Leviticus 9

1 On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the leaders of Israel.

2 He told Aaron, "Take a calf that has no defects for yourself as an offering for sin and a ram that has no defects as a burnt offering. Sacrifice them in the LORD's presence.

3 Also tell the Israelites: 'Take a male goat as an offering for sin, a calf and a lamb (each one-year-old and without defects) as a burnt offering,

4 a bull and a ram as a fellowship offering, and a grain offering mixed with olive oil to sacrifice in the LORD's presence. The LORD will appear to you today.'"

5 So they took the things Moses commanded and brought them in front of the tent of meeting. The whole congregation came and stood in the LORD's presence.

6 Moses said, "The LORD has commanded you to offer these sacrifices so that you may see the LORD's glory."

7 Moses told Aaron, "Come to the altar and sacrifice an offering for sin and a burnt offering to make peace with the LORD for your sins and the sins of the people. Also make an offering for the people, to make peace with the LORD for them as the LORD commanded."

8 Aaron came to the altar and slaughtered the calf as his own offering for sin.

9 Aaron's sons brought him the blood. He dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar. Then he poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar.

10 On the altar he burned the fat, kidneys, and lobe of the liver from the offering for sin as the LORD had commanded Moses.

11 He burned the meat and the skin outside the camp.

12 He slaughtered the animal for the burnt offering. Aaron's sons gave him the blood, and he threw it against the altar on all sides.

13 They also gave him the burnt offering, which was cut in pieces and included the head. He burned it on the altar.

14 He washed the internal organs and the legs and laid them on top of the burnt offering on the altar.

15 He brought the people's offerings. He took the male goat for the people's offering for sin and slaughtered it. He sacrificed it to take away sins as he had done before.

16 Following the proper procedures, he brought forward the burnt offering and sacrificed it.

17 He also brought the grain offering. He took a handful of grain and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering.

18 He slaughtered the bull and the ram for the people's fellowship offering. Aaron's sons gave him the blood, which he threw against the altar on all sides.

19 However, the fat from the bull and the ram (the fat from the tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver)

20 they placed on the breasts. Aaron burned them all on the altar.

21 However, he first took the breasts and the right thighs and presented them to the LORD as Moses commanded.

22 Then Aaron raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. He sacrificed the offering for sin, the burnt offering, and the fellowship offering. Then he came down [from the altar].

23 Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people. Then the LORD's glory appeared to all the people.

24 Fire came out from the LORD's presence and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar. When all the people saw this, they shouted and bowed with their faces touching the ground.

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.