Leviticus 9

1 And it cometh to pass on the eighth day, Moses hath called for Aaron and for his sons, and for the elders of Israel,

2 and he saith unto Aaron, `Take to thyself a calf, a son of the herd, for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, perfect ones, and bring near before Jehovah.

3 `And unto the sons of Israel thou dost speak, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin-offering, and a calf, and a lamb, sons of a year, perfect ones, for a burnt-offering,

4 and a bullock and a ram for peace-offerings, to sacrifice before Jehovah, and a present mixed with oil; for to-day Jehovah hath appeared unto you.'

5 And they take that which Moses hath commanded unto the front of the tent of meeting, and all the company draw near and stand before Jehovah;

6 and Moses saith, `This [is] the thing which Jehovah hath commanded; do [it], and the honour of Jehovah doth appear unto you.'

7 And Moses saith unto Aaron, `Draw near unto the altar, and make thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make atonement for thyself, and for the people, and make the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as Jehovah hath commanded.'

8 And Aaron draweth near unto the altar, and slaughtereth the calf of the sin-offering, which [is] for himself;

9 and the sons of Aaron bring the blood near unto him, and he dippeth his finger in the blood, and putteth [it] on the horns of the altar, and the blood he hath poured out at the foundation of the altar;

10 and the fat, and the kidneys, and the redundance of the liver, of the sin-offering, he hath made a perfume on the altar, as Jehovah hath commanded Moses;

11 and the flesh and the skin he hath burnt with fire, at the outside of the camp.

12 And he slaughtereth the burnt-offering, and the sons of Aaron have presented unto him the blood, and he sprinkleth it on the altar round about;

13 and the burnt-offering they have presented unto him, by its pieces, and the head, and he maketh perfume on the altar;

14 and he washeth the inwards and the legs, and maketh perfume for the burnt-offering on the altar.

15 And he bringeth near the offering of the people, and taketh the goat of the sin-offering which [is] for the people, and slaughtered it, and maketh it a sin-offering, like the first;

16 and he bringeth near the burnt-offering, and maketh it, according to the ordinance;

17 and he bringeth near the present, and filleth his palm with it, and maketh perfume on the altar, apart from the burnt-offering of the morning.

18 And he slaughtereth the bullock and the ram, a sacrifice of the peace-offerings, which [are] for the people, and sons of Aaron present the blood unto him (and he sprinkleth it on the altar round about),

19 and the fat of the bullock, and of the ram, the fat tail, and the covering [of the inwards], and the kidneys, and the redundance above the liver,

20 and they set the fat on the breasts, and he maketh perfume with the fat on the altar;

21 and the breasts, and the right leg hath Aaron waved -- a wave-offering before Jehovah, as He hath commanded Moses.

22 And Aaron lifteth up his hand towards the people, and blesseth them, and cometh down from making the sin-offering, and the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings.

23 And Moses goeth in -- Aaron also -- unto the tent of meeting, and they come out, and bless the people, and the honour of Jehovah appeareth unto all the people;

24 and fire cometh out from before Jehovah, and consumeth on the altar the burnt-offering, and the fat; and all the people see, and cry aloud, and fall 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.