What is the meaning of Leviticus 8:14? “Moses then brought the bull near” • Scripture records: “Moses then brought the bull near” (Leviticus 8:14a). • Moses, God’s appointed leader (Exodus 3:10; Deuteronomy 34:5), personally brings the animal, underscoring his mediating role until the priesthood is fully installed (Exodus 29:10). • The action happens at the entrance to the tent of meeting, a real place where holy duties occur (Exodus 40:34-35). • God’s holiness demands that sin be dealt with before ministry can begin (Isaiah 6:5-7). “for the sin offering” • The purpose of the bull is explicit: it is “for the sin offering” (Leviticus 8:14b). • A sin offering provides atonement for unintentional sin (Leviticus 4:3-12); nothing in God’s service proceeds without cleansing (Hebrews 9:22). • By specifying a bull—costly and valuable—God highlights the seriousness of sin (Numbers 28:11). • This sacrifice anticipates the once-for-all atonement of Christ, “who offered Himself without blemish to God” (Hebrews 9:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21). “and Aaron and his sons” • Aaron and his sons are named because they are being ordained as priests (Exodus 28:1; Leviticus 21:1). • Their inclusion shows that leaders stand in need of cleansing just as the people do (Leviticus 4:3; Romans 3:23). • God’s call on them is hereditary and covenantal (Numbers 18:7), yet personal responsibility remains—each must participate. • The scene foreshadows the believer’s priesthood in Christ: “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). “laid their hands on its head” • “Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head” (Leviticus 8:14c). • Laying on hands signifies identification and transfer of guilt (Leviticus 1:4; 16:21). • It visualizes substitution: the bull will die in the offerer’s place (Isaiah 53:6; Hebrews 10:10). • By doing this together, the new priests publicly acknowledge their need for atonement before representing others (Hebrews 5:1-3). summary Leviticus 8:14 walks us through the essential first step of priestly ordination: a sin offering. Moses brings the bull, showing ordained leadership must submit to God’s order. The bull’s purpose underscores sin’s gravity and the necessity of blood atonement. Aaron and his sons, future mediators, humbly admit their own sinfulness, and by laying hands on the animal, they transfer guilt to a substitute. This literal event points forward to the perfect Priest and Sacrifice, Jesus Christ, who bears our sin so that we may serve God cleansed and accepted. |
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