Leviticus 8:14, commentary and pictures

Leviticus 8:14 records part of the seven-day consecration in which Moses set apart Aaron and his sons whom God had chosen to serve as priests before they began their sanctuary work. Moses brought the bullock for the sin offering and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon its head according to the prescribed form of the Levitical law. That laying on of hands signified the transfer of sin from the sinners to the victim, which then bore their sin and was accepted in their stead, was slain, and had its blood brought into the sanctuary, showing that sin demanded its penalty. The sin offering belonged also to the consecration of the tabernacle itself, whose anointing immediately preceded the presentation of the offering as preparation for beginning ministration before the mercy seat. Each such sacrifice teaches in type concerning Jesus Christ, for what the death of the animal was in shadow, Christ's death and priesthood are in fact, and the earthly service of Moses and Aaron is the pattern of His more excellent ministry as High Priest in the true tabernacle in heaven, which He entered within the veil after His ascension.

Consecration Setting and Rite

Leviticus 8:14 belongs to the historical record of the consecration of Aaron and his sons given in chapters 8 and 9, whom God chose and appointed to serve as priests. It records their seven-day consecration and their participation in the sanctuary service by laying their hands on the bullock offered for sin before beginning priestly work. It is one of the book's few historical sections, and the offering belonged to the sanctuary's typical service with a spiritual application.

The sin offering belongs to the consecration ceremony of the tabernacle as well as of the priests. The anointing of the earthly sanctuary, both holy places and all the sacred vessels, immediately preceded the presentation of the sin offering before the mercy seat. That anointing was preparatory to the commencement of sanctuary ministration. The ministration in the two holy places of the typical earthly sanctuary was performed by Moses and Aaron and the Levitical order of priesthood set apart for that work. They ministered before the ark containing the ten commandments in the Most Holy Place through the entire Old Testament period.

Moses brought the bullock for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. The solemn ceremony set Aaron apart for God's service. That consecration extended to his garments, which were hallowed when sprinkled with blood. Laying hands on the head of the offering was a prescribed form of the Levitical law, peculiarly significant and plainly showing intent. Sin offerings showed that sin demanded its penalty.

The laying on of hands signified the transfer of sin from the sinners to the victim. The victim then bore their sin and was accepted in their stead as an offering to the broken law. The victim was then slain and its blood was brought into the sanctuary. The verse is sometimes included in readings of the priestly service and sacrifices without further explanation of its details, particularly the hand-laying itself.

Type of Christ's Ministry

The details of the consecration sacrifice carry meaning that finds its fuller meaning in the sacrifice, life, and work of Jesus Christ, with each sacrifice teaching in type about His work. The bullock offered for sin belongs to object lessons about sin, and the slain animals point forward to Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The sacrifices of the Levitical law, including the sin offerings as shadows of their fulfillment in Jesus, typified the offering of Christ. What the death of the sacrificial animal was in type, Christ's death is in fact. Sin offerings showed that sin demanded its penalty, and the yearly cycle of sacrifices and priestly duties pointed to Christ's priesthood and ministry offered once for all.

The earthly sanctuary service performed by Moses and Aaron is a pattern and example and shadow of Christ's more excellent ministry as High Priest in the true tabernacle in heaven. The consecration of the sanctuary and its priests, in which the anointing of the earthly sanctuary immediately preceded the presentation of the sin offering before the mercy seat, served as the pattern for Christ's work in the true heavenly tabernacle. To fulfill the type He had to enter within the veil, which He did after His ascension. The ministration in the two holy places of the typical earthly sanctuary was performed by the Levitical order of priesthood set apart to minister before the ark.

What Moses and Aaron did in anointing the earthly pattern, anointing both holy places and all the sacred vessels as preparation for beginning sanctuary ministration, Christ was to do in the true tabernacle in heaven not made with hands. That work was the anointing of the Most Holy, the Holy of Holies, in fulfillment of the prophecy to anoint the Most Holy at the close of the seventy weeks. That Levitical ministration belonged to the ministration of condemnation and death, ministering before the ark containing the ten commandments in the Most Holy Place of the typical sanctuary through the entire Old Testament period. It could only exhibit human guilt and just condemnation under the holy law and contained in itself no promise of pardon, and its sacrifices could take away no sin but could only point penitent sinners forward to the great Sacrifice to be offered for the sins of men. This stands in contrast to the ministration of the Spirit that offers life, pardon, and salvation through Christ the life-giving Spirit and great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary before the ark of God's testament.