Leviticus 9:8-24: a reflection

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.

This passage describes the first sacrifices offered by Aaron and his sons after their consecration, carried out carefully according to God's instructions: the sin offering, the burnt offering, the peace offerings, each presented in order. Then Aaron lifts his hands and blesses the people, and he and Moses go into the tent and come out to bless them again. 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.

The response of the people is immediate and total: when they saw it, they shouted for joy and fell on their faces. The visible glory of God, appearing in answer to worship rightly offered, moved the whole assembly to awe and worship. This was the culmination of everything, the consecration, the offerings, the blessing: God himself showing up, his glory manifest, his acceptance of the worship displayed in fire. Right worship met with the manifest presence of God.

There is something to long for here. God's people worshiped him carefully and reverently, according to his word, and God responded by revealing his glory among them. While we do not offer these sacrifices now, having Christ's once-for-all sacrifice, the pattern still holds: God draws near to those who worship him in reverence and truth. Do not approach God casually or carelessly. Come with the reverence the people showed, falling on your face before his glory, and long to know his manifest presence among his worshiping people.

Lord, when your people worshiped you rightly and reverently, your glory appeared and fire fell, and they shouted for joy and fell on their faces. Teach me to approach you with that same reverence, never casually or carelessly. Draw near to me and to your people as we worship you in reverence and truth, and let me know something of your manifest presence, falling before your glory in awe and joy. Amen.