The call into God’s service is humbling.
It reveals the true condition of man before a holy God.
The first sacrifice ever offered upon the altar of the sanctuary is a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of Aaron and his sons. Those who are called by the Lord into ministry are confronted by their sinfulness and utter inadequacy (Ex. 3:6; Isa. 6:5; Luke 5:8). In the words of the apostle Paul, “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Cor. 2:16).
Yet the Lord does not leave those he calls in their inadequacy.
He sanctifies them.
He invites Aaron and his sons to draw near to him, gives them access to the altar, and seats them at his table.
They are made holy so that they can serve him in worship.
—Christine Palmer, “Leviticus,” in Genesis–Numbers, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, ESV Expository Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2025), 899.
