1 And it came to passe on the eight day, that Moses called Aaron and his sonnes, and the elders of Israel.
2 And hee saide vnto Aaron, Take thee a yong calfe for a sinne offering, and a ramme for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord.
3 And vnto the children of Israel thou shalt speake, saying, Take ye a kid of the goats, for a sinne offering, and a calfe, and a lambe, both of the first yeere without blemish, for a burnt offering.
4 Also a bullocke and a ramme, for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord, and a meat offring mingled with oyle: for to day the Lord will appeare vnto you.
5 ¶ And they brought that which Moses commanded, before the Tabernacle of the Congregation: and all the Congregation drew neere and stood before the Lord.
6 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded that ye should doe: and the glory of the Lord shall appeare vnto you.
7 And Moses said vnto Aaron, Goe vnto the Altar, and offer thy sinne offering, and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thy selfe, and for the people: and offer the offering of the people, and make an atonement for them, as the Lord commanded.
8 ¶ Aaron therefore went vnto the Altar, and slew the calfe of the sinne offering, which was for himselfe.
9 And the sonnes of Aaron brought the blood vnto him, and he dipt his finger in the blood, and put it vpon the hornes of the Altar, and powred out the blood at the bottome of the Altar.
10 But the fat and the kidneys, and the caule aboue the liuer of the sinne offering he burnt vpon the Altar, as the Lord commanded Moses.
11 And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire, without the campe.
12 And hee slew the burnt offering, and Aarons sonnes presented vnto him the blood, which he sprinckled round about vpon the Altar.
13 And they presented the burnt offering vnto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them vpon the Altar.
14 And he did wash the inwards, and the legs, and burnt them vpon the burnt offering on the Altar.
15 ¶ And he brought the peoples offering, and tooke the goat, which was the sinne offering for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sinne, as the first.
16 And he brought the burnt offring, and offered it according to the maner.
17 And he brought the meat offring, and tooke an handfull thereof, and burnt it vpon the Altar, beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning.
18 He slew also the bullocke and the ramme, for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: And Aarons sonnes presented vnto him the blood, (which hee sprinckled vpon the Altar round about)
19 And the fat of the bullocke and of the ramme, the rumpe, and that which couereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caule aboue the liuer,
20 And they put the fat vpon the brests, & he burnt the fat vpon the altar:
21 And the breasts and the right shoulder, Aaron waued for a waue offering before the Lord, as Moses commanded.
22 And Aaron lift up his hand towards the people, and blessed them, and came downe from offering of the sinne offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings.
23 And Moses and Aaron went into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared vnto all the people.
24 And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed vpon the Altar the burnt offering, and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
The first offerings of Aaron for himself and the people. (1-21) Moses and Aaron bless the people, Fire cometh upon the altar from the Lord. (22-24)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.
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.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.