I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Leviticus 8-9.

    Today’s passage describes the ordination of Aaron and his sons and the beginning of their ministry as priests. The ordination of Aaron and his sons involved a sin offering, a burnt offering, and an ordination offering. The ordination continued for seven days. It is not clear to me if the three offerings occurred on the first day, once each over the period of seven days, or once each on every day of the seven days. (The English translation supports any of these interpretations in my mind. Perhaps the Hebrew is clearer, but I suspect not.) In any case, on the eighth day, once the ordination was complete Aaron and his sons made another sin offering and burnt offering for themselves. Followed by a sin offering, burnt offering, and fellowship offering for the people. This was a complex ritual and my understanding is that something similar was followed every time a new priest was ordained (although I believe that they ordained priests in groups, just as they did here, in order to minimize this). It really makes me glad that we do not have to follow this today. On the other hand, it emphasizes the importance of making oneself right before God.