“And the flesh and the hide he burnt with fire without the camp.”
This verse is part of the account of Aaron’s consecration as the high priest of Israel and the subsequent offerings made by Aaron and his sons. In Leviticus 9, the Lord commanded Moses to gather the people of Israel, and Aaron and his sons to perform specific rituals and sacrifices as a means of consecrating the tabernacle and establishing the priesthood.
Verse 11 specifically focuses on the disposal of the flesh and hide of the sin offering made by Aaron. The phrase “he burnt with fire without the camp” refers to the practice of burning the remains of the sacrifice outside the camp, away from the sacred space of the tabernacle.
This act of burning the flesh and hide of the sin offering outside the camp served a symbolic purpose. It signified the removal of impurity and sin from the camp of Israel. By taking the remains outside the camp, the Israelites were acknowledging that sin was not to be tolerated or permitted within the sacred space.
This practice also foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who was crucified outside the city of Jerusalem, signifying His complete removal of sin from the people’s lives. Hebrews 13:11-13 draws a parallel between the practice in Leviticus and the sacrifice of Jesus, stating:
“For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.”
In this passage, Jesus is referred to as the ultimate high priest, whose sacrifice sanctifies the people. Just as the burnt offering in Leviticus was taken outside the camp, Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to cleanse humanity from sin.
Leviticus 9:11, while specific to the consecration of Aaron and the disposal of the sin offering, carries a broader spiritual significance. It points to the need for purification and the removal of sin from the presence of God, which was ultimately fulfilled in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
