Leviticus 9

1 And it came to pass on the eighth day, [that] Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel,

2 and said to Aaron, Take thee a young calf for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, without blemish, and present [them] before Jehovah;

3 and to the children of Israel shalt thou speak, saying, Take a buck of the goats for a sin-offering, and a calf and a lamb, yearlings, without blemish, for a burnt-offering;

4 and a bullock and a ram for a peace-offering, to sacrifice before Jehovah; and an oblation mingled with oil; for to-day Jehovah will appear to you.

5 And they brought what Moses commanded before the tent of meeting; and all the assembly approached and stood before Jehovah.

6 And Moses said, This is the thing which Jehovah has commanded that ye should do; and the glory of Jehovah shall appear to you.

7 And Moses said unto Aaron, Go to the altar, and offer thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make atonement for thyself, and for the people; and offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as Jehovah has commanded.

8 And Aaron went to the altar and slaughtered the calf of the sin-offering which was for himself;

9 and the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put [it] on the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar.

10 And the fat, and the kidneys, and the net above the liver, of the sin-offering, he burned on the altar, as Jehovah had commanded Moses.

11 And the flesh and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp.

12 And he slaughtered the burnt-offering; and Aaron's sons delivered to him the blood, which he sprinkled on the altar round about.

13 And they delivered the burnt-offering to him, in the pieces thereof, and the head; and he burned [them] on the altar.

14 And he washed the inwards and the legs, and burned [them] upon the burnt-offering, on the altar.

15 And he presented the people's offering, and took the goat of the sin-offering which was for the people and slaughtered it, and offered it for sin, as the first.

16 And he presented the burnt-offering and offered it according to the ordinance.

17 And he presented the oblation, and took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar, besides the burnt-offering of the morning.

18 And he slaughtered the bullock and the ram of the sacrifice of peace-offering which was for the people. And Aaron's sons delivered to him the blood, and he sprinkled it on the altar round about;

19 and the pieces of fat of the bullock and of the ram, the fat tail and what covers [the inwards], and the kidneys, and the net of the liver;

20 and they put the pieces of fat on the breast-pieces, and he burned the pieces of fat on the altar;

21 and the breast-pieces and the right shoulder Aaron waved as a wave-offering before Jehovah, as Moses had commanded.

22 And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and came down after the offering of the sin-offering, and the burnt-offering, and the peace-offering.

23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and came out and blessed the people; and the glory of Jehovah appeared to all the people.

24 And there went out fire from before Jehovah, and consumed on the altar the burnt-offering, and the pieces of fat; and all the people saw it, and they shouted, and fell on their face.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit. 'Draw near,' as ch. 10.4.
• [b]. Corban.
• [c]. See ch. 1.9: so vers. 14,17,20.

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.