Sacrificial Acts in the Ordination of the Priesthood
God consecrates His priests through sacrifice, cleansing them and dedicating them fully to His service.
Leviticus 8:14-30 (BSB)
14 Moses then brought the bull near for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.
15 Moses slaughtered the bull, took some of the blood, and applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar, purifying the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it so that atonement could be made on it.
16 Moses also took all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys and their fat, and burned it all on the altar.
17 But the bull with its hide, flesh, and dung he burned outside the camp, as the LORD had commanded him.
18 Then Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.
19 Moses slaughtered the ram and splattered the blood on all sides of the altar.
20 He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces, and the fat.
21 He washed the entrails and legs with water and burned the entire ram on the altar as a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22 After that, Moses presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.
23 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on Aaron’s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
24 Moses also presented Aaron’s sons and put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splattered the blood on all sides of the altar.
25 And Moses took the fat—the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with their fat—as well as the right thigh.
26 And from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one cake of unleavened bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer, and he placed them on the fat portions and on the right thigh.
27 He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the LORD as a wave offering.
28 Then Moses took these from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.
29 He also took the breast—Moses’ portion of the ram of ordination—and waved it before the LORD as a wave offering, as the LORD had commanded him.
30 Next, Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, as well as Aaron’s sons and their garments.
What is the big idea of Leviticus 8:14-30?
God consecrates His priests through sacrifice, cleansing them and dedicating them fully to His service.
How does Leviticus 8:14-30 point to Christ?
The sacrificial consecration of the priesthood demonstrates that those who minister before God must first be cleansed through sacrifice. The ceremony underscores the necessity of mediation and purification within the covenant system of worship.
How does Leviticus 8:14-30 relate to the life and ministry of Jesus?
Leviticus 8:14-30 should first be read as the ordination sacrifices for Aaron and his sons. Within the whole canon, it prepares categories fulfilled and surpassed in Christ. Aaron and his sons need sin offering, blood application, and consecration because they are sinful priests. Christ is the holy high priest who needs no offering for his own sin, yet he consecrates himself and offers himself once for all. The blood on ear, thumb, and toe displays the need for wholly consecrated priestly service. Christ's hearing, works, and walk are perfectly obedient to the Father. The sin offering burned outside the camp also contributes to the broader pattern that Hebrews gathers up in Christ's suffering outside the gate. The priests are sprinkled with blood and oil; Christ's people are cleansed by his blood and anointed by the Spirit for holy service.
Authorial Intent
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.
Questions for Reflection
- Why does priestly service require purification through sacrifice?
- What does the application of blood to the ear, thumb, and toe symbolize about service to God?
- How does this passage emphasize the seriousness of serving before the LORD?
- What does the ordination ceremony reveal about God's holiness and the preparation required for ministry?
Literary Context
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.
Historical Context
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.
Chapter: Leviticus 8
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.