Leviticus 9

The priests’ initiation

1 On the eighth day, Moses called for Aaron, Aaron's sons, and Israel's elders.

2 He said to Aaron, "Take a young bull from the herd as a purification offering and a ram as an entirely burned offering, both flawless animals, and bring them before the LORD.

3 Then tell the Israelites, ‘Take a male goat as a purification offering; a young bull and a sheep—both one-year-old flawless animals—as an entirely burned offering;

4 an ox and a ram as a well-being sacrifice before the LORD; and a grain offering mixed with oil, because today the LORD will appear to you.'"

5 They brought what Moses had commanded to the front of the meeting tent. Then the whole community came forward and stood before the LORD.

6 Moses said, "The LORD has ordered you to do this so that the LORD's glorious presence will appear to you."

7 Moses said to Aaron, "Come up to the altar and perform your purification offering and your entirely burned offering, making reconciliation for yourself and the people. Then perform the people's offering in order to make reconciliation for them, just as the LORD commanded."

8 Aaron went to the altar and slaughtered the young bull for his purification offering.

9 Then Aaron's sons presented the blood to him, and he dipped his finger into the blood and put it on the altar's horns. He poured the rest of the blood out at the altar's base.

10 He completely burned on the altar the fat, kidneys, and lobe of the liver from the purification offering, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

11 But he burned the flesh and hide with fire outside the camp.

12 Then Aaron slaughtered the entirely burned offering. Aaron's sons handed him the blood, and he tossed it against all sides of the altar.

13 They handed him the entirely burned offering in pieces, including the head, and he completely burned them on the altar.

14 Then he washed the insides and lower legs and completely burned them on the altar along with the rest of the entirely burned offering.

15 Next, Aaron presented the people's offering. He took the male goat for the people's purification offering, slaughtered it, and offered it as a purification offering like the first purification offering.

16 He presented the entirely burned offering and did with it according to the regulation.

17 Then he presented the grain offering, took a handful from it, and completely burned it on the altar, in addition to the morning's entirely burned offering.

18 Aaron then slaughtered the ox and the ram—the people's communal sacrifice of well-being. Aaron's sons handed him the blood, which he tossed against all sides of the altar,

19 and the fat pieces of the ox and ram—the fat tail, the covering fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver.

20 They placed these fat pieces on the animals' breasts, and Aaron completely burned them on the altar.

21 But Aaron lifted up the breasts and the right thigh as an uplifted offering before the LORD, just as Moses had commanded.

22 Aaron then raised his hands toward the people and blessed them. After performing the purification offering, the entirely burned offering, and the well-being sacrifice, he came down.

23 Moses and Aaron then entered the meeting tent. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the LORD's glorious presence appeared to all the people.

24 Fire flew out from before the LORD and devoured the entirely burned offering and the fat pieces on the altar. All the people saw it. They shouted for joy and fell facedown.

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.