This unique moment in redemptive history ordains a priesthood to serve the living God. If Solomon will later wonder how the Lord could dwell in a temple built by human hands, one wonders how any man could be made worthy to serve him with human hands. Through a solemn ordination (“filling of the hand”) ceremony Aaron and his sons are consecrated for service. Consecration is to set apart for the exclusive use of the Lord and to make at home in the realm of the Holy One. The installation of the priesthood transfers its citizenship from the realm of the common to the realm of the holy. Its ordination is not just a series of ceremonial rites but the divinely ordained way through which Aaron and his sons are made holy to approach the Lord and to offer up worship for all Israel.
The call into God’s service is humbling. It reveals the true condition of man before a holy God. The first sacrifice ever offered upon the altar of the sanctuary is a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of Aaron and his sons. Those who are called by the Lord into ministry are confronted by their sinfulness and utter inadequacy (Ex. 3:6; Isa. 6:5; Luke 5:8). In the words of the apostle Paul, “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:16). Yet the Lord does not leave those he calls in their inadequacy. He sanctifies them. He invites Aaron and his sons to draw near to him, gives them access to the altar, and seats them at his table. They are made holy so that they can serve him in worship.
The priesthood’s installation anticipates the coming of Christ, called and appointed by God the Father to serve as the “High Priest of our confession” (Heb. 3:1). Though sinless, he is washed in baptism and anointed by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:13–17). Jesus the Messiah is the ultimate and final Anointed One. He dedicates himself to the Father’s will, that through his sacrificial death he may sanctify a people in the service of God (John 17:19). Christ’s consecration is to offer up his life as an atonement for sin and to inaugurate a new covenant by the blood of his priestly sacrifice (Heb. 10:29).
The new covenant holds out a vision of a new priesthood instituted by a perfect, sinless High Priest who enters a “more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)” (Heb. 9:11; cf. Heb. 2:10–11). Christ stands before the throne of God to present a priestly people who have been washed by his Word (John 13:8; Heb. 10:22) and whose consciences have been sprinkled and purified to serve the living God (Heb. 9:14). His followers are anointed with the Spirit, who not only fills their hands but indwells them, filling their lives. They are clothed in the blood-spattered garments that speak of an enduring covenant (Rev. 7:14). Indeed, they are even clothed with Christ as their lives take on the shape of his consecration, renewed in the image of his holiness (Rom. 13:14; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). By grace they have been granted access to the Lord, and their citizenship has been recorded in heaven (Phil. 3:20). Their consecration makes them a priestly people who worship the Lord with their lives.Leviticus 8
Hebrew with it
Probably Aaron or his representative; possibly Moses; also verses 16–23
8:1–5 The Lord’s first command is for Moses to call Aaron and his sons, making it clear that they are called and appointed by God (v. 2). The priesthood is given to the house of Aaron as a gift for its zeal in guarding the holiness of the Lord in the face of false worship (Ex. 32:26–29; Num. 25:11–13; Deut. 33:8–11). Aaron’s divine election is evident in his serving in a priestly role prior to the grant of the priesthood, as in Exodus 7:1–2, where he stands as mediator, speaks the words of the Lord, and demands the freedom to worship the one true God.
The Lord also commands Moses to gather the ritual objects for the ceremony (Lev. 8:2) and to summon the congregation (v. 3). The ceremony is especially significant for the worshiping community. The community assembles at the entrance to the tent of meeting, that is, in the courtyard in front of the altar. The people participate as witnesses to the installation and affirm the priesthood’s role to mediate on their behalf. Once sacrificial worship is instituted, the people will return to this designated place to bring their offerings to the Lord, and the priests will present them on their behalf (cf. Lev. 3:2; 12:6; 14:11; 17:8–9).
8:6 The requirements of ordination begin with washing, an act of purification the congregation also performed in order to stand before the presence of the Lord at Sinai (Ex. 19:10). Washing is a public sign that the priest who enters God’s service must present himself in a state of purity. From this point forward whenever a priest enters the tent of meeting or approaches the altar to minister, he will repeat this act by the ritual washing of his hands and feet at the basin (Ex. 30:17–21). This demonstrates in a tangible way that those who approach the Lord must be holy (cf. Ps. 24:3–4).
8:7–9 Next Aaron is clothed with the distinctive apparel of the priesthood in the sight of the congregation. Aaron does not dress himself; he is invested ceremoniously by Moses. While the priestly garments are described in rich detail when instructions are given for their fashioning (Exodus 28), the interest of this passage is to highlight how the garments function in the ritual of ordination. The sacral garments transform a man into a priest by moving him from the domain of the common into the domain of the holy. In other words putting on these garments is the act of investiture that confers the office of priesthood. At the death of Aaron Eleazar will succeed him to become high priest by being dressed in the priestly garments and anointed with holy oil: “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them” (Ex. 29:29; cf. Num. 20:25–26). When Eleazar wears the priestly garments, he is not simply perceived to be acting as high priest but has in fact succeeded his father to become the next high priest.
The high priest’s garments are eight in number: four that all priests wear and four unique to his position. The four articles of clothing that all priests wear are linen undergarments, a linen tunic, a sash, and a linen turban. Among the wealth of detail relating to priestly dress there is no mention of footwear. It seems likely that priests minister barefoot on holy ground (cf. Ex. 3:5; Josh. 5:15). In this passage Aaron and his sons are understood to be clad in the linen undergarments, a requisite covering for all priests from the loins to the thigh so that their nakedness not be exposed at the altar (cf. Ex. 28:42).
In terms of the clothing unique to the high priest the first to be mentioned is the robe (Lev. 8:7). Aaron is dressed in a stately robe of a single piece of cloth (cf. Ex. 28:31–35). It has a blue-purple color achieved by a costly dye deriving from a marine snail found in the Mediterranean. This was the most famous dye of antiquity, highly esteemed for its beauty and colorfast properties. The robe’s hem is embellished with hanging, tassel-like pomegranates of blue-purple, red-purple, and crimson yarns that alternate with golden bells. As Aaron ministers in the tabernacle, the bells ring to announce his presence in the courts of the Lord as one would be announced in the presence of a king.
He is robed next with the ephod, an apron-like article of clothing held up by broad shoulder straps and fastened around the waist with a decorated belt. It is open in the front for attaching the breastpiece (cf. Ex. 28:6–14). The ephod is crafted of dyed yarns of blue-purple, red-purple, and crimson, interwoven with gold wire thread (Ex. 39:3). Mounted on the shoulder straps are two onyx stones inscribed with the names of the tribes of Israel, six on each stone, that the high priest may bear the tribes for remembrance in God’s presence.
The breastpiece (Lev. 8:8), attached to the ephod by rings of gold and blue cords, is a fabric pouch that serves as a receptacle for the Urim and Thummim and also as a canvas for mounting the twelve engraved gemstones representing the tribes of Israel (cf. Ex. 28:15–30). Although the exact nature of the Urim and Thummim remains enigmatic, they are some type of sacred lots for the revelation of God’s will to his people. These have been entrusted to the tribe of Levi in response to covenant faithfulness (cf. Deut. 33:8). They are carried on the person of the high priest, who alone is authorized to read and interpret them. Twelve gemstones are mounted on the breastpiece in four rows of three stones each, engraved according to the birth order of Jacob’s sons. The stones are identifying emblems of the tribes that communicate the high priest’s role in representing all Israel in worship. Carried before the Lord’s covenant presence on the breastpiece of the high priest, all Israel can participate in worship.
The last distinctive item of apparel is a gold frontlet (Lev. 8:9) inscribed with the epithet “Holy to the Lord” and affixed over the high priest’s linen turban (Ex. 28:36). To be holy to the Lord speaks of dedication (Lev. 27:14, 21, 30). It is a mark of ownership on the priest’s forehead, designating that he has come into God’s possession. The priests are regarded as holy because they are in special relationship with the Lord, chosen from among the tribes to serve him and given the right to participate in the sphere of the holy. The inscription on the priestly frontlet speaks to the consecration of the priest in his ritual role, as well as the consecration of all Israel, whom he represents (Ex. 19:6).
8:10–12 Following Aaron’s investiture, attention turns to the sanctuary. The high priest and the space in which he will serve are consecrated together. Moses anoints the tabernacle, its furnishings, and Aaron with the oil reserved exclusively for the sanctuary and those who minister in its courts. The oil is the work of a perfumer, infused with fragrant spices of two parts finest myrrh, two parts cassia, and one part each of sweet-smelling cinnamon and aromatic cane (Ex. 30:23–24). The anointing oil is holy; its use on any other article or person outside of the holy sphere is strictly forbidden (Ex. 30:32).
Special attention is given to the altar, as it is sprinkled “seven times” (Lev. 8:11). The number seven in Leviticus communicates completeness. Sanctification is a process that will take the fullness of time for both the ritual objects and the priests who will minister before the Lord. By means of anointing, the altar is brought into the highest state of ritual purity: “The altar shall be most holy” (Ex. 29:37). This is where the sacrifices of the worshiping community will be offered and where the Lord will meet with his people. The altar functions as a meeting point between heaven and earth.
Aaron is not merely sprinkled but has the oil of anointing poured upon his head (Lev. 8:12). Anointing is the supreme ritual act that sets the high priest apart from the rest of the priesthood, conferring upon him the titles of “anointed priest” (Lev. 4:3; 16:32) and “priest who is chief among his brothers” (21:10). It is worth noting that the high priest is the first person in Scripture to be anointed, followed by kings (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13; 1 Kings 1:39). Anointing sets a person apart as divinely elected and consecrated to the Lord’s service and is indicative of the Spirit’s empowerment for office (Isa. 61:1).
8:13 Moses now turns to dress Aaron’s sons ceremoniously in accordance with the Lord’s instructions. The garments of the ordinary priesthood are of a simpler nature and made of fine linen, a ritually clean fabric (Ezek. 44:18). White linen communicates purity and holiness, imagery the psalmist picks up on: “Let your priests be clothed with righteousness” (Ps. 132:9). Aaron’s sons are clothed in a linen tunic, with a sash bound around them. The sash is a piece of cloth that could be wrapped around the waist to secure a garment or worn as an official mark of status. It is found almost exclusively with priestly dress. Lastly the priest’s heads are covered with a rounded headdress. Though not as elaborate as Aaron’s, these garments also carry the sanctity and authority of the priestly office.
8:14–17 A large part of this chapter is concerned with the offerings that consecrate sacred space and its servants. No less than three sacrifices are required to ordain the priesthood. This communicates the significance of the sacrificial system in providing a way to approach a holy God. Because the priesthood has not yet been ordained Moses serves at the altar in a priestly role. Over the course of the seven-day ceremony the status of Aaron and his sons will be changed from lay Israelites to functioning priests.
The first sacrifice ever offered on the altar of the sanctuary is a sin offering to make atonement for the priests who will officiate over worship at the tent. Moses brings a bull as prescribed for the anointed priest (cf. Lev. 4:3–12). Neither Aaron nor his sons eats any of the sacrificed meat, underscoring that it has been offered on their behalf to make atonement. At the very outset of their ordination the priests are confronted with the barrier that stands between every person and a holy God. (In the future, when they preside over the holiest day of the year, the Day of Atonement, they will begin the ceremony by offering a bull for their own sin as a reminder that they are in need of forgiveness and that they approach the altar by grace; cf. 16:6). In addition to making atonement for the priests this sacrifice purifies and consecrates the altar for every subsequent sacrifice that will be offered on it (8:15).
8:18–21 The second sacrifice of the ordination service is a burnt offering in which the animal is wholly turned to smoke and sent up to the Lord in worship (cf. Lev. 1:2–17). In the worshiping life of Israel the burnt offering is the cornerstone of the sacrificial system, offered on the altar every morning and evening (Ex. 29:38–42) and on festival days of the year (Numbers 28–29). This sacrifice covers the range of human emotions in life lived before the Lord. It could be offered for such diverse reasons as making atonement (Lev. 1:4), or fulfilling a vow and expressing thanksgiving (Lev. 22:17–19). It is a gift on the altar yielded utterly to the Lord; the worshiper holds back nothing for himself. It is no surprise that it would be foundational in the ordination rite to atone fully for the life of the priests. The ram is offered on their behalf and serves as their substitute, perhaps in part also illustrating that the lives of Aaron and his sons will be given fully to the Lord’s service. This moment is likewise an occasion for thanksgiving as the priesthood enters into the service of the Lord and is granted the privilege of drawing near to him on behalf of the people.
8:22–28 The ceremony culminates in a sacrifice unique to the priesthood’s installation—the ram of ordination—that resembles a peace offering fellowship meal (cf. 3:1–17). Moses offers the ram and places in the hands of Aaron and his sons its right thigh, the fat of the offering, and three loaves. This represents the portion allotted to the priesthood from the Lord’s table (cf. 7:31–36). The priests in turn offer this up as a wave offering, raising it to heaven in a symbolic gesture of complete dedication. The thigh, fat, and loaves are then placed upon the altar, as the priests surrender their portion to the Lord. The significance of this act comes across in the idiom for ordination, expressed in the Hebrew as “to fill the hand.” Filling the hand means to install to priestly office (Ex. 29:9; Lev. 21:10; 1 Kings 13:33). The installation ceremony quite literally fills the hands of the priests with portions of the “ram of filling.” Aaron and his sons begin their ministry by taking the gifts that have filled their hands and offering them back to the Lord in worship.
The most striking aspect of this sacrifice involves the ram’s blood. In the eyes of the gathered congregation Moses has taken the blood of the previous two offerings and applied it to the altar. The expectation is that he will do the same for the third sacrifice, but instead he applies it to Aaron and his sons, daubing it on their right ear lobe, right thumb, and right toe (Lev. 8:23–24). The remainder of the blood is dashed against the altar. An identification is intended between the priests and the altar at which they will serve. In the same manner that the altar’s extremities are ritually applied with blood, so are the priests’ extremities.
The blood daubing ritual poignantly recalls the covenant at Sinai, the only other occasion when the blood of sacrifice is halved to sprinkle both offerer and altar (cf. Ex. 24:6–11). There Moses built an altar, commanded the offering of sacrifices, and after reading from the book of the covenant took half of the sacrificial blood to sprinkle the gathered Israelites while he dashed the remainder against the altar. Afterward he and seventy elders were granted access into the Lord’s presence to eat and drink before him. This ceremony represented the ratification of the covenant between the Lord and his people. The ordination ceremony closely follows the same pattern of sacrifice, blood ritual, and meal, suggesting its role is to bring the priests into the covenant service of the Lord. From this time forward they will have access to his presence, serve at the place of his feet, and eat from his table. The Lord’s presence on Mount Sinai will find a new dwelling in the tabernacle, and all Israel’s future encounters with their God will be through her priestly mediators.
8:29 Moses receives as his portion the breast of the ordination ram, which is the portion given to the priestly family (Lev. 7:31; note that Moses and Aaron are brothers, Ex. 6:20). He is not entitled to the right thigh, which is the designated portion of the officiating priest (Lev. 8:26; cf. 7:32–33), because he is not an ordained priest. Rather he is acting in a priestly capacity to install the priesthood and institute worship at the tabernacle. Moses is given the authority to anoint those called by God and to make them priests in the same way that prophets anoint those called by God to make them kings.
8:30 In a final act of consecration Moses mixes some of the sacred anointing oil with the sacrificial blood from the altar and sprinkles the priestly garments. From this point forward the priesthood’s blood-spattered dress bears the symbol of the covenant that committed it to the Lord’s service. This becomes the third application of a purifying substance on the high priest’s person to consecrate him to the Lord’s service (cf. vv. 12, 23, 30). Aaron has been elevated to a holier status than that of his sons, who have only their garments sprinkled.
8:31–35 Aaron and his sons are commanded to remain in the courts of the tabernacle at the entrance to the tent of meeting for a full seven-day cycle (vv. 33, 35). The sacrificial service is to be repeated each day of the ordination period “as has been done today” (v. 34). During that time Moses will make offerings on the altar and Aaron and his sons will feast in the Lord’s presence. Since meals often conclude covenants, an ordination banquet is a fitting way to celebrate the installation of the priesthood.
The seven-day period is a symbolic time frame in ancient Israelite thought. Rituals that bring about a change of status or acts of dedication typically follow a seven-day pattern. Seven days of a wedding celebration mark the change from singleness to entering the covenant of marriage (Gen. 29:27). In the practice of circumcision a child lives a full seven-day cycle before taking on the mark of the covenant on the eighth day to be dedicated as a member of the covenant community. A sacrificial animal remains with its mother for a full seven-day cycle before becoming eligible to be dedicated to the Lord in sacrifice (Ex. 22:30; Lev. 22:27). Likewise the seven-day cycle accomplishes the priests’ consecration so that on the eighth day they serve as dedicated, full-fledged ministers of the covenant (cf. 9:1).
8:36 Moses is faithful to relay the Lord’s command (v. 35), and Aaron and his sons are faithful to perform it. The chapter concludes as it has begun, with the obedience of Moses and Aaron to the Lord’s commands. The congregation can be assured of the favor of the Lord and acceptance of its worship since all has been done according to his will. The ceremony concludes with a fully functioning sanctuary and attendants to serve within its sacred space for the proper worship of the Lord.