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Moses officiated as the priest of the Lord until the consecration of Aaron and his sons was completed. Now they enter upon their functions, and the verses recited furnish us with an account of their first services. In reviewing these we notice -

I. THE OFFERINGS.

1. Aaron's offering for himself.

(1) The Jews say this was intended to make atonement for his sin in connection with the golden calf. Possibly this may have been so; for we have no record elsewhere of any formal atonement for that offense. Aaron, doubtless, had many offenses to atone for. The sacrifice of Christ is not only for sins, but also for sin.

(2) Aaron's own hands slew this victim. What a graphic confession of sin was this! What an unequivocal acknowledgment of his deserving to die! Our confession of sin before God should be with deep conviction and reality.

(3) He put the blood upon the horns of the altar. These were fronting the vail, behind which was the ark of the covenant and the glory of the Lord. This putting of the blood with the finger before the face of God was, as it were, pointing it out to him, calling his attention to it. So should the faith of the sinner point out to God's mercy the blood of the cross which satisfies his justice.

(4) Aaron's sons served with him at the altar. They brought the blood to have it sprinkled. This was the confession of their part in the guilt of their father. Guilt is hereditary and relatively distributive (see Numbers 16:32, 33; Joshua 7:24, 25). It was also an expression of their faith in the blood of the common Redeemer.

(5) This offering of Aaron for his own sin before he could offer for the people suggests the imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, and therefore the necessity of the priesthood of the gospel (see Hebrews 5:3; Hebrews 7:26-28; Hebrews 9:7-14).

2. The offerings for the people.

(1) Aaron himself slew also these victims (verses 15, 16). This he did as the representative of the people. Individuals were directed to slay their own victims (comp. Leviticus 1:5, 11; Leviticus 3:4, 8, 13). But these were for the congregation.

(2) The sons of Aaron helped him here also. They "presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about." They also brought the fat of the inwards to him (verses 18-20). This was suggestive of the nature of the Levitical priesthood, which was destined to pass from hand to hand. The comparison here is favourable to the priesthood of Christ, which is "unchangeable" (Hebrews 7:23-25).

(3) The breast and shoulder were waved and heaved, and afterwards came to the lot of Aaron and his sons. Here we are taught that it is God's order that "they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel" (see 1 Corinthians 9:13, 14; Matthew 10:10).

II. THE BLESSING.

1. The blessing from the altar (verse 22).

(1) As Aaron, standing upon the altar, pronounced his first blessing upon the people, this shows the Source from whence all blessing springs. Even in heaven, the Great Sacrifice of the altar of Calvary will be the burden of the song of the redeemed (Revelation 5:9-14).

(2) In blessing, Aaron acted as the type of Christ, who, while he moved about upon this earth, which was the altar of his sacrifice, dispensed blessings in a thousand forms. Witness

(a) the beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount.

(b) The miracles of beneficence.

(c) His official benedictions.

(3) As Aaron, standing upon the altar, lifted up his bands, blessed the people, and then went into the holy place, so Jesus, standing on the Mount of Olives, after lifting up his hands and blessing his disciples, ascended into the holy place of the heavens (comp. Luke 24:50, 51).

2. The blessing from the holy place.

(1) Coming forth from the holy place, Aaron again blessed the people. The words of the benediction are given in Numbers 6:23-27. Between these and those of the apostolic benediction, which sets forth the genius of the gospel, there is remarkable correspondence (see 2 Corinthians 13:14).

(2) In response to this second benediction, "the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people." We are here reminded how Jesus, before ascending into heaven, encouraged his disciples "not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father," and how, "when the day of Pentecost was fully come," that promise was verified.

(3) "And there came a fire cut from before the Lord," etc. (verse 24). This was the emblem of the Holy Spirit, whose baptism, like fire, searches into substances, while water can only wash the surfaces (Matthew 3:11, 12). So in the baptism on the day of Pentecost, tongues of flame sat on the disciples (Acts 2:3).

(4) The consuming of the fat of the inwards on the altar by the sacred fire foreshowed how the body of our sins is destroyed in the sacrifice of Christ, who, "through the Eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God" (Hebrews 9:14). It also describes the manner in which the wicked will be treated who persist in their rebellion against God (Psalm 37:20). Those whose sins are not consumed in the fires of love will themselves be consumed in the fires of wrath. - J.A.M.

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KJV: Aaron therefore went unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.

WEB: So Aaron drew near to the altar, and killed the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.