Leviticus 8, Ordination of the Priests (1)

We come now to Lev. 8-10 and the ordination of the priests.  It contains a very difficult event, the judgment of death on Aaron’s two oldest sons.  Because of that event, and in light of the study of the offerings in Lev. 1-7, I now want to share a list of “purpose statements” for Leviticus.  (Taken, with slight modification, from my OT Survey class at Biola in 1969, taught by Prof. Curtis Mitchell.)

·       To provide a guide book in worship for priests and instructions for people.

·       To show Israel how they might live in fellowship with God.

·       To furnish a code of law that would secure Israel’s physical, moral and spiritual well-being.

·       To prepare and train Israel to be a blessing to the world.

·       To reveal God’s absolute holiness to Israel.  Earlier we noted the strong emphasis on the holiness of God, including His frequent descriptions of Himself as holy.  To be holy is to be uniquely set apart.  In this case it is Israel set apart to God for His purposes and glory.

·       To prepare Israel for their Messiah’s coming by showing them their need of a once-for-all sacrifice.  This comes from the NT.  Nevertheless, what the writer to Hebrews sees in the OT (the never-ending sacrifices) should have been noted by the Rabbi’s over the centuries. 

Now we come to the ordination of the Priesthood in Israel.  Every religion has priests. Religion recognizes the distance between God and mankind.  Job pointed to this need for a “go-between” so that he might have a conversation with God (Job 9:32-35; 16:18-21).  Someone accepted by God (the priest) must come before God in the way God requires so that those who want to be right with God (a family or nation or other group) can be at peace with God and not afraid of His anger.  This goes clear back to Gen. 4 when Cain and Abel brought their offerings to God. 

In Israel there are two levels to the priesthood.  First, the High Priest, of which there can only be one.  In Leviticus that position belongs to Aaron.  Then there are the sons of the High Priest, descendents of Aaron who are permitted to do the work of priests.  This is a reminder of our High Priest as believers in Christ.  There can only be one and it is the Lord Jesus Christ.  But God also promised Israel that she would be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6).  This is conferred under the New Covenant so that believers today are priests under Christ, offering sacrifices, such as …

·       Rom. 12:1: their bodies to God as living sacrifices.

·       Heb. 13:15-16: sacrifices of praise and good works.

·       Phil. 4:18: the sacrifice of the ministry of making disciples in all nations.

Thus, the process involved in the consecration of Aaron and his sons will be a type of the consecration of believers in the priesthood of Christ.