Aaron & His Sons First Sacrifices

Topic: Dedication
Passage: Leviticus 9:1–24

August 25, 2020

Commentary

Moses called Aaron, his sons, and Israel’s leaders. He told Aaron to bring a young bull and a ram without any defects and offer them to the Lord as a sin offering and a burnt offering. He also told the people to bring their own sacrifices. Moses said that the Lord would appear to them that day (vv. 1-4). When the people stood before the Lord, Moses said, ā€œThis is the thing which the LORD commanded you to do, and the glory of the LORD will appear to youā€ (v. 6). Aaron offered the sacrifices just as the Lord had commanded. His sons brought him the blood, and Aaron put some of it on the horns of the bronze altar and poured the rest at its base. He burned the fat, kidneys, and part of the liver on the altar, while the skin and flesh were burned outside the camp (vv. 7-14).

Next, Aaron offered a goat as a sin offering for the people, following the same process as his own sin offering (v. 15). He then offered the burnt offering and the grain offering according to the Lord’s instructions (vv. 16-17). After that, he killed a bull and a ram as a peace offering for the people (v. 18). His sons brought him the blood, and Aaron splattered it against the four sides of the altar. They placed the fat over the choice parts, and Aaron burned it on the altar. He lifted up the ribs and the right hind leg as a special offering to the Lord (vv. 19-21).

Aaron then lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them before coming down from the altar (v. 22). Moses and Aaron entered the tabernacle together and came out to bless the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to everyone. Fire came from the Lord’s presence and consumed the offering on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy and fell facedown to worship the Lord (vv. 23- 24).

Application

Am I following God’s instructions even when they are difficult or require me to make sacrifices? Am I bringing my best to Him today? Do I take time to confess my sins and seek His forgiveness? Am I trusting God to reveal His presence in my daily life? How can I respond with greater joy, gratitude, and worship when I see His work?

Leviticus 9:1–24 (NET)

1 On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, 2 and said to Aaron, ā€œTake for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both flawless, and present them before the Lord. 3 Then tell the Israelites: ā€˜Take a male goat for a sin offering and a calf and a lamb, both a year old and flawless, for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with olive oil, for today the Lord is going to appear to you.ā€™ā€ 5 So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the Meeting Tent and the whole congregation presented them and stood before the Lord. 6 Then Moses said, ā€œThis is what the Lord has commanded you to do so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.ā€ 7 Moses then said to Aaron, ā€œApproach the altar and make your sin offering and your burnt offering, and make atonement on behalf of yourself and on behalf of the people; and also make the people’s offering and make atonement on behalf of them just as the Lord has commanded.ā€

8 So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the sin offering calf which was for himself. 9 Then Aaron’s sons presented the blood to him and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the horns of the altar, and the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. 10 The fat and the kidneys and the protruding lobe of the liver from the sin offering he offered up in smoke on the altar just as the Lord had commanded Moses, 11 but the flesh and the hide he completely burned up outside the camp.

12 He then slaughtered the burnt offering, and his sons handed the blood to him and he splashed it against the altar’s sides. 13 The burnt offering itself they handed to him by its parts, including the head, and he offered them up in smoke on the altar, 14 and he washed the entrails and the legs and offered them up in smoke on top of the burnt offering on the altar.

15 Then he presented the people’s offering. He took the sin offering male goat which was for the people, slaughtered it, and performed a purification rite with it like the first one. 16 He then presented the burnt offering, and did it according to the standard regulation. 17 Next he presented the grain offering, filled his hand with some of it, and offered it up in smoke on the altar in addition to the morning burnt offering. 18 Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram—the peace-offering sacrifices which were for the people—and Aaron’s sons handed the blood to him and he splashed it against the altar’s sides. 19 As for the fat parts from the ox and from the ram (the fatty tail, the fat covering the entrails, the kidneys, and the protruding lobe of the liver), 20 they set those on the breasts and he offered the fat parts up in smoke on the altar. 21 Finally Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the Lord just as Moses had commanded.

22 Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them and descended from making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering. 23 Moses and Aaron then entered into the Meeting Tent. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24 Then fire went out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar, and all the people saw it, so they shouted loudly and fell down with their faces to the ground.

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