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.
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 savor, 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 savor: 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.
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.
The book of Leviticus is the third book of the Old Testament in the KJV Holy Bible. It is believed to have been written by Moses and was primarily intended for the Israelites as a set of laws and guidelines for their religious and moral conduct. Chapter 8 of Leviticus specifically deals with the consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests of the Israelites. This chapter outlines the process and rituals that were necessary for the ordination of the priests, as well as the significance and symbolism behind these rituals.
The chapter begins with God instructing Moses to gather the congregation of Israel and to set apart Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. This was to be a holy and solemn ceremony, and Aaron and his sons were to be consecrated as priests to serve God and the people of Israel. This was a significant moment in the history of Israel, as it marked the establishment of the priesthood and the beginning of a new era in their relationship with God.
Moses then proceeds to dress Aaron and his sons in the appropriate priestly garments, which included the holy garments made of fine linen, gold, and precious stones. These garments were not only for decoration but were also symbolic of the priests’ role as mediators between God and the people. The clothing of the priests was to be a constant reminder of their sacred duties and the importance of their role in the community.
The next part of the chapter describes the rituals that were necessary for the consecration of the priests. The first ritual involved the offering of a young bull as a sin offering, with its blood being sprinkled on the altar and the priests themselves. This was meant to cleanse and purify the priests from any impurities and to make them suitable for their holy duties.
The second ritual involved the offering of a ram as a burnt offering, which was to be completely consumed by fire on the altar. This was a symbol of the priests’ complete dedication and surrender to God, as well as a reminder of the seriousness of their role as representatives of the people before God.
The third ritual involved the offering of another ram, this time as a consecration offering. The blood of this ram was to be put on the right ear, thumb, and big toe of Aaron and his sons, symbolizing their complete consecration to God and their willingness to listen to His commands, do His work, and walk in His ways.
The final part of the consecration process was the anointing of Aaron and his sons with oil. This was a symbol of the Holy Spirit coming upon them and equipping them for their duties as priests. The anointing also signified God’s approval and blessing upon the priests, as well as their separation from the rest of the community.
The oil was poured on Aaron’s head, and then on the heads of his sons, and was sprinkled on their garments, altar, and other items used in the rituals. This was a highly symbolic act, representing the anointing of the entire priesthood and the sanctification of all the elements used in the service of God.
The rituals performed in the consecration of Aaron and his sons were not simply empty gestures or meaningless ceremonies. Each aspect of the consecration had a specific purpose and symbolism attached to it. The sacrifice of the bull and the ram for sin and consecration represented the need for purification and dedication in order to serve a holy God. The anointing with oil symbolized the equipping and empowerment of the priests by the Holy Spirit for their duties.
The garments worn by the priests also held great significance. The fine linen represented holiness and purity, while the gold and precious stones symbolized the glory and majesty of God. The priests were to be a visible representation of God’s holiness and glory to the people of Israel.
The rituals and symbolism in this chapter also foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ as the ultimate High Priest, who would offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity. The consecration of Aaron and his sons was a shadow of the greater consecration that would come through the death and resurrection of Jesus, who would serve as the perfect mediator between God and humanity.
While the rituals and practices described in Leviticus 8 may seem outdated and irrelevant in today’s society, there are still important lessons and principles that can be applied to our lives. The process of consecration reminds us of the importance of purity and dedication in our relationship with God. We are also reminded of the role of the Holy Spirit in equipping and empowering us for our own unique purposes and callings.
The anointing of the priests with oil also serves as a reminder of God’s approval and blessing upon His people. As believers, we are anointed and set apart by God to serve Him and fulfill His purposes in our lives. And just as the priests were consecrated for the service of God and the people, we too are called to serve and minister to others in the name of Christ.
The chapter 8 of Leviticus serves as a reminder of the importance and significance of the priesthood in the Israelite community, as well as the symbolism and meaning behind the rituals and ceremonies performed in their consecration. It also points towards the ultimate consecration and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who serves as our High Priest and mediator between God and humanity. The lessons and principles from this chapter are still relevant and applicable to our lives today, reminding us of the importance of purity, dedication, and the empowering work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers.
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