Bible Commentaries

CHAP. VIII.

Moses consecrateth Aaron and his sons: their sin-offering; their burnt-offering: the ram of consecration: the place and time of their consecration.

Before Christ 1490.

Leviticus 8:1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying— All necessary directions being now given concerning the sacrifices, Moses proceeds, by the command of God, to consecrate Aaron and his sons, according to the method enjoined heretofore in the book of Exodus. As we have there spoken fully of these ceremonies, it would be superfluous here to add much more concerning them.

Leviticus 8:4-13. And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, &c.— Aaron and his sons are consecrated. The people are called to the door of the tabernacle to grace the solemnity, and by their prayers to implore the Divine benediction. Moses, according to God's directions, proceeds in the consecration: he first washes them. They who are to preach the efficacy of the blood of Christ must first themselves be washed by it, and shew by their own examples the purity they teach. Aaron is clothed with the beautiful garments and diadem, and anointed with the holy oil, as is also the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the sanctuary. Note: 1. Every believer in Jesus has brighter robes provided for him, even garments of everlasting righteousness, and crowns of glory never-fading. 2. The oil ran down from the high-priest's head to the skirts of his clothing: the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, wherewith our great High-Priest was anointed, descend to every member of his body mystical, who have an anointing from the Holy One.

Leviticus 8:14-30. He brought the bullock for the sin-offering, &c.— They who were to offer sacrifice for the sins of others, first needed to make atonement for their own. Nothing fits a minister to deal with wounded consciences, or engages him to have compassion on the tempted, so much as an humbling sense of his own sins.

A bullock was offered as a sin-offering, a ram as a burnt-offering, and another for consecration; the blood of which was partly sprinkled upon the altar, and partly put upon their right ears, thumbs, and great toes, and on their garments; and a cake of the bread-offering was put into their hands with the wave-shoulder, and burnt upon the altar. Hence learn, 1. That they who are called to the office of the ministry ought to be deeply thankful to God for the honour he puts upon them. 2. Every priest is married to the altar, and engages to give up himself wholly to the work of the ministry. 3. We shall always minister with comfort to others when we have the blood of sprinkling speaking peace to our own souls.

Leviticus 8:31. As I commanded— Houbigant renders this, for so it is commanded me; in which he follows the LXX, and most versions. It is certain that we read of no such command as this before given to Aaron, and therefore this translation seems more proper than ours.

Leviticus 8:33-34. Ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle— Houbigant renders this very properly, Ye shall not depart from the door of the tabernacle for seven days; for it was at the door that the consecration was performed, Leviticus 8:3; Leviticus 8:31; Leviticus 8:35. Houbigant renders the 34th verse, in which it shall be done as it is done this day, that an atonement may be made for you: so the Lord hath commanded. The regard to the number seven is observable throughout the Scripture; and, possibly, so many days were appointed for the consecration of the priests, to denote their dedication to His service, who created all things in the space of six days, and rested the seventh. "This, however," as Bishop Patrick remarks, shews the imperfection of all the legal sacrifices, which would not have been so often repeated, if they had been of greater efficacy; yet the continuance of them for seven days doth signify the complete consecration of these priests, according to the rites of those times. In conformity to which, our great High-Priest, the LORD CHRIST, who was perfected by one sacrifice of himself, spent seven days in his consecration to his office: for as Aaron is commanded to attend at the tabernacle so many days together, in like manner our Lord CHRIST did attend in the temple five days successively before his death; and having purged it on the first or second of those days from the profaneness which was exercised in it by merchandising, and afterward hallowed it by his doctrine, and by his Divine presence, which appeared in several miraculous cures, he went the sixth day into his heavenly sanctuary, into paradise itself, to purify and sanctify it with his own blood, as Moses at Aaron's consecration did the material sanctuary and altar with the blood of beasts; and, having rested the seventh day, finished all by his resurrection early the next day in the morning."

Note; 1. They who will serve the Lord must learn to endure hardships as good soldiers, and to disengage themselves from the affairs of this life. 2. They who have the charge of the Lord have an awful charge indeed. If through their neglect the sinner die in his iniquity, his blood will be required at their hands. 3. When we have once solemnly given up ourselves to God, we must never look back. 4. They who give themselves up to him shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of his house. God himself will be their portion and exceeding great reward.