What role does Eleazar play in teaching God's commands in Numbers 31:21? Setting the Scene • Israel has just returned from battle against Midian (Numbers 31:1-20). • They bring back captives, livestock, and a great haul of metal goods. • Contact with corpses and pagan property places the camp in danger of ritual defilement (Numbers 19:11-13). • Moses addresses the broader issues of purity, but it is Eleazar who steps up to apply God’s specific purification statute to the spoils of war. Eleazar Steps Forward as Teacher “Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, ‘This is the statute of the law which the LORD commanded Moses: Only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead—’ ” • Eleazar is now High Priest, having succeeded his father Aaron (Numbers 20:24-29). • His calling includes teaching Israel God’s decrees (Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 33:10). • By declaring, “This is the statute of the law,” he anchors his instruction in divine authority rather than personal opinion. What Exactly Does He Teach? Eleazar rehearses the ordinance first given at Sinai for cleansing objects that have been exposed to death or idolatry: 1. Metal items that can survive fire must “pass through the fire, and then they will be clean” (Numbers 31:23). 2. Things that cannot endure fire must “pass through the water of purification” (v. 23). 3. Everyone who fought must wash their garments and remain outside the camp seven days (v. 24). Why Eleazar’s Role Matters • Guardian of Holiness – He protects the camp from uncleanness so God’s presence can remain (Leviticus 15:31). • Continuity of Revelation – Moses is still alive, yet Eleazar exercises the priestly office, showing that God’s law is bigger than any one leader. • Model of Priestly Instruction – Malachi 2:7: “For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth.” • Illustration of Shared Leadership – Victory in battle does not suspend obedience; spiritual leaders must keep God’s standards before the people (2 Chronicles 26:18). Timeless Takeaways • Spiritual authority is exercised by faithfully quoting and applying Scripture—exactly what Eleazar does. • After any “battle,” God still calls His people to purity; success never excuses compromise. • Believers today, called “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), inherit Eleazar’s task of upholding and teaching God’s unchanging commands. |
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