Commentary - Leviticus 8:6-9

Bird's-eye view

In this passage, we are witnessing a pivotal moment in the history of redemption: the formal consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. This is not merely a ceremony; it is a divinely orchestrated picture of how sinful man is to be prepared to stand in the presence of a holy God. Every action and every article of clothing is saturated with theological meaning, pointing forward to the ultimate High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses, acting as God's representative, first washes the priests, signifying the need for radical cleansing. Then, he meticulously clothes Aaron in the glorious high priestly garments. This is not just about getting dressed for a new job. This is a picture of imputation. Aaron is being covered in a righteousness that is not his own, a glory and beauty that belong to God. From the tunic to the turban, each piece signifies a different aspect of the priest's mediatorial role, a role perfectly and finally fulfilled in Christ, who is our cleansing, our righteousness, and our access to the Father.

The central theme is preparation for mediation. An unclean man cannot represent a holy God. A naked man cannot stand in His glorious presence. A confused man cannot declare His will. Therefore, Aaron must be washed, clothed, and equipped. The washing points to regeneration and baptism. The garments point to the imputed righteousness of Christ. And the Urim and Thummim point to the perfect guidance we receive from our great High Priest. This entire scene is a rich, typological drama, showing us in shadows what we now have in substance through the gospel.

Outline

Context In Leviticus

Leviticus 8 is the historical fulfillment of the commands given in Exodus 28-29. After the construction of the tabernacle was completed (Exodus 35-40), the next logical step was to consecrate the men who would serve in it. Leviticus begins with the laws of sacrifice (chapters 1-7), detailing what the priests will do. Now, in chapter 8, the book shows us who will do it and how they are prepared. This chapter is a narrative bridge. It takes the divine instructions for the priesthood and puts them into practice in the sight of the whole congregation of Israel. This public ordination serves to validate Aaron's priesthood, showing that he did not take this honor for himself, but was called by God, just as Moses was. The events of this chapter are foundational for the entire sacrificial system that follows. Without a consecrated priesthood, there can be no acceptable worship at the tabernacle.

Key Issues

The Consecration of the Priest

The entire ceremony described here is a living parable. In the Old Covenant, God taught His people using elaborate audio-visual aids, and this is one of the most important. The problem that the tabernacle and its priesthood were designed to solve is the central problem of the human condition: how can sinful man approach and have fellowship with a perfectly holy God? The answer given here is that it requires a mediator, a priest. But even this mediator is a sinful man. So how is he made fit for his office? He must be set apart, or consecrated. This consecration involves three key elements that we see throughout Scripture: washing, clothing, and anointing. In this passage, we see the first two. Aaron is not fit by nature; he must be made fit by grace. He is not inherently clean or righteous. He must be washed by another and clothed by another. This points us directly to the gospel. We do not make ourselves presentable to God. We are washed in the waters of baptism, which signifies our union with Christ, and we are clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ, which is imputed to us by faith.

Verse by Verse Commentary

6 Then Moses had Aaron and his sons come near and washed them with water.

The ceremony begins at the most basic point: cleansing. Before any glorious robes can be put on, the filth must be dealt with. Moses, acting in a unique, pre-priestly mediatorial role, brings Aaron and his sons to the laver at the entrance of the tabernacle and washes them. This is not a self-washing. They are passive recipients of this cleansing. This act signifies the absolute necessity of regeneration for ministry and for any approach to God. You cannot serve God in your natural filth. This washing is a type of Christian baptism, which is the sign and seal of our cleansing from sin and our regeneration by the Holy Spirit. It points to the reality that our qualification for service comes not from ourselves, but from a cleansing that God provides for us through a mediator.

7 And he put the tunic on him and girded him with the sash and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod, with which he tied it to him.

Once cleansed, Aaron is clothed. Again, Moses does the clothing. Aaron does not dress himself. This is a picture of imputation. Righteousness is put upon him. The garments are described as being for "glory and for beauty" (Ex. 28:2). This is not Aaron's glory, but God's. He is being robed in a divine character. The tunic, sash, and robe form the foundational layers. Then comes the ephod, a skillful and beautiful garment of blue, purple, scarlet, and gold threads woven into fine linen. It was an apron-like vestment that signified the priestly office. The skillfully woven band, an integral part of the ephod, cinched it all together, signifying that this new identity was securely fastened to him. He is bound into his new role. This is the uniform of a mediator, a man set apart to represent God's glory to the people.

8 He then placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim.

Over the ephod, Moses places the most intricate piece: the breastpiece of judgment. This was a square pouch containing twelve precious stones, each engraved with the name of one of the tribes of Israel. In this, the high priest literally bore the people of Israel on his heart when he went before the Lord. It was his duty to carry their concerns, their needs, and their identity into the presence of God. This is a beautiful picture of Christ's intercessory work. He bears our names on His heart before the Father. Inside this pouch, Moses placed the Urim and the Thummim. While their exact nature is a mystery, we know they were used to discern the will of God in specific matters. The name likely means "lights and perfections." This signifies that the priest was not to lead by his own wisdom, but was to be a conduit for divine revelation and guidance for the people. Our High Priest, Jesus, is the perfect revelation of the Father's will.

9 He also placed the turban on his head, and on the turban, at its front, he placed the golden plate, the holy crown, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

The final piece of clothing is for the head. The turban of fine linen speaks of a mind submitted to God. But the crowning element is the golden plate fastened to the front of the turban. Engraved on this plate were the words, "HOLY TO YAHWEH." This was the holy crown. It signified that the high priest was consecrated, set apart for God's exclusive purpose. His thoughts, his will, his entire being were to be characterized by holiness. Because he wore this, he could "bear the iniquity of the holy things" (Ex. 28:38), meaning his own consecrated holiness could atone for the imperfections in the people's worship. This points us to Christ, our truly holy High Priest, whose perfect holiness covers all the flaws in our stumbling attempts to worship God. The passage concludes by reminding us that this was not a human invention. Every detail was done just as Yahweh had commanded Moses. True worship and true ministry are always grounded in faithful obedience to God's revealed Word.

Application

This passage, though ancient and filled with strange rituals, is intensely practical for the Christian. First, it reminds us that we cannot approach God on our own terms. We must be cleansed and clothed. We must be washed from our sins, not by a ceremonial washing, but through the blood of Jesus Christ, applied to us when we are united to Him by faith. This is what our baptism signifies. We are dead to the old, filthy man and raised to newness of life.

Second, we are reminded that our standing before God is based entirely on an imputed righteousness. Like Aaron, we are clothed by another. We are "clothed in righteousness divine," as the hymn says. We do not weave our own ephod of good works. We receive the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness as a free gift. When the Father looks at us, He sees the glory and beauty of His Son.

Finally, we see the role of our great High Priest, Jesus. He bears our names upon His heart, constantly interceding for us. He is the perfect source of wisdom and guidance, the true Urim and Thummim. And His perfect holiness, His mind set completely on the Father's will, covers all our sins and makes our faltering worship acceptable. We are to walk, therefore, not in our own strength or righteousness, but in the full confidence that we have been washed, we have been clothed, and we have a perfect Mediator who has done everything "just as Yahweh had commanded."