1 On the eighth day, Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; 2 and he said to Aaron, “Take a calf from the herd for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without defect, and offer them before the LORD. 3 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both a year old, without defect, for a burnt offering; 4 and a bull and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meal offering mixed with oil: for today the LORD appears to you.’” 5 They brought what Moses commanded before the Tent of Meeting: and all the congregation came near and stood before the LORD. 6 Moses said, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded that you should do: and the LORD’s glory shall appear to you.” 7 Moses said to Aaron, “Draw near to the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people; and offer the offering of the people, and make atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.” 8 So Aaron came near to the altar, and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself. 9 The sons of Aaron presented the blood to him; and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it on the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar: 10 but the fat, and the kidneys, and the cover from the liver of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar; as the LORD commanded Moses. 11 The flesh and the skin he burnt with fire outside the camp. 12 He killed the burnt offering; and Aaron’s sons delivered the blood to him, and he sprinkled it around on the altar. 13 They delivered the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar. 14 He washed the innards and the legs, and burnt them on the burnt offering on the altar. 15 He presented the people’s offering, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and killed it, and offered it for sin, like the first. 16 He presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance. 17 He presented the meal offering, and filled his hand from there, and burnt it upon the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning. 18 He also killed the bull and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron’s sons delivered to him the blood, which he sprinkled around on the altar, 19 and the fat of the bull and of the ram, the fat tail, and that which covers the innards, and the kidneys, and the cover of the liver: 20 and they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat on the altar: 21 and the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses commanded. 22 Aaron lifted up his hands towards the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings. 23 Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting, and came out, and blessed the people: and the LORD’s glory appeared to all the people. 24 Fire came out from before the LORD, and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, 1706
Verses 1–21
These many sacrifices, which were all done away by the death of Christ, teach us that our best services need washing in his blood, and that the guilt of our best sacrifices needs to be done away by one more pure and more noble than they. Let us be thankful that we have such a High Priest. The priests had not a day’s respite from service allowed. God’s spiritual priests have constant work, which the duty of every day requires; they that would give up their account with joy, must redeem time. The glory of God appeared in the sight of the people, and owned what they had done. We are not now to expect such appearances, but God draws nigh to those who draw nigh to him, and the offerings of faith are acceptable to him; though the sacrifices being spiritual, the tokens of the acceptance are spiritual likewise. When Aaron had done all that was to be done about the sacrifices, he lifted up his hands towards the people, and blessed them. Aaron could but crave a blessing, God alone can command it.
Verses 22–24
When the solemnity was finished, and the blessing pronounced, God testified his acceptance. There came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed the sacrifice. This fire might justly have fastened upon the people, and have consumed them for their sins; but its consuming the sacrifice signified God’s acceptance of it, as an atonement for the sinner. This also was a figure of good things to come. The Spirit descended upon the apostles in fire. And the descent of this holy fire into our souls, to kindle in them pious and devout affections toward God, and such a holy zeal as burns up the flesh and the lusts of it, is a certain token of God’s gracious acceptance of our persons and performances. Nothing goes to God, but what comes from him. We must have grace, that holy fire, from the God of grace, else we cannot serve him acceptably, Heb 12:28. The people were affected with this discovery of God’s glory and grace. They received it with the highest joy; triumphing in the assurance given them that they had God nigh unto them. And with the lowest reverence; humbly adoring the majesty of that God, who vouchsafed thus to manifest himself to them. That is a sinful fear of God, which drives us from him; a gracious fear makes us bow before him