Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path… I will keep your righteous ordinances. Psalm 119:105-106
Leviticus 8:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “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; 3 and assemble all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting.”
4 Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and the congregation was assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 5 Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded to be done.” 6 Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water. 7 He 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. 8 He placed the breastplate on him. He put the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate. 9 He set the turban on his head. He set the golden plate, the holy crown, on the front of the turban, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 10 Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and sanctified them. 11 He sprinkled it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its vessels, and the basin and its base, to sanctify them. 12 He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. 13 Moses brought Aaron’s sons, and clothed them with tunics, and tied sashes on them, and put headbands on them, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
14 He 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. 15 He 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. 16 He 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. 17 But the bull, and its skin, and its meat, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 18 He presented the ram of the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 19 He killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood around on the altar. 20 He cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat. 21 He 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 Yahweh, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 22 He presented the other ram, the ram of consecration. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 He 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. 24 He 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. 25 He 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; 26 and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before Yahweh, he took one unleavened cake, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat and on the right thigh. 27 He put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them for a wave offering before Yahweh. 28 Moses 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 Yahweh. 29 Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It was Moses’ portion of the ram of consecration, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 30 Moses 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.
31 Moses 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.’ 32 What remains of the meat and of the bread you shall burn with fire. 33 You 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. 34 What has been done today, so Yahweh has commanded to do, to make atonement for you. 35 You shall stay at the door of the Tent of Meeting day and night seven days, and keep Yahweh’s command, that you don’t die: for so I am commanded.” 36 Aaron and his sons did all the things which Yahweh commanded by Moses.
The nation of Israel was called a kingdom of priests. Exodus 19:6. In their ordinary lives the people were to represent God to all of the peoples and nations that they came in contact with. Similarly, the New Testament church is to be a holy priesthood, 1 Peter 2:5, discipling all of the nations of the world in the truth of God. However, to prepare believers for this task, God has chosen and appointed men to equip the believers.
Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:11-14
Christ gave his church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip his people for works of service. Why was this necessary? Anyone who doesn’t live under a rock knows that there are a lot of false teachings and beliefs creeping into the church. Christ wanted to make sure that his children were not ignorant like infants tossed back and forth… by every wind of teaching and by cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Christ’s goal is that all believers are to grow to maturity so that they are equipped to recognize false teaching, and equipped to, in unity, boldly present the knowledge of the Son of God to the unbelieving world.
Similarly, Leviticus 8 & 9 describes the Ordination of the priests, those men that God called and set aside to intercede for, teach, and equip his Old Covenant people.
First, God gathered all of the people together so that they would recognize that it was God, himself, who called and set the priests apart to intercede for and teach the people. Next, the priests were washed, an outward action representing inner spiritual purity. Then they were dressed in the priestly garments. The priestly clothes represent the honor and authority that God bestows on the office so that the gathered congregation would respect and honor the priests. Similarly, the anointing with oil indicated to the congregation that the priests were dedicated to the service of God.
After presenting the priests to the people, the ceremony continued by following the prescribed sacrifices. First, the purification offering was presented to cleanse the priests from the pollution of their sins. Next the burnt offering was sacrificed to atone for their sins. Then the peace offering was presented. The priest was ritually purified with blood placed on the right, ear, thumb, and toe, representing his total dedication to hearing and serving God: ears, hands, and feet. See also, Leviticus 14:14. At the end of the ceremony the priests were to consecrate themselves, living in the tabernacle for seven days.
Leviticus 9:1 On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take a calf from the herd for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without defect, and offer them before Yahweh. 3 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a year old, without defect, for a burnt offering; 4 and a bull and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before Yahweh; and a meal offering mixed with oil: for today Yahweh appears to you.’”
5 They brought what Moses commanded before the Tent of Meeting. All the congregation came near and stood before Yahweh. 6 Moses said, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded that you should do; and Yahweh’s glory shall appear to you.” 7 Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people; and offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as Yahweh commanded.”
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 grain 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.
After the seven days of consecration, in which the priests were set apart for sacred service, the congregation was again called together. At that time the priests, having been purified, were able to offer the burnt, sin, grain, and peace offerings, not for themselves but, this time, they offered these sacrifices on behalf of the people of Israel. After the offerings were presented and the people were ritually pure Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them.
Just as we have seen God’s pattern for worship previously outlined throughout the book, here in Leviticus 9 God again describes a worship service for Moses, Israel, and for us.
First, there is the call to worship: You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a year old, without defect, for a burnt offering; 4 and a bull and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before Yahweh; and a meal offering mixed with oil: for today Yahweh appears to you. 5 They brought what Moses commanded before the Tent of Meeting. All the congregation came near and stood before Yahweh.
Second, throughout the Scriptures whenever people are in the presence of God, (today Yahweh appears to you), they immediately realize their sin and fall down in confession. For example, look at the response of Isaiah in the Old Testament and the Apostle John in the New Testament when they came before God:
I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple…“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6:1,5
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me…When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Revelation 1:12,17-18
Likewise, our worship should always begin with confession. Because we are unclean and sinful people, before we can enter into worship our sin must be dealt with, 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.
The sin offering prefigures Christ, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Third, the priest brought the burnt offering before the Lord to make atonement for the people. He presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the ordinance. This of course looked forward to the offering of Christ, Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:2
Fourth, the priest offers the grain offering expressing our gratitude and devotion to the God who so mercifully has made provision to forgive and cover our sins. He presented the grain offering, and filled his hand from there, and burned it upon the altar.
Fifth, having been cleansed and now at peace with God, we are invited to share the fellowship meal with God. He also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people. Sharing this meal with God and the priests pointed the people toward the ultimate fulfillment, the marriage feast of the Lamb. Revelation 19:9. The church celebrates this in communion, as Christ taught his disciples, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19
Sixth, just as pastors close worship with a benediction, the worship service comes to a close with Moses and Aaron sending the people out with a blessing. 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.
After Aaron pronounced his blessing Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the people. 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.
Of course, all of these sacrifices pictured the sacrifice of Christ. His blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins, Matthew 26:28, made us pure, granting us peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1. And as a result, now, in the New Covenant, Yahweh’s glory appeared in the person of the Holy Spirit that indwells all believers, fulfilling God’s ancient promise: I will put my Spirit within you, causing you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my laws, and be careful to obey them. Ezekiel 36:27
As God called, set apart, and ordained men as his ministers in the Old Covenant, God also sets apart men for ministry in his New Covenant Kingdom.
Christ mentored his disciples for three years, preparing them to serve as leaders in his church. Even the Apostle Paul told the Galatians that he was mentored by the risen Christ for three years. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12. And, in turn the elders in the church mentored others such as Barnabas, Mark, Aquila, Timothy, and Apollos, preparing them for ministry.
When it was clear that the mentored pupils were prepared to lead Christ’s church they were formally ordained by the other leaders. The ordination ceremony consisted of the laying on of hands, prayer, and instruction. As Timothy was reminded:
Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 1 Timothy 4:14
And when Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, were chosen to be deacons, the apostles…prayed and laid their hands on them. Acts 6:6
Offices are serious business and officeholders ought to be properly identified and honored. Offices and officeholders should be called by their proper names and titles, no more and no less. When a name or title is given to one with no right to bear it, the rightful bearers of the name or title are dishonored, and the very integrity and definition of the office in question is degraded. (Brad Isbell, PCA polity.com, April 27, 2023)
Leviticus 10:1 Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before Yahweh, which he had not commanded them. 2 Fire came out from before Yahweh, and devoured them, and they died before Yahweh.
3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what Yahweh spoke of, saying,
‘I will show myself holy to those who come near me,
and before all the people I will be glorified.’”
Aaron held his peace. 4 Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” 5 So they came near, and carried them in their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.
6 Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Don’t let the hair of your heads go loose, and don’t tear your clothes, so that you don’t die, and so that he will not be angry with all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which Yahweh has kindled. 7 You shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; for the anointing oil of Yahweh is on you.” They did according to the word of Moses. 8 Then Yahweh said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 10 You are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean. 11 You are to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which Yahweh has spoken to them by Moses.”
12 Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, “Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy; 13 and you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your portion, and your sons’ portion, of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire; for so I am commanded. 14 The waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons’ portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of Israel. 15 They shall bring the heaved thigh and the waved breast with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh. It shall be yours, and your sons’ with you, as a portion forever, as Yahweh has commanded.”
16 Moses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burned. He was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, 17 “Why haven’t you eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is most holy, and he has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before Yahweh? 18 Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.”
19 Aaron spoke to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before Yahweh; and such things as these have happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing in Yahweh’s sight?”
20 When Moses heard that, it was pleasing in his sight.
It is an awesome and fearful responsibility to serve God as his representative before the people. Throughout the ordination process, seven times we heard the constant refrain, as Yahweh commanded. Leviticus 8:4, 9, 13, 17, 21, 29, 9:10. However, despite these repeated warnings, after being set apart to serve as priests, Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before Yahweh. In other words they disobeyed God by doing what he had not commanded. Rather than using the fire that God had sent from heaven (see also Leviticus 9:24) they lit the incense being offered to God with their own fire which [Yahweh] had not commanded. Leviticus 10:1. This might seem like a trivial mistake to us but it is really a sin as old as mankind.
We see in Genesis, immediately after Adam sinned, he tried to hide his shame with fig leaves. But he soon learned that his hollow religious acts could never hide his shame or atone for his rebellion. Instead, God instituted the sacrifice as the covering for sin, the sacrifice that prefigured the Promised sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Learning this lesson well, Abel obediently brought the lamb as his sacrifice while his brother, Cain, sought God’s approval through his own works.
In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? Genesis 4:3-7
We are to worship God only in the way that he has instructed us. Theologians call this the Regulative Principle of Worship. God explained this to his people in Deuteronomy 12:32:
“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.”
Because we all have a tendency to think that we are pretty good people we are under the mistaken impression that anything that we do in worship will be accepted by God. Like Cain, we forget that by our vile sins we have offended the Holy Creator God and are not welcomed into his presence. We are, by our thoughts and actions, condemned under the wrath of God and in need of the reconciliation that is only available through the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.
Many pastors in the church today are, like Cain, Nadab, and Abihu, leading their congregations in man-centered worship rather than God centered worship. What does God centered worship look like? As we have seen thus far in Leviticus:
- We are to come to worship with our hearts and minds focused on honoring God, not honoring ourselves: Those who seek the Lord will praise him. Psalm 22:26
- Worship begins with confession, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Psalm 66:18
- After confession the worshippers are assured that God pardons sinners, welcoming them into his presence: If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. Psalm 130:3-4
- Having been accepted by God the worshipper responds in gratitude with tithes and offerings: How can I repay the Lord for all of his goodness to me? I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Psalm 116: 12,14
- It is common today to view worship as a performance by those on the stage, similar in many ways, to attending a concert as a spectator to be entertained. Worship is actually designed by God to be participatory. Worshippers minds are to be renewed and transformed, Romans 12:2, by hearing God speak through his Word. And then worshippers are to respond with prayers of confession, tithes and offerings, and Psalms of Praise, singing God’s very words back to him.
- And as worship unfolds the entire worship service is bathed in Scriptural Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Ephesians 5:19
- The Psalms also teach us that we are to gather on the Sabbath for worship in both the morning, Psalm 92, and in the evening, Psalm 134 The whole day is to be dedicated to God. Numbers 28:1-8
A modern example of this teaching is found in the Presbyterian Church in America’s instructions for worship.
It behooves God’s people not only to come into His presence with a deep sense of awe at the thought of His perfect holiness and their own exceeding sinfulness, but also to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise for the great salvation, which He has so graciously wrought for them through His only begotten Son and applied to them by the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that the following are proper elements of the worship service: reading of Holy Scripture, singing of Psalms and hymns, the offering of prayer, the preaching of the Word, the presentation of offerings, confessing the faith, and observing the Sacraments. (PCA, Book of Church Order, 47-8 & 9)
In summary, just as God has instructed in Leviticus we should:
- Come to God with hearts prepared to worship.
- Come before God with prayers of confession
- Offer God prayers of gratitude and thanksgiving
- Present to God his tithes and our offerings
- Hear the reading and preaching of God’s Word
- Respond to God by singing Psalm and Hymns
- And as Christ instructed, share his communion supper
We are to always approach God with reverence and awe. In the Old Covenant because God came to the tabernacle and dwelled with his people behind the veil on the Mercy Seat worshippers brought their sacrifices to the door of the tabernacle. However, because of the sacrifice of Christ, in the New Covenant, when we come to God in worship we are actually participating in worship in the Throne Room in heaven with all the saints.
You have come to Mt. Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a New Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Hebrews 12:22-24