Introductory Notes:

  • Lev. 8-9 is the implementation of instructions given in Exod. 28-29
  • In O.T., there were 3 groups of priests:
    • 1) High Priest – must be descendant of Eleazer (son of Aaron); free of defects (Lev. 21)
    • 2) Ordinary Priest – must be descendant of Aaron; free of defects (Lev. 21); responsible for summoning Israel to war and announcing feasts (with trumpets); divided into 24 groups (1 Chr. 24)
      • Insight: All descendants of the High Priest are called to serve as priests, thus, all Christians (who are born again of the Holy Spirit) are priests.
    • 3) Levites – assisted priests; carried out various sanctuary duties, including instructing in Law; not ordained in Lev. 8
  • “ordination” means “to fill”, and is abbreviation for “to fill the hands”

Leviticus 8:5-36

All actions are performed by Moses:

  1. Aaron and sons washed with water (8:6)
    1. cleansed of impurity through the word (Eph. 5) and Spirit (Titus 3)
  2. Aaron dressed (8:7-9) cf. Exodus 28
    1. High Priest wore:
Exod. 28:4Exod. 28:6-39–descriptionLev. 8:7-9
breastpiece
ephod
robe
coat
turban
sash		ephod
breastpiece
robe
golden plate
coat
turban
sash		coat
sash (around waist)
robe
ephod    
* band around ephod
breastpiece    
* Urim and Thummim
turban    
* golden plate
High Priest Garments
  • coat: “checkered work” made of “fine linen” (Ex. 28) = covered in Christ’s righteousness (Rev. 19:8)
  • sash around waist: embroidered with needle (Ex. 28) = specific service (Jn. 13) given by Christ (Eph. 2; 2 Tim. 1:8-9)
  • robe: connected to ephod, blue, opening for head that doesn’t tear, has woven pomegranates on hem (blue, purple, scarlet yarns) and golden bells (sounds off for priest going to holy of holies, so he doesn’t die) (Ex. 28:31-35)
  • ephod (vest) – “a sleeveless vest, which fitted close to the body and may have extended below the hips.” (ISBE, 1979, Vol. 2, p. 117) (Ex. 28:6-14)
    1. band around ephod – around waist (like Jesus as servant in John 13), not around chest (like Jesus as ruler in Rev. 1)
  • breastpiece (“of judgment”) – Ex. 28:15-30
    1. Urim (“lights”) and Thummim (“perfection”) – some sort of lot system used to discern God’s will = Jesus as High Priest determines God’s will for us, which is directly connected with His heart for His people (breastpiece bearing 12 tribes).
  • turban – Ex. 28:39
    1. golden plate – Ex. 28:36-38
  1. Tabernacle and items anointed with oil (8:10-11) = representative of the church and its members being anointed to serve God
  2. Aaron anointed with oil (8:12) = Jesus, the Messiah and High Priest
  3. Aaron’s sons dressed (8:13)
    1. Of the high priest garments, they shared: “coats and sashes and caps” (Ex. 28:40)
  4. Sin offering presented for Aaron and sons (8:14-17) = Rom. 1-3 – Christ died for our sins
  5. Burnt offering presented for Aaron and sons (8:18-21) = Rom. 6a – Christ died to put to death our old man
  6. Ram of ordination presented for Aaron and sons (8:22-29) = Rom. 6b – Christ died so that you would be consecrated to serve God
    1. blood on right ear lob = full strength of hearing is purchased by Christ.  Can’t hear only some things, and can’t hear passively.
    2. blood on right thumb = full strength of service is purchased by Christ (Eph. 4 – “use your hands”)
    3. blood on right big toe = full strength of our walk is purchased by Christ (Col. 1; Eph. 4 – WALK in a way pleasing to God).  Foot is place of sharing gospel (Eph. 5), must do so with full strength.
    4. placed in the hands (meaning of “ordination”) / wave offering:
      1. fat, kidneys, liver, right thigh = inner man, divine life, inner strength, place of God touching you
      2. 1 unleavened loaf, 1 loaf with oil, 1 wafer = new life, sinless, empowered by Holy Spirit
      3. burned with burnt offering = fully surrendered and consumed by God
        1. “food offering to the Lord” = this is what made God pleased: fully surrendering your new life to Him
  7. Aaron and sons sprinkled with anointing oil and blood from altar (8:30) = we are fit for service when covered by Jesus’ blood (Rev. 12:11), and the anointing oil (Luke 24 – wait for the power from on high).
  8. Priests had to stay at entrance of tent of meeting for 7 days, “performing what the Lord has charged, so that you do not die,” (Lev. 8:35)

Lev. 9

  • 9:1 – 8th day = new beginning
  • 9:2- Aaron takes: (1) sin offering, (2) burnt offering
    • 9:2 – Aaron taking a calf as sin offering contrasts his offering a golden calf as a sin
  • 9:3-6 – Israel takes: (1) sin offering, (2) burnt offering, (3) peace offerings, (4) grain offering with oil
    • “for today the Lord will appear to you” (v. 4)
    • v. 5 – brought it in front of tent of meeting; all people drew near and stood before Lord
    • v. 6 – “…that the glory of the LORD may appear to you”
  • 9:7ff – Aaron makes atonement for self and people
    • 9:8-11 – Aaron and sons sacrifice sin offering for priests
    • 9:12-14 – Aaron and sons sacrifice burnt offering for priests
    • 9:15-21 – Aaron sacrifices for people
      • goat for sin offering
      • burnt offering
      • grain offering
      • peace offering
  • 9:22 – Aaron lifted up hands and blessed the people
  • 9:23 – Moses and Aaron went into Tent of Meeting, came out and blessed the people, THEN…”the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people”
    • 9:24a – “Fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar”
    • 9:24b – “when all the people saw it, they SHOUTED and FELL on their faces”