Leviticus 6:8-23 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

Bible Comments

Law of the Burned-Offering

Leviticus 6:8-23

Notice well the teaching of this paragraph, which has special reference to the fire, which was to be kept always burning upon the altar. Thrice is the injunction repeated, Leviticus 6:9; Leviticus 6:12-13. As it originally descended from God, Leviticus 9:24, so it was to be ever maintained by the watchful care of the priests. It is interesting to notice that a different Hebrew word is used for the fire that burned on the great brazen altar within the sacred enclosure from that which consumed the sin-offering without the camp, Leviticus 4:12. That symbolized the wrath of God against sin, while this symbolizes His love and grace, which descend to burn in human hearts. The Apostle was very conscious of the latter when he said: “The love of Christ constraineth us.” Whenever you feel the glow of that fire in your heart be sure to nurse it. Ask that it may burn hotly. See Song of Solomon 8:6. It must be fed by the continual fuel of God's Word, consumed and absorbed in meditation. But remember the teaching of the latter part of this paragraph: Only holy souls may partake aught of the Heavenly Bread. “Let a man examine himself!”

Leviticus 6:8-23

8 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

9 Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.

10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.

11 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place.

12 And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.

13 The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.

14 And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar.

15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD.

16 And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.

17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.

18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy.

19 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

20 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed; the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meat offering perpetual, half of it in the morning, and half thereof at night.

21 In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baken, thou shalt bring it in: and the baken pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savour unto the LORD.

22 And the priest of his sons that is anointed in his stead shall offer it: it is a statute for ever unto the LORD; it shall be wholly burnt.

23 For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burnt: it shall not be eaten.