L
E V I T I C U S
CHAP. VIII.
This
chapter gives us an account of the solemn consecration of Aaron and his sons
to the priest's office. I. It was done publicly, and the congregation was
called together to be witnesses of it, ver. 1-4. II. It was done exactly
according to God's appointment, ver. 5. 1. They were washed and dressed, ver.
6-9, 13. 2. The tabernacle and the utensils of it were anointed, and then the
priests, ver. 10-12. 3. A sin-offering was offered for them, ver. 14-17. 4. A
burnt-offering, ver. 18-21. 5. The ram of consecration, ver. 22-30. 6. The
continuance of this solemnity for seven days, ver. 31, &c.
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Consecration
of Aaron and His Sons.
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B.
C. 1490.
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1 And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Take Aaron and his sons with him, and
the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and
two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread; 3 And gather thou all
the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation. 4 And Moses did as the LORD
commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation. 5 And Moses said unto the
congregation, This is the thing which the LORD
commanded to be done. 6 And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and
washed them with water. 7 And he put upon him the coat, and girded
him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon
him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it
unto him therewith. 8 And he put the breastplate upon him: also he
put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim. 9 And he put the
mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did
he put the golden plate, the holy crown; as the LORD
commanded Moses. 10 And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed
the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.
11 And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar
and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.
12 And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to
sanctify him. 13 And Moses brought Aaron's sons, and put coats
upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put bonnets upon them; as the LORD
commanded Moses.
God had given Moses orders to consecrate Aaron and his sons to the priests'
office, when he was with him the first time upon mount Sinai, Exod. xxviii.
and xxix., where we have also the particular instructions he had how to do it.
Now here we have,
I. The orders repeated. What was there commanded to be done is here commanded
to be done now, v. 2, 3. The tabernacle was newly set up, which,
without the priests, would be as a candlestick without a candle; the law
concerning sacrifices was newly given, but could not be observed without
priests; for, though Aaron and his sons had been nominated to the office, they
could not officiate, till they were consecrated, which yet must not be done
till the place of their ministration was prepared, and the ordinances were
instituted, that they might apply themselves to work as soon as ever they were
consecrated, and might know that they were ordained, not only to the honour
and profit, but to the business of the priesthood. Aaron and his sons were
near relations to Moses, and therefore he would not consecrate them till he
had further orders, lest he should seem too forward to bring honour into his
family.
II. The congregation called together, at the door, that is, in the
court of the tabernacle, v. 4. The elders and principal men of
the congregation, who represented the body of the people, were summoned to
attend; for the court would hold but a few of the many thousands of Israel. It
was done thus publicly, 1. Because it was a solemn transaction between God and
Israel; the priests were to be ordained for men in things pertaining to
God, for the maintaining of a settled correspondence, and the negotiating
of all affairs between the people and God; and therefore it was fit that both
sides should appear, to own the appointment, at the door of the tabernacle of
meeting. 2. The spectators of the solemnity could not but be possessed, by the
sight of it, with a great veneration for the priests and their office, which
was necessary among a people so wretchedly prone as these were to envy and
discontent. It was strange that any of those who were witnesses of what was
here done should afterwards say, as some of them did, You take too much
upon you, you sons of Levi; but what would they have said if it had been
done clandestinely? Note, It is very fit, and of good use, that ministers
should be ordained publicly, plebe praesente--in the presence of the common
people, according to the usage of the primitive church.
III. The commission read, v. 5. Moses, who was God's representative in
this solemnity, produced his orders before the congregation: This is the
thing which the Lord commanded to be done. Though God had crowned him king
in Jeshurun, when he made his face to shine in the sight of all Israel, yet he
did not institute or appoint any thing in God's worship but what God himself
had commanded. The priesthood he delivered to them was that which he had
received from the Lord. Note, All that minister about holy things must have an
eye to God's command as their rule and warrant; for it is only in the
observance of this that they can expect to be owned and accepted of God. Thus
we must be able to say, in all acts of religious worship, This is the thing
which the Lord commanded to be done.
IV. The ceremony performed according to the divine ritual. 1. Aaron and his
sons were washed with water (v. 6), to signify that they ought
now to purify themselves from all sinful dispositions and inclinations, and
ever after to keep themselves pure. Christ washes those from their sins in his
own blood whom he makes to our God kings and priests (Rev. i. 5, 6); and those
that draw near to God must be washed in pure water, Heb. x. 22. Though they
were ever so clean before and no filth was to be seen upon them, yet they must
be washed, to signify their purification from sin, with which their souls were
polluted, how clean soever their bodies were. 2. They were clothed with the
holy garments, Aaron with his (v. 7-9), which typified the dignity of
Christ our great high priest, and his sons with theirs (v. 13), which
typified the decency of Christians, who are spiritual priests. Christ wears
the breast-plate of judgment and the holy crown; for the church's high priest
is her prophet and king. All believers are clothed with the robe of
righteousness, and girt with the girdle of truth, resolution, and close
application; and their heads are bound, as the word here is, with the
bonnet or diadem of beauty, the beauty of holiness. 3. The high priest was
anointed, and, it should seem, the holy things were anointed at the same time;
some think that they were anointed before, but that the anointing of them is
mentioned here because Aaron was anointed with the same oil with which they
were anointed; but the manner of relating it here makes it more than probable
that it was done at the same time, and that the seven days employed in
consecrating the altar were coincident with the seven days of the priests'
consecration. The tabernacle, and all its utensils, had some of the anointing
oil put upon them with Moses's finger (v. 10), so had the altar (v.
11); these were to sanctify the gold and the gift (Matt. xxiii. 17-19), and
therefore must themselves be thus sanctified; but he poured it out more
plentifully upon the head of Aaron (v. 12), so that it ran down to the skirts
of his garments, because his unction was to typify the anointing of Christ
with the Spirit, which was not given by measure to him. Yet all believers also
have received the anointing, which puts an indelible character upon them, 1
John ii. 27.
14 And he brought the
bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the
head of the bullock for the sin offering. 15 And he slew it;
and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round
about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the
bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.
16 And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above
the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon
the altar. 17 But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his
dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the LORD
commanded Moses. 18 And he brought the ram for the burnt offering:
and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.
19 And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round
about. 20 And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the
head, and the pieces, and the fat. 21 And he washed the inwards
and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was
a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savour, and an offering made by fire unto
the LORD;
as the LORD
commanded Moses. 22 And he brought the other ram, the ram of
consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the
ram. 23 And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it,
and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear, and upon the thumb of his
right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. 24 And he
brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right
ear, and upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the great toes of
their right feet: and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round
about. 25 And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was
upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys,
and their fat, and the right shoulder: 26 And out of the basket of
unleavened bread, that was before the LORD,
he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put
them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder: 27 And he put
all upon Aaron's hands, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a
wave offering before the LORD.
28 And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the
altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet
savour: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
29 And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before
the LORD:
for of the ram of consecration it was Moses' part; as the LORD
commanded Moses. 30 And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of
the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron,
and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments
with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his
sons' garments with him.
The covenant of priesthood must be made by sacrifice, as well as other
covenants, Ps. l. 5. And thus Christ was consecrated by the sacrifice of
himself, once for all. Sacrifices of each kind must be offered for the
priests, that they might with the more tenderness and concern offer the gifts
and sacrifices of the people, with compassion on the ignorant, and on those
that were out of the way, not insulting over those for whom sacrifices
were offered, remembering that they themselves had had sacrifices offered for
them, being compassed with infirmity. 1. A bullock, the largest
sacrifice, was offered for a sin-offering (v. 14), that hereby
atonement might be made, and they might not bring any of the guilt of the sins
of their former state into the new character they were now to put on. When
Isaiah was sent to be a prophet, he was told to his comfort, Thy iniquity
is taken away, Isa. vi. 7. Ministers, that are to declare the remission of
sins to others, should give diligence to get it made sure to themselves in the
first place that their own sins are pardoned. Those to whom is committed
the ministry of reconciliation must first be reconciled to God themselves,
that they may deal for the souls of others as for their own. 2. A ram was
offered for a burnt-offering, v. 18-21. By this they gave to God the
glory of this great honour which was now put upon them, and returned him
praise for it, as Paul thanked Christ Jesus for putting him into the
ministry, 1 Tim. i. 12. They also signified the devoting of themselves and
all their services to the honour of God. 3. Another ram, called the ram of
consecration, was offered for a peace-offering, v. 22, &c. The
blood of it was part put on the priests, on their ears, thumbs, and toes, and
part sprinkled upon the altar; and thus he did (as it were) marry them to the
altar, upon which they must all their days give attendance. All the ceremonies
about this offering, as those before, were appointed by the express command of
God; and, if we compare this chapter with Exod. xxix, we shall find that the
performance of the solemnity exactly agrees with the precept there, and in
nothing varies. Here, therefore, as in the account we had of the tabernacle
and its vessels, it is again and again repeated, As the Lord commanded
Moses. And thus Christ, when he sanctified himself with his own blood, had
an eye to his Father's will in it. As the Father gave me commandment so I
do, John xiv. 31; x. 18; vi. 38.
31 And Moses said unto
Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of
the congregation: and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket
of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat
it. 32 And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread
shall ye burn with fire. 33 And ye shall not go out of the door of
the tabernacle of the congregation in seven days, until the days of
your consecration be at an end: for seven days shall he consecrate you.
34 As he hath done this day, so the LORD
hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you. 35 Therefore
shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day
and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD,
that ye die not: for so I am commanded. 36 So Aaron and his sons
did all things which the LORD
commanded by the hand of Moses.
Moses, having done his part of the ceremony, now leaves Aaron and his sons to
do theirs.
I. They must boil the flesh of their peace-offering, and eat it in the court
of the tabernacle, and what remained they must burn with fire, v. 31,
32. This signified their thankful consent to the consecration: when God gave
Ezekiel his commission, he told him to eat the roll, Ezek. iii. 1, 2.
II. They must not stir out of the court of the tabernacle for seven days, v.
33. The priesthood being a good warfare, they must thus learn to endure
hardness, and to disentangle themselves from the affairs of this life, 2 Tim.
ii. 3, 4. Being consecrated to their service, they must give themselves
wholly to it, and attend continually to this very thing. Thus
Christ's apostles were appointed to wait for the promise of the Father,
Acts i. 4. During this time appointed for their consecration, they were daily
to repeat the same sacrifices which were offered the first day, v. 34.
This shows the imperfection of the legal sacrifices, which, because they could
not take away sin, were often repeated (Heb. x. 1, 2), but were here repeated
seven times (a number of perfection), because they typified that one
offering, which perfected for ever those that were sanctified. The work
lasted seven days; for it was a kind of creation: and this time was appointed
in honour of the sabbath, which, probably, was the last day of the seven, for
which they were to prepare during the six days. Thus the time of our life,
like the six days, must be our preparation for the perfection of our
consecration to God in the everlasting sabbath: they attended day and night
(v. 35), and so constant should we be in our meditation on God's law,
Ps. i. 2. They attended to keep the charge of the Lord: we have every
one of us a charge to keep, an eternal God to glorify, an immortal soul to
provide for, needful duty to be done, our generation to serve; and it must be
our daily care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our
Master, who will shortly call us to an account about it, and it is at our
utmost peril if we neglect it. Keep it that you die not; it is death,
eternal death, to betray the trust we are charged with; by the consideration
of this we must be kept in awe. Lastly, We are told (v. 36) that
Aaron and his sons did all that was commanded. Thus their consecration
was completed; and thus they set an example before the people of an exact
obedience to the laws of sacrifices now newly given, and then they could with
the better grace teach them. Thus the covenant of peace (Num. xxv. 12),
of life and peace (Mal. ii. 5), was made with Aaron and his sons; but
after all the ceremonies that were used in their consecration there was one
point of ratification which was reserved to be the honour and establishment of
Christ's priesthood, which was this, that they were made priests without an
oath, but Christ with an oath (Hab. vii. 21), for neither such priests nor
their priesthood could continue, but Christ's is a perpetual and unchangeable
priesthood.
Gospel ministers are compared to those who served at the altar, for they minister
about holy things (1 Cor. ix. 13), they are God's mouth to the people and
the people's to God, the pastors and teachers Christ has appointed to continue
in the church to the end of the world: they seem to be meant in that promise
which points at gospel times (Isa. lvi. 21), I will take of them for
priests and for Levites. No man may take this honour to himself, but he
who upon trial is found to be clothed and anointed by the Spirit of God with
gifts and graces to qualify him for it, and who with purpose of heart devotes
himself entirely to the service, and is then by the word and prayer
(for so every thing is sanctified), and the imposition of the hands of those
that give themselves to the word and prayer, set apart to the office,
and recommended to Christ as a servant and to the church as a steward and
guide. And those that are thus solemnly dedicated to God ought not to depart
from his service, but faithfully to abide in it all their days; and those that
do so, and continue labouring in the word and doctrine, are to be
accounted worthy of double honour, double to that of the Old-Testament
priests.
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