Leviticus 7-8

What I Noticed Today (Leviticus 7-8)

Leviticus 7

Leviticus 7 deals with the guilt offering and peace offerings.

In verses 1-6, the law regarding the restitution (guilt) offering is provided:

• The guilt offering was a mandatory offering of a male ram or lamb when a person had either deprived another of their rights or desecrated something that was holy. The rules for the guilt offering were the same as the rules for the sin offering.
• The priest will burn the fat, the liver, and the kidneys on the altar fire.
• Any male among the priests may eat the remainder of the offering. It is holy and must be eaten in a holy place.
• Any grain offering baked in an oven or prepared on a griddle will belong to the priest who offers it. Any grain offering mixed with oil will belong equally to all of Aaron’s sons.

In verses 11-21, the law regarding the fellowship (peace) offering is provided:

• The peace (or fellowship) offering was a voluntary offering of any unblemished animal or grain. It symbolized thankfulness to God for a specific blessing, an expression of a vow, or thankfulness to God in general.
• Unleavened cakes mixed with oil, wafers mixed with oil, or fine flour mixed with oil may be presented as an offering of thanksgiving. It belongs to the priest who offered the fellowship offering.
• The meat of a fellowship offering must be eaten the day it is offered; it must not be left until morning.
• If the offering is in fulfillment of a vow or a freewill offering, it is to be eaten the day it is offered, but may also be eaten the next day. Any meat that remains on the third day must be burned.
• Meat that touches anything unclean must not be eaten.; it is to be burned up.
• Everyone who is clean may eat any other meat.
• If anyone eats any of the Lord’s fellowship offering while he is unclean must be cut off from his people.

In verses 22-27, the consumption of fat and blood are prohibited:

• Very strong admonitions were made against eating the fat or the blood of an animal that was an offering.
• The penalty was being cut off from the rest of the nation!
• The fat of an animal that dies naturally or is mauled by another animal may be used for any purpose, but may not be eaten.

In verses 28-37, the Lord gives Moses instructions for the portion of fellowship offerings that belong to the priests:

• The one who presents a fellowship offering must bring a portion to the Lord.
• He will bring the fat with the breast.
• The breast is waved before the Lord and belongs to Aaron and his sons.
• The fat is given to the priest who burns it on the altar
• The right thigh is given to the priest as a contribution from the fellowship offering.
• The breast was to be shared among the body of priests and their families, and the right thigh is to be given to the priest who makes the offering. These are a permanent provision to Aaron and his sons.

Leviticus 8-10

Leviticus 8-10 (along with Leviticus 24:10-23) is the only narrative portions of Leviticus.

Leviticus 8

Leviticus 8 deals with the consecration and ordination of Aaron and his sons.

To be made acceptable to God, water was used to cleanse, sacred garments were used to display God’s glory and beauty and set the priests apart, oil was used to anoint, and the blood of the sacrifice was to atone for their sins. The ordination process went on for a full seven days and nights where Aaron and his sons were not allowed to venture beyond the entrance to the tabernacle.

In verses 1-5, Aaron and his sons are prepared for ordination:

• The Lord commanded Moses to get Aaron and his sons, the garments, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and the baskets of unleavened bread and gather the Israelite community in front of the tent of meeting.

In verses 6-9, Aaron is washed by Moses and then dressed in his priestly garments.

In verses 10-13, Moses anointed the tabernacle, the altar, the basin, and the utensils. Aaron was anointed with oil on his head. Aarons sons were dressed in their garments and presented them before the Lord.

In verses 14-17, Moses presented the bull for the sin offering on behalf of Aaron. Moses took blood from the bull and purified the altar. Moses took all the fat, the liver, and the kidneys and burned them on the altar. The remainder of the bull was burned outside the camp as the Lord directed.

In verses 18-21, Moses presented the ram for the burnt offering. The ram was slaughtered, and blood was sprinkled on all sides of the altar. He then cut the ram into pieces and burned the entire animal on the altar as a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord.

In verses 22-29, Moses presented the second ram as an ordination offering for Aaron and his sons. The ram was slaughtered, and Moses took some of the blood and put it on Aaron’s right ear, right thumb, and right big toe. Moses did the same for Aaron’s sons. Moses took the fat from the ram along with unleavened bread and unleavened wafer, and an unleavened cake put them in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the Lord.  Then Moses took them and burned the ordination offering on the altar as a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord. He also took the right thigh and waved it before the Lord, and this was Moses’ portion as the Lord had commanded.

In verses 30, Moses consecrated Aaron and his sons with anointing oil and blood.

In verses 31-36, Aaron and his sons complete a seven-day ordination period.

• Moses told Aaron and his sons to boil meat and eat it at the entrance to the tent of meeting along with the remaining bread of the ordination offering. The remainder was to be burned up.
• Aaron and his sons must not leave the tent of meeting for seven days to complete their ordination.
• The Lord had commanded this in order to make atonement for them.
• Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.

Some thoughts for additional consideration:

• Peter refers to believers as members of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5 & 9). It is interesting to note that we have been washed (1 Corinthians 6:11), anointed with the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:20), redeemed by the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18), and clothed in His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10)!

What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.

Tomorrow: Leviticus 9-10