Lev. 9, The priests begin their ministry

There is not a lot to say about this chapter, but what there is to say is very important.

The day after the ordination of Aaron and his sons is finished, Moses directs Aaron to present the first sin and burnt offerings and present them as directed. Moses tells Aaron, "For today the Lord will appear to you.

And so Aaron does EXACTLY what has been commanded in terms of the sacrifices. His obedience is then rewarded. Here are the last three verses from the NIV translation:

Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.
Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

We very often remember that fire came from heaven for Elijah when he challenged the priests of Baal. But we rarely remember that that was not the first time the Lord had done this...

Here, at the beginning of the priestly office, God did it first. And it was done in response to Aaron's and Moses' obedience to God. When the leaders thus obeyed, ALL the people were blessed. In the New Testament, Jesus will emphasize the responsibility of the leaders and teachers. Here is an example, in Leviticus.