Leviticus 8
Summary for Lev 8:1-36: 8:1-36 a In Exod 28–29 b, the Lord gave Moses specific instructions for clothing and for ordaining Aaron and his sons as priests. In Exod 39:1-31 c; 40:12-16 d; and Lev 8 e, the commands were carried out. Moses didn’t just pass along the instructions verbally; he enacted the rituals to provide an example for the priests down to the last detail, just as the Lord had commanded him (8:9 f, 13 g, 17 h, 21 i, 29 j). Because the penalty for disobedience was death, God made sure the priests knew exactly what to do.8:2 k These items are also mentioned in Exod 29:1-3 l, 7 m.
• sacred garments: See Exod 28 n.
• The anointing oil consisted of special ingredients to give it a unique scent. These included myrrh, cinnamon, cane, and cassia (dried flowers from the cinnamon tree) mixed into olive oil (see Exod 30:22-33 o).
• bull for the sin offering: See Lev 4:3-12 p.
• The first of the two rams was to be a whole burnt offering (8:18 q), while the second was a special ordination sacrifice (8:22 r).
• basket of bread made without yeast: See 6:19-23 s.
8:4 t The text repeatedly emphasizes that Moses followed the Lord’s instructions, obeying the commands given in Exod 29 u (see also Lev 8:9 v, 13 w, 17 x, 21 y, 29 z, 36 aa).
8:6 ab Being washed ... with water was the first step for cleansing from impurity. The priests had to be ceremonially clean before they could serve the Lord in holiness (Exod 29:4 ac; see Ps 24:4 ad).
8:7 ae The tunic (see Exod 28:39 af) was woven of patterned linen cloth.
• The same type of material used for the Tabernacle curtains was used for the embroidered ephod (see Exod 28:4 ag, 6-14 ah). This garment’s precise shape and size are unclear, but it seems to have been a long, sleeveless vest, fitted close to the body and tied about the waist. It was joined at the shoulders by gold settings; each setting bore an onyx stone engraved with the names of six of the tribes of Israel (Exod 28:9 ai). Later, an ephod also referred to a venerated image (Judg 8:27 aj; 18:17 ak).
• The decorative sash was embroidered and was made of the same materials as the ephod (see Exod 28:8 al).
8:8 am The chestpiece (see Exod 28:15-30 an) was made of embroidered linen folded double. It bore twelve stones, each engraved with the name of a tribe of Israel. It was suspended over the heart by a gold chain from the gold shoulder-pieces of the ephod.
• The Urim and the Thummim were placed in the pocket of the chestpiece (Exod 28:30 ao; 1 Sam 23:9-12 ap; 30:7-8 aq); the precise function of these items is uncertain. They are generally thought of as two stones, perhaps each different in color, that were cast as lots. They apparently could give a positive, neutral, or negative answer to questions that could not otherwise be resolved (Exod 28:30 ar; Num 27:21 as; 1 Sam 28:6 at). Their mention in Old Testament prophetic literature written centuries later (Ezra 2:63 au; Neh 7:65 av) demonstrates how important these items were to the office of priest.
8:9 aw The turban worn by the high priest was made of linen and was distinct from the headdresses of the common priests (Exod 28:40 ax). The gold medallion was suspended from the turban and bore an inscription that read, “Holy to the Lord” (Exod 28:36 ay). With the names of the tribes on his shoulders and over his heart and the dedication to the Lord on his forehead, the high priest was clearly marked as the people’s representative to God and God’s representative to the people. In this mediating role, the high priest modeled the standard for all priests.
8:10 az making them holy: God is the Holy One (Pss 22:3 ba; 78:41 bb). In the strictest sense, only God can make a person or thing holy (Lev 20:8 bc; 21:15 bd, 23 be; 22:9 bf, 16 bg, 32 bh; Exod 31:13 bi; see Heb 2:11 bj); the actions of Moses simply recognized and declared what God had done (also in Lev 8:11 bk, 12 bl, 15 bm).
8:13 bn For the attire of the common priests, see Exod 28:40-41 bo.
8:14 bp sin offering (see 4:3-12 bq): Two atoning offerings were made—the sin offering (8:14-17 br) and the whole burnt offering (8:18-21 bs).
• By placing their hands on the bull’s head (see 1:4 bt), Aaron and his sons were identifying themselves with the sacrifice (also in 8:18 bu, 22 bv).
8:15 bw Normally, the high priest performed these priestly duties. However, it would not be proper for the priests to ordain themselves, so Moses, acting as God’s representative, instituted the priesthood.
8:18 bx ram for the burnt offering: See study note on 1:10-13.
8:22 by ram of ordination: See Exod 29:19-34 bz.
8:23 ca Aaron’s [ear]lobe, thumb, and big toe represented his total person. This act emphasized the role of the priestly office, with the blood stressing the ties to the sacrificial system. The priest’s basic function was mediation between God and his people. To do this effectively, he needed ears that could hear the words of God and the needs of his people, hands ready to do God’s bidding, and feet ready to take him where he was needed.
8:29 cb Moses functioned as a priest in the ordination ceremony and so received the priest’s portion of the offering (see 8:15 cc).
8:30 cd anointing oil: See study note on 8:2; see also Ps 133:2 ce.
8:31 cf The ordination offering was a variation of the peace offering (Exod 29:28 cg). It was a meal (Lev 7:11-18 ch, 28-34 ci) shared between God (the parts burned on the altar) and the priests. The command to boil ... and eat the ordination offering first appears in Exod 29:32 cj.
8:34 ck commanded by the Lord: The details of the sacrifice rituals were symbolic and important in their own right. Yet most important, the priests were to obey God’s commands. Complete obedience to God is a major theme in both the Old Testament and the New Testament: “Obedience is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam 15:22 cl).
8:35 cm seven days: This command emphasized God’s absolute holiness and mandated strict compliance with his commands. The priests, now anointed as God’s holy servants, were to remain in the Tabernacle court for seven days before venturing out into everyday life.
Leviticus 9
9:1 cn eighth day: The priests had finished the seven-day period of probation commanded in 8:35 co.• elders: See study note on 4:15.
Summary for Lev 9:2-4: 9:2-4 cp These sacrifices—the sin and whole burnt offerings for the priests and the sin, burnt, peace, and grain offerings for the people—were offered at the beginning of the priests’ ministry to make certain that all sin was atoned for and the covenant with God affirmed. Only the guilt offering was omitted.
9:6 cq Just as holiness describes God’s person and nature, the glory of the Lord tangibly expresses his power and majesty (see Ezek 1:28 cr; 10:4 cs). His glory was revealed on Mount Sinai (Exod 24:16 ct), at the dedication of the Tabernacle (Exod 40:34-35 cu), and in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kgs 8:11 cv; 2 Chr 7:1 cw). Yet it remained as vast as the heavens (Ps 19:1 cx). The New Testament speaks of Christ’s glory as the image of God (2 Cor 4:4 cy), who manifested God’s glory to the world (John 1:14 cz). He was glorified in his death and resurrection (John 17:1-5 da). See also Exod 24:15-17 db.
9:7 dc your sin offering ... burnt offering: Before the high priest could make atonement for the people, he had to be right with God himself.
9:9 dd Both Aaron, the high priest (9:8 de, 12 df), and his sons, the common priests (9:9 dg, 12 dh, 13 di), participated in the sin offering (9:8-11 dj) and the burnt offering (9:12-14 dk). This made the atonement effective for the entire priesthood.
• horns of the altar: See study note on 4:25; see also Exod 27:1-8 dl.
9:17 dm regular burnt offering for the morning: A lamb was offered as a whole burnt offering each morning and evening (6:9 dn; Num 28:2-4 do).
9:22 dp blessed them: See Num 6:22-27 dq.
9:24 dr Fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence, indicating that God had accepted the offerings, the atonement, and the priesthood (9:7 ds; cp. 1 Kgs 18:36-38 dt).
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