Leviticus 8:1 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,"

This ritual of the consecration of the priesthood of Aaron is prescribed in Exodus 28:1 - 43; and 29:1 - 7. As we read through this eighth chapter, Moses emphasizes each particular act that is to be done in the consecration of Aaron and his sons. Remember that this book of Leviticus takes place before the forty year journey through the wilderness, and these laws and instructions for the priesthood was given to Moses while he was up on Mount Sinai communing with YHVH, our heavenly Father [Yahveh].

Aaron and his sons were consecrated and the sacrifices were then given by them, and we will see now the dedication and ordination of the priesthood of Aaron and his sons.

Leviticus 8:2 " "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;"

We will see a lot of "And's" in this chapter, which is a conjunction and a "polysyndeton" draws an emphasis to each act spoken of. Aaron was a type of "Christ" and that is what His name means "The anointed One".

Leviticus 8:3 "And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."

Of course at this time of Aaron and his sons ordination, the tribes of Israel numbered into the millions, They were camped at the foot of mount Sinai, and of course this number could not all fit into the door of the tabernacle. Many scholars agree as I do, that all the elders of the people gathered at the door of the tabernacle and witnessed this anointing of Aaron and his sons.

Leviticus 8:4 "And Moses did as the Lord commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."

The door of the tabernacle was a tent of the assembly, for the children of Israel were about to be traveling for the next thirty eight years in the wilderness.

Leviticus 8:5 "And Moses said unto the congregation, "This is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done."

The thing spoken of here is found in Exodus 28:1 - 43; continuing into 29::1 - 7; the chapter on the Consecration of the priests; their garments and everything pertaining to the priesthood. So this dedication and consecration of the priesthood is now going to made public to the people. Once the anointing takes place it marks the beginning of the Levitical priesthood.

Leviticus 8:6 "And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water."

This is the only time when Moses or anyone would do these "divers washings", as it is referred in Hebrews 6:2, for after this event, all ceremonial washings are done by the persons for themselves.

Hebrews 6:1, 2 "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."

This is symbolic of a spiritual cleansing.

Hebrews 6:3 "And this we do, if God permit."

These are rendered "baptisms" in Leviticus 11:25, 40 and the washing is extended to clothes also.

Leviticus 8:7 "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."

The Ephod is a ceremonial robe, and the curious girdle was a band that stretched around the priest's waist.

Leviticus 8:8 "And he put the breastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim."

This breastplate had a small bag attached to it, and inside the bag was this Urim and the Thummim. The Urim and Thummin were two precious stone that were kept inside this bag, mounted on the breastplate. When a judgment was to be made by God, the priest would draw out these two stones and cast them as a lot. Though the priest cast the lot of the two stones, the judgment was believed to be made by the Lord. the decision that were made by the casting of the stones was either yes or no, guilty or innocent, more or less, and so on.

The names "Urim and Thummin" meant "lights and reflections". the light brought the guilt, and the reflection, for moral perfection, i.e. innocence. Thus the two stones were placed in the bag, and brought out when there was a need for a judicial decision connected with the breastplate. This is why the breastplate itself was know as the breastplate of judgment; God's judgment in the dividing up of land. Land was given by the casting of lot, the lot of these two stones. When ever there was a doubt over land and boundaries, the stones were taken out and the lot cast. The direction these stones pointed, determined the outcome, and it was assumed by all that God's hand was in the decision or judgment.

So we see that when the priest was called on to make decisions in the place of God, after this day of atonement, He would reach into the bag and if the Urim came out it meant one way, and if the Thummin came out first, it went the other way: Guilt or innocence; right or wrong, yes or no, and so on.

Leviticus 8:9 "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."

Moses put the mitre, or head gear on the head of Aaron, and the golden plate was a form of crown on the front part of his cap, and placed it on Aaron's head in the presence of all the elders. This left no doubt in the minds of the people that God placed in Aaron and his sons the right to judge, and to serve the congregation from this time forth. Aaron would be the high priest, and his sons would be the priest under Aaron.

Leviticus 8:10 "And Moses took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them."

Of course inside the Tabernacle was the Ark of the covenant, the table of shewbread, the altar of incense, the candle stick and the furniture of the holy of holies. All these things Moses sanctified with oil.

Leviticus 8:11 "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."

The laver was a large container where the priest would wash the sacrifices, and Moses also anointed at the base of the altar. The sprinkling was required because the priest would enter into the inner sanctuary, to sprinkle seven times to atone for the sins of himself as high priest. This was a sign of the renewing of the covenant between God and man, because a barrier had been place because of sin. No it wasn't that the vessels that were anointed had sinned, but by the sinfulness of the priest, in touching these items, they also needed to be sanctified.

Leviticus 8:12 "And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him."

Not just touching the head of the Aaron, but actually pouring much over his head as we read in Psalms 133:2, 3 "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, Even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments: As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion. For the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore."

The oil was poured over Aaron's head, till it ran down his garments. This anointing is the beginning of the priesthood of Aaron that would continue down through the generations with his sons and grandsons.

Leviticus 8:13 "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."

Once Aaron was anointed and covered with the coat and head dress of the priesthood, he continued anointing the sons of Aaron, and dressing them with their garments of the priesthood. This marked them in public as being the priests.

Leviticus 8:14 "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."

When Aaron and his sons put their hands upon the head of the sin sacrificial animal, it transferred the sins from them to the sacrificial animal.

Leviticus 8:15 "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."

Notice that only a sprinkle of blood was put on the horns of the altar, but most of the blood was poured at the bottom or base on the ground at the side of the altar, to sanctify by causing the blood to go down and away from the altar. Again, it is the Chattath, or sin offering, which makes reconciliation for Aaron and his sons before the Lord. It becomes a covering, for God has nothing to do with sin.

Leviticus 8:16 "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."

Leviticus 8:17 "But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the Lord commanded Moses."

Those commandments concerning the disposal of these parts are recorded in Leviticus 4:11, 12. This sin offering was for the priest himself, and therefore not to be eaten, but taken out and burned in a clean place.

Leviticus 8:18 "And he brought the ram for the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram."

Moses is the one conducting this sacrifice offering for sin, and he had Aaron then place their hands on the head of the ram here. This is now the burnt offering, the "Olah" as is given in Exodus 29:15-18. The ram was symbolic of strength, and it was given to add strength to their offering. No the priest didn't provide these animals for their sacrifice, but the animals were given by Moses and the congregation for this purpose.

Leviticus 8:19 "And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about."

Because the blood was sprinkled upon the altar itself and around the sides of the altar, it was not a sin offering, for the blood of sin offering could not be place on the altar.

Leviticus 8:20 "And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat."

Leviticus 8:21 "And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burned the whole ram on 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."

Again this sacrifice was the "Olah sacrifice", the offering that was burnt to allow the smoke to ascend to the heavens as a "sweet smelling savour". This offering was to cause peace and rest between the offerer and God.

Leviticus 8:22 "And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram."

In this Olah sacrifice or burnt offering there were two rams offered; one for peace, and this ram for the consecration of Aaron and his sons. This was another type of peace offering, but there is some differences in the handling of this sacrifice.

Leviticus 8:23 "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."

That first peace offering went on the altar and was burned, but here the blood was placed on the tip of Aaron's right ear, upon the thumb of his right hand, and on his big toe of his right foot. The right ear was to instill in Aaron the hearkening to the voice of God; on the thumb of the right hand to his daily working at the altar of God; and on the right big toe for Aarons righteous walking before the Lord, before the people, and in the sanctuary. When we study these things that are done in the physical aspect, they are done for spiritual reason.

Leviticus 8:24 "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."

Then Moses did the same to Aaron's sons as he did to Aaron, to consecrate them to the Lord.

Leviticus 8:25 "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:"

Moses is then following the instructions that God gave him concerning the wave and heave offering, that we read of in Leviticus 7.

Leviticus 8:26 "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:"

Notice that there were three different types of this offering.

Leviticus 8:27 "And he put all upon Aarons hand, and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord."

This followed the same manner as the wave offering that the people would follow, for it was a peace offering for the one making the offering that would do the wave offering, as it was waved from side to side, as we read of in Exodus 29:27. Of course this peace offering was for Aaron, so it would be his hands that would make the wave before the God; first toward the holy of holies, and then away. The Holy of holies was the place where God resided with man, and this was symbolic of giving to the Lord and then back for the priest.

Leviticus 8:28 "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."

This is the burnt offering, the Olah offering, which will ascend to YHVH.

Leviticus 8:29 "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."

In most burnt offerings the breast of the sacrificial animal belonged to the priest, and this was handled differently for this wave offering. The wave offering is discussed Exodus 29:27, 29 and it is given with the heave offering, and is to be offered as a peace offering before the Lord. This is still part of the consecration of the priests to God. "Consecration" is "setting the priests apart" for the Lord, and it also means "the filling of the hand", which means that God has taken the hand of this priest and filled his hand with the authority and power to carry out his official duties before the people of the congregation.

Leviticus 8:30 "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 Garments" were important because they signified the position of the priest as they were amongst the people; that they had the authority from and to the Lord. To wear the garment meant that he had all the characteristics that were required to hold that office, and fulfill the duties of that office. "The anointing oil" is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, While "the blood" is and holds the life of the soul with a body.

There can be no forgiveness for sin without the shedding of blood. In the time of Moses and these sacrifices, the animals blood was shed for the sins of men, and because the animal could not sin, when a man placed his hands on the head of the animal, it was symbolic, of the transfer of sin; but even more so, the man was recognizing that sin in his life, and confessing it to God in this sacrifice.

So when the anointing oil and the blood is used in this consecration, the priest are represented by the oil in Spirit, and through the blood, a dedication of their soul to their duties.

Leviticus 8:31 "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.' "

Remember that the children of Israel are just starting their journey in the wilderness, they are camped at the foot of mount Sinai, and the tabernacle is a tent that has just been made and erected by God's specification. This ceremony is taking place right outside the door of the tabernacle, where the meat and the bread of three types will be also eaten by the priests. These offerings were holy because God was the one that commanded that it be done.

Leviticus 8:32 "And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire."

All the leftovers of the meal, both bread and meat that was not eaten were burnt with fire. In Leviticus 7:17 told us of the vow and free will offering and that it was to be eaten on the first day, and the part of the offering that could not be eaten was to be burnt, and not left to the next day. That is what is happening here, no part of this meal of consecration was to be left overnight to the next day.

Leviticus 8:33 "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."

These men, Aaron and his sons had just had this sacrificial meal, and now they are to remain in the tabernacle of the congregation for seven days. This meant that they were not to attend to any of their normal daily activities, but to concentrate and think of what was required of them in the roles that they had just accepted as priests. Each of the seven days would intensify over the prior day, and seven in Biblical numerics is the number for spiritual completeness. All of the works of God were based on seven day, for the creation.

Leviticus 8:34 "As He has done this day, so the Lord hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you."

This atonement or covering for sin, was for Aaron and all of his sons.

Leviticus 8:35 "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."

Moses is telling Aaron and his sons not to be slack in this keeping of the seven days and nights, for if they fail to do so, God would claim their lives. Each day of the seven days the priests were to repeat all of the sacrifice that they were in charge of giving. The three holy, and the four most holy sacrifices, so that there would be no mistake when they came before God to render a sacrifice offering for the people. This of course did not mean that they could not eat and tend to the functions that in common for our human bodies. As each of these offerings of the seven days took place, it became more intense than the day prior.

Leviticus 8:36 "So Aaron and his sons did all things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses."

This commandments were commanded by God, and given to Moses to see that each of them were carried out. Today many new religions are started when one person in a church disagrees with what is said in that church. He goes off and you have a new denomination. We have just witnessed the start of the only religious form, or approach to God that is acceptable by Him, for man. Man is a sinful creature in his soul, and his sin has created a barrier between man and his Creator. God has set down the only way to come back and approach him through these sacrifices and offering that will be given through the hand of Aaron and his sons, the priests that were just consecrated in this chapter. When God gives a commandment, he expects them to be followed.

However today we have grace given to us by God through Jesus Christ His only begotten Son. Today we have forgiveness of sin by repentance of sin when we believe on Him; but it is not up to us to question why God set this form of sacrifices in motion at this time of Moses. These are types for us to understand, for types are fore-shadows of things that would come later, at the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul told us in I Corinthians 10:11, 12; "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

So these types of sacrifices and offerings are of Jesus Christ Himself.