In Monday's study we learned that the priests had to make sacrifices for themselves before they could make sacrifices for the people. Today Aaron makes the offering for the congregation as a whole and the Lord shows up at the tabernacle in a big way.
"Aaron brought the offering that was for the people. He took the goat for the people's sin offering and slaughtered it and offered it for a sin offering as he did with the first one. He brought the burnt offering and offered it in the prescribed way. He also brought the grain offering, took a handful of it and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning's burnt offering. He slaughtered the ox and the ram as the fellowship offering for the people. His sons handed him the blood, and he splashed it against the sides of the altar. But the fat portion of the ox and the ram---the fat tail, the layer of fat, the kidneys and the long lobe of the liver---these they laid on the breasts, and then Aaron burned the fat on the altar. Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as a wave offering, as Moses commanded." (Leviticus 9:15-21) These offerings are handled in the same manner as the offerings Aaron made for himself and his sons.
"Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them." (Leviticus 9:22a) In the book of Numbers we are told how a priestly blessing of the people should be spoken and many scholars presume this is the same blessing Aaron uses in our passage today. Numbers 6:22-27 tells us, "The Lord said to Moses, 'Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace." So they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.'"
"And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down." (Leviticus 9:22b) Aaron concludes this portion of the ceremony and steps back from addressing the people.
"Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting." (Leviticus 9:23a) The Bible doesn't tell us what these men do inside the tabernacle but it is generally believed that Moses explains to Aaron how his duties inside the tent are to be performed. Inside the tent are the altar of incense and the table of showbread and the lamps that must be kept burning at all times. Also inside the tent, in a separate compartment behind a curtain, is the Ark of the Covenant which Aaron will approach only one day a year. Since Moses has just concluded explaining and demonstrating how the priestly duties in the courtyard are to be performed, it's logical to assume that he's explaining and demonstrating how the priestly duties inside the tent are to be performed.
The men emerge and bless the people once again and then the Lord Himself blesses the entire assembly. "When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown." (Leviticus 9:23b-24) We don't know what form "the glory of the Lord" took but previously in the Old Testament He appeared to them in the form of a dense, smoky cloud. He makes other appearances in this manner in the Bible, so I think it's likely this is what the people see. Then suddenly fire, like a flash of lightning, comes forth and strikes the offerings on the altar and thoroughly consumes the sacrifices. By this the people know that their sacrifices are accepted by God and by extension that they themselves are accepted by God. This knowledge fills them with such overwhelming joy that as one body they all sink to their knees with their faces to the ground before the Lord.
There is nothing that should move us more than knowing we have been found acceptable in the eyes of a holy God. And how is this great thing accomplished? Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. In the days of Moses the people had to bring the same sacrifices over and over and over again because the sacrificial blood of animals was not able to eternally cleanse their souls from sin. (Hebrews 10:1-4) A day was coming in which a sacrifice would be offered that was capable of cleansing people forever of sin and of making them eternally acceptable in the eyes of God. A day was coming in which the perfect Lamb of God would lay down His life for us, a day when He would say, "Here I am---it is written about Me in the scroll---I have come to do Your will, My God." (Psalm 4:6-8, Hebrews 10:7) We who place our faith in Christ are "made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10) And now that we have been made holy through His sacrifice, God the Father says of us, "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." (Hebrews 10:17)
Hallelujah! We are sinners who have violated the laws of God and yet He will remember our transgressions no more for the sake of His Son and because we have placed our faith in Christ. Such knowledge ought to send us to our knees before God in the same attitude of thankfulness as we see in the Israelites in our passage today. Except we have more to be thankful for than they did, for we're living in a day when we no longer have to bring the same sacrifices over and over and over again to be made acceptable in the eyes of our God. We have only to look to Christ and to His sacrifice in order to obtain salvation and favor with God.
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