Leviticus 8:15
And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The altar, already anointed with oil, is now further sanctified by blood, signifying that even the sacred space needs purification from defilement. This dual consecration with both oil and blood highlights the deep need for God's presence and His atoning work to make anything holy and functional in His service.
Moses is in the midst of a crucial, seven-day ceremony to officially inaugurate Aaron and his sons as priests. This verse describes the purification and consecration of the altar itself using the blood from a sin offering, a vital step before the priests can properly serve God and mediate for the people. The entire process, detailed in Leviticus 8 and Exodus 29, emphasizes the holiness required for approaching God and the significance of blood in atoning for sin.
Why was blood, the very symbol of sin and death, applied to the altar? It wasn't just for show; it was a profound declaration about God's holiness and our need for reconciliation.
In this pivotal moment, the altar, a central piece of worship, is consecrated through the blood of the sin offering.
The Altar's Need for Purity
The altar was where sacrifices were made for the people's sins. Even though it was an inanimate object, the ritual acknowledged that sin taints everything. The blood applied to the horns and poured at the base signified that the altar itself needed to be cleansed and set apart before it could be used for its holy purpose. It wasn't that the altar was morally guilty, but that it had to be ritually pure to serve God.
Blood as the Bridge
The blood represented life laid down, a substitute for the sinner. By applying this blood to the altar, Moses was symbolically showing that reconciliation with God required a life-for-a-life exchange. This blood made the altar fit for its purpose: to be the place where atonement could be made for the people's sins. It declared that every sacrifice offered upon it would be in accordance with God's provision for sin's penalty.
Consecration Through Sacrifice
The entire process of purification and sanctification through the blood was about setting the altar apart for God's exclusive use. It was no longer just a structure of stone and wood, but a holy place where God could meet with His people, enabled by the atoning blood.
Moses, the great lawgiver, here steps into the role of a priest. Why was this so significant, and what does it reveal about God's design?
The ritual in Leviticus 8 highlights a fascinating detail: Moses, not Aaron, performs many of the priestly actions in the consecration ceremony. This isn't a contradiction but a crucial part of the process.
Moses as the Consecrator
Moses, acting under God's direct command, kills the sin offering, applies its blood to the altar, and consecrates it. He also anoints the tabernacle and its vessels. This shows that Moses is the one mediating God's commands and setting apart the sacred items and people for service. He bridges the gap between God's instructions and their execution.
Understand the original words
dam · Hebrew Noun
The life-force of a creature, which in biblical sacrifice is offered to God to ransom or cover the life of the sinner; it is the essential element of atonement.
chata · Hebrew Verb
To make ceremonially clean or remove defilement, often through ritual washing or the application of sacrificial blood, enabling access to God's presence.
kaphar · Hebrew Verb
The act of covering sin or satisfying the demands of divine justice, whereby God graciously provides a means to remove the barrier between Himself and sinful humanity.
This passage describes the seven-day consecration of the altar with blood, mirroring the purification ritual in Leviticus 8:15 and highlighting the altar's need for atonement before use.
Hebrews 9:21The New Testament letter to the Hebrews explains that nearly everything in the Old Testament law was purified with blood, including the altar, underscoring the significance of blood in atonement, as seen in Leviticus 8:15.
Ezekiel 43:20This prophetic passage speaks of placing blood on the horns of the altar and purifying it, echoing the actions performed by Moses in Leviticus 8:15 and showing a consistent theme of altar consecration throughout Scripture.
John 1:29John the Baptist's declaration of Jesus as the 'Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' points to Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the sacrificial system, where blood on the altar in Leviticus 8:15 was a shadow of His atoning work.
calvinLeviticus 8:4-36: "And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."
Et fecit Moses quemadmodum praecperat ei Jehova. Et congregatus est coetus ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis.
And Moses said unto the congregation, This is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done.
Tunc dixit Moses ad congregaionem, Hoc est verbum quod praecepit Jehova facere.
And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washe…
barnesLeviticus 8:15: "And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it."
Purified the altar ... sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it - The altar had been sanctified by the anointing oil Leviticus 8:11 like the priests who were to officiate at it; it was now, like them, sanctified by blood, in acknowledgment of…
The altar, already anointed with oil, is now further sanctified by blood, signifying that even the sacred space needs purification from defilement. This dual consecration with both oil and blood highlights the deep need for God's presence and His atoning work to make anything holy and functional in His service.
Moses is in the midst of a crucial, seven-day ceremony to officially inaugurate Aaron and his sons as priests. This verse describes the purification and consecration of the altar itself using the blood from a sin offering, a vital step before the priests can properly serve God and mediate for the people. The entire process, detailed in Leviticus 8 and Exodus 29, emphasizes the holiness required for approaching God and the significance of blood in atoning for sin.
Moses is in the midst of a crucial, seven-day ceremony to officially inaugurate Aaron and his sons as priests. This verse describes the purification and consecration of the altar itself using the blood from a sin offering, a vital step before the priests can properly serve God and mediate for the people. The entire process, detailed in Leviticus 8 and Exodus 29, emphasizes the holiness required for approaching God and the significance of blood in atoning for sin.
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The Priesthood's Divine Origin
While Moses performs these actions, the ultimate authority and design come from God. The fact that Moses, the mediator of the Law, performs these priestly duties underscores that the Levitical priesthood itself is divinely instituted. Aaron and his sons are being consecrated into an office established and defined by God, not one they created themselves.
A Shadow of Christ
This temporary priestly role for Moses also serves as a foreshadowing. Jesus Christ is the ultimate High Priest, who, through His own blood, consecrated Himself and made atonement for us (Hebrews 9:11-14). Moses' actions point to Christ's finished work, where the true and perfect consecration takes place.
The verse mentions both 'purifying' and 'making atonement' for the altar. How are these distinct, yet connected, actions vital for worship?
The consecration of the altar isn't just a single act but a multi-faceted process emphasizing both ritual cleansing and the ultimate goal of atonement.
Purification: Setting Apart
The act of purifying the altar, using the blood from the sin offering, signifies its separation from common use and its dedication to God. It's about making it ritually clean, removing any perceived defilement that would prevent it from being a suitable place for holy sacrifice. This aligns with the broader biblical theme that anything coming before God must be holy.
Atonement: Making Reconciliation Possible
Beyond mere cleansing, the blood served to make 'reconciliation' or 'atonement' upon the altar. This is the core purpose. The altar, through the application of atoning blood, becomes the bridge that allows sinful humanity to approach a holy God. It signifies that God's provision for sin has been applied to the very place where sacrifices will be offered.
The Foundation for Worship
These two actions together—purification and atonement—lay the foundation for all future worship. Without a purified and atoning altar, sacrifices would be meaningless. The altar, thus consecrated, becomes the reliable center for Israel's worship, a tangible reminder that God has made a way for reconciliation through the shedding of blood.
"And he killed it, and Moses took the blood, and with his finger put it on the horns of the altar around it and purified the altar and poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it." — The altar, already anointed with oil, is now further sanctified by blood, signifying that even the sacred space needs purification from defilement. This dual consecration with both oil and blood high…
