Chapter 9 The Priests Participate in Their First Offerings And The Glory Of Yahweh Is Revealed.
The seven days of consecration now being completed the priests are called on to conduct their first series of offerings in order to sanctify the people to Yahweh. It is noteworthy that the Priest's purification for sin offering for himself now offered does not follow the pattern earlier laid down. Its blood is not borne within the Holy Place. This may be because as yet he has not entered the Holy Place, nor has it yet become his own preserve, and thus the blood of his purification for sin offering is at this point applied to the altar of burnt offering, and not taken within the Sanctuary. For he cannot yet have defiled the Sanctuary. This again is an indication of the authenticity of the narrative and of its early date.
But once he has entered the Sanctuary for the first time, conducted by Moses, and has re-emerged, God will seal His approval by miraculously burning up the whole burnt offering on the altar of burnt offering which usually took a considerable time to be consumed (Leviticus 6:9).
‘And it came about on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel.'
The seven days of consecration being completed Moses now calls on Aaron, his sons and the elders of Israel for the next stage in these solemn events. The whole of Israel is now to be involved. Aaron and his sons are beginning the ministry that will take up the remainder of their lives, and they will now make their first offerings on behalf of the people.
For us the eighth day occurs once we have come to Christ and put our trust in Him, and are sanctified in Him (1Co 1:2; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 2:11; Hebrews 13:12). Then we too are set apart for His service for the remainder of our lives.