The Third Book of Moses, called Leviticus
Leviticus 9
Chapter IX · Vol. I, p. 377
1 The first offerings of Aaron for himself and for the people. 8 The sin-offering, 12 and the burnt offering for himself. 15 The offerings for the people. 23 Moses and Aaron bless the people, and fire cometh out from the Lord upon the altar.
1 AND it came to pass, on the a eighth day,1 that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;
a ch. 8.33; 14.23; 15.14, 29. Nu. 6.10. Eze. 43.26, 27. Mat. 28.1.
1 Aaron and his sons having remained seven days and seven nights at the door of the tabernacle, ch. 8.35, enter upon office on the eighth day. All creatures required seven days for consecration, and were considered perfected on the eighth, as children, Le. 12.2, 3; young animals for sacrifice, Le. 22.27; unclean persons, Le. 14.8, 9. Herein was set forth the perfection of our great High-priest, who, on the eighth day, after the seventh, Sabbath, rose from the dead, and entered upon his heavenly priesthood, in which he is able to save to the uttermost, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us, He. 7.24, 25.—C.
2 And he said unto Aaron, b Take thee a young calf for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD.
b ver. 7; ch. 4.3; 8.14. He. 7.27; 9.7; 5.3; 10.10, 12, 14. Ex. 29.1. 2 Co. 5.21.
3 And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, c Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin-offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt-offering;
c ch. i.-v.; 4.23. Ezr. 6.17. He. 9.26, 28. Tit. 2.14. Re. 5.9.
4 Also a bullock and a ram for peace-offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD;2 and a meat-offering mingled with oil: for to-day the LORD will d appear unto you.
2 Aaron having offered sacrifices for himself, the children of Israel are next commanded to offer a sin-offering for themselves; not a young bullock, but a kid of the goats, as on the great day of atonement. The people offering peace-offerings or offerings of thanksgiving and communion, of which the priests partook, they did not require to offer any for themselves. The Lord was to appear unto them, to come down by fire to own their sacrifice, and to testify his acceptance of Aaron's typical priesthood; perhaps also to give some special manifestation of the divine presence.—I.
d Ex. 19.11; 16.10; 24.16; 40.34, 35. ver. 6, 23. Nu. 14.10; 16.19. Eze. 43.2. 1 Ki. 8.10-12.
5 And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation; and all the congregation drew near, and stood before the LORD.
6 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do; and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you.3
3 This is one of these promises 'exceeding great and precious,' with which Israel was supported in the wilderness, the promise upon which the church of God is still living. 'So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him, he will appear the second time, without sin unto salvation,' He. 9.28. Let us, therefore, 'watch and pray,' that we be 'ready,' 'for in such a time as we think not, the Son of man cometh,' Mat. 24.44; 25.13. Mar. 13.33.—C.
7 And Moses said unto Aaron, e Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make an atonement for thyself, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.
8 Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin-offering which was for himself.
9 And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him; and he f dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar:
10 But the g fat, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver, of the sin-offering, he burnt upon the altar; as the LORD commanded Moses.
11 Andh the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.
A.M. 2514. B.C. 1490.
h ch. 4.11, 12, 21; 8.17; 16.27. He. 13.11, 12.
12 And he i slew the burnt-offering; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar.
i ch. i.; 8.18-21. Ep. 5.2, 25-27.
13 And they presented the burnt-offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head; and he burnt them upon the altar.
14 And he did wash the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt-offering on the altar.
15 And he brought the people's offering, and took k the goat, which was the sin-offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.
k ch. 4.27-31; 9.15. Nu. xxviii. xxix. ver. 8-11. 2 Co. 5.21. Tit. 2.14.
16 And he l brought the burnt-offering, and offered it according to the manner.4
l ch. i.; 8.18-21; ver. 12-14. He. 10.1-22.
4 Or, ordinance.
17 And he m brought the meat-offering, and took an handful thereof,5 and burnt it upon the altar, besides the burnt-sacrifice of the morning.
m ch. ii. Nu. xv. Ex. 29.38, 41. Ga. 2.20. Jn. 6.53.
5 Heb. filled his hand out of it.
18 He n slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about,
n ch. iii.; 7.11-34. Mi. 5.5. Ep. 2.13-18. Ro. 5.10. Col. 1.20.
19 And the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump,6 and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver:
6 'The tail.' See note ch. 3.9.
20 And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:
21 And o the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave-offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded.
o Ex. 29.24. ch. 7.30-34. Lu. 2.14. 1 Pe. 4.11. Is. 49.3.
22 And Aaron p lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them; and came down from offering of the sin-offering, and the burnt-offering, and peace-offerings.7
p Nu. 6.23-27. De. 10.8; 21.5. 1 Ch. 23.13. Lu. 24.50. Ac. 3.26. Ps. 72.17.
7 These were three offerings. The first a sin-offering, confessing guilt to a gracious God; the second, a burnt-offering, mercifully consuming it away; the third, a peace-offering, confirming reconciliation; and, after these, Aaron blesses the people. This was nothing less than 'the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,' wherein sinners stand, confessing sin, yet confident of forgiveness, 1 Jn. 4.19. Nothing less than that 'love of God,' which he 'commendeth to us—in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us,' Ro. 5.8. This is nothing less than that 'communion of the Holy Ghost,' which preserves between Christ and his church, and Christian and Christian, 'the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace,' Ep. 4.3.—C.
23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, q and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.
q He. 9.28.
24 And r there came a fire out from s before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and the fat:8 which when all the people saw, they shouted, and t fell on their faces.
r Ge. 4.4. 1 Ki. 18.38. 2 Ch. 7.1. Ju. 6.21; 13.19, 20. ch. 6.13. Ps. 20.3, 4.
s 2 Ki. 12.15. 2 Ch. 6.2. Ps. 80.1.
8 'And fire came forth from the presence (face) of Jehovah,' &c., i.e. from his visible manifestation. This was the recognized token that the sacrifice was accepted, and that the divine favour was propitiated. It appears that there was already a fire upon the altar; there had been one for seven days. It consumed the offerings by the slow and ordinary process; but the fire of the Lord acted in a different way. It consumed the whole in a moment—probably by one vivid, grand flash, which all the people could see, and which all must acknowledge to be divine. For analogous examples, see Ju. 6.21. 1 Ki. 18.38. 1 Ch. 21.26.—P.
t See Ge. 17.3, 17. 2 Ch. 7.3. Nu. 14.5; 16.22. 1 Ki. 18.39. Mat. 26.39. Re. 4.10; 7.11; 5.8.
Notes
Reflections.—Here also I behold my Redeemer offering up himself a sacrifice without spot unto God, to expiate sin, glorify God, and procure provision and peace to his people. I behold him, again and again, blessing the people: I discern the Almighty Father kindling his indignation against him, and kindly accepting his oblation in our stead. While I adore his grace and kindness, let me learn likewise a lesson of diligence and obedience. If I desire the benefit and comfort of divine appearances, I must attend upon divine ordinances; there no religious service can be acceptable to God till the guilt of my sin be removed by an actual interest in the great propitiation; and all, therefore, but especially ministers, ought to begin their religion at themselves. God's presence in ordinances effectually attests them to be his. Displays of his divine glory ought to be entertained with joyful gratitude and holy reverence; and the fire of God's Spirit being once granted, to inflame our affections and consume our corruptions, must be cherished and supported with the daily fuel of meditation and prayer.