Leviticus 9 – Don't make light of worship

In the closing of Leviticus 8, we learn that the priests were commanded to stay in the tent of meeting seven days and seven nights. Exodus 29:35-37 seems to indicate that every day of the seven days, a bull was offered as a sin offering. Here Leviticus 9 opens with the eighth day, meaning the seven days of hiddenness was done. And the priests had been prepared and were ready to officiate the worship. Remember the priests had been consecrated and ordained. The Tabernacle had been cleansed and dedicated, and the furnishings anointed with oil and set apart by the blood. Even the garments of the priests were consecrated and set apart. Having been installed as the priest, Aaron was now ready to commence his ministry.  

In this chapter, Moses again described how the different offerings were to be made and how each offering was to be executed. Here both the priests and the people were commanded to bring along the animals for the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering as well as the peace offering. Included in the list that Aaron was told to bring were a calf and a ram. Perhaps it was to help him recall the time he failed God in the making of the golden calf. The ram was to connect him to God’s provision of the ram when Abraham went up to Mount Moriah to offer Isaac his son. God provided a substitute for Isaac. So a ram was to be brought for the offering.

Just as the priests had to prepare to be made ready to minister, the people who come to offer their worship must also be prepared through a series of offerings as well. They also had to make a presentation of the sin offering, a burnt offering, a peace offering as well as a grain offering. The purpose of the offering was stated twice,  once in verse 4 and the other in verse 6. Both verses reveal that the Lord would appear to them. Like them, we need to prepare ourselves as we come to worship God. Why? Each time we come to worship we come expecting to encounter God’s presence. This highlights the importance for us to be in readiness for the encounter.

The four different offerings progressively built on the previous one. The sin offering must be the foundation offering. It would be on the basis of a restored relationship with God that one could come before Him. Then comes the burnt offering which speaks of consecration. The grain offering signifies the consecration of the fruit of one’s labor. And the peace offering speaks of fellowship with God made possible by the right relationship brought about by the sin offering. God showed His approval in verse 24. We are told that “Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” What this chapter tells us is this: Worship of God cannot be approached casually. Each time we come to worship God we come in readiness because we will encounter  Him and His presence. It behooves us therefore to come prepared. We must come with our relationship mended. Then we come consecrating ourselves to Him. We come offering all that we are and the works of our hand as we enter into the sweet communion with Him in His presence.