Aaron’s First Offerings
Moses summons Aaron, his sons, and Israel’s elders, then names the offerings Aaron and the people must bring. He frames the moment as preparation for the LORD’s appearing and tells Aaron to begin the work of atonement.
O1n the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel. 2He said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and present them before the LORD. 3Then speak to the Israelites and say, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb — both a year old and without blemish — for a burnt offering, 4an ox and a ram for a peace offering to sacrifice before the LORD, and a grain offering mixed with oil. For today the LORD will appear to you.’” 5So they took what Moses had commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the whole congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. 6And Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.” 7Then Moses said to Aaron, “Approach the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering to make atonement for yourself and for the people. And sacrifice the people’s offering to make atonement for them, as the LORD has commanded.”
Aaron offers the sin offering and burnt offering for himself exactly as commanded. The blood rites, burning of the fat, and disposal of the remains show the priest beginning his service in careful obedience.
8So Aaron approached the altar and slaughtered the calf as a sin offering for himself. 9The sons of Aaron brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and applied it to the horns of the altar. And he poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 10On the altar he burned the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver from the sin offering, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 11But he burned up the flesh and the hide outside the camp. 12Then Aaron slaughtered the burnt offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it on all sides of the altar. 13They brought him the burnt offering piece by piece, including the head, and he burned them on the altar. 14He washed the entrails and the legs and burned them atop the burnt offering on the altar.
Aaron then presents the people’s offerings: sin offering, burnt offering, grain offering, and peace offering. Each is handled according to its proper ordinance, with the altar portions burned and the wave offering presented before the LORD.
15Aaron then presented the people’s offering. He took the male goat for the people’s sin offering, slaughtered it, and offered it for sin like the first one. 16He presented the burnt offering and offered it according to the ordinance. 17Next he presented the grain offering, took a handful of it, and burned it on the altar in addition to the morning’s burnt offering. 18Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram as the people’s peace offering. His sons brought him the blood, and he splattered it on all sides of the altar. 19They also brought the fat portions from the ox and the ram— the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver— 20and placed these on the breasts. Aaron burned the fat portions on the altar, 21but he waved the breasts and the right thigh as a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses had commanded.
After the offerings, Aaron blesses the people, and he and Moses enter and leave the Tent of Meeting together. The glory of the LORD appears, fire consumes the offering, and the people respond with joy and reverence.
22Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having made the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering, he stepped down. 23Moses and Aaron then entered the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. 24Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.