Context No. 4258 of 4322 · Leviticus

Leviticus 9:8-24: in context

8So Aaron came near to the altar, and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. 9The 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; 10but the fat, and the kidneys, and the cover from the liver of the sin offering, he burned upon the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses. 11The meat and the skin he burned with fire outside the camp. 12He killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons delivered the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13They delivered the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head. He burned them upon the altar. 14He washed the innards and the legs, and burned them on the burnt offering on the altar. 15He 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. 16He presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance. 17He 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. 18He 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; 19and 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; 20and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burned the fat on the altar. 21Aaron waved the breasts and the right thigh for a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses commanded. 22Aaron 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. 23Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and the LORD’s glory appeared to all the people. 24Fire came out from before the LORD, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.

After the long preparations and the careful offering of the sacrifices, the day of Aaron's first service as priest reaches its climax. Moses and Aaron bless the people, and then it happens: the glory of the LORD appears to all the people, and fire comes out from before the LORD and consumes the offering on the altar. And the people, seeing it, shout for joy and fall on their faces.

What stands out is God's response to obedient, faithful worship. When the offerings had been made as God commanded, when everything was done in obedience, God manifested his presence; his glory appeared, and fire fell. The worship offered in faith and obedience was met by God himself showing up, revealing his glory in a way that filled the people with awe and joy.

When God's people come to him in the way he has appointed, in faith and obedience, they can expect to meet God himself. Worship is not a mere ritual we perform into the void; it is an approach to the living God, who meets his people. The glory that appeared when Aaron offered the sacrifices points to the reality that God draws near to those who worship him faithfully.

When I come to worship God faithfully and obediently, do I come expecting to meet the living God himself, as his glory appeared to the people after Aaron's offerings, rather than treating worship as a mere ritual performed into the void?

Sources

Leviticus 9:23: "Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and the LORD's glory appeared to all the people."
Leviticus 9:24: "Fire came out from before the LORD, and consumed the burnt offering... When all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces."
Hebrews 12:28-29: "Let us offer service well pleasing to God, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire."