Old Testament Commentary - Leviticus 8

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
             CHAPTER 8            

Aaron and his sons are washed, anointed, clothed in their priesthood robes, and consecrated before all Israel—Moses and Aaron offer sacrifice to make reconciliation and atonement with the Lord.

  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 abullock for the sin offeringa, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;
  3 And gather thou all the acongregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
 2a a bullock for the sin offereing While a number of 'clean' animals were used in similitude of the Lords Atonement, it is of a particular interest that the bullock is specifically for a sin offering and elsewhere a pure red one is so stipulated for the sacrifice for the sin of all. The Bullock is the symbol of the tribe of Ephraim. And in as far as the rightful heir of Ephraim of the coventant is to be the sin offering for all this relationship seem symbolically representative of Jesus Christ the Son of the Covenant through Ephraim who is so represented as this bullock as the sacrifice for sin. (See Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Ephraim).
  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 awashed them with watera.
 6a washed them with water Since the priests of the temple would stand in many ordinances of the temple for and in behalf of the Lord, it was appropriate that they would be washed of the 'filthliness of the world' prior to being clothed in the glorious robes of the temple. This was not only needfull to present themselves in cleanliness before the Altar of the Lord, but it paralleled that event as recorded and as seen in Zechariah's fourth vision, Zechariah chapter three. There 'Jesus' had symbolically taken upon himself the filthiness of the sins of the world and under the command of God the Father, he was so taken, 'washed and pronounced clean', and then enrobed with the glorious robes of the temple and high priesthood as God the Father selected Ministering God and Redeemer of this world. (See Zecahariah 3 the whole chapter as the vision of the precouncil in heaven of judgment and sustaining of Jehovah as Jesus (Jehoshua) and how it established to proper order which in parallel relates to the priest of the temple, there needful washing and clothing in the holy garments of the temple in order to officiate in the name and in the stead of the Lord in behalf of the people.
  7 And he put upon him the acoat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the brobe, 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 abreastplate upon him: also he put in the breastplate the bUrim and the Thummim.
  9 And he put athe mitre upon his head; also upon the mitre, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden bplate, the holy crown; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Glorious Garments and Mitre 
The placing upon the priests of the temple who are to officiated for and in the name of the Lord is in direct similitude and parallel as to when Jesus / Jehoshua the High Priest of God was so clothed in Zechariah's vision in Zechariah chapter 3 verses 3-7. Thus in similitude of the clothing of Christ in that preexistent judgment council of Heaven under the direction of God the Father having commanded that he Jesus/Jehoshua/Jehovah be so clothed in the garments of the Holy Priesthood with it fair mitre upon his head as the Great High Priest of this Heaven and Earth of this Second Estate to stand in the stead (Lev. 16:32) of the Father in all things as it Redeemer and Ministering God under tha direction of the Father; so is also those who are to minister for and in behalf of his name so clothed in those holy temple priesthood garments and robes whether of them of the temple in the day of animal sacrifice or of them in this day and age in the fullness of times.
  10 And Moses took the anointing oil, and aanointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and bsanctified 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 aanointing oil upon bAaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.
  13 And Moses brought Aaron's asons, band put coats upon them, and cgirded them with girdles, and put dbonnets upon them; as the LORD commanded Moses.

The Anointings 
Just as Moses proceeded to anoint and sanctify the tabernacle and anointed Aaron and so clothed him and his sons, so did God the Father in a like manner anoint and sanctify this the second estate, the creation thereof, the earth, and Jesus Christ or Jehovah His selected Son in such foreordinal blessing and priesthood ordinantions in the preexistance; that they might fullfil their purposed of their creations as having been given the charge and the priesthood blessing and anointing to do so. Thus these actions of Moses in relationship to the tabernacle and the anointing and the setting apart of Aaron and his son was in direct fulfillment and parallel with that which had been so performed and prescribed in Heaven as it is in Earth. When one comes to this level of understanding the things of God, one begins to see the limitless eternal nature of it all and how it directly ties into that proper order as set forth in Heaven by God the Father even through all time and into the eternity to come in relation to His Great Design for His Children in the Gospel Plan of Salvation and Redemption.
  14 And he brought the bullock for the asin 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 ahorns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the baltar, and cpoured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, dto 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 savour, and an offering made by fire unto the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
  22 ¶ And he brought the other aram, 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 asprinkled 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 savour: 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 asprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons' garments with him; and bsanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him.
  31 ¶ And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, aBoil 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 adays, until the days of your consecration be at an end: for bseven 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 ashall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the bcharge 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.