but Love, no book but Bible
d. Bible has no contradictions, people have contradictions
2. Morally -
a. some things I see clear-cut Biblically that you may not
b. some things you see clear cut Biblically that I don’t
c. when someone make an issue - caught between contradictions
d. all called to be Sanctified vessels – up to God to write His law on our hearts & to apply it
- you are accountable to God for code on your heart
- I am responsible to God for code that’s on my heart
4. Spiritually –
a. caught between the contradictions
b. bruised up & broken, it’s hard to even trust God
- a Pastor’s wife who’s husband left them
- a god-fearing parents who’s child died of SIDS
- a generous Christian swindled by a TV ministry
- a pastor who lost his teenage son to a drunk driver
- a righteous young man falsely accused & imprisoned
c. any number of things that would put a contradiction in your spirit
d. Aaron 2 of his sons – stopped in his tracks
- afraid to eat the “holy” meal
- afraid to eat the “joyful” meal
III. LOOK AT MOSES’ RESPONSE "So when Moses heard that, he was content."
A. Different Versions of Leviticus 10:20 (ask congregation for their versions)
"And when Moses heard that, he was satisfied." TLB
"And when Moses heard (that), it was well-pleasing in his sight." ASV
"And when Moses heard that, he was pacified." AMP
B. Hebrew Word = `ayin (ah’-yin); an eye; or a fountain
1. “Content”… eye, fountain
2. Sense in which not only did Moses “hear” but content (eye) he saw
a. “eye” = took time to really see & perceive – to see into the dilemma / contradiction, and motives
b. “fountain” = from it flowed understanding, mercy, grace
3. Moses could have heard and gotten binding & legalistic - “The law is the law”
a. but he didn’t
b. he knew when to just let it go
4. Through Moses’ eyes, God saw Aaron’s… pain, grief, frustration
5. Moses was content…satisfied…pacified – and so was God
IV. THERE WILL BE TIMES YOU FEEL CAUGHT BETWEEN CONTRADICTIONS OF FAITH
A. No Matter What You Do, You’re Going To …Mess up
1. Be under condemnation spiritually
2. Be living a contradiction spiritually
B. What To Do?
V. FIVE THINGS TO DO WHEN CAUGHT BETWEEN THE CONTRADICTIONS
1. Remember God’s Holiness
a. Moses’ 1st words to Aaron: “I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people, I must be glorified”
b. not judgmental statement – or Aaron wouldn’t have held peace
c. what gave Aaron enough peace to continue on
- statement of reassurance
- if you’re feeling unholy, okay – I have enough holiness to cover us both
- if you’re feeling less than glorious – okay – I have enough glory to shine for us both
d. it was depressurizing
e. if we have to be pressured into holiness or glorious living, it’s not true holiness or glorious living
f. holiness & glorious living is not something that’s within our grasp, but only into grasp of God who then grasps us
g. first things first
2. Internalize God’s Word - written on your heart, not just an external thing
Prov 3:3 "Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart..."
3. Instead of sifting through God’s law, be sifted by God Himself
Ps 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; T ry me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting."
4. Be honest before God
1 Sam 15:22 "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams."
a. that was said to King Saul – going through motions
b. lukewarm going through the motions thing doesn’t cut it
c. admit honestly where you’re at
d. in your theology, morals, spirituality, you may feel like the lone ranger, just so long it’s a matter of sincere, prayerful, bible informed honesty and not defiance & rebellion
5. Do the Romans 12:1 thing “present yourself a living & holy sacrifice”
a. you can do that without feeling contradiction / duplicity
b. present your doubts, your questions, your confusion…don’t hold back any of these from God – that’s hot stuff
c. there’s no contraction with this
d. this approach, rather than self-manufacturing faith and holiness, will draw you nearer to Him who is Holy, who can then work and move in your life
e. holiness is conceived, takes root, percolates, self-generates!
VII. IN THIS SPIRIT, AARON SAID WHAT HE SAID IN LEVITICUS 10:19 - "So when Moses heard that, he was content"
