Leviticus 8
You may recall that Exodus 29 detailed how the priests were to be consecrated to God. In today’s reading, we are taken through the actual process of consecration. There are several things I would encourage you to think through as you dive into Leviticus 8, keeping in mind that we as Christians are called to be a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9):
· The priests were cleansed by being washed with water (v. 6). One way God intends for us to be cleansed for priestly service is by reading Scripture (John 15:3) and allowing the Holy Spirit to sanctify our hearts. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
· The priests were to put on the garments that were provided to them (vv. 6-9). Charles Spurgeon notes, “these garments were provided for them. They were at no expense in buying them, nor labour in weaving them, nor skill in making them; they had simply to put them on. And you, dear child of God, are to put on the garments which Jesus Christ has provided for you, at his own cost, and freely bestows upon you out of boundless love.”[i] Are you wearing the coat of Jesus’s righteousness, or still trying to make your own spotless covering?
· The priests were to present to God and lay their hands on a sin offering (v. 14), as even those who were to be considered most “holy” sinned against God. Today, we are shocked and often ostracize pastors, priests, ministers, and other Christian leaders when they have a moral failing. Shouldn’t we show them the same grace we hope to receive when we sin?
· A burnt offering was also brought before the LORD and fully consumed on behalf of the priests (vv. 18-21). This is a reminder that our service to God is not to be another to-do on our insurmountable task list, but rather the priority focus of our lives.
· The blood from the ram of ordination was placed “on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Then he presented Aaron’s sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet” (vv. 23-24). This was to symbolize to them (and us) “that they were set apart to hear God’s voice, do God’s work, and walk in God’s ways.”[ii]
· Some of the anointing oil (representing the Holy Spirit) and blood from the altar (representing the sacrifices) were sprinkled on the priests, thus consecrating their garments (v. 30). Yes, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is what initially makes you and me part of the royal priesthood, but let us never forget that the Holy Spirit is continually at work, shaping us more and more into the image of our Great High Priest (1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 4:14-16). These are complementary realities, not dichotomies.
It is obvious that God took the setting apart of His priests as a serious, holy endeavor. And as followers of Jesus, He looks at our justification and sanctification in much the same way. I wonder, are we as committed to our consecration as God is?
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Journal responses to the following prompts:
· Are you wearing the coat of Jesus’s righteousness, or still trying to make your own spotless covering?
· Do you give your spiritual shepherds the same grace that you ask God to bestow upon you?
[i] The Consecration of the Priests. (1874, November 15). The Spurgeon Center for Biblical Preaching at Midwestern Seminary. Retrieved April 7, 2026, from
https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-consecration-of-the-priests/#flipbook/
[ii] Wiersbe, W. W. (2001). The Bible exposition commentary: The Pentateuch. David C. Cook. p. 262.