“THE GLORY OF GOD”
(Leviticus 8:1 – 10:20)
Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering
the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent
of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all
the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of
fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. – Leviticus 9:22-24
Aaron and his sons have just been consecrated to the priesthood and, in Leviticus 9, these are the first
offerings that were ever offered by the Levitical priesthood.
Imagine the scene. The whole congregation of Israel stands before the tent of meeting with reverence
and anticipation. They have followed God’s instructions regarding the sacrifices and are feeling the
weight of the moment – God’s glory is about to appear among them.
The seriousness of worship before a holy God is clear. In the next chapter, Nadab and Abihu's failure to
obey results in their deaths, as fire from God consumes them (Leviticus 10:1-3). The lesson is sobering:
God’s holiness demands our full obedience, not a casual, careless worship.
Consider the sacrifices offered that day—oxen, bulls, goats, rams, lambs, and grain. The amount of
blood and burnt flesh reminds the people of their unworthiness. Sin required atonement, and the
sacrifices clearly displayed the cost.
When this solemn moment was finished, Aaron blessed the people and fire came from the Lord and
consumed the sacrifice. In God’s righteousness, this fire could have justly fallen upon the people for
their sins, but in burning the sacrifice God’s mercy and grace was displayed by His acceptance of the
offering and the people.
Today, we no longer bring bulls and goats to the altar. Christ’s bloody sacrifice on the cross has fulfilled
the sin offering once and for all. He is our atonement – the unblemished Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world (John 1:29).
Pray for…
- An understanding of the cost of our salvation and the seriousness of worship.
- A deeper appreciation of the peace we have with God through Jesus Christ and the privilege of
standing in His presence.
About our Author
John A Pra was born and raised in Queens, NY and has lived almost all of his life in the metropolitan area. After graduating from Bible college (now University of Valley Forge) he entered into full-time pastoral ministry. John and his wife, Diana, have been living in Carlstadt since 1990, pastoring Cornerstone Church and now at Transformation Life Church since 2022.
John and Diana have been married for 39 years and have three children and one granddaughter (who owns them). Besides loving time spent with family, he enjoys sports, reading, travel, and the golf course.
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