Leviticus 8:14-30
God consecrates His priests through sacrifice, cleansing them and dedicating them fully to His service.
14 He brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering.
15 He killed it; and Moses took the blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar, and sanctified it, to make atonement for it.
16 He took all the fat that was on the innards, and the cover of the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat; and Moses burned it on the altar.
17 But the bull, and its skin, and its meat, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
18 He presented the ram of the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
19 He killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
20 He cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat.
21 He washed the innards and the legs with water; and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
22 He presented the other ram, the ram of consecration. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
23 He killed it; and Moses took some of its blood, and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the great toe of his right foot.
24 He brought Aaron’s sons; and Moses put some of the blood on the tip of their right ear, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the great toe of their right foot; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
25 He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh;
26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before Yahweh, he took one unleavened cake, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat and on the right thigh.
27 He put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them for a wave offering before Yahweh.
28 Moses took them from their hands, and burned them on the altar on the burnt offering. They were a consecration offering for a pleasant aroma. It was an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
29 Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It was Moses’ portion of the ram of consecration, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
30 Moses took some of the anointing oil, and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, and on his sons, and on his sons’ garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.
God consecrates His priests through sacrifice, cleansing them and dedicating them fully to His service.
This passage continues the ordination ceremony of Aaron and his sons by detailing the sacrificial offerings used to consecrate the priesthood. Through the sin offering, burnt offering, and ordination ram, the priests are purified, dedicated, and formally set apart for sacred service.
Leviticus 8:14-30 is the sacrificial heart of Aaron and his sons' ordination. The previous unit gathered the assembly, washed Aaron and his sons, clothed them, anointed the sanctuary, and anointed Aaron. This unit now enacts the sacrifices required for their ordination: the sin offering bull, the burnt offering ram, and the ram of ordination. The next unit will conclude the ordination with the priestly meal and seven-day confinement at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
Leviticus 8:14-30 occurs at the entrance to the tent of meeting during the public ordination of Aaron and his sons in the wilderness. Israel has received the tabernacle, priestly garments, anointing oil, and offering laws. The Aaronic priesthood is now being installed to serve before the LORD according to his command. The ordination sacrifices occur before the gathered assembly. Moses functions as the officiant, offering the sin offering bull, burnt offering ram, and ordination ram. Blood is applied to the altar and to Aaron and his sons, and oil and blood are sprinkled on priests and garments. The whole assembly witnesses the rite. Aaron and his sons are the ordained priests. Moses carries out the LORD's command. Ordination involves laying on of hands, slaughter, blood application, burning altar portions, burning remains outside the camp, wave offering, priestly portions, and sprinkling with oil and blood. These actions set apart the priests for holy service. This passage enacts the ordination rites commanded in Exodus 29 and moves Israel from sacrificial legislation toward functioning priestly worship.
The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons
The LORD appoints, cleanses, clothes, anoints, sacrifices for, and consecrates His priests so they may serve before Him according to His command.