Moses’s action in offering these internal parts symbolized total consecration to God, foreshadowing the complete sacrifice found in Christ.
Moses officiated the ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons at the base of Mount Sinai in the mid-15th century BC, soon after Israel’s exodus from Egypt. As part of the ritual, the LORD prescribed the offering of specific animal parts to symbolize consecration and devotion to Him. Leviticus 8 describes this ordination service, and verse 16 focuses on the fatty portions from the entrails. He also took all the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat; and Moses offered it up in smoke on the altar (v.16). These events occurred in the wilderness Tabernacle, a portable dwelling where God’s presence resided, thus making these sacrificial elements a point of direct fellowship with the Divine.
The act of taking the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver harkens back to God’s stipulations concerning offerings. The fatty portions associated with the internal organs were consistently set apart for Him; they were regarded as the best parts of the animal and belonged wholly to the LORD (Leviticus 3:12-17). By offering these specific pieces, Moses demonstrated total submission to God’s directives. Historically, it also aligned with the holiness of each priestly function, highlighting how every aspect of life and worship was to be oriented toward Him. For Israel, this was a concrete way of acknowledging God’s sovereignty in all realms of existence.
Finally, the process of burning these parts on the altar signified the complete dedication of the priests to the service of God, cleansing them to lead the nation in reverent worship. This foreshadows New Testament truths, where Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice would fulfill these offerings. Just as the smoke rose up from these consecrated portions, so believers today can continually yield their whole selves to God, trusting that each sincere act of worship rises as a pleasing aroma before Him (Romans 12:1).
Set to dark mode
Leviticus 8:16 meaning
Moses officiated the ordination ceremony for Aaron and his sons at the base of Mount Sinai in the mid-15th century BC, soon after Israel’s exodus from Egypt. As part of the ritual, the LORD prescribed the offering of specific animal parts to symbolize consecration and devotion to Him. Leviticus 8 describes this ordination service, and verse 16 focuses on the fatty portions from the entrails. He also took all the fat that was on the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat; and Moses offered it up in smoke on the altar (v.16). These events occurred in the wilderness Tabernacle, a portable dwelling where God’s presence resided, thus making these sacrificial elements a point of direct fellowship with the Divine.
The act of taking the fat, the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver harkens back to God’s stipulations concerning offerings. The fatty portions associated with the internal organs were consistently set apart for Him; they were regarded as the best parts of the animal and belonged wholly to the LORD (Leviticus 3:12-17). By offering these specific pieces, Moses demonstrated total submission to God’s directives. Historically, it also aligned with the holiness of each priestly function, highlighting how every aspect of life and worship was to be oriented toward Him. For Israel, this was a concrete way of acknowledging God’s sovereignty in all realms of existence.
Finally, the process of burning these parts on the altar signified the complete dedication of the priests to the service of God, cleansing them to lead the nation in reverent worship. This foreshadows New Testament truths, where Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice would fulfill these offerings. Just as the smoke rose up from these consecrated portions, so believers today can continually yield their whole selves to God, trusting that each sincere act of worship rises as a pleasing aroma before Him (Romans 12:1).