Leviticus 8:14-36 (The Consecration of the Aaronic Priesthood, Part II)

Leviticus 8:14-36
The Consecration of the Aaronic Priesthood, Part II

The minute and detailed instructions for building the sanctuary were followed up by the careful and precisely recorded construction of it. This was to ensure that everything the Lord had commanded was followed through with, exactly as He specified. The reason this was so important is because in the book of Hebrews we are told that the earthly things were copies and shadows of the heavenly things.

The same is true with the minute and detailed instructions for the ordination of Aaron and his sons. They were given in Exodus, and now in Leviticus we are being given the careful and precisely recorded adherence to what was previously laid out. Again, each detail points to Christ, and so in order to protect the typology, everything is being detailed for a second time.

God guarded these pictures of His Son so that when He arrived, there would be no doubt that He was the fulfillment of them. And yet, because of the laziness of the church, how few ever take the time to look into these things? Thousands of years of meticulous work safeguarding them is pretty much ignored by the church Christ came to establish.

We are too busy claiming prosperity and infighting over minutiae to bother with such wonderful pictures of what God has done for us in Christ. But… for those who are willing to carefully and methodically follow page by page through this treasure we call the Bible, there is an endless stream of wonder and excitement.

Claiming prosperity in Jesus’ name is only as effective as your next trip to the hospital or loss of job. When those things come about, it suddenly dawns on you that the preacher’s words were a complete waste of time. And fighting with others in the church over silly little pet peeves results in the same headaches and heartbreaks that you will find at work or at home. In the end, nobody gains from such things. How much better to stick to proper doctrine and close and personal fellowship with those who bear Christ’s name.

Text Verse: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.” Isaiah 40:6-8

The scroll of the book is simply filled with Christ. The words Isaiah penned about the coming Messiah are proven true every time we come to another passage and search Him out. He is there, calling out to us to find Him. And yet, at the same time, everything we read about is literally true.

The Lord used real people, in real circumstances, to give us these wonderful tastes of what lay ahead when He would come and reveal Himself to us. And further, from these types and pictures came moral lessons that show us how only the Anti-type can truly satisfy our souls.

With a law mediated by fallible men, there can only be a fallible hope. But when the infallible Man arrived, He brought with Him a perfect and unsullied hope. As we finish up the ordination of Aaron today, let’s remember that.

Everything God is showing leads us to a better hope where we can come to God in full confidence that our prayers are heard, our offerings are accepted, and our Mediator will perfectly fulfill His duties for us. Keep this in mind. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Bull for the Sin Offering (verses 14-17)

14 And he brought the bull for the sin offering.

This bull was first ordered in Exodus 29:3 when the Lord gave the instructions to Moses concerning this ordination. It was then mentioned in verse 2 of this chapter. The bull, which pictures Christ, is now brought forward to be the sin offering for the priests.

14 (con’t) Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering,

In this act, which we have seen for other sacrifices already, the bull takes on the curse which they deserve for their sins and it is transferred to it. The par, or bull, comes from the word parar which carries the meaning of defeat, or make void, although it can be variously translated.

The picture of Christ is that He defeated the devil, making void that which the devil had wrought. Thus, Christ can be the Mediator between God and man. For Aaron and his sons, with their symbolic transfer of their sins to the bull, the animal is accursed, and it must die. Thus we have what is known as a vicarious substitute.

In type, the bull is Christ who knew no sin, but was made sin for Aaron and his sons so that they might be righteous before God. The sin is symbolically removed from the one and transferred to the other. It is life for life, and therefore…

15 and Moses killed it.

It is Moses who kills the bull, not Aaron. He is acting as the priest pro-tempore during the ordination, but he is also a man born under sin. This shows us the fallibility and temporary nature of the Aaronic priesthood. In type, we see only a shadow of the New covenant where the perfect Christ voluntarily gave His own perfect life. Thus, He is the Mediator of a better covenant.

15  (con’t) Then he took the blood, and put some on the horns of the altar all around with his finger, and purified the altar.

This was directed in Exodus 29:12. Once the bull was bled out, it would be a confirmation of the death of the animal for “the life is in the blood” according to Leviticus 17:11. With this proof of the death of the substitute, then some of its blood was to be put on the horns of the altar with his finger.

The horns, or qarnoth, of the altar are the place of mercy and safe refuge. Further, horns are a symbol of strength. For the blood to be placed on them signified the granting of mercy and the allowance of safety from the wrath which had been transferred to the bull. As there are four horns pointing toward the four corners of the earth, it further symbolizes the power of the act to fully save and cleanse the sinner. David understood this when he wrote these words –

“I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:1, 2

Another point is that Moses is specifically told to apply the blood with his finger. The word etsbah, or finger, comes from another word, tsebah, which indicates dyed material and thus one gets the idea of grasping something. Therefore, the finger is that which accomplishes a task.

The creation is said to be the work of the Lord’s fingers in the 8th Psalm. Thus in this verse, the mercy, the refuge, and the remission of the sins is granted by God, but it is accomplished by the work of the mediator’s fingers. In the type we look forward to the Anti-type where the Lord is the Purifier. However, the blood is not only applied to the altar to expiate the sins of Aaron and his sons, but it is also to purify the altar itself. This is explained in Hebrews 9 –

And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22

15  (con’t) And he poured the blood at the base of the altar, and consecrated it, to make atonement for it.

The altar has already been consecrated by the sprinkling with anointing oil in verse 11. However, atonement still needed to be made for it because it was made by sinful hands. An inanimate object is not free from such defilement, and atonement was needed for it.

With the blood of the bull, the altar is now sanctified so that atonement can be made with it. This is only a shadow of Christ then. Unlike the altar which needed to be sanctified, Christ, the true Altar, sanctified Himself so that our lives as gifts to God might be acceptable to Him –

“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” John 17:18, 19

As astonishing as it may seem, everything has pointed to Christ. The altar points to Christ, the anointing oil pointed to Christ, the bull points to Christ, the shed blood points to Christ, Aaron is typical of Christ. Every detail, has – and continues to – point to Him. Each provides another aspect of His Person and His work.

16 Then he took all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and Moses burned them on the altar.

This was explained to Moses in Exodus 29:16. The symbolism of these fat parts has been explained in other offerings, but each points to Christ. They represent the abundance of the very deepest parts of Christ the Man. Fat is the abundance and health of life. The fat on the entrails represents the inner purity of Christ. The fatty lobe on the liver represents His emotions and feelings, and the two kidneys with their fat signify His mind and reasoning.

These were offered to the Lord by fire, burning as if incense as the word denotes, because they symbolize Christ’s most intimate aspects. They are the very substance of who He is, and are thus returned to the Lord by fire.

17 But the bull, its hide, its flesh, and its offal, he burned with fire outside the camp,

The rest of the animal was taken outside the camp and burned with fire. Normally, unless the blood of the animal for a sin offering was sprinkled inside the holy place, the animal would be eaten by the priests. But, even though the bull’s blood was not taken there, nothing of it was to remain, and none of it was to be eaten. Moses was not a legally consecrated priest, and the animal was under a curse because of the sins of Aaron and his sons. Thus to eat it would be symbolic of them re-taking the sin into themselves.

Instead, it was to be returned to the old order of things where sin remained. In its place, those for whom the animal died would be reckoned under the new order of things. They would be new men with a symbolic new nature, cleansed from their defilement.

17 (cont) as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The words are given to show complete obedience to the word of the Lord which was given to Moses on Mount Sinai for this ordination process. Every detail points to Christ, and so in order to show that the typology was adhered to, these words are now given.

The bull is slain, his blood poured out
The proof of the death is evident in the bowl of blood
But for that bull, don’t shed a tear or pout
Sin is atoned for by the crimson flood

There! On the cross of Calvary hangs a Man
For the sins of mankind, was shed His blood
We ask, “Can it truly atone for sin?” God says, “Yes, it can!”
And so we plunge ourselves ‘neath that crimson flood

And through His death, our High Priest He came to be
When He went behind the veil and presented His blood
He did this because of God’s love – for you and for me
And so let us tell the world of the marvelous crimson flood

II. The Ram for the Burnt Offering (Verses 18-21)

18 Then he brought the ram as the burnt offering.

Of the two rams for the ordination, one was selected as a burnt offering. This first one is now brought forward by Moses.

18 (cont) And Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram,

This was instructed in Exodus 29:15. As seen before, the placing of hands on the head of an animal for a burnt offering is not for confession of sin, but as a way of surrendering oneself wholly and completely to the Lord. Only after the atonement and purification can a person be considered as an acceptable offering to the Lord. In this, they are dedicating themselves as if being living sacrifices.

19 and Moses killed it. 

Verse 19 was instructed in Exodus 29:16. The Hebrew does not say “Moses.” Rather, it says “he killed it.” But, Exodus 29 specifically says Moses was to perform the task. Further, the next clause names Moses specifically. Therefore, like the bull of the sin offering, it is he who kills the ram, not Aaron. He is fulfilling the job of priest pro-temp ore during the ordination until it is over. Once complete, the tasks will, from that time on, belong to the line of Aaron alone.

19 (cont) Then he sprinkled the blood all around on the altar.

Here it says “…and splashed Moses the blood.” The blood is not sprinkled, but cast forth upon the altar. It is symbolic of the complete and voluntary surrender of the priests to die while yet living. When we look at what has transpired so far, we see a logical order. The bull was sacrificed for sin. This is then followed by the ram which is in picture a complete surrender of the priests’ will to God. This follows with Paul’s words of Romans 6:7-11 –

For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This ram then symbolizes what Paul calls in Romans a “living sacrifice” to God. It sounds contradictory – a living sacrifice – but it is pictured here in the death of this ram for the on-going consecration of Aaron and his sons.

20 And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burned the head, the pieces, and the fat.

This was instructed in Exodus 29:17. The dividing of the animal is to ensure that it will fully burn and nothing of it would be left. If it was not so divided, its legs would hang over the side and smolder, but not be consumed.

21 Then he washed the entrails and the legs in water.

The inner parts of the animal are washed in order to reflect the inner purity of Christ, in Whom there is no defilement. The legs are washed because they are the part of the animal which picks up worldly defilement as it walks. As Christ was without any such worldly defilement, the washing is done in anticipation of His perfect life, given over wholly to God. Each step is meticulously ordered and then performed in anticipation of Christ to come.

21 (con’t) And Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The entire ram was burnt right there on the altar. The expiation of sin is not needed as that was accomplished by the bull. Because of this, the animal is considered an acceptable substitute to be offered to the Lord on behalf of those it replaced. Such a burnt offering, without any associated defilement, represented Christ’s perfect self-sacrifice. For this reason, it was entirely acceptable to God.

The word for “burn” is qatar. It is the same word which is used time and again to point to Christ. It signifies making something fragrant through fire. The entire animal was such an offering. In picture, the ram here signifies the whollyacceptable offering of Christ to God on behalf of Aaron and his sons. In the bull, He was seen as the sin offering which was burned outside the camp.

But in the ram, He is seen as the whole and complete perfection of every good deed, offered to God on the brazen altar. As the ram is given on behalf of the priests, it means that the execution of their tasks will be pleasing to God because of what the offering pictures; Christ’s work. In reality, what the priests do as they minister, is accepted because of the work of Another; because of Christ.

A sweet smelling aroma to the Lord
An offering made of our lives and our work
We shall be obedient to Him and to His word
No duty that is proper shall we set aside or shirk

As Christ our Lord gave Himself for us
We should also walk in love and so be a suitable offering
|Let us endeavor to follow our Lord Jesus
And act in emulation of His eternal proffering

Offering ourselves and our bodies as a living sacrifice
People living out our lives holy and acceptable to God
Because for our sins, Christ Jesus paid the price
And now it is our duty to be circumspect in this life we trod

III. The Second Ram (verses 22-29)

22 And he brought the second ram, the ram of consecration.

The Hebrew says, “…the ram, the second.” This is then followed up with the words el ha’millium, the “ram [of] the consecration,” because in the acts associated with it, this portion of the consecration of Aaron and his sons will be complete.

The word millu, or consecration, comes from the word male, or “to fill.” Thus, we can call this “the ram of the filling.” If you can see it, there is now another picture of the work of Christ. For Aaron and His sons, there is first the atonement for sins, then the giving of the life over to God, and then the filling of the Spirit.

Although these three occur simultaneously in the believer, they are logically ordered in each of these three offerings. The consecration of Aaron and his sons is what occurs in each person who comes to Christ, pictured in each aspect of this rite of ordination.

22 (con’t) Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram,

This ram is essentially a peace, or fellowship, offering, but because it is a part of the consecration, there is more to it than a normal peace offering. The laying of the hands on the head of the bull was for the transfer of sin. The laying on of hands for the first ram was as an offering of the individual wholly to the service of God. The laying of hands on this animal was to signify the receiving of the authority to serve. Each offering is logically noted, in order, to show the process of acceptable service to God.

23 and Moses killed it. 

Again, Moses is not named in this clause, only in the next. But, it is Moses who accomplishes the task, and because it is Moses, the temporary nature of the Aaronic priesthood is once again highlighted. A fallen man cannot institute an infallible priesthood.

23 (con’t) Also he took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

The returning of the blood to Aaron signifies his acceptance as high priest and the granting of his authority as such. The blood symbolizes life. The shed blood thus symbolizes death. He now symbolically dies to self and henceforward is to live for God.

That each point of application is on the right side has meaning in and of itself. The right is the side of strength, blessing, authority, honor, judgment (in salvation), wisdom, cleansing, etc. Applying the blood to the right includes in some measure, each of these.

First, blood is applied to the tenuk, or lobe of the ear. This signifies obedience in the sense of spiritual hearing. He was to heed the Divine voice which would speak to him either through the law or though God’s prophets. He was to be consecrated to this hearing of the word, in the sense of applying it to his life.

Following this, it was to be applied to the bohen, or thumb, of the right hand. This word comes from a root which means “thick.” Therefore, it is the thick part of the hand, and thus the thumb. The fingers symbolize human activity. Here, the thumb represents the whole hand. His hand, thus meaning his spiritual activity, was to be set apart to God, to holiness, and to only that which was sanctified. He was to be a high priest ready to not only hear the Divine voice, but to respond to it through his daily activity.

Finally, the blood was to be applied to the bohen, or big toe, of his foot. It is the same word as thumb. As the big toe is the thick appendage, it received the application of blood as representative of the whole foot. It symbolized that he was to walk only in paths of holiness, directing his steps toward God in the race set before him.

This verse, with the three principle points of application, is explained by Paul in many different passages, but it is well summed up by him in Colossians 1 –

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (ear) 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, (toe) being fruitful in every good work (thumb) and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” Colossians 1:9-12

In the application of the blood to these three extremities, there is the sense that his entire life was to be enclosed in the service of God. From head to toe and from hand to foot, he was sanctified as an acceptable high priest. However, there is the truth that even with this application, he still couldn’t hear, understand, serve, or walk in a truly proper manner. And, as the blood did nothing but symbolize something else, it only looked forward in type and shadow.

As Aaron only pictured the true High Priest, Christ, then this is only a foreshadowing of the One who literally fulfilled these ancient images. The history of the Aaronic priesthood is one filled with fallible men who often made disastrous decisions. Christ, though, came as the more excellent priest with a more excellent ministry which is established on better promises.

24 Then he brought Aaron’s sons. And Moses put some of the blood on the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.

The same procedures which picture the same things, were next followed for the sons. As Aaron pictures Christ, the High Priest, these sons of Aaron picture us, who follow Christ in the priestly duties of the church age.

24 (con’t)And Moses sprinkled the blood all around on the altar.

All of the rest of the blood was scattered around the altar. The reason here is twofold. The first is an indication of the willingness of these men to perform their priestly duties, and the second is the acceptance of that willingness by God. They have had their sins atoned for, they have offered themselves up wholly to God, and now there is a joint acceptance of the duties.

25 Then he took the fat and the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh;

These special parts of the animal, which signify Christ’s most intimate aspects, meaning the very substance of who He is, are gathered together. Along with this is the shoq, or thigh. It comes from a word meaning “abundant.” Thus it is the abundant area of meat on an appendage. As it is the right thigh, it signifies the honorable side. In all, that which is abundant and most honorable is what is being seen here. But there is more to gather…

26 and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one unleavened cake, a cake of bread anointed with oil, and one wafer,

The three types of bread were minutely described in Exodus 29. Every detail of them pointed to Christ in an amazing fashion. If you don’t remember that sermon, there is today’s afternoon assignment for you. These also are gathered up…

26 (con’t) and put them on the fat and on the right thigh;

All of the items mentioned in verses 24 & 25 are piled up on top of the right thigh. Unless one understood the symbolism, it would seem like a rather curious pile of meat, fat, and bread. But in short, it points to the abundance of Christ, the most intimate aspects of Christ, and the work of Christ, including His death on the cross.

27 and he put all these in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands, and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord.

What is more accurate would be, “…and he put all these on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons.” The reason why is because of the type of ritual to be performed. Aaron and his sons were to open their hands and Moses would then put everything on their open hands. After that, they were to be waved as an offering.

The word is tenuphah, or “wave offering.” It comes from nuph, which means to wave, or to move to and fro. What would happen is that Moses would put his hands under theirs, and then make a waving motion together with them towards the four corners of the heavens, thus indicating that they were being offered to the omnipresent God. This literal filling of the hand is symbolic of the filling of the Spirit. This comes from the Person and work of Christ which is reflected in the various things piled up in their hands.

What Moses is doing here is transferring his pro-tempore duties to Aaron. His muscular energy is causing them to perform their first priestly act. It is symbolic of the transfer of all of these aspects to the life of the believer. In Him, God accounts these things to us because of what He has done. In turn we offer them back to God…

28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar, on the burnt offering. They were consecration offerings for a sweet aroma. That was an offering made by fire to the Lord.

The items, waved by the strength of Moses, were then taken back by him as if Aaron and his sons were still common people making an offering to God. They are being endowed with priestly authority, but they are not yet fully installed. Until the completion of the rite, Moses would continue acting as a priest.

The wave offering being returned to the Lord as a burnt offering, and as a sweet aroma, was to signify the complete submission of themselves to the Lord. As each thing in their hands only symbolizes Christ, then the true and eternal priesthood, which these things foreshadow, are embodied in Him.

His work was found acceptable and through it, He obtained a more perfect priesthood and ministry than could ever have been obtained by mere fallible, fallen men and by the blood of bulls and goats. At Aaron’s ordination, God looked ahead to the ministry of Christ and He smelled a sweet savor only because of what it pictured, not because of the animal and bread burning there on the altar.

29 And Moses took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before the Lord. It was Moses’ part of the ram of consecration, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

The word “breast” is khazeh. It comes from khazah which means “to see” because it is the part that is most seen when looking at the front of the animal. That, in turn, comes from a root which indicates to gaze at, and to mentally perceive, such as a vision.

This particular part of the animal has a special significance, picturing Christ who is the Source of all mental perception and divine vision. It was to now be waved before the Lord. In the future, it will belong to Aaron and his sons, but for now, because Moses is the acting priest, it was assigned to him as his portion.

Accepted and ready to perform our tasks for the Lord
We gladly give ourselves for this wonderful duty
Sanctified and ready for service according to His word
Robed in garments of glory and of beauty

The sacrifice has been made, and we stand ready
The offering in our hands is waved before the Lord
With the Mediators’ hands below, our hands are steady
We are sanctified for service according to His word

We come before You, our great God
We offer our lives in Your service now and always
Grant us that we will be worthy in this life we trod
Never faltering throughout all of our days

IV. Seven Days He Shall Consecrate You (Verses 30-36)

30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.

The wording is very distinct, u-min ha’dam asher al ha’mizbeakh – “and from the blood that is on the altar.” Despite what scholars say, this is not blood kept from before the blood was splashed and held for this purpose. Instead, Moses takes ram’s blood that had already been splashed on the altar. The amount isn’t what is important. Rather the fact that it had been splashed on the altar is what is.

There is a specific process here: 1) Slaughter; 2) Splash on the altar; 3) Take blood from the altar to use in sprinkling. It is a confirmation that not only had the blood of the ordination ram been applied to both priest and altar, but that it was then accepted by God and returned to them along with the anointing oil.

In picture, it is truly their “Pentecost moment.” They had been received as acceptable and they were symbolically endowed with that acceptance. No great amount of blood was necessary. In fact, if it was a heavy amount, it would literally stain the garments.

The word “sprinkle” here is correct. It is nazah. It indicates sprinkling for purification, cleansing, atonement, expiation, etc. In this case, it is for the sanctification of Aaron, his sons, and their garments. Only a small amount would be needed to symbolically confirm their consecration and acceptance for duty. This is reflected by Paul’s words of Romans 15 –

Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:15, 16

It is the offering which is considered acceptable which is sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

31 And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of consecration offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’

The designated parts of the ram, along with the remainder of the three types of bread taken from the basket, were to be eaten by the door of the tent of meeting. As each of those types of bread individually pictured Christ, as did the ram, the meal is symbolically a partaking of His body. As He said in John, “My flesh is food indeed” (6:55), and “I am the Bread of life” (6:35).

The sharing of it between the Lord and Aaron and his sons is intended to solidify the bond between them. Christ, being He who unites the heavenly and the earthly as One. All during the week of ordination, they were being spiritually prepared for their lifelong duties as priests to the Lord.

32 What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire.

This is the same rule as the Passover. It was not to be eaten on the following day. As there were seven days of ordination, it would be inappropriate to accumulate leftovers from one day to the next. Food which had gone through the night was susceptible to corruption. This would be unacceptable to consume when considering God’s holy and incorruptible nature.

Further, it was exclusively to be eaten by the priests. If not, it was to be returned to the Lord by fire, not passed on to another. If another ate of it, it would diminish the entire ordination process because they were not so ordained. It would be, in essence, mixing the holy with the profane.

And finally, if something which was devoted to a sacred use was given to someone else, they could then use it as an object of superstitious worship, as if a talisman. Like the Passover which pictured Christ so well, no such thing was to happen to the holy food of the consecration which also pictures Him in every detail.

33 And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended.

This translation implies that they are to be inside the holy place. This is incorrect. They are to station themselves in the courtyard where the sacrifices are made for seven days, and not leave that area. Each day, the same sacrificial ceremonies were to be repeated, but they did not enter the Holy Place to perform priestly duties as they were not yet installed. Those would have been performed by Moses during this period.

What is also obvious is that this is speaking of the conduct of their regular lives. There are obvious reasons why they would have to leave the area, reasons we’re all aware of. After those things were tended to, they were to return to their watch in the courtyard.

33 (con’t) For seven days he shall consecrate you.

The words are an idiom. Literally, it says, “For seven days he will fill your hand.” The filling of the hand is the consecration. The time period is that which indicates spiritual perfection. The “he” here could be Moses speaking of himself in the third person, because he is the one who does the duties, or it could be referring to the Lord as the Provider. It is unsure which is being referred to.

34 As he has done this day, so the Lord has commanded to do, to make atonement for you.

These words should probably be passive. Instead of “As he has done,” they should say, “As has been done.” It shows that the entire process which was accomplished on the first day was to be followed through for each day of the ordination. In being atoned for during all seven days, they were considered fully consecrated to then perform the holy duties of the priesthood. Furthermore, the altar was also atoned for during this seven-day period. Only when the seventh day of atonement was accomplished would it be considered most holy. From that time on, the sacrifices upon it would be restricted to only the ordained priests.

35 Therefore you shall stay at the door of the tabernacle of meeting day and night for seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord, so that you may not die; for so I have been commanded.”

The words concerning “day and night” were not specifically stated before in Exodus 29. However, it is now made explicit that this is what is commanded. The word used to describe their time there is mishmereth. It indicates to keep watch, or to guard. Thus, it is the watch of the Lord. They were to carefully guard the instructions they had been given. Should they fail, death would be the result.

As this is a time of probation, they were expected to follow through with the commands precisely. If they could not, then neither could they be relied upon to perform the more vital functions which they would be responsible for when the altar and various offerings were deemed as most holy. And if they failed to properly perform those most holy duties, then their lives would be forfeit. Such disastrous results will be seen in just two chapters.

*36 So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.

The obedience of Aaron and his sons is highlighted, just as Moses’ obedience has been highlighted over the past many chapters. The ordination process is activated, and with the turn of a page, we will truly enter into the time of the Aaronic priesthood, a priesthood that would last from about 1445BC until 70AD when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. But, Daniel 9 tells us that there will be another temple, and the priesthood will be reactivated. This is an unfortunate step which must come to pass, despite the fact that the priesthood was annulled in the coming of Christ.

The Aaronic priesthood came without an oath, and with certainty of its eventual end. It was performed by sinful men who needed to first sacrifice for themselves before they could sacrifice for those who came to them for mediation. On the other hand, the priesthood of Christ came with an oath, it is an eternal priesthood, and it is performed by the sinless Son of God who sacrificed Himself in order to forever purify those that come to God through Him.

There is an infinite difference between the two. It is one that allows all men to draw near to God in a close and personal way. The lesson of the Bible is that all men must come to God through a mediator. With the coming of Christ, we are shown that He is the one and only Mediator God accepts. All of these types and shadows were given to show us this truth.

Christ is the full and final fulfillment of them all. If you’re looking for a close and personal relationship with God, call on Christ, and He will lead you past the altar, through the door, and even through the veil to the very throne of God. And it is all available through simple faith.

Closing Verse: “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.” Hebrews 7:26-28

Next Week: Leviticus 9:1-24 Cool things are ahead, it is true… (The Glory of the Lord Will Appear to You) (13th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Consecration of the Aaronic Priesthood

And he brought the bull for the sin offering
Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands
On the head of the bull for the sin offering
And Moses killed it, according to the Lord’s plans

Then he took the blood
And put some on the horns of the altar all around with his finger
And purified the altar
In his duties, he did not linger

And he poured the blood at the base of the altar, as the Lord did submit
And consecrated it, to make atonement for it

Then he took all the fat that was on the entrails
The fatty lobe attached to the liver too
And the two kidneys with their fat
And Moses burned them on the altar, as instructed to do 

But the bull, its hide, its flesh, and its offal
He burned outside the camp with fire
As the Lord had commanded Moses
There outside was the burning pyre

And he brought the bull for the sin offering
Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands
On the head of the bull for the sin offering
And Moses killed it, according to the Lord’s plans

Then he took the blood
And put some on the horns
——–Of the altar all around with his finger
And purified the altar
Again, not letting his duties linger

And he poured the blood at the base of the altar
And consecrated it, to make atonement for it In this duty, he did not falter
Then he took all the fat that was on the entrails

The fatty lobe attached to the liver as well
And the two kidneys with their fat
And Moses burned them on the altar, as the Lord to him did tell

But the bull, its hide, its flesh, and its offal
He burned with fire outside the camp
As the Lord had commanded Moses
Surely in his duties, he got the approval stamp

Then he brought the ram as the burnt offering
And Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head
Of the ram, and Moses killed it
Then he sprinkled the blood all around on the altar as the Lord said

And he cut the ram into pieces
And Moses burned the head, the pieces, and the fat too
Then he washed the entrails and the legs in water
And Moses burned the whole ram on the altar, as instructed to do

It was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet aroma
An offering made by fire to the Lord
As the Lord had commanded Moses
Yes, according to His word

And he brought the second ram, the ram of consecration
Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands
On the head of the ram, and Moses killed it
According to the Lord’s preset plans

Also he took some of its blood
And put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, there he did it put
On the thumb of his right hand
And on the big toe of his right foot 

Then he brought Aaron’s sons
And Moses put some of the blood, as was meet
On the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands
And on the big toes of their right feet

And Moses sprinkled the blood all around on the altar
In this task he was careful and did not falter

Then he took the fat and the fat tail
All the fat that was on the entrails, so he did do
The fatty lobe attached to the liver
The two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh too

And from the basket of unleavened bread
That was before the Lord he took one unleavened cake
A cake of bread anointed with oil, and one wafer
And put them on the fat and on the right thigh; a pile he did make

And he put all these in Aaron’s hands
And in his sons’ hands as well
And waved them as a wave offering before the Lord
As the Lord to him did tell 

Then Moses took them from their hands
And burned them on the altar, on the burnt offering
——-as per His word
They were consecration offerings for a sweet aroma
That was an offering made by fire to the Lord 

And Moses took the breast and waved it
As a wave offering before the Lord that day
It was Moses’ part of the ram of consecration
As the Lord had commanded Moses, as the Lord did say

Then Moses took some of the anointing oil
And some of the blood which was on the altar too
And sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons
And on the garments of his sons with him, so he did do

And he consecrated Aaron, his garments, his sons as well
And the garments of his sons with him, as the Lord to him did tell

And Moses said to Aaron and his sons
Boil the flesh at the tabernacle of meeting’s door
And eat it there with the bread
That is in the basket of consecration offerings, for sure

As I commanded, saying; yes as I did submit
Aaron and his sons shall eat it

What remains of the flesh and of the bread
You shall burn with fire, just as the Lord has said

And you shall not go outside the door
Of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days
Until the days of your consecration are ended
For seven days he shall consecrate you, marvelous are His ways 

As he has done this day
So the Lord has commanded to do
And what is the reason for this rite?
To make atonement for you 

Therefore you shall stay at the door of the tabernacle of meeting
Day and night for seven days, by and by
And keep the charge of the Lord
For so I have been commanded, so that you may not die

So Aaron and his sons did all the things, we understand
That the Lord had commanded by Moses’ hand

How amazing! Every detail gives us precious insights to delight
Things that provide our souls with surety
That through Christ’s work, all things have been made right
And that our future is secure, a Divine guarantee

Thank You, O God for these marvelous hints of Jesus
Written so long ago, and yet as new as the day before our eyes
They are an anchor for the expectant souls of each of us
As we wait upon His return; He our splendid Prize

And because of Him we shall for all eternity give You our praise
Yes, we shall hail You O God because of Jesus for eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

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