Leviticus 9
Big idea: The eighth day is what the whole system was built for. Aaron, now ordained, offers for himself first — a calf for a sin offering, because a priest who has not been atoned for cannot atone for anyone — and then for the people. Moses names the point before it happens: today Yahweh appears to you. Aaron works through the offerings in order, lifts his hands and blesses the people, and then he and Moses go into the tent and come out and bless them together. The glory appears, fire comes out from before Yahweh and consumes the offering on the altar, and the people do the only thing left: they shout, and fall on their faces.
The fire that fell in chapter 9 was fire God sent. Chapter 10 opens with fire two priests brought — fire he had not commanded — and it comes out from the same place.
9:1–7 — Today Yahweh appears to you
On the eighth day Moses calls Aaron, his sons and the elders, and lists the animals: a calf and a ram for Aaron, and for the people a male goat, a calf and a lamb, a bull and a ram, and a meal offering — for today Yahweh appears to you. The congregation comes near and stands before Yahweh. Moses tells Aaron to draw near to the altar and make atonement for himself first, and then for the people.
1 On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take a calf from the herd for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without defect, and offer them before Yahweh. 3 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a year old, without defect, for a burnt offering; 4 and a bull and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before Yahweh; and a meal offering mixed with oil: for today Yahweh appears to you.’” 5 They brought what Moses commanded before the Tent of Meeting. All the congregation came near and stood before Yahweh. 6 Moses said, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded that you should do; and Yahweh’s glory shall appear to you.” 7 Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people; and offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them, as Yahweh commanded.”
9:8–14 — Aaron's own offerings
Aaron comes near and kills the calf of the sin offering which was for himself. His sons present the blood; he dips his finger and puts it on the horns of the altar, pours the rest at the base, burns the fat, kidneys and cover of the liver, and burns the meat and skin outside the camp. Then the burnt offering: the blood sprinkled around the altar, the pieces and head delivered to him one by one, the innards and legs washed and burned.
8 So Aaron came near to the altar, and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. 9 The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar; 10 but the fat, and the kidneys, and the cover from the liver of the sin offering, he burned upon the altar, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 11 The meat and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp. 12 He killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons delivered the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13 They delivered the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head. He burned them upon the altar. 14 He washed the innards and the legs, and burned them on the burnt offering on the altar.
9:15–21 — The people's offerings
Aaron presents the people's offering: the goat of the sin offering, killed and offered like the first; the burnt offering according to the ordinance; the meal offering, a handful burned in addition to the morning burnt offering; then the bull and ram of peace offerings, whose blood is sprinkled around the altar, whose fat is placed on the breasts and burned, and whose breasts and right thigh Aaron waves before Yahweh as Moses commanded.
15 He presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and killed it, and offered it for sin, like the first. 16 He presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance. 17 He presented the meal offering, and filled his hand from there, and burned it upon the altar, in addition to the burnt offering of the morning. 18 He also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people. Aaron’s sons delivered to him the blood, which he sprinkled around on the altar; 19 and the fat of the bull and of the ram, the fat tail, and that which covers the innards, and the kidneys, and the cover of the liver; 20 and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burned the fat on the altar. 21 Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh for a wave offering before Yahweh, as Moses commanded.
9:22–24 — The glory, and the fire
Aaron lifts his hands toward the people and blesses them, and comes down from the altar. He and Moses go into the Tent of Meeting, come out and bless the people again — and Yahweh's glory appears to all the people. Fire comes out from before Yahweh and consumes the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people see it, they shout, and fall on their faces.
22 Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings. 23 Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the people. 24 Fire came out from before Yahweh, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).