Leviticus 8:1-36: Set Apart for Service

Set Apart For Service: Leviticus 8: 1-36

Our Scripture reading this morning comes from Leviticus 8:1-36, so I’ll be reading a selection of verses from that passage. Hear now the words of the Living and True God:

¹ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 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. ³ And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” ⁴ And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ⁵ And Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded to be done.” ⁶ And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. ⁷ And he put the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band. ⁸ And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. ⁹ And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹⁰ Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. ¹¹ And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. ¹² And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him. ¹³ And Moses brought Aaron's sons and clothed them with coats and tied sashes around their waists and bound caps on them, as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹⁴ Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. ¹⁵ And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it… ¹⁸ Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. ¹⁹ And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar… ²² Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. ²³ And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. ²⁴ Then he presented Aaron’s sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar...  ³⁰ Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on  Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. ³¹ And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ ³² And what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn up with fire. ³³ And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you. ³⁴ As has been done today, the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. ³⁵ At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the Lord has charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded.” ³⁶ And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord commanded by Moses.

May God bless the reading of his Word.

“Fake it, until you make it.” A phrase we’ve all likely heard before. The idea that if you act confidently enough, you’ll become what you desire. If you dress the part, speak the part, live the part, eventually, it becomes your reality. To some extent, this makes sense. If you want to become a professional athlete, you need to act like one. You need to train and practice daily discipline, presenting yourself in a way that could eventually lead to becoming a professional athlete. However, identifying as a professional athlete does not make it true, nor does it guarantee that it will ever be true. You can “fake it” all you want, but you might never “make it”. That’s just how it works. In contrast, the way God works seems altogether different.

 Through faith, God gives us a new identity first, and then He empowers us to live out that new identity. Through faith, God makes us His. And because we have that relationship with God, He then equips us to serve Him through our thoughts, words, and actions. He gives us the peace of knowing that He is with us always. You might say that as children of God, there’s no need to “fake it”; striving to earn your way into God’s family. Through faith, God has already “made” you His. God gives us that new identity first, setting us apart for service and communion with Him. Which brings us to the main idea of today’s passage…

 God sets us apart for service and brings us into communion with Him.

 After Israel’s exodus from slavery in Egypt, they find themselves wandering in the desert for 40 years. In that time, God both sustains and refines His people, preparing them to become a nation that reflects His holiness. In Exodus 25-31, God gave detailed instructions for building the tabernacle, the place where God would dwell among His people. Then he gave instructions for establishing a priesthood to mediate between Himself and Israel. God gave Moses specific requirements for the clothing of the priests and the ceremony that would set the priests apart for sacred service. The book of Leviticus opens, in chapters 1-7, with God establishing a system of sacrifice, through which Israel could approach God in worship, repentance, and restored fellowship. The priests are meant to carry out these sacrifices, serving as representatives of God and His people. So, as we come to Leviticus chapter 8, the tabernacle is built, the priestly garments prepared, and they’ve received their instructions for sacrifice and service. Now, verses 1-13 shows us how….

I. God Sets Apart His People For Service, 1-13

In this passage, God establishes the priesthood for Israel. He specifically sets apart the priests for service. But this now applies to all believers in Christ. And the chapter begins by showing that…

A. God Chooses His Priests, 1-5 We read in verses 1 through 5, “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 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. ³ And assemble all the congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.’ ⁴ And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the congregation was assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting. ⁵ And Moses said to the congregation, ‘This is the thing that the Lord has commanded to be done.’” 

Verse 1 starts with “The Lord spoke to Moses”. Everything we see in this chapter comes from the Lord having commanded it. In fact, the phrase “the Lord commanded” repeats 7 times in this chapter as God outlines the priestly rituals. He requires Moses to faithfully follow His every command for this ceremony. Gathering the animal sacrifices. Gathering the materials needed. Gathering the people of Israel to witness this ceremony. And notice in verse 3 that Israel gathers at the entrance of the tent of meeting. The tent of meeting, in this case, refers to the tabernacle. God had Israel build this structure so that His full presence could dwell among His people. But because of sin, only those ritually purified and authorized, like the priests, could enter safely. Just as Adam and Eve’s sin cast them outside of the Garden, separating them from God, so too Israel lives outside the Most Holy Place, separated from the fullness of God’s presence. So, this ordination of priests shows Israel how God makes men able to enter into His presence once again. While our sin casts us out, this ceremony points to how God bring us back in, able to stand before Him once again. And God makes this message abundantly clear by who He chooses as the first official priest, Aaron.

If given the choice, surely, Israel would’ve picked Moses. Moses led them out of slavery, he led them through the wilderness, and consistently served as God’s mediator. Moses has an impressive resume, he clearly qualifies for the job. What is Aaron most known for? He led the people into idolatry! While Moses received the commandments from the living and true God, Aaron built a false god, the golden calf, and plunged the people into sin. But now, God makes Aaron a priest? Can you imagine what Israel might’ve have thought? “Him? This is the priesthood we’ve been waiting for?” Aaron does not deserve this. He does not deserve God’s grace, and neither do we. While we deserve death and judgement, and a life cast out of His presence, God chooses us, as He did Aaron, and makes us priests.

1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you [speaking to the church] are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Just as God redeems and chooses Aaron as priest, so too does God redeem and choose us. He makes the church a priesthood, Peter says, meaning that God brings us into His presence, to serve and glorify Him. We often think of priests as this select few that have a unique relationship with God. But Peter says that, through Christ, all believers have that unique relationship. Do you see yourself that way? Do you see yourself as a chosen priest of God? He chose you, not because of your perfect record, but because of His perfect mercy. Does your life reflect that mercy? Do your words, choices, and relationships reflect His grace towards you?

Verses 1-5 show us that God Chooses His Priests. Then, in verses 6-13,…

B. God Cleanses, Clothes, and Consecrates 6-13

 “⁶ And Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. ⁷ And he put the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band. ⁸ And he placed the breastpiece on him, and in the breastpiece he put the Urim and the Thummim. ⁹ And he set the turban on his head, and on the turban, in front, he set the golden plate, the holy crown, as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹⁰ Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. ¹¹ And he sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. ¹² And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him. ¹³ And Moses brought Aaron’s sons and clothed them with coats and tied sashes around their waists and bound caps on them, as the Lord commanded Moses.”

The ordination of Aaron and his sons begins with a ceremonial washing. Just as Israel washed animals in preparation for sacrifice to the Lord, so too do they wash the priests in preparation for service.

Nothing unclean may enter God’s presence.

In a sense, we see this in baptism. In baptism, we outwardly cleanse our bodies with water. But the water symbolizes a greater cleansing that has already occurred within, a cleansing of our hearts that stirs our affection and love for God. Ezekiel 36:25–27 says “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean… I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.” Through faith, Christ washes our hearts clean, renewing us by His Spirit. So, just as God cleansed Aaron and his sons, preparing them to enter His presence, so too Christ cleanses His church, filling us with the presence of His Spirit.

After cleansing, Moses clothed them in sacred garments. He clothed them with tunics and robes. He placed the ephod upon Aaron’s shoulders, an intricately designed garment for the high priest. The high priest, Aaron, also wore the breastpiece, containing the Urim and Thummim; mysterious objects God gave Israel to discern the will of God. It signified the need for wisdom and divine guidance. Aaron then put on a turban, with a golden plate placed over his forehead, referred to as the “holy crown”. Exodus 28:36 tells us the golden plate was inscribed with the words “Holy to the Lord”. It was not just a decoration, it declared who Aaron belonged to. This crown doesn’t elevate Aaron, it humbles him as a servant with God as his master.

And then came the anointing. Oil was poured to consecrate, or set apart as holy, both the tabernacle and the priests. The anointing dedicates them to God. He commissions the place and the priests for holy purposes.

 So, think of all this like a surgeon preparing for an operation. They enter the hospital like anyone else, but before approaching the operating room, they undergo careful preparation. They wash thoroughly, removing any trace of bacteria that could lead to infection. They put on scrubs, gloves, masks, goggles, covered head to toe because they enter a space where life and death hang in the balance. The surgeons tools, along with everything in the operating room must be clean. Every step of preparation involving the space and the surgeon matters.

And like the surgeon, every step of preparation for the priests matters. The priests were not fit for service until they were cleansed, clothed and consecrated. Likewise, we are not fit for service until Christ cleanses, clothes, and consecrates us. Christ cleanses our hearts from sin, making us new from the inside out. While sin’s infection brings death, Christ’s cleansing brings life with God. Christ then clothes us with His righteousness. Romans 13:12 tells us to “cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Paul continues in verse 14, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh and it’s desires” We must cast out sin and put on Christ; clothed in a righteousness not our own, but His. Christ must cover us from head to toe, making no provision for sin. Christ then consecrates us, setting us apart to serve with power and purpose. Just as Aaron bore the name of God on his forehead, so too we bear the name of Christ as Christians. He sets us apart as servants of God. He commissions us as ambassadors to Christ, bearing His name to the world. Jesus Christ fulfills these priestly rituals, preparing us for godly purposes. So, is your life marked by His cleansing, clothed in His righteousness, and consecrated for His purposes? Do you bear the name of Christ in the world, or do you live like the world? Are you standing outside the sanctuary, or will you step forward, stepping into a life of service to Christ wherever He’s called you?

Verses 1-13 shows us how God sets His people apart for service. Verses 14-36 show how…

II. God Brings His People Into Communion With Him, 14-36

“Communion” means “to share” or to “have fellowship”. To have communion means coming together in unity. And in order to have this unity with God, verses 14-30 shows us that…

A. Sin Requires Sacrifice, 14-30 (8:14-15, 18–19, 22-24, 30)

“¹⁴ Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. ¹⁵ And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it… ¹⁸ Then he presented the ram of the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. ¹⁹ And he killed it, and Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar... ²² Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. ²³ And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. ²⁴ Then he presented Aaron’s sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar.”

Notice the repetition in these verses. 3 times they offer sacrifice. 3 times they place their hands on the head of the sacrifice. 3 times they place the blood of the sacrifice on the altar. And then, they place the blood on the right ear, right thumb, and right toe of the 3 priests. So, what’s going on here? Well, we’ve seen how the priests were cleansed, and yet God still requires judgement for sin. He doesn’t just erase sin. He requires sacrifice. He requires justice. Sin has a cost. And so, the priests must offer a worthy sacrifice to pay that penalty for sin on their behalf. That’s why they place their hands on the head of the animal. It symbolizes the transfer of their guilt. The sacrifice becomes the substitute. The blood then literally covers both the altar and the priests. Just as Moses covers both the place and the priests with oil, so too does he cover them with blood.

And notice that in verse 24, blood covers the right ear, thumb, and toe of the priests. But why the right ear, thumb, and toe? While unexplained in the text, Dr. Albert Mohler suggests, “The priest must hear, the priest must do, the priest must go, exactly as instructed.” But why the right ear, thumb, and toe? Why not the left? Well…

1. Ecclesiastes 10:2 says, “A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left.” Here, the right side represents wisdom, and the left, foolishness.
2. Exodus 15:6 says. “Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.” The right hand of the Lord represents power.
3. Psalm 110 says, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Emphasizing, Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, in the place of authority.
4. And in Matthew 25:33, Christ says “he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” He goes on to describe the sheep as “blessed”, saying they will “inherit the kingdom”. Here, the right side represents favor from the Lord.

So the right side represents wisdom, power, authority, and favor. But we don’t earn these qualities ourselves, they come only by the blood. You see, God doesn’t just remove sin and punishment. He brings us close, empowering us to serve Him. We need a worthy sacrifice to both pay for our sin and draw us near to God.

Verses 26–29 demonstrate this with what’s called, the “wave offering”. It acts as symbol of union where Moses literally waves the sacrifice back and forth between the altar and the priest. While sin separates the priests from God, the wave offering visually shows that the sacrifice unites them to God. Likewise, Christ’s once for all sacrifice on the cross unites us to God. Christ becomes our substitute, the only worthy sacrifice that pays the punishment we deserve and draws us near to God. Any wisdom, power, authority, and favor we have comes from Christ’s blood that covers us.

 Verse 30 continues, saying, “³⁰ Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled it on Aaron and his garments, and also on his sons and his sons’ garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.”

They labored to craft these priestly garments: linen woven with care, adorned with gems; brand new, never before worn garments. Then, Moses takes the blood and splashes it across them. Why? Well, sometimes, what looks pristine isn’t necessarily clean. Like when Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in Matthew 23:27-28, saying they were like “whitewashed tombs”. He says they “outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.” Sin permeates all creation, even our most sacred spaces. And so, the blood must cover everything. We often come to God with “our best”; our good deeds, our polished behavior, even our rigorous study of theology; all good things. But even our most “righteous” deeds are unclean on their own. Just like the priests’ garments, we need the blood of Christ to cover us; not just for outward sin, but for the inward sin of the heart. Do we hide behind “clean” appearances? Do we craft a spotless reputation while neglecting the sin no one sees? Christ did not die for our reputation; He died for our redemption. Will we not come to Christ with a humble heart, a heart of repentance, to let His blood cover us?

Verses 14-30 shows us that sin requires sacrifice, verses 31-36 shows us that…

B. Communion Requires Obedience, 31-36

“³¹ And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of ordination offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ ³² And what remains of the flesh and the bread you shall burn up with fire.”

So, the priests eat portions of the sacrifices and the bread as a meal, and then they burn portions of the meal on the altar. The priests consume part of the meal, and the rest is consumed by fire on the altar of God. So, in a sense, the priests share this meal with God, which each party consuming portions of it. This symbolic meal points to the union and fellowship that they have with each other. We see this directly mirrored in the Lord’s Supper. Christ shares this meal with the disciples. We too share this meal with Him, spiritually and symbolically partaking in Christ’ sacrifice for us. It points to our union and fellowship with God. But Paul tells us, in 1 Corinthians 11, that we must not take the supper in an “unworthy” manner. Paul says, in verse 29, that if we share this meal in disobedience, we “eat and drink judgement on ourselves.” So, while this meal points to our unity with God, it also demands faithfulness and repentance. It demands obedience, just as God demands the obedience of the priests. Our main text continues…

“³³ And you shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for it will take seven days to ordain you. ³⁴ As has been done today, the Lord has commanded to be done to make atonement for you. ³⁵ At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the Lord has charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded.’ ³⁶ And Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord commanded by Moses.”

Verses 33 and 35 tell us this ordination ceremony takes seven days to  complete. They must repeat everything they’ve done for seven days in order to officially become priests. It demands perfect obedience to God’s instruction. And verse 35 states that God gives these instructions, “so that you do not die”. It’s very similar to God’s instruction to Adam and Eve in the Garden. Genesis 3 says do not eat of the tree, “lest you die”. But Adam and Eve disregard God’s command, bringing death and sin into the world. Unfortunately, Aaron’s sons eventually do the same. Leviticus chapter 10 tells us Aaron’s sons do something that God does NOT command. As a result of their disobedience, verse 2 says, “fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.” Just 2 chapters later, their disobedience leads to the fire of God consuming them. God demands perfect obedience. His commands are not suggestions. He gives them, “so that you do not die”.

 It’s like driving your car and blowing through a red light. A moment later, tires screech, cars collide, and soon sirens wail. When you ignore that red light, you risk your own life and lives of others. The red light is not a suggestion. It’s a rule; some might say a “command”, “so that you do not die”.

Likewise, ignoring God's commands puts us on a collision course with His justice. Sinning against the eternal God invites eternal consequences. Disobedience does not go unnoticed. It provokes punishment. And that is a problem for us. Because even when we earnestly strive for perfect obedience, we can not achieve perfect obedience. Our sin, our weakness causes us to fail. But, God reminds us, in Hebrews 4:14–16, we have a great High Priest, Jesus, who sympathizes with our weakness and offers mercy and grace. So, while we fail Him in our weakness, He offers undeserved mercy. But we must come to Him to receive it. Just as the priests come before the altar, we must come before the throne. And when we do, God redeems us and makes us priests through the perfect obedience of Christ. He obeyed perfectly, and it counts for us. And just as the priests were meant to have perfect obedience, Christ’s perfect obedience ordains Him as our great High Priest. In fact, Jesus Christ fulfills every part of this priestly ceremony. Just as the priests were washed before they began ministry, Jesus was washed in baptism before He began His ministry. The priests were clothed in garments and adorned with the holy crown, but the Father clothes Christ in a glorified body and crowns Him with many crowns. The priests were consecrated by oil, set apart for service. Christ was consecrated by the Holy Spirit; set apart as the beloved Son of the Father. The priests offered bulls and rams as their sacrifice; Christ offers Himself as the sacrifice, clothed in garments dipped in blood. The priests share the meal of the sacrifices with God, Christ shares the meal of His sacrifice with us in the Supper. Christ’s perfect obedience secures His eternal priesthood. His obedience counts for us and unites us to God. So, do you strive to earn God's favor? Or do you rest in Christ's perfect obedience? Do you have the peace of knowing Christ’s perfect and finished work counts for you?

As Moses set the priests apart, so God sets us apart; enabling us to serve and commune with Him. We don’t have to “fake it, until we make it”, hoping to earn our way into God’s family. Through faith in Christ, He declares us His, then walks with us as we grow and live out that reality. Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, secures our place, sustains our walk, and unites us to God through His blood on the cross.