What does Leviticus 8:6 reveal about God's requirements for priestly service? Setting the Scene Leviticus 8 records the public ordination of Aaron and his sons. Verse 6 pinpoints the very first action in that ceremony: “Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.” God Begins With Cleansing • Order matters—before vestments, anointing oil, or sacrifices, there is washing. • The initiative is God’s: Moses acts only “as the LORD had commanded” (v. 4). • The entire priestly family submits together; holiness is communal, not merely individual. What the Washing Teaches About God’s Requirements • Purity precedes service—no one approaches God on personal merit (Psalm 24:3-4). • Cleansing is total: the Hebrew verb implies a full bath, not a token sprinkling. • External washing points to internal holiness; ritual reflects moral reality (Isaiah 1:16). • The priest does nothing to cleanse himself; he is washed—grace, not self-reform. • God sets the terms; the priest obeys. Self-appointed or self-styled ministry is excluded. Connected Passages • Exodus 29:4—foretells the same washing, showing continuity in God’s plan. • Hebrews 10:22—“having our bodies washed with pure water,” applying the type to believers. • Titus 3:5—“the washing of regeneration,” stressing God’s action in saving and commissioning us. New-Covenant Echoes • Jesus “loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:5-6). • Every believer is now called to priestly ministry, yet the pattern stands: cleansing first, service second (1 Peter 2:9). Key Takeaways • God’s servants must be cleansed by Him before they can represent Him. • Holiness is non-negotiable and God-defined, not culturally defined. • Grace supplies what God’s standards demand; we submit, He purifies. |
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