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The LORD spoke to Moses:
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“Call Aaron and his sons with him, and take the garments, the anointing oil, the bull for the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread;
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then assemble the whole congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.”
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Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the congregation gathered at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
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Moses said to the congregation, “This is the thing that the LORD has commanded to be done.”
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Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward, and washed them with water.
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After that he put the tunic on him, tied the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, put on him the ephod, fastened the ephod’s woven band around him, and tied it on him.
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He placed the breastpiece on him, and put the Urim and the Thummim into the breastpiece.
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Then he set the turban on his head, and on the front of the turban he placed the golden plate, the holy diadem, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them.
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He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and also the basin and its stand, to consecrate them.
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Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.
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Moses brought Aaron’s sons forward, and put tunics on them, tied sashes around them, and bound headbands on them, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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Then he brought the bull for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering.
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The bull was slaughtered, and Moses took its blood and put some of it with his finger on the horns of the altar all around, and so purified the altar from sin; the rest of the blood he poured out at the base of the altar. Thus he consecrated it and made atonement for it.
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He took all the fat that was on the entrails, the appendage of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar.
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But the bull, with its hide, its flesh, and its dung, he burned up outside the camp, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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Then he brought the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
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The ram was slaughtered, and Moses sprinkled its blood around the altar.
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The ram was cut into pieces according to its parts, and Moses burned its head, its pieces, and its fat.
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But the entrails and the legs were washed with water, and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma; it was an offering made by fire to the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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Then he brought forward the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram.
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The ram was slaughtered, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
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Moses brought Aaron’s sons near, and he put some of that blood on the lobe of their right ear, on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot. Then Moses sprinkled the rest of the blood around the altar.
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He took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the appendage of the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh.
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From the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened loaf, one loaf mixed with oil, and one wafer, and placed them on top of the fat and on the right thigh.
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He put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and he presented them as a wave offering before the LORD.
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Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar, on top of the burnt offering. This was the ordination offering for a pleasing aroma; it was an offering made by fire to the LORD.
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Moses took the breast of the ram and presented it as a wave offering before the LORD. It was Moses’ portion from the ram of ordination, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
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Moses also took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, and also on his sons and on the garments of his sons. Thus he consecrated Aaron, his garments, and also his sons and the garments of his sons.
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Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, “Boil the meat at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; there you are to eat it with the bread that is in the basket for the ordination offering, as I commanded, saying: Aaron and his sons shall eat it.”
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And what remains of the meat and the bread you shall burn up with fire.
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You shall not go away from the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for the ordination ceremony will last seven days.
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As has been done on this day, so the LORD has commanded that you do, to make atonement for you.
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At the entrance of the Tent of Meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, and you shall keep your duty to the LORD faithfully, so that you do not die; for so I have been commanded.”
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So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the LORD had commanded through Moses.
👑🩸🧴 Summary of Leviticus 8 – The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons as Priests
Leviticus 8 records the carrying out of the ordination of Aaron and his sons as the priests of Israel. This process fulfilled the LORD’s command to Moses in Exodus 29, and shows how holy and serious the priestly office is.
1. The LORD Commands the Ordination (verses 1–5)
- The LORD commanded Moses to gather Aaron, his sons, the priestly garments, the anointing oil, and the sacrificial animals.
- All the people assembled at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to witness this holy procession.
📝 This shows that the priestly ministry is a public calling and a weighty responsibility.
2. The Putting On of the Priestly Garments (verses 6–9)
- Aaron was washed and then clothed in the full priestly vestments:
The ephod, the sash, the robe of anointing, the breastpiece, and the gold plate inscribed “Holy to the LORD”.
- Aaron’s sons were also clothed in priestly garments according to their roles.
🎽 These garments symbolize the priest’s special identity and holiness.
3. Anointing and Ordination (verses 10–13)
- Moses anointed the Holy Tent and all its furnishings.
- Aaron was anointed with anointing oil on his head as a sign of cleansing and the anointing of the Spirit.
- This made him formally the high priest.
4. The Ordination Offering (verses 14–30)
- Moses presented three kinds of offerings:
- The bull for the sin offering
- The burnt offering ram
- The ordination ram (for ordination only)
- The blood of the ordination ram was applied to the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe of Aaron and his sons—symbolizing that their ears, hands, and steps must be holy for the Lord.
5. Seven Days of Consecration (verses 31–36)
- Aaron and his sons were to stay in the Tent of Meeting for 7 full days, undergoing a time of consecration and not going out.
- They ate the meat of the offering and the special ordination bread.
- This shows that ordination is a serious process and requires a special time.
📖 Main Teaching
- Service to the Lord requires cleansing and complete surrender.
- Anointing and priestly garments show a holy identity and responsibility.
- A spiritual calling is not merely an office, but a process of purification before God.
- The seven days of ordination symbolize completeness and mature spiritual preparation.
- True worship begins with setting oneself apart for the Lord.
✨ Spiritual Meaning
- Leviticus 8 teaches that the Lord’s servants must not be careless—they are called, consecrated, and anointed in a special way.
- In the New Testament, we are all “priests” in Christ (1 Peter 2:9).
- Anointing and blood in this process point to the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ, who cleanse and send us forth.
- The ear, hand, and foot anointed with blood signify that our whole life—what we hear, do, and where we go—must be offered to the Lord.
- The process of sanctification takes time and obedience, not merely a moment of enthusiasm.
