Leviticus

Leviticus 9: The glory of the LORD appears

Begin in prayer

Before you read Leviticus 9, where Aaron offers the first sacrifices and fire comes out from before the LORD, pause and bow your heads. Ask God to fill our family with awe and to show us Jesus.

It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail.

Lamentations 3:22

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us that Your glory appears only through the sacrifices You have commanded, and lead us to trust Jesus, who offered Himself for sinners. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

On the eighth day, right after the seven days of consecration, Moses calls Aaron, his sons, and the elders of Israel. He tells Aaron to bring a calf and a ram for himself, and tells Israel to bring offerings, because today the LORD will appear. First, Aaron kills the calf of the sin offering for himself, puts blood on the altar horns, and burns the meat outside the camp. Then he offers his burnt offering and the offerings for the people. Aaron lifts up his hands and blesses the people, and Moses and Aaron go into the Tent, come out, and bless them again. Then the LORD's glory appears, fire consumes the offering on the altar, and the people shout and fall on their faces.

As you read Leviticus 9, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God reveals His glory and blesses His people through the atoning sacrifices He has appointed.

For seven days Aaron and his sons waited at the Tent door, and now “on the eighth day” their ministry begins (verse 1). In verse 6 Moses says, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded that you should do: and Yahweh’s glory shall appear to you.” Yet before God's glory could appear to a sinful nation, blood had to be shed in the exact order God commanded. First Aaron killed the sin offering calf “which was for himself,” and burned its meat and skin outside the camp (verses 8 to 11). Next he offered the sin offering, burnt offering, meal offering and peace offerings for the people (verses 15 to 21). Only when all the sacrifices were finished did Aaron lift his hands to bless the people (verse 22). Then the LORD's glory appeared, and fire from before the LORD consumed the offering instead of consuming the people (verses 23 and 24). Christ needed no offering for Himself, and He was offered once to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9 verse 28).

How does Leviticus 9 show us that God reveals His glory and blesses His people through the atoning sacrifices He has appointed?

Moses promises that the LORD's glory will appear when the offerings are brought.

On the eighth day the whole congregation came near and stood before the Tent of Meeting (verses 1 and 5). Moses said, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded that you should do: and Yahweh’s glory shall appear to you” (verse 6). Sinful people cannot stand before the glory of a holy God without an atoning sacrifice. God Himself provided the way for His people to meet Him.

Aaron must offer a sin offering for himself before offering for the people.

In verse 7 Moses told Aaron, “make atonement for yourself, and for the people.” Aaron killed his calf first, put blood on the altar horns, and burned it “outside the camp” (verses 8 to 11). Earthly high priests had to offer for their own sins first, whereas Jesus had no sin (Hebrews 5 verse 3).

Aaron blesses the people, God's glory appears, and fire consumes the offering.

After offering the people's sacrifices, Aaron lifted up his hands and blessed the people (verses 15 to 22). When Moses and Aaron came out of the Tent and blessed them, “Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the people” (verse 23). Fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the offering, and the people shouted and fell down (verse 24).

Memorise

Moses said, “This is the thing which Yahweh commanded that you should do: and Yahweh’s glory shall appear to you.”

Leviticus 9:6

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, am I trusting Jesus' sacrifice so I can stand before God?

In Leviticus 9, all Israel stood before the Tent of Meeting waiting for the glory of the LORD to appear. First, Aaron had to offer a sin offering and a burnt offering for himself, and then he offered the sacrifices for the people. When the offerings were finished, Aaron lifted up his hands and blessed them. Then “Yahweh’s glory appeared to all the people,” and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering on the altar.

Why did that holy fire consume the sacrifice on the altar instead of consuming the sinful people standing in the court? Because a substitute died in their place. Our sins deserve the consuming fire of God's judgment, and no earthly priest could save us. So Jesus, our sinless High Priest, offered Himself on the cross and bore the fire of God's wrath for His people's sin. He rose again, lifted up His hands to bless His disciples, and His one sacrifice is enough forever.

Do not try to stand before a holy God in your own sins. Turn from your sin and put your trust in Jesus today. Everyone who trusts Him is forgiven, made clean, and blessed by God.

Parent's note

Tell your children that the altar fire fell on the sacrifice instead of the people, picturing how Jesus took judgment for sinners. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God that Jesus bore the judgment of the cross so that sinners who trust Him may be forgiven and blessed, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 2:17

Father in heaven, we bow before Your glory and holiness. Thank You that Jesus became a merciful and faithful High Priest to make atonement for the sins of His people on the cross. Please forgive our sins, bring each of us to trust in Jesus alone, and help us worship You with joy and reverence this week. Amen.