Leviticus 6:10, commentary and pictures

The priest, clothed in his linen garment and linen breeches upon his flesh, lifts the ashes left by the fire consuming the burnt offering and lays them beside the altar on its east side. This placing of the ashes beside the altar in his priestly robes is separate from carrying them outside the camp to a clean place, for which he lays those robes aside and puts on other garments. As part of the ceremonial law given because of sin, the rite shows God's hatred of sin and its penalty, and like all the offerings it is a shadow whose substance and fuller meaning is found in the sacrifice, life and work of Jesus Christ. As Scripture it is profitable for doctrine and instruction and was written for learning, and as part of the earthly sanctuary it is a pattern and object-lesson of the temple of God in heaven and Christ's service there as High Priest, which He began when He ascended on high. The ashes laid beside the altar represent the confessed sins of the righteous, and the priest's pure white linen pictures Christ bearing those sins, while their careful removal and later carrying to a clean place picture the final removal of sin when the earth is cleansed and made new after sin and sinners are destroyed.

Priestly Ritual and Setting

The priest, wearing his linen garment and his linen breeches upon his flesh, takes up the ashes which the fire has consumed with the burnt offering on the altar and puts them beside the altar. The ashes are placed beside the altar on its east side. The gathering of the ashes and placing them beside the altar is done in the priestly garments, even in pure white linen priestly garments.

Placing the ashes beside the altar in priestly robes is distinct from carrying them outside the camp to a clean place. For carrying them outside the camp the priest lays aside his priestly robes and puts on other garments. The ashes from the altar are set in a clean place, and this careful removal is distinct work from the first placing beside the altar.

The instruction belongs to Leviticus 1-7, which provides the especial work done for individuals as they presented their particular offerings during the year. It belongs to the daily ministration associated with burnt offerings and to the instructions for the priests' service in the earthly sanctuary. That service was performed by Aaron and his sons with the Levites assisting, as part of the complete yearly round of the sanctuary built by Moses in the wilderness and later continued in the temple. The yearly round described in Leviticus 1-16 is one entire yearly round of worship looking forward to the future antitype.

That work for individuals stands with the regular morning and evening burnt offering, the morning and evening burning of sweet incense when the lamps are lighted, and the special work on the Lord's Sabbaths, annual sabbaths, new moons and feasts. Together this is the first grand division of the earthly ministration, the daily service in the holy place, distinct from the second division, the yearly work in the most holy place for the sins of the people and the cleansing of the sanctuary. Every such offering made in faith by the sinner, together with the daily offering, transferred in figure the sins of the penitent to the sanctuary through the blood of the sacrifice or through the person of the priest. When the blood was sprinkled on the altar the forgiven sins of the people of God were left there in figure through the year, which made necessary the cleansing of the sanctuary on the tenth day of the seventh month.

Typical Meaning and Application

The verse belongs to the ceremonial law instituted in consequence of sin, with its laws concerning sacrifices and priestly duties and its special instructions for the various offerings in Leviticus 1-7 regulating the Levitical priesthood. Its sacrificial details had meaning, showing God's hatred of sin and how sin demanded its penalty. Like all these offerings and types it is a shadow whose great substance and fuller meaning is found in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His sacrifice, life, and work.

As part of Scripture it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness to make the man of God perfect, and was written for learning to give patience and comfort and hope, revealing God's way, power, and glory. As part of the earthly sanctuary and its service, where the worship of the true God centered since the days of Moses and where God dwells among His people, it is a pattern, shadow, and type, an impressive object-lesson teaching about the temple of God in heaven and Christ's service therein as High Priest and Minister of the heavenly sanctuary, so that studying it gives clearer views of the Saviour and His work in behalf of men. That sanctuary in its building, appointments, priesthood, and complete yearly round of service typifies Christ and His priesthood in the heavenly sanctuary, which Jesus began when He ascended on high, the yearly round typifying in each year the service of Christ which was once for all.

The ashes left by the burnt offering, taken up by the priest in his pure white linen priestly garments and placed beside the altar on its east side, represented the confessed sins of the righteous, and the priest's garments pictured Christ bearing those sins in His priestly work. Their conspicuous position beside the altar invited questions, teaching that the ashes represented sin that would finally be burned away. The handling and careful removal of the ashes pictured a part of the final removal of sin and taught that the earth will finally be cleansed from all sin. The ashes later carried outside the camp to a clean place pictured the earth purified from sin and the new earth after sin and sinners are destroyed. The priest's removal of the ashes was a priestly duty, and though it was lowly work it was honorable and acceptable service when done for God.