Bible Commentaries
Leviticus 8

Verses 1-36

1. Intro:
   1. This new section describes all the specifics of priestly duties.
      1. What to wear, how to prepare, which animals to sac, & how to offer them, where to stand, what to say, what to drink, what to eat…A very intimidating job description!
      2. Ch. 10 shows us what happened when these laws were taken lightly by 2 of Aaron’s sons.
         1. “God has never taken Worship lightly & neither should we!” (Swindoll)
   2. Great stress is laid on all of this as “coming from God”, not man!
      1. Vs.1,4,5,9,13,17,21,29,34-36.
      2. Every detail again is in some way symbolical. – As God does nothing w/o purpose.
      3. God lets us clearly know what his purposes are for us!
         1. We must ask the same question today as was asked in Rom.4:3, “For what does the Scripture say?”
         2. God hasn’t left us in the dark.
   3. Key word – Altar (23 x’s in ch. 8,9).
      1. W/o an altar, no sacrifice, no sacrifice can’t approach a Holy God.
      2. Plus there must be a holy priesthood to serve at the altar.
         1. In the OT, God’s people had a priesthood.
         2. In the NT, God’s people are a priesthood.
      3. Read – 1 Pet.2:5,9 – We are a holy priesthood, a royal priesthood.
         1. Since we are a priest, we don’t need any other to mediate for us on earth, except our High Priest.
         2. Jesus is our High Priest we serve under! (Heb.7)
   4. Outline: A day of Dedication(8:1-30); began a week of Consecration (31-36); which concluded w/a day of sacrificing(9:1-21); ending w/Aaron’s Blessings(9:22,23a) & God’s Accepting(9:23b,24).
2. A DAY OF DEDICATION! (8:1-30)
   1. ​​​​​​​WHAT MADE THE PRIESTS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD? (9:1-5)
      1. Washing; Clothing; Anointing; & Redeeming!
         1. Exactly the same 4 with us today!
   2. [1] WASHING! (6)
      1. They were once washed all over(here) – after that their hands & feet only. (Ex.30:17-20)
      2. We believers were once for all washed!
         1. Rev.1:5b,6 “To Him(Jesus Christ) who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests(made us to be a kingdom and priests) to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
         2. Now we must just clean our feet. Jn.13:10 “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.”(NIV)
      3. God’s uses His word to cleanse us!
         1. Ps.119:9 “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.”
         2. Jn.15:3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”
         3. Eph.5:26 “that He(Jesus) might sanctify and cleanse her(church) with the washing of water by the word,”
   3. [2] CLOTHING! (7-9)
      1. Look at - Priest clothing hand out! (great job print shop)
         1. Note: Priest garb & high Priest garb.
         2. Articles of clothing: Tunic, sash, robe, ephod, breastplate, Urim/Thummim, Turban, the Gold Plate!
         3. The Gold Plate – “Holiness to the Lord”
            1. Oh, that our Christian Jewelry & apparel would be worn as such…“Holiness to the Lord”!
      2. Read - Is.61:10 (note: clothed me, covered me, priests analogy)
      3. Mt.22:11,12 - Parable of the wedding feast.
         1. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.”
      4. Rom.13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
   4. [3] ANOINTING! (10-13)
      1. The anointing oil is a symbol of the Spirit of God who has anointed each believer.
         1. 2 cor.1:21,22 “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
         2. 1 Jn.2:20,27 “But you have an anointing from the Holy One,… But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you,”
      2. Charles Pfeifer says, “For ordinary priests, oil was smeared w/the finger on the forehead. For the High Priest, it was poured on his head.
         1. Example: Ps.133:1,2 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
   5. [4] REDEEMING! (14-30)
      1. We are obviously redeemed by all the blood sacrifices & blood applications.
         1. 1 Pet.1:18,19a “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ,”
      2. (22) Consecration = (lit.) “to fill up”.
         1. “Fill up” – i.e. “some was placed in his hands to wave & later eat (get filled up).
         2. This is the ordination service or installation service for the Aaronic priesthood.
      3. (23,24) Blood on right ear, hand, foot?
         1. This suggests consecration(dedicate, make holy)of these faculties to God.
         2. They were set apart to: ear /Hear God’s voice; hand /Do God’s work; & foot /Walk in His ways!
         3. Take a personal assessment! – Q: How are you doing in all 3?
            1. ​​​​​​​[1] Are you listening? Really Listening?
            2. [2] Are you involved in Gods work? What is that work?
            3. [3] How is your walk with Jesus? Was it pleasing to Him today?
   6. A WEEK OF CONSECRATION! (8:31-36)
      1. ​​​​​​​Abiding! – not go outside 7 days.