Leviticus 9

1 On the eighth day, Moshe called Aharon, his sons and the leaders of Isra'el,

2 and said to Aharon, "Take a male calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before ADONAI.

3 Then tell the people of Isra'el, 'Take a male goat for a sin offering and a calf and a lamb, both a year old and without defect, for a burnt offering,

4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before ADONAI; also a grain offering mixed with olive oil -because today ADONAI is going to appear to you.'"

5 They brought what Moshe had ordered before the tent of meeting, and the whole community approached and stood before ADONAI.

6 Moshe said, "This is what ADONAI has ordered you to do, so that the glory of ADONAI will appear to you."

7 Moshe told Aharon, "Approach the altar, offer your sin offering and burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself and the people. Then present the offering of the people and make atonement for them, as ADONAI ordered."

8 So Aharon approached the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin offering which was for himself.

9 The sons of Aharon presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar; then he poured out the blood at the base of the altar.

10 But the fat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver of the sin offering he made go up in smoke on the altar, as ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

11 The meat and the skin were burned up completely outside the camp.

12 Next he slaughtered the burnt offering; Aharon's sons brought him the blood, and he splashed it against all sides of the altar.

13 They brought him the burnt offering, piece by piece, and the head; and he made them go up in smoke on the altar.

14 He washed the inner organs and the lower parts of the legs and made them go up in smoke on top of the burnt offering on the altar.

15 Then the people's offering was presented. He took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, slaughtered it and offered it for sin, like the earlier sin offering.

16 The burnt offering was presented, and he offered it in the prescribed manner.

17 The grain offering was presented; he took a handful of it and made it go up in smoke on the altar, in addition to the morning's burnt offering.

18 He slaughtered the ox and the ram, the people's sacrifice as peace offerings; Aharon's sons brought him the blood, which he splashed against all sides of the altar,

19 and the fat of the ox and of the ram - the fat tail, the fat which covers the inner organs, the kidneys and the covering of the liver.

20 They put the fat on the breasts, and he made the fat go up in smoke on the altar.

21 The breasts and right thigh Aharon waved as a wave offering before ADONAI, as Moshe had ordered.

22 Aharon raised his hands toward the people, blessed them and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering and the peace offerings.

23 Moshe and Aharon entered the tent of meeting, came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of ADONAI appeared to all the people!

24 Fire came forth from the presence of ADONAI, consuming the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

Leviticus 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The first offerings of Aaron for himself and the people. (1-21) Moses and Aaron bless the people, Fire cometh upon the altar from the Lord. (22-24)

Verses 1-21 These many sacrifices, which were all done away by the death of Christ, teach us that our best services need washing in his blood, and that the guilt of our best sacrifices needs to be done away by one more pure and more noble than they. Let us be thankful that we have such a High Priest. The priests had not a day's respite from service allowed. God's spiritual priests have constant work, which the duty of every day requires; they that would give up their account with joy, must redeem time. The glory of God appeared in the sight of the people, and owned what they had done. We are not now to expect such appearances, but God draws nigh to those who draw nigh to him, and the offerings of faith are acceptable to him; though the sacrifices being spiritual, the tokens of the acceptance are spiritual likewise. When Aaron had done all that was to be done about the sacrifices, he lifted up his hands towards the people, and blessed them. Aaron could but crave a blessing, God alone can command it.

Verses 22-24 When the solemnity was finished, and the blessing pronounced, God testified his acceptance. There came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed the sacrifice. This fire might justly have fastened upon the people, and have consumed them for their sins; but its consuming the sacrifice signified God's acceptance of it, as an atonement for the sinner. This also was a figure of good things to come. The Spirit descended upon the apostles in fire. And the descent of this holy fire into our souls, to kindle in them pious and devout affections toward God, and such a holy zeal as burns up the flesh and the lusts of it, is a certain token of God's gracious acceptance of our persons and performances. Nothing goes to God, but what comes from him. We must have grace, that holy fire, from the God of grace, else we cannot serve him acceptably, ( Hebrews 12:28 ) . The people were affected with this discovery of God's glory and grace. They received it with the highest joy; triumphing in the assurance given them that they had God nigh unto them. And with the lowest reverence; humbly adoring the majesty of that God, who vouchsafed thus to manifest himself to them. That is a sinful fear of God, which drives us from him; a gracious fear makes us bow before him.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 9

Aaron and his sons, being consecrated to and invested with the priest's office, are called upon to the exercise of it, to offer a sin offering and a burnt offering for themselves, and all sorts of offerings, a sin offering, a burnt offering, peace offerings, and a meat offering, for the people; and a promise is made for their encouragement, that the glory of the Lord would appear to them, Le 9:1-7 and which were in their course accordingly offered; first, Aaron's sin offering for himself, Le 9:8-11 then his burnt offering, Le 9:12-14 after that the several offerings of the people before mentioned, Le 9:15-21 when Aaron and Moses blessed the people, the one as soon as he had done offering, and both together when they came out of the tabernacle, Le 9:22,23 upon which a fire came forth from the Lord, and consumed the burnt offering upon the altar, Le 9:24.