Leviticus 9:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I believe this sacrifice for Aaron and the people represents excellently the dedication of the saints to God. When Immanuel, the source of our sanctification, has been revealed, we are made pleasing and holy, consecrated to the Father with a fragrant offering. Notice that, although the consecration of the priests followed the law, they were sanctified anew through Him (Immanuel): He was made a sin offering outside the camp, as a bullock; He was honored in sacrifice like a ram, with great dignity, being offered for all. He purified them, anointing them with His blood as the ram of salvation. Once the eighth day arrived—the day when the glory of Christ shone most brightly, putting an end to death—both the priests and people offered their gifts to God, not through worldly means or by offering superficial pleasures as they had done, but by presenting themselves as a fragrant sacrifice. In these offerings, we symbolically surrender our souls to God, dying to worldly desires and the wisdom of the flesh, enduring trials and joining in Christ’s sufferings, so that we may ascend to a holy and blameless life in accordance with His purpose. The Apostle Paul writes: ‘We always bear in the body the deadness of the Lord Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body’ (2 Corinthians 4:10). And again, ‘if we endure, we shall also reign with Him’ (2 Tim. 2:12); ‘if we have been united with Him in His death, we shall also be united with Him in the resurrection’ as well as His glory (Rom. 6:5; cf. Phil. 3:10-21). ‘Jesus, to sanctify the people by His own blood, suffered outside the gate,’ as Paul records (Heb. 13:12); “Let us therefore go out to him beyond the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:13); like the bullock that is extinguished, and the ram that is consumed, we become a sweet fragrance to God through our life in Christ. These sacrifices are for Aaron and his descendants; however, the sin offering for the people was a goat. Why this distinction, when the bullock was offered for the priests’ purification? The emphasis lies with the priests: both their offerings and the rites of purification are paramount. The size of the bullock, being larger than a goat, symbolizes the greater spiritual significance of these offerings. The calf and the lamb offered for burnt sacrifices mysteriously reflect the infancy in Christ of those who are sanctified by faith. The ox and the ram symbolize patience and courage, illustrating fruitfulness in humility; the ox represents the former, while the ram signifies the latter. The flour of wheat mixed with oil clearly symbolizes the bright hope of life in Christ; for it is not the sorrowful who weep, but those who are joyful and content who embrace the presence of Christ (Ps. 94:1). Just as the glory of Christ will exuberantly shine forth when receiving the offerings of the saints, it is reminiscent of when God descended as fire, consuming the sacrifices. In these moments, it appears as if God delights in the glorification of the faithful as nourishment and joy. However, these words hint at a deeper truth: then God sends down the fire’s power upon the offerings presented, signifying His divine nature, while now, as we offer a mental sacrifice, He engages not as fire but through the Holy Spirit, bringing life to those who wish to partake. This we accept by faith as true. Palladius. You have spoken rightly. Cyril. Raising his hands, Aaron blessed the people. Mark that initial laying on of Aaron’s hands over the people: the true Aaron blesses all, the great and the small, as Scripture states (Psalms 113:21), scarcely touching them. This laying on of hands serves as a clear indication of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us. Before Aaron's priesthood, there was no laying on of hands; ‘the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified’ (John 7:39).

This is akin to how the Truth, revealed through our human experience, dedicates time to prayer on the mountains (See Luke 6:12) and performs wonders in the towns, thereby demonstrating a path of emulation for just rulers. Even those who have attained great heights in spiritual contemplation should humbly address the needs of the weak, for true love ascends magnificently when it graciously attends to the least of its brethren. By humbly reaching down to the lowest, it joyfully ascends back to the highest.