“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.”
My Notes
What Does Leviticus 8:15 Mean?
Moses consecrates the altar through a specific blood ritual: he slays the sin offering, applies blood to the altar's horns with his finger, pours blood at the base, and sanctifies it "to make reconciliation upon it." The altar — a piece of furniture — receives purification and consecration. Even the instrument of atonement needs atonement.
The finger-application to the horns is a detail of intimacy and precision. Moses doesn't throw or pour the blood on the horns — he touches them with his finger. The application is personal, deliberate, and targeted. Each horn receives individual attention. The consecration is thorough at the smallest level.
The purpose — "to make reconciliation upon it" — means the altar is prepared to receive future sacrifices. Before any Israelite can offer a sacrifice on this altar, the altar itself must be cleansed and dedicated. The place of reconciliation must first be reconciled. The tool of atonement must first be atoned for.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does the altar needing its own purification teach about preparation for ministry?
- 2.How does Moses' finger-touch (intimate, deliberate, personal) model how God consecrates what he uses?
- 3.Where do you need your own 'altar purification' before you can serve as an instrument of reconciliation for others?
- 4.What does 'the place of reconciliation must first be reconciled' mean for your own spiritual readiness?
Devotional
Even the altar needs purifying. Before it can serve as the place where sin is covered, the altar itself must be cleansed, consecrated, and reconciled. The instrument of atonement requires its own atonement.
Moses' finger on the horns is the detail that captures the intimacy of consecration. Not a splash or a pour — a touch. Each horn receives the blood through direct, personal, finger-to-surface contact. The most sacred piece of furniture in the courtyard is consecrated the most personally possible way: one finger, one horn at a time.
The blood poured at the base completes what the finger-touch began: the altar is covered from top (horns) to bottom (base). The purification is comprehensive — every part of the altar, from its highest points to its foundation, receives the blood. Nothing is left uncleaned.
The theological principle — the place of reconciliation must first be reconciled — runs deeper than altar preparation. Every instrument God uses requires its own cleansing before it can function in its intended role. The priest needs a sin offering before he can offer others' sin offerings (8:14-17). The altar needs blood before it can receive blood. The mediator needs mediation before mediating.
This should humble anyone who serves in a spiritual capacity. Before you can be the instrument of someone else's reconciliation with God, your own reconciliation must be addressed. The altar that isn't purified can't purify. The mediator who isn't reconciled can't reconcile. Moses' finger on the altar's horns says: the tool gets cleaned before it goes to work.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And he slew it,.... Not Aaron, nor any of his sons, who as yet were not fully consecrated and installed into their…
Moses as the mediator of the covenant of the Law Gal 3:19; Heb 8:6 was called to perform the priestly functions, in…
The covenant of priesthood must be made by sacrifice, as well as other covenants, Psa 50:5. And thus Christ was…
(d) the sacrificial part of the rite, consisting of:
(i) The Sin-Offering(Lev 8:14-17, cp. Exo 29:10-14)
A bullock,…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture