Commentary - Leviticus 8:1-5

Bird's-eye view

This chapter marks a pivotal moment in the life of Israel. After receiving the detailed blueprints for the tabernacle and the priesthood in Exodus, and the laws of the offerings in Leviticus 1-7, we now come to the formal implementation of it all. This is the constitutional convention put into practice; it is the ordination ceremony for the nation's first high priest and his sons. The entire event is characterized by a meticulous adherence to divine command. God is the one who calls, God is the one who prescribes the ritual, and God is the one who consecrates. The ceremony is public, conducted before the entire congregation, because the priesthood is a public office that serves the entire community. This is not a private affair or a mystical experience for a few initiates; it is the formal, covenantal installation of mediators who will stand between a holy God and a sinful people.

The central theme is God's authority. Moses acts not as an innovator but as a faithful administrator, doing precisely what Yahweh commanded. The elements gathered, Aaron and his sons, the garments, the oil, the sacrifices, are all specified by God. This establishes a foundational principle for all true worship: it must be according to God's Word, not human invention. Before Aaron can offer sacrifices for the people, he himself must be consecrated through a process that involves washing, clothing, anointing, and atoning sacrifice. The priest must be a cleansed man before he can lead others in cleansing. This entire chapter is a rich typological picture of the consecration of our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus, and by extension, the consecration of His people, the Church, as a kingdom of priests.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

Leviticus 8 is the narrative fulfillment of the commands given to Moses in Exodus 28-29. After the construction of the tabernacle was completed in Exodus 40, the glory of the Lord filled it, making it inaccessible. The first seven chapters of Leviticus then detail the sacrificial system, the "how" of approaching this holy God. Now, in chapter 8, the "who" is formally installed. The priests are consecrated to begin their work of mediation. This chapter, along with the subsequent narrative of the priests' first offerings in chapter 9 and the failure of Nadab and Abihu in chapter 10, forms a crucial narrative hinge in the book. It moves from divine instruction to human action. The laws of sacrifice are now to be put into practice by the newly ordained priests. This ordination is the essential prerequisite for the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16) and for the entire system of holiness that Leviticus prescribes for the people of God.

Key Issues

Worship By The Book

One of the central lessons of Leviticus, and this chapter in particular, is that God is not to be trifled with. He is holy, and He sets the terms by which He will be approached. Modern evangelicals have an unfortunate tendency to treat worship as a creative enterprise, a matter of personal expression, or a pragmatic exercise in marketing. We ask what will attract a crowd, what will make people "feel" close to God, or what is the latest trend. But here at the inauguration of Israel's formal worship, the overwhelming emphasis is on precise, unquestioning obedience. Moses is given a set of instructions, and he carries them out to the letter. He does not add a personal flourish. He does not edit God's liturgy. He does not form a committee to see what the congregation might prefer.

The repeated phrase, "as Yahweh commanded," is the drumbeat to which everything marches. This is what we call the regulative principle of worship. The question is not "What has God forbidden?" but rather "What has God commanded?" This principle is not a stuffy, legalistic fence; it is a glorious liberty. It frees the church from the tyranny of human opinion, from the endless churn of fads and fashions, and from the arrogance of assuming we know better than God how He wishes to be worshiped. This ordination ceremony is a pattern for us. God still sets the terms. He has given us His Word, and our first duty in worship is to do what He says.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Everything that follows begins here. It originates in the mind and will of God. This is not a human initiative. The priesthood is not an office that men decided to create; it is a divine institution. Moses is acting as the mediator of this command, the prophet who receives the word from God and delivers it to the people. All legitimate authority in the church flows from the Word of God. When the church gathers, when leaders are ordained, when the sacraments are administered, it must all be because "Yahweh spoke."

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,

Here is the specific list of required elements. God is very particular. First, the men: Aaron and his sons. God chooses the men for the office; they do not choose it for themselves. Second, the garments, which were described in detail in Exodus 28. These were not for vanity but were "for glory and for beauty," signifying the holiness and dignity of their office. Third, the anointing oil, a special compound also described in Exodus, symbolizing the setting apart and empowering of the Holy Spirit. Fourth, the sacrifices: a bull for the sin offering because the priests' own sin must be dealt with first; two rams for the burnt offering and the ordination offering, signifying total dedication and consecration to service. Finally, the basket of unleavened bread, representing the offering of their life and labor to God, free from the corruption of leaven, which is a symbol of sin. Every element is freighted with meaning, and every element is required by God.

3 and assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting.”

This is a crucial command. The ordination is not to be done in a corner. It must be a public event. The entire community, the congregation, is summoned to witness it. Why? Because the priests are being set apart for the sake of the whole nation. Their authority must be publicly recognized. The people need to know who their legitimate mediators are. This establishes a clear line of authority and accountability. The location is also significant: the doorway of the tent of meeting. This is the threshold between the realm of the common and the realm of the holy. The priests are being consecrated right at this boundary because their job is to mediate across it.

4 So Moses did just as Yahweh commanded him. Then the congregation was assembled at the doorway of the tent of meeting,

Here we have the response of faithful obedience. The first part concerns Moses, the leader. He does not deviate from the plan. He is a faithful steward of God's instructions. His authority rests not in his own charisma, but in his fidelity to the word he was given. The second part concerns the people. They too obey. When the summons goes out, they gather. A healthy church is one where both leaders and people are submitted to the commands of God. This is a picture of covenantal orderliness. God speaks, the mediator acts, and the people respond.

5 and Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded to do.”

Before the ritual begins, Moses makes the basis for it explicit. He turns to the assembled people and declares his authority. He is not saying, "This is what I think we should do," or "This seems like a good idea." He says, in effect, "Thus saith the Lord." He is pointing away from himself and to the ultimate authority, which is God Himself. This public declaration reinforces the fact that the entire ceremony, and the priesthood it establishes, is God's work from start to finish. It is not a human tradition but a divine command.

Application

This passage, though ancient, lays down principles that are timeless for the church. First, it teaches us that church leadership is not a career choice but a divine calling. God still "takes" the men He wants for pastoral office. The church's role is not to create leaders but to recognize the ones God has raised up and gifted.

Second, it underscores the importance of public ordination. The setting apart of elders and deacons should be done in the presence of the congregation they will serve. This is not for show, but for the public recognition of their authority and for the accountability that comes with it.

Third, and most importantly, it reminds us that all our worship and church order must be grounded in the Word of God. Our authority to do anything in the name of Christ comes from His commands, not our bright ideas. We are always to be able to say, "This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded to do." This protects us from the errors of pragmatism and the whims of culture. We are called to be a people who do things by the Book, because the Book is where the living God has spoken. And finally, we see in Aaron a type of Christ. Aaron had to be washed, clothed, and atoned for. But our High Priest, Jesus, was inherently pure, clothed in His own righteousness, and He became the sin offering for us. All earthly priests are shadows; He is the substance.