Leviticus 6:8 - Meaning and Application

So far, Moses has given the people the rules about the sacrifices. Now he begins the instructions for the priests, and he must command Aaron and his sons, the priests who served at the altar (Leviticus 6:9). The priests were rulers in God’s house, but they also had to obey orders. Those who had authority over others still stood under God’s commands. Ministers should remember that Aaron and his sons received not only a call, but also clear commands, and they had to submit to them.

These verses describe the burnt offering, especially the part that fell to the priests to manage. The daily lamb, offered morning and evening for the whole nation, is the main offering in view. God gave careful directions for this sacrifice, because it was a regular sign of Israel’s worship and devotion.

The priest had to deal with the ashes from the burnt offering and dispose of them properly (Leviticus 6:10, 6:11). Each morning he was to remove the ashes from the altar and place them on its east side, the side farthest from the sanctuary. He was to do this while wearing his linen clothes, the special garments he used for altar service. Then he was to change clothes and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.

God required this for the honor of his altar and the sacrifices burned on it. Even the ashes were to be treated with care, as a sign of respect for what had been offered to God. The burnt offering brought honor to him, so the remains of that offering were also to be honored. Some think this careful handling of the ashes pointed ahead to the burial of Jesus, whose dead body, the remains of his sacrifice, was placed carefully in a new tomb in a clean garden.

This also helped keep the altar clean. A clean altar made the fire burn better, and a clean hearth is fitting in any house. God wanted the priests themselves to do this work, to teach them, and us, to serve humbly in even the lowest tasks for his honor. The priest was not only to light the fire, but also to clean the ashes and carry them out. God’s servants should think nothing beneath them except sin.

The priest also had to keep the fire on the altar burning at all times (Leviticus 6:9, 6:12). God gave this command very clearly: the fire was to keep burning on the altar and never go out (Leviticus 6:13). We may suppose that sacrifices were offered every day between the morning and evening lambs, so the fire would stay lit during the day. But keeping it burning through the night until morning still required care (Leviticus 6:9).

People who run a good household do not let the kitchen fire go out, and God here shows that he cares for the order of his house. The first fire on the altar came from heaven (Leviticus 9:24), so by keeping it burning with a steady supply of fuel, Israel showed that all their sacrifices across every generation were offered by that heavenly fire, as a sign of God’s acceptance. If they let it go out through carelessness, they could not expect it to be lit again in the same way. Jewish tradition says that the fire never went out on the altar until the Babylonian captivity. This is also echoed in Isaiah 31:9, where God is said to have his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem.

This law teaches us to keep a steady readiness in our hearts for acts of worship and devotion. We should have a lasting love for holy things, always prepared for every good word and deed. We must not only avoid putting out the Spirit’s work, but also keep stirring up the gift God has given us. Even if we are not always bringing sacrifices, we should keep the fire of holy love burning, and so pray always.