Leviticus 8
Leviticus 8 is the chapter that records how Moses, according to God’s command, ordains Aaron and his sons as priests. It consists of 36 verses and describes in detail how the ordination ceremony is carried out. This chapter has the following overall structural flow:
- Preparation for the ordination ceremony (verses 1–4): Moses gathers the congregation at the entrance of the tabernacle and arranges everything needed for the ordination ceremony (clothing, oil, offerings, etc.).
- Ordination of Aaron and his sons (verses 5–13): He puts the special garments on Aaron and his sons and pours anointing oil on them to set them apart as holy.
- Order of the sacrificial offerings (verses 14–30): He presents the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the ordination offering in sequence, symbolizing the holiness and dedication of the priestly office.
- Completion of the ordination and instructions (verses 31–36): Along with the remaining procedures of the ordination ceremony, an instruction is given to remain holy without leaving the tabernacle for seven days.
1verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2verse“Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;
3verseand assemble all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting.”
4verseMoses did as the LORD commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
5verseMoses said to the congregation, “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded to be done.”
6verseMoses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.
7verseHe put the tunic on him, tied the sash on him, clothed him with the robe, put the ephod on him, and he tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod on him and fastened it to him with it.
8verseHe placed the breastplate on him. He put the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate.
9verseHe set the turban on his head. He set the golden plate, the holy crown, on the front of the turban, as the LORD commanded Moses.
10verseMoses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and sanctified them.
11verseHe sprinkled it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, and the basin and its base, to sanctify them.
12verseHe poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.
13verseMoses brought Aaron’s sons, and clothed them with tunics, and tied sashes on them, and put headbands on them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
14verseHe 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.
15verseHe 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.
16verseHe 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.
17verseBut the bull, and its skin, and its meat, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses.
18verseHe presented the ram of the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
19verseHe killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar.
20verseHe cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat.
21verseHe 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 the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
22verseHe presented the other ram, the ram of consecration. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
23verseHe 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.
24verseHe 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.
25verseHe 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;
26verseand out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat and on the right thigh.
27verseHe put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the LORD.
28verseMoses 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 the LORD.
29verseMoses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD. It was Moses’ portion of the ram of consecration, as the LORD commanded Moses.
30verseMoses 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.
31verseMoses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the meat at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’
32verseWhat remains of the meat and of the bread you shall burn with fire.
33verseYou shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are fulfilled: for he shall consecrate you seven days.
34verseWhat has been done today, so the LORD has commanded to do, to make atonement for you.
35verseYou shall stay at the door of the Tent of Meeting day and night seven days, and keep the LORD’s command, that you don’t die: for so I am commanded.”
36verseAaron and his sons did all the things which the LORD commanded by Moses.
Meaning and Symbolism
Leviticus 8 shows how the beginning of the priestly office was carried out strictly according to God’s command. The acts of clothing Aaron and his sons and anointing them with oil signify that they are set apart as holy. The offerings—the sin offering, burnt offering, and ordination offering—symbolize purification, dedication, and their special responsibility before God.
This ordination ceremony, carried out before the assembled congregation at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, emphasizes that Israel stands together before God. In addition, the seven-day ordination period points to completeness, sufficient preparation, and sustained dedication.
Points for Meditation
- If God wants anyone to become His worker, He requires holiness (being set apart) and dedication.
- The ordination carried out in the presence of everyone suggests that God’s workers should be trusted and built up within the community.
- The detailed repetition of the ordination ceremony helps us realize the importance of obeying as God instructed.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- Today, how am I preparing for the role and mission God has given me? What does holiness in my life look like?
- You can also check yourself to see whether you are trying to align your life with God’s instructions and order.
- Let’s meditate again on the preciousness of the time we stand before God together with the community.
