Read Leviticus 9.
Background. In chapter 8, God had Moses serve as temporary priest to ordain Aaron and his sons as the ongoing priesthood. Here in chapter 9 Aaron carries out his first acts of service, sacrificing for His sons and the congregation as a whole. Once again, he first had to offer sacrifice for himself. The ordination process had not turned him into a perfect man - just one called to serve God in this way. How imperfect the priesthood was will become apparent very soon. Aaron did everything as establish by God and told through Moses.
Key Verses: On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the Lord. 3 And say to the people of Israel, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both a year old without blemish, for a burnt offering, 4 and an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a grain offering mixed with oil, for today the Lord will appear to you.’
Thoughts: The last statement of the passage above could almost be lost in all of the details, but it drives the event with anticipation. After completing the sacrifices for himself and his sons, then the people as a whole, Aaron gives his first blessing on the congregation. Then after he and Moses enter the tent for the transfer of the priesthood, they both come out and bless the people together. It is at that point that God does "appear" in a powerful way, with the cloud overwhelming them and the fire from the altar consuming all the sacrifices. The people cry out with joy and at the same time fall in reverence before the Lord. That is what the job of the priests was: to assist people in coming to worship the Lord.
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