Context No. 3533 of 4322 · Leviticus

Leviticus 9:1-7: in context

1On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; 2and 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 the LORD. 3You 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; 4and a bull and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meal offering mixed with oil: for today the LORD appears to you.’” 5They brought what Moses commanded before the Tent of Meeting. All the congregation came near and stood before the LORD. 6Moses said, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded that you should do; and the LORD’s glory shall appear to you.” 7Moses 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 the LORD commanded.”

On the eighth day, the newly ordained Aaron approaches the altar for the first time to offer sacrifice, and Moses tells him something wonderful: today the LORD will appear to you. The purpose of all the careful preparation and sacrifice was this, that God himself would show his glory to his people.

And notice the order Moses gives Aaron: offer your own sin offering first, make atonement for yourself, and then offer for the people. The priest had to be cleansed before he could stand between God and the people; even the mediator needed atonement of his own first. This points ahead to Christ, our great High Priest, who, unlike Aaron, had no sin of his own and needed no atonement for himself, and so could offer himself once for all on behalf of the people. Aaron had to be made right before he could bring others near; only Christ was already pure, and so only he could truly and finally bring us to God.

Do I see that the priest himself needed atonement before serving, and does that lead me to Christ, the sinless High Priest who needed no cleansing and offered himself for me?

Sources

Leviticus 9:6: "This is the thing which the LORD commanded that you should do; and the LORD's glory shall appear to you."
Leviticus 9:7: "Offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people."
Hebrews 7:27: "[He doesn't need], like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices... first for his own sins... for he did this once for all, when he offered up himself."