Leviticus 6:8-30 Continuously holy

​The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. 10 And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. 11 Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13 Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.

14 “And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the Lord in front of the altar. 15 And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 16 And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 17 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. 18 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the Lord's food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.”

19 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 20 “This is the offering that Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. 21 It shall be made with oil on a griddle. You shall bring it well mixed, in baked pieces like a grain offering, and offer it for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 22 The priest from among Aaron's sons, who is anointed to succeed him, shall offer it to the Lord as decreed forever. The whole of it shall be burned. 23 Every grain offering of a priest shall be wholly burned. It shall not be eaten.”

24 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 25 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most holy. 26 The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting. 27 Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy, and when any of its blood is splashed on a garment, you shall wash that on which it was splashed in a holy place. 28 And the earthenware vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. But if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, that shall be scoured and rinsed in water.29 Every male among the priests may eat of it; it is most holy. 30 But no sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire.

​Meditation
The finished work of Jesus makes believers holy and acceptable to God!
 
As the sacrifice satisfying God’s just wrath against sin, Jesus was “a merciful and faithful high priest” (Hebrews 2:17) who identified with His people in our struggles and temptations (Hebrews 4:16-18) before offering Himself as the scapegoat for His people to completely save all who believe (Hebrews 7:25-27). Jesus is a High Priest who is alive forever to intercede for you and me!
 
For the first time in Leviticus God commands Moses to speak directly to the priests (8-9). Directions are given for specific offerings: a continual burnt offering (9-13), continual grain offerings (14-23), and the purification offering (24-30).
 
The continuous nature and holiness of the offerings stand out in the directions given.  Fire had to continually burn all night and not go out. Grain offerings had to continually be offered day by day, holy to the Lord. The priestly posture was full representation of the people through total dependence on the Lord, daily interceding on their behalf.
 
Aaron and his sons were not faithful high priests, perfectly following divine direction. Jesus is described as the high priest we need for atonement and forgiveness of sin, “Unlike the other high priests, Jesus does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Jesus sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.” (Hebrews 7:27)
 
Jesus is our faithful high priest who by “a single offering has perfected for all time those He is making holy.” (Hebrews 10:14)
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the daily duties of the priest for their intercessory work for God’s people?
 
-How do these priestly duties point to the person and work of Jesus? WHY does it seem the author of Hebrews is intent on Christians seeing Jesus as the ultimate high priest whose work is finished and forever effective?
 
-How does seeing the finished work of Jesus as our faithful high priest fuel your faith to live a holy life? What is a specific area you can apply this reality?
 
Key Verses
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.