Aaron’s first day on the job. Starting a new job can be tough. Especially when you have to fast for a week before you start and if you do things wrong, it could kill you.
If this chapter feels familiar it’s because we’ve read the description of what would happen twice already- in Exodus 29 and Leviticus 4.
They’re still camped at the base of Mount Sinai. The consecration has taken 7 days to complete. Let’s look back over the week (chapter 8).
Moses summons the whole congregation to come to the entrance of the newly set-up tabernacle.
“And Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded to be done.” Leviticus 8:5 ESV
(If I had been standing in the congregation, I’d probably have thought, “That’s it? That’s the speech?” Because that’s all he says then they go into the court. Party’s over I guess.)
Moses then takes Aaron and his sons into the court behind the linen fence, where they undress and are washed with water and dressed I their priestly attire.
Next Moses takes the freshly-made anointing oil (the one myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, and aromatic cane resin), and he anoints the whole tabernacle and all its furnishings. Moses also puts the anointing oil on Aaron and his sons.
Then they do a sin offering 🐂, a burnt offering 🐏, and a consecration offering 🐏 + bread. Aaron & sons ate boiled meat from the last one plus some of the bread.
Then it looks like they may have fasted for 7 days because…
“And what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn up with fire. And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you.”
Leviticus 8:32-33 ESV
Aaron and his sons sleep within the court of the tabernacle for the full week. Maybe they spent their days reading what Moses had already written down and studying for their priest exams.
Because on the 8th day (chapter 9) they do more sacrifices but this time it’s not Moses offering them. It’s Aaron and his sons.
Here are the offerings to make it easier:
🐂 Sin Offering (for Aaron & sons)
🐏 Burnt Offering (from Aaron & sons)
🐐 Sin Offering (for the people)
🐂🐑 Burnt Offering (from the people)
🐃🐏 Peace Offerings (also called Fellowship Offerings) This was kind of the OT equivalent of a praise report + a potluck. It’s a BBQ to celebrate that things are good between me & God.
🥞🥞🥞 Grain Offering (ok, it wasn’t literally pancakes, but until someone makes an emoji of flour with oil this is the best I can do)
If you have hunters in your family or you’ve been close enough to farm life to know how long it takes to clean and process a larger animal, you can imagine this probably took all day. Then, after offering all these…
“Then Moses and Aaron entered the tent of assembly. When they came out, they blessed the people, and Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the people. Then a fire went out from before Yahweh, and it consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And all the people saw it, so they shouted for joy, and they fell on their faces.”
Leviticus 9:23-24 LEB
- I wonder what Moses and Aaron did in the tent. Offer incense? Talk to Yahweh? Light the lamps? Take communion? Take a nap? Inquiring minds want to know.
- Yahweh’s glory- the very thing Moses asked to see and only saw the aftermath of- THAT, in some form or degree or another, appeared to the whole congregation. 🤯
- The LEB says the people shouted “for joy” while most translations just have that they shouted. It’s the Hebrew word ranan and is often translated as “rejoice” or even “sing.”
This is the first time in the Bible that we have the text explicitly saying that fire comes from Yahweh and burns up the sacrifice. I kinda wonder if it ever happened before and we just aren’t told- like with Abel or Noah or Abraham. It won’t be the last time.
Open Book Pop Quiz
1. When is the last time in scripture when fire comes from God to ignite the sacrifice on the altar? Acts 2:1-3.
2. Is God the only one who sends fire from heaven? Rev. 13:11-15
3. Does fire from God consume only sacrifices or sometimes people? 2 Kgs. 1:9-15, Lev. 10:1-2.
Oh lookie. That last reference just happens to be in tomorrow’s reading. Hmm. I wonder how that happened. 😉
To The Reader 