Leviticus 8

Leviticus 8:1-13

This chapter gives us an account of the solemn and public consecration of Aaron and his sons, according to God’s appointment, ver. 1-5. (1.) They were unshaded and disshaded, ver. 1-9, 13. (2.) The tabernacle and the utensils of it were anointed, and then the priest, ver. 10-12. (3.) A fin-offering was offered for them, ver. 14-17. (4.) A burnt-offering, ver. 18-21. (5.) The ram of consecration, ver. 22-30. (6.) The continuance of this solemnity for seven days, ver. 31-36.

1. AND the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, 2. ’ Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock, for the fin-offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread. 3. And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 4. And Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 5. And

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Moses said unto the congregation, ’ This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done. 6. And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and ’ washed them with water. 7. And ’ he put upon him the coat, and girded him with a girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith. 8. And he put the bread-pitze upon him: also ’ he put to the bread-pitze the Umm and Thummim. 9. And ’ he put the mitre upon his head: also upon the mitre, even upon his fore-front did he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses. 10. ’ And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle, and all that was therein, and fanciled them. 11. And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar, and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them. 12. ’ And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him to banlify him. 13. ’ And Moses brought Aaron’s sons, and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and ’ put bonnets upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Aaron and his sons are here consecrated. The people are called to the door of the tabernacle, to grace the solemnity, and by their prayers, to implore the divine benefication. Moses, according to God’s directions, proceeds in the consecration; he first wishes them. They who are to preach the efficacy of the blood of Christ, must first themselves be washed by it, and shew by their own examples the purity they teach. Aaron is clothed with the beautiful garments and deadem, and anointed with the holy oil, as is also the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the sanctuary. Note, (1.) Every believer in Jesus hath brighter robes provided for him, even garments of everlasting righteousness, and crowns of glory never-fading. (2.) The oil ran down from the high-priest’s head to the skirts of his cloathing: the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, wherewith our great high-priest was anointed, deserved to every member of his body mythical, who have an anointing from the Holy One.

14. ’ And he brought the bullock for the fin-offering, and Aaron and his sons’ laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the fin-offering. 15. And he slew it, and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and ’ purified the altar; and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and fanciled it, to make reconciliation upon it. 16. And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burnt it upon the altar. 17. But the bullock and his hide, his flesh and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; ’ as the LORD commanded Moses. 18. ’ And he brought the ram for the burnt-offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. 19. And he kissed it, and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. 20. And he cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat. 21. And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt-facrifice for a sweet favour, and an offering made by fire unto the LORD; ’ as the LORD commanded Moses. 22. ’ And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. 23. And he slew it, and Moses took of the blood of it, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. 24. And he brought Aaron’s sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. 25. And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder. 26. ’ And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one water, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder. 27. ’ And he put all upon Aaron’s hands, and upon his sons hands, and waved them for a wave-offering before

Leviticus 8:3-9

AND the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, “If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

v. 1, 2. God having taught the first man, after his fall, the necessity of atonement for sin by sacrifice, we find it faithfully transmitted to his posterity; and when the true religion was lost in idolatry, the sacrifices still remained. When God therefore takes a people to himself, he both teaches them the use of sacrifices, and directs them in the choice of such as were most significant of the one great sacrifice, which in the fulness of time should be offered. The thunders of Sinai ushered in that law which only gave the knowledge of sin; but now, when sacrifices of peace are enjoined, God speaks in milder accents from the mercy-fear. The law is a voice of terror; the gospel, of grace and love.

3. If his offering be a burnt-facrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his

own voluntary will, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. 4. “And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering: and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 5. And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests Aaron’s sons shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 6. And he shall slay the burnt-offering, and cut it into his pieces. 7. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire. 8. And the priests Aaron’s sons shall lay the parts, the head and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire, which is upon the altar. 9. But his inwards and his legs shall be wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt-facrifice, an offering made by fire of a sweet favour unto the LORD.

The sacrifice, if of the herd, must be a male without blemish. God requires and deserves we should offer him our best. The blind and lame services of negligent prayers are not a sacrifice, but an abomination. The oblation must be voluntary. That is only acceptable obedience, which flows from love as its principle. He must come with it to the door of the tabernacle, as one unworthy to enter, yet desiring to draw near unto God. He must lay his hand on the head of the beast, intimating his acknowledgement of his deserving that death by reason of sin, to which this bullock was devoted, and his faith in the acceptance of this sacrifice in his stead. The beast was then to be slain, and his blood sprinkled by the priests upon the altar, as typical of the death of the great sacrifice, who bore

Before Christ 1490.