The Ceremony for Ordinating Priests
May 14, 2019
Commentary
Moses led out the ram for the sacrifice to please the Lord (v. 18). After Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head, Moses killed the ram and splattered its blood against the four sides of the altar (v. 19). Moses had the animal cut up, and he washed its insides and hind legs (vv. 20-21). Then he laid the head, the fat, and the rest of the ram on the altar and sent them up in smoke with a smell that pleased the Lord. Moses led out the ram for the ceremony of ordination (v. 22). Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head, and it was killed (v. 23). Moses smeared some of its blood on Aaron’s right earlobe, right thumb, and right foot. Moses did the same thing for Aaron’s sons, before splattering the rest of the blood against the four sides of the altar (v. 24). He took the animal’s fat tail, insides, and liver and the two kidneys with their fat, and the right hind leg (v. 25). Then he took from a basket some of each of the three kinds of bread that had been made without yeast and had been dedicated to the Lord (v. 26). Moses placed the bread on top of the meat and gave it all to Aaron and his sons, who lifted it up to show that it was dedicated to the Lord (v. 27).
After this, Moses placed it on the fires of the altar and sent it up in smoke with a smell that pleased the Lord (v. 28). This was part of the ordination ceremony. Moses lifted up the ribs of the ram to show that they were dedicated to the Lord (v. 29). Finally, Moses sprinkled the priestly clothes of Aaron and his sons with some of the oil for ordination and with some of the blood from the altar (v. 30). Moses said to Aaron and his sons: The Lord told me that you must boil this meat at the entrance to the sacred tent and eat it there with the bread (v. 31). Burn what is left over (v. 32) and stay near the entrance to the sacred tent until the ceremony ends seven days from now, or you will die (v. 33-35). Aaron and his sons obeyed what the Lord said (v. 36).
Application
I am so glad that when I accepted Jesus as my Saviour over 60 years ago it brought an eternal relationship.
Leviticus 8:18– 36 (NET)
18 Then he presented the burnt offering ram and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, 19 and he slaughtered it. Moses then splashed the blood against the altar’s sides. 20 Then he cut the ram into parts, and Moses offered the head, the parts, and the suet up in smoke, 21 but the entrails and the legs he washed with water, and Moses offered the whole ram up in smoke on the altar—it was a burnt offering for a soothing aroma, a gift to the Lord, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
22 Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram 23 and he slaughtered it. Moses then took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Next he brought Aaron’s sons forward, and Moses put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on the big toes of their right feet, and Moses splashed the rest of the blood against the altar’s sides.
25 Then he took the fat (the fatty tail, all the fat on the entrails, the protruding lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat) and the right thigh, 26 and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened loaf, one loaf of bread mixed with olive oil, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat parts and on the right thigh. 27 He then put all of them on the palms of Aaron and his sons, who waved them as a wave offering before the Lord. 28 Moses then took them from their palms and offered them up in smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering—they were an ordination offering for a soothing aroma; it was a gift to the Lord. 29 Finally, Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the Lord from the ram of ordination. It was Moses’ share just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments. 31 Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and there you are to eat it and the bread which is in the ordination offering basket, just as I have commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it,’ 32 but the remainder of the meat and the bread you must burn with fire. 33 And you must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent for seven days, until the day when your days of ordination are completed, because you must be ordained over a seven-day period. 34 What has been done on this day the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. 35 You must reside at the entrance of the Meeting Tent day and night for seven days and keep the charge of the Lord so that you will not die, for this is what I have been commanded.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did all the things the Lord had commanded through Moses.