What does the washing of the entrails and legs symbolize in Leviticus 8:21? The Text “After he had washed the entrails and the legs with water, Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.” (Leviticus 8:21) Why Entrails and Legs? The sacrifice was already flayed and divided, yet God singled out two parts for rinsing. Each carries a rich picture: • Entrails (the inner organs) – symbol of the heart, mind, motives, and inward affections. • Legs (the shanks used for walking) – symbol of outward conduct, one’s daily walk and choices. Purity at the Core • Psalm 51:6 – “Surely You desire truth in the inmost being.” • Jeremiah 17:10 – The LORD searches “the heart and mind.” • By cleansing the hidden organs, the ritual proclaims that sin corrupts deep within; God’s holiness reaches just as deep. Purity in Our Walk • Psalm 119:101 – “I have kept my feet from every evil path.” • Isaiah 35:8 – the “Way of Holiness” where the unclean do not pass. • Washing the legs pictures clean, obedient steps before the Lord. Total Consecration The whole ram was then consumed on the altar. The sequence matters: 1. Wash inside. 2. Wash outside. 3. Offer everything to God. Nothing is withheld, nothing is half-clean. This points to the believer’s call to be “blameless in body and spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Foreshadowing Christ • Hebrews 10:22 – hearts sprinkled clean and “bodies washed with pure water.” • Ephesians 5:26 – the church cleansed “by the washing with water through the word.” Jesus, the flawless burnt offering (Hebrews 9:14), fulfills the picture. His inward motives and outward steps were perfectly pure, qualifying Him to be wholly offered for us. Our Response Today • Receive the once-for-all cleansing Christ provides (1 John 1:7). • Guard the inner life—thoughts, desires, attitudes. • Walk in visible holiness—speech, decisions, relationships. • Offer ourselves “as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). Thus, the washing of entrails and legs is God’s vivid reminder that He demands—and graciously supplies—cleanness from the deepest chamber of the heart to the last step of the journey. |
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