Leviticus 9:8-24
Faithful obedience in sacrificial worship results in the Lord revealing His glory among His people.
8 So Aaron came near to the altar, and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
9 The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar;
10 but the fat, and the kidneys, and the cover from the liver of the sin offering, he burned upon the altar, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
11 The meat and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp.
12 He killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons delivered the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar.
13 They delivered the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head. He burned them upon the altar.
14 He washed the innards and the legs, and burned them on the burnt offering on the altar.
15 He presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and killed it, and offered it for sin, like the first.
16 He presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance.
17 He presented the meal offering, and filled his hand from there, and burned it upon the altar, in addition to the burnt offering of the morning.
18 He also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people. Aaron’s sons delivered to him the blood, which he sprinkled around on the altar;
19 and the fat of the bull and of the ram, the fat tail, and that which covers the innards, and the kidneys, and the cover of the liver;
20 and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burned the fat on the altar.
21 Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh for a wave offering before Yahweh, as Moses commanded.
22 Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings.
23 Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the people.
24 Fire came out from before Yahweh, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Faithful obedience in sacrificial worship results in the LORD revealing His glory among His people.
This passage records the first priestly sacrifices performed by Aaron and concludes with the visible manifestation of the LORD's glory and the divine fire that consumes the offering on the altar.
Leviticus 9:8-24 completes the eighth-day inauguration begun in Leviticus 9:1-7. The previous unit commanded Aaron's offerings and the people's offerings and announced that the LORD would appear. This unit narrates the offerings being performed and culminates in the appearance of the LORD's glory and fire consuming the altar offerings.
Leviticus 9:8-24 takes place at the tabernacle altar on the eighth day after Aaron and his sons complete their seven-day ordination. Israel is at Sinai in covenant with the LORD. The tabernacle has been filled with the LORD's glory, the priesthood has been ordained, and now public sacrificial ministry begins. Aaron approaches the altar and offers the commanded sacrifices for himself and for the people. The whole assembly is present before the LORD, awaiting the appearance of his glory. The immediate actors are Aaron, Aaron's sons, Moses, and the whole assembly. The people witness the offerings, the blessing, the glory, and the fire from the LORD. The passage enacts the offering procedures from Leviticus 1-7 in the context of priestly inauguration: sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offering, fellowship offerings, blood rites, altar burning, wave offering, priestly blessing, and divine fire. This passage is the formal beginning of Aaronic public ministry and the climactic acceptance of the altar service by the LORD.
Priestly Ministry Begins and the Glory of the LORD Appears
When the priesthood serves according to the LORD's command, the holy God confirms His presence among His people through accepted sacrifice, blessing, glory, and reverent joy.