Last week, we began a five-week series through the book of Leviticus. As we began, we saw that the book of Leviticus actually serves a key purpose in the life of the people of Israel. In short, the book of Leviticus is concerned with what needs to happen in order for the holy God to dwell in the midst of a sinful nation like Israel. The only way that God can move from being utterly unapproachable on the top of Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 to residing in the very midst of the nation of Israel in Numbers 2 is through the stipulations and ceremonies laid out in the book of Leviticus.
As we began last week, we saw that the first thing God lays out for his people is the offerings that they are supposed to make as a people. We went through each of the five offerings – seeing the main purpose of each and recognizing that the central purpose of the offerings as a whole was to bring about a peaceful relationship between God and the people. This peaceful relationship was maintained as the proper offerings were made to atone for the sins of the people.
But we also saw that the offerings – rather than actually accomplishing atonement for the people pointed to the one who would be the ultimate source of atonement and redemption – Jesus Christ. We saw that Jesus accomplishes perfectly and ultimately everything that the offerings illustrated as being accomplished. Jesus is the ultimate offering that brings reconciliation between a holy God and a sinful people.
As we move on this week, we come to the institution of the priesthood in Leviticus 8-10. Logically, this transition makes perfect sense because – as we saw last week – the priests play a large and indispensable role in making sure that the offerings are made correctly. It makes sense that God, having laid out the central place of the offerings in the life of Israel, would then institute the priesthood so that those offerings could be made.
As we come to these chapters, they break down very easily. In chapter 8, we see the consecration and ordination of the priests – Aaron and his sons. In chapter 9, we see Aaron offering sacrifices for the first time, and we see that his offerings are gloriously accepted by the Lord. This glorious moment is contrasted with the events of chapter 10 where we see two of Aaron’s sons make an unauthorized offering and receive punishment. Overall, these three chapters give us a vital understanding of the priesthood itself. We see how and why the priesthood was instituted in the first place, and we also learn some vital truths regarding the task and work of the priests. So we will walk through the text chapter-by-chapter.
Aaron and his sons are consecrated and ordained as priests (8:1-36)
As we come to Leviticus 8, the first thing we see is that though the subject matter has changed (from the offerings to the priests), one key element has not changed. The chapter begins with “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying…” (8:1). Just like in chapters 1-7, the common element that drives this entire narrative is that the Lord is speaking to his people – telling them exactly what they need to do. Throughout these three chapters this morning, we will see this phrase or some variation of it at least 15 times (8:4,5,9,13,17,21,29,34,36; 9:6,7,10,21; 10:7,13,15). The driving force of this narrative is that God is speaking and the people are obeying. As we will see, even the one very negative part of this narrative is highlighted as having occurred because something happens that the Lord did not command (10:1).
As I already said, the central point of chapter 8 is that God – through the person of Moses – is instituting the priesthood. In this chapter, Moses is actually serving as the priest who makes the offerings and does the things necessary to ordain and consecrate Aaron and his sons as the first priests. In essence, Moses is serving as the hands and feet of God to carry out the commands of God. The central point of chapter 8 is that God must set someone apart to serve as priest, and that priest must be properly consecrated and ordained in order for his ministry to be acceptable before the Lord.
Chapter 8 begins with Moses calling the whole congregation together at the entrance of the tent of meeting to witness the proceedings (8:1-4). Having done this, Moses proceeds to wash Aaron and his sons with water – symbolically cleansing them (8:5-6). He then proceeds to clothe Aaron in the glorious garments of the high priest (8:7-9). The making of these garments is described in detail in Exodus 28 – which makes clear that these garments were to be made “for glory and beauty” (Ex. 28:40). Though this outfit may seem ostentatious and overdone to us, we must remember that the high priest was preparing to go into the presence of the incredible God who made the universe and everything in it. He was going before the perfectly holy King of the Universe and he was to be dressed for the occasion. And all of this was done “as the Lord commanded Moses.” This was an act of obedience.
Having dressed Aaron in the high priestly garments, Moses then proceeds to anoint the tabernacle and everything in it with oil – consecrating them to the service of the Lord (8:10-11). In essence, the consecration of object signified that it was set apart for the Lord’s use. This is a significant act, and it is equally significant that Moses anoints Aaron with oil as well – consecrating him for service to the Lord (8:12). He then proceeds to clothe Aaron’s sons – ordaining them as priests as well (8:13). Again, this is all done “as the Lord commanded Moses.”
After consecrating the tabernacle, Moses then proceeds to offer a sin offering on behalf of Aaron and his sons (8:14-17). As we saw last week, the central purpose of the sin offering is purification – as evidenced by the fact that some of the blood is spread on the various parts of the tabernacle rather than all being poured out at the altar. So, in this sin offering, we read, “Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it” (8:15). Here we see Moses purifying the altar on which the offerings will be made – atoning for the pollution of the sins of Aaron and his sons. Again, this is done “as the Lord commanded Moses.”
Once he purified the sanctuary, Moses went on to offer a burnt offering on behalf of Aaron and his sons – an offering that, as we saw last week, is meant to appease the wrath of God against their sins (8:18-21). This is a crucial part of understanding the institution of the priesthood. Before Aaron and his sons can offer sacrifices on behalf of the people, they have to offer sacrifices (or have them offered) on behalf of themselves. As we will see later in looking at the way Jesus serves as the true and ultimate priest, this is a sign of the weakness of Aaron and his sons. It is part of what makes them inferior priests – they have to atone for their own sins before atoning for the sins of others.
After offering up the burnt offering, Moses offers up a ram as an ordination offering (8:22-30). This is an offering that we did not look at last week because it is not a perpetual offering. Rather, this is a special offering made on this occasion for the purpose of ordaining Aaron and his sons for the office of priest. Everything up to this point has centered on their being set apart (consecrated) and made holy (hence the offerings to atone for their sin) so that they can serve as priests. This ordination offering actually serves as an installation of sorts for Aaron and his sons. This is evidenced by the fact that after the ram is killed, some of the blood is actually placed on the ear, the thumb, and the big toe of both Aaron and his sons. This is a graphic depiction of the fact that they belong to the Lord entirely: their ears are ordained to hear the commands of God and their hands and feet are ordained to put those commands into practice. If we read Exodus 29 – which is the chapter in which God told Moses how this entire ceremony was supposed to work – we see that this ordination offering was actually a form of the peace offering. We see this because Aaron and his sons are instructed to eat what remains of this sacrifice (Lev. 8:31-32; Ex. 29:31-34). Interestingly, in Exodus 29 – just as we saw last week – God is explicit about the fact that only Aaron and his sons should eat because only they have been atoned for. Aaron and his sons are at peace with God because offerings have been made for their sin, so they are allowed to eat.
Having finished these ceremonies, Moses makes clear that Aaron and his sons are to remain in the tent of meeting for seven days – repeating these ceremonies – so that they can be fully cleansed, fully consecrated and fully ordained for service to God (8:33-36). And, not surprisingly, the chapter closes by saying that “Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord commanded by Moses” (8:36). None of these ceremonies was superfluous – they were all in accord with the commands of God.
Before moving to chapter 9, we need to understand the central point of chapter 8: a true and proper priest does not institute themselves, they are instituted by God. This is clear throughout this chapter as everything happens to Aaron. More specifically, it is God who must ordain the priest properly. Even though it is Moses who carries out the action in this chapter, it is explicitly stated again and again that Moses did as the Lord commanded. Moses is serving as an instrument of the Lord – it is the Lord who is consecrating and ordaining Aaron and his sons. The author of Hebrews recognizes this in Heb. 5:4 as he says, “And no one takes this honor [the honor of being a high priest] for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.” A proper priest is made such by God himself and not by his own prerogative or authority.
Aaron’s makes the offerings and they are accepted by God (9:1-24)
Chapter 9 begins after the days of ordination and consecration for Aaron and his sons have ended (9:1). Much like in chapter 8, the entire congregation is called to gather in front of the tent of meeting to watch Aaron make the offerings for the first time. Once again, serving as the mouthpiece of God, Moses gives the instruction to Aaron, telling him what he is now supposed to do (9:1-7). Before getting to the action itself, we need to understand what is happening here. In essence, this is Aaron’s debut as high priest. Over the previous week, he had been consecrated, purified and ordained. As he draws near to offer these sacrifices, he is doing so in hope that he will be accepted before the Lord. More specifically, he is doing so in faith that he will be accepted before the Lord.
The first thing Aaron does is offer sacrifices on behalf of himself (9:8-14). He first makes a sin offering “which was for himself.” As we have seen, the purpose of this sin is purification from the pollution of sin – indicated by the fact that Aaron smears some of the blood on the horns of the altar. He is making purification for the stain of his sins in the sanctuary. Then, offers a burnt offering for himself – making atonement for his sins. He does it according to all the regulations that we saw last week. Once again, we should take note of the fact that Aaron has to atone for his own sins before atoning for the sins of the people.
Having made the offerings for his own sin, Aaron proceeds to make the offerings for the people as a whole (9:15-21). As with the offerings for himself, he begins by making a sin offering to purify the premises from the taint of the people’s sin. Then he offers a burnt offering – seeking to appease the wrath of God against the sins of the people. Having done that, he offers up the grain offering, which – as we saw last week – serves as a reminder to the people of the eternal covenant that binds them to God. Then Aaron offers up the peace offering – a celebratory offering that is meant to be a joyful reminder that the people are at peace with God through the offering of these sacrifices. We can see even from the sparse details of chapter 9 that Aaron made all of these offerings according to the rules and regulations set out by the Lord regarding these offerings.
Having finished all of these offerings, Aaron blesses the people. He then reenters the tent with Moses. Eventually, Moses and Aaron both come out and bless the people. At that point, “the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people” and fire came out from the Lord and consumed what was left of Aaron’s offering. In response, all the people worshiped the Lord (9:22-24). This is an incredible and crucial culmination to this entire chapter. In many ways, as you walk through chapter 9, there is this constant wondering about whether Aaron will be accepted. Since this is his first attempt, this is a serious moment. In these last three verses, we see very clearly that Aaron’s offerings are acceptable to the Lord. Everything has been done according to the word of the Lord. Aaron has been properly consecrated and ordained, and he has faithfully discharged his duty in offering the various sacrifices. As a result, he and his offerings are gloriously accepted by the Lord.
Before moving to chapter 10, we should understand the central points thus far. Chapter 8 made clear that a priest must be properly made a priest by the Lord. The priest does not appoint himself; rather, he is appointed by God. Chapter 9 makes clear that the response of God to a properly appointed priest who properly discharges his duties, faithfully obeying what the Lord has told him to do, will be gracious and glorious acceptance. God is making clear that if his guidelines are properly followed, He will be able to dwell in the midst of the people – He will be their God and they will be His people.
Nadab and Abihu make an unauthorized offering before God and are killed (10:1-20)
As we come to chapter 10, we realize very quickly that it stands in stark contrast with chapter 9. In contrast to the glorious ending of chapter 9, the beginning of chapter 10 is, in many ways, tragically sad. Without any sort of introduction, we read of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, offering unauthorized fire before God and being struck down by the very fire that consumed Aaron’s offerings (10:1-8). The account itself is actually very compact and sparse, and the key element is that Aaron’s sons made on offering “before the Lord, which he had not commanded them.” As we said at the beginning, the driving point of these three chapters is that things are done “as the Lord commanded,” so it is not surprising that when something is done that God did not command, it is accompanied by judgment. Particularly when contrasted with chapter 9, this account makes clear that a faithful priest will be accepted and receive God’s favor while an unfaithful priest will be rejected and receive God’s judgment.
Interestingly, there is much more emphasis given to the way that Aaron and his remaining sons are supposed to respond than is given to recounting the event itself (10:3-8). God makes clear, through Moses, that he will be sanctified and glorified by the people. God is sending a clear message that his ultimate goal is that he be glorified by the people through their obedience. In response, Aaron holds his peace. Moses then has Aaron’s cousins carry out the bodies of the dead men, and he instructs Aaron and his remaining sons not to go through any of the mourning rituals common among the Israelites. The central point of this injunction seems to be that the attitude of the priests toward sin and the judgment of sin should mirror the attitude of God. God is not instructing them to rejoice necessarily in the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, but they are not permitted to mourn in the common way because the deaths were not natural deaths – they occurred as divine judgment in response to explicit disobedience in regard to the holy offerings of the Lord. The judgment was just, and Aaron and his remaining sons are to demonstrate that point by not going through the regular mourning rituals.
The rest of chapter 10 is interesting because it essentially makes a couple of points that are crucial for our understanding of the priesthood and of the ultimate point of the priesthood and the sacrifices. Immediately after Moses tells Aaron not to mourn, the Lord – in an unusual move, at least in these chapters – speaks directly to Aaron and gives Aaron some instructions that are central to his ministry as the high priest (10:8-11). These instructions from the Lord are quickly followed by explicit instructions from Moses to Aaron and his sons to finish the task of making the offerings that remained from that day (10:12-15). On the surface, these two sets of instruction might seem very out of place, but they actually serve to make a very explicit point – Aaron and his remaining sons are still accepted by the Lord and are still set apart to serve as priests. Particularly by giving the instruction directly to Aaron, God is explicitly making the point that the problem was not with the family or with Aaron but with the unfaithfulness of Nadab and Abihu. Aaron has been faithful as the high priest, and – as a result – he is still permitted to come before the Lord and make the offerings. More explicitly, he still must come before the Lord and make the offerings because the people’s sin must be atoned for and that can happen only by the priest faithfully discharging his duty. In essence, God is telling Aaron to get back to work – because the ministry of the high priest is essential to the life of the people.
The final story recounted in chapter 10 is one that seems a bit perplexing but also makes a crucial point about the offerings. Essentially, Moses gets upset because he learns that the part of a sin offering that should have been eaten has been burned up instead. He rebukes Aaron and his sons for this dereliction of duty. In response, Aaron makes clear that the dereliction was not done in rebelliousness against the Lord but because Aaron was extremely grieved and feared that the Lord would not be pleased if he consumed the sin offering with such a mournful and broken heart. Upon hearing this answer, Moses is satisfied (10:16-20). The point of this story seems to be that the most crucial part of the offerings is that God be glorified in the way they are done. As legalistic people, we desire rules that can be obeyed. Particularly fearing the judgment that came on Nadab and Abihu, we might desire rules that could be easily obeyed. But this instance makes clear that the central issue is not so much the rules but the fact that God be honored and glorified. Here we learn something about Aaron – his heart is for the Lord to be most glorified – as well as Nadab and Abihu – it seems their sin was a more blatant, high-handed disobedience of the Lord’s command. In light of this final story, it does not seem feasible that their unauthorized fire was offered for the glory of the Lord. This final story illustrates the superiority of a heart that desires to honor and glorify God over mere law-keeping. There is a difference and the difference is crucial.
So as we step back from chapter 10, we see that the point of this chapter – alongside chapter 9 – is to highlight that a faithful priest who faithfully discharges his duty will be accepted by the Lord while unfaithful priests who do not faithfully discharge their duties will be rejected. This is not a mere academic discussion. If the priest is rejected, it affects the whole people because there is no one left to make offerings to atone for their sins. But if there is a high priest who is faithful to the Lord and accepted by the Lord, the people have hope because they have an advocate with God – the high priest and the offerings he makes.
Stepping back and looking at Leviticus 8-10 as a whole, its message is really quite simple. The very existence of the sacrifices – as we saw last week – necessitates the presence of priests. This position of priest is not filled by just anyone – a person must be appointed to the position by God. Likewise, that priest must faithfully fulfill his duties, and, if he does, he will be accepted by the Lord. If he is not faithful, he will be rejected. And the acceptance or rejection of the priest is not just an academic matter. The very atonement of the people’s sins rests on their being a faithful high priest to intercede for them with God.
But why is this such a big deal? Why do we care what was necessary for Israel thousands of years ago? This obviously is not the way we are made right with God today, is it? Actually, the thing that we need to understand even as we read Leviticus 8-10 is that this is exactly the way that we are put in right relationship with God. This is exactly the way that our sins are dealt with today! Just as we saw last week that the offerings actually were meant to point forward to the ultimate offering of Jesus Christ, so this week we can see that all of these ceremonies and stipulations regarding the priests point us forward to the ultimate priest – Jesus Christ. Let us look at the way the New Testament clearly demonstrates this to us.
As we saw in Leviticus 8, Moses acts as the hands and feet of God in consecrating and ordaining Aaron as a high priest. The point is that a high priest cannot appoint themselves – they must be appointed by God. Was Jesus appointed as a priest in such a way? Heb. 5:5-6 says, “So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’; as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’” Here we see the author of Hebrews clearly stating that Jesus was appointed to the position of high priest by God himself.
But it might be argued that Jesus was not descended from the tribe of Levi like Aaron. God said in the Old Testament that priests were only to come from the Levites. Even if God appointed Jesus as a priest, does that not mean he is an inferior priest because he is not a Levite? The clear answer of Hebrews is, “NO!” Actually, the very fact that he is not a Levite helps us understand that he is a better priest than the Levites. Heb. 7:16-17 says that Jesus “has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of him, ‘You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.’” If we read the Old Testament, we find out that Aaron’s descendants served as the priests throughout Israel’s history – even though some of them were utterly unfaithful people. That is, they were installed as priests because they were descended from Aaron, and God had made clear that Aaron and his sons would be the priests for the nation of Israel. But the author of Hebrews is making the point that Jesus is a better high priest. His qualifications are not just bodily descent but the fact that he lives forever. The fact that He is alive makes him a better high priest because he is a high priest forever! He is superior to the Levitical priesthood.
Alongside the fact that Jesus was appointed by God as a priest forever (meaning he is exceptionally qualified to serve as high priest), we see as well that he was entirely faithful in carrying out his duties. Heb. 3:1-2 says, “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.” Here we see the same theme that we just saw – Jesus was appointed by God. And the author goes on to say that this one whom God appointed was faithful to the one who appointed him. That is, like Aaron in Leviticus 9, he faithfully discharged all of his duties – honoring and glorifying God. And just like Aaron in Leviticus 9, we can know that he was accepted because of his faithfulness.
But once again, we need to notice the fact that Jesus is not just similar to Aaron, but he is vastly superior to Aaron. You see, even though Aaron was faithful in discharging his duties, Jesus was more faithful. How do we know? We know this because Jesus did not have to make an offering for his own sin like Aaron. In Leviticus 8 and 9, purification and atonement have to be made for Aaron before he could minister on behalf of the people. Indeed, Heb 5:3 says that every high priest “is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.” Jesus did not have to do this as we read in Heb. 7:27: “He [Jesus] has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.” So we see that Jesus is vastly superior to Aaron because he does not have to atone for his own sins first. Moreover, he no longer has to atone for the sins of anyone because his sacrifice was perfect the first time. Aaron and the other priests had to make the offerings over and over and over again because they were never good enough. The priests themselves, as well as the offerings they made, were inferior and ineffectual. But Jesus’ offering was perfect and it was perfectly faithful. Jesus is superior to the Levitical priesthood. And his offering – as we saw last week – is superior as well.
But even understanding that Jesus is the fulfillment of the priesthood – the ultimate priest – is that significant for us? The emphatic answer is “YES!” Let me list a few reasons that Jesus being the great high priest is significant for every person in the world.
1. For believers, it means we have a faithful advocate with the Father.
As I mentioned before, one of the central issues for the physical nation of Israel in the Old Testament is that they had to have faithful high priests that could serve as mediators between them and God. It was the only way they could be made right with Him, and God knew this – that is why the priesthood and the sacrifices were instituted. So should we who are believers this morning begin worrying because there is no longer a visible high priest? The answer is “no” because we have a high priest is in the perfect tabernacle in heaven. Heb. 7:23-25 says, “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he [Jesus] holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. See, in many ways, we are not unlike the Israelites in the Old Testament. They needed a priest; we need a priest. They needed that priest to intercede for them; we need the priest to intercede for us. The central difference is that their priests were inferior – they had to atone for their own sins and eventually they died. Our high priest is superior – he has no sin and he lives forever to intercede for us.
The central importance of this reality for believers cannot be overstated. We are made right with God today, this very instant, because Jesus Christ is interceding for us before the Lord. There is no other explanation. And we need to make sure that we are not seeking to be right with God by any other means. We cannot come into God’s presence because we have sinned less this week or read our Bible more. We cannot come into God’s presence because of anything that rests in ourselves. We can come into God’s presence and know we are at peace with him because we have a faithful high priest. And, moreover, we do not need to worry that he will prove unfaithful like Nadab and Abihu. We do not have to fret about whether he will mess up in the future. He is faithful and he is a priest forever – our priest, interceding for us with the Father. This is glorious news, and we should rejoice in it. Our sin is atoned for – ALL OF IT, FOREVER!
2. For believers, it means we should come boldly before God.
The fact that Jesus is the perfect high priest does not only have to do with our salvation in the past. It is vitally important for our interaction with God today. Heb. 4:14-16 says, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Here we see that because Jesus is our great high priest, we can come boldly before the Lord and seek help in our time of greatest need. If we are struggling with temptation and sin, we can come boldly before the Lord and ask for grace and help. If we are suffering, we can come boldly to the Lord and seek grace. We can always come into his presence and find acceptance there. And the only reason such access is granted to us is because Jesus is our great high priest. There is no other reason but that. So let us rejoice in that reason, and let us take full advantage of this access that has been granted to us.
3. For nonbelievers, you must understand that there is no other way to be accepted before God.
For those who might be reading this who are not Christians, you need to understand that the path to God runs through Jesus Christ. Why? It runs through Jesus because there must be a mediator between the holy God and sinful man. Sinful human beings cannot come into God’s holy and awesome presence without someone to intercede for them and plead their case. There must be a mediator, and 1 Timothy 2:5 says “there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” You should heed the warning of Leviticus 10: just like Nadab and Abihu, you will be judged if you come before the Lord in a way that he has not approved and commanded. No one comes to God the Father except through Jesus Christ the Son. He died on the cross for sin, and he was raised from the dead three days later – triumphing over sin and Satan and death. And those who confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved. They will be saved not because of their works or their goodness or anything else within themselves. They will be saved because they have trusted in the ultimate high priest – Jesus Christ. Repent of your sins and believe in Christ and you will be saved.
As we come to the table for communion, we are exalting our great high priest, and we are exulting in the work of that great high priest on our behalf. Let us rejoice that we have such a high priest, and let us come boldly – yet humbly and thankfully – before the throne of grace. Amen.