Moses

Exodus 32:25-35 (The Golden Calf – The Testing of the Sons of Levi)

Charlie Garrett Exodus, Exodus Sermons (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

Exodus 32:25-35
The Golden Calf – The Testing of the Sons of Levi

Three sets of testing are found in Exodus 32. The first was Aaron’s testing. He did poorly. The next was Moses’ testing. He did well. The final note of testing is that of the sons of Levi. What is unknown is how many of them participated in Aaron’s failure at first. The Bible is silent on this.

However, what is known is how they responded to their testing when confronted with the need to stand up and act on behalf of the Lord. They will do well. In Matthew 21, Jesus gave us this parable –

“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to Him, “The first.” Matthew 21:28-31

A shadow of this thought is seen in today’s verses. Regardless of what the sons of Levi did at first, they did what was right in the end. They were willing to stop and evaluate the situation around them and then go about doing that which was right to do.

Because of their actions in today’s passage, they will be bestowed an honor which singled them out as a special tribe, dedicated to the Lord throughout all their generations. In the Song of Moses, their deeds at this time were remembered –

Text Verse: “And of Levi he said:
‘Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one,
Whom You tested at Massah,
And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah,
9 Who says of his father and mother,
‘I have not seen them’;
Nor did he acknowledge his brothers,
Or know his own children;
For they have observed Your word
And kept Your covenant.’” Deuteronomy 33:8, 9

Each one of us is bound to falter in our daily lives at one time or another. But this doesn’t mean that all is lost. What we do with ourselves after our initial failings often overshadows what we initially messed up. This is true in family matters, in our work environment, and in our walk as Christians before the Lord as well.

Sometimes our failings may even highlight our successes. And so we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves, unless our failings remain failures. If not, then let us use the lessons we learn to continuously improve ourselves and to do that which is morally right as we walk in the presence of the Lord each day.

The lesson of the golden calf is one which still hangs over Israel to this day. A friend of mine was reading this very passage at the same time that I was typing these sermons. She said, “How could they have done this after all the Lord had done for them; after all they had seen and experienced.”

My answer was that Israel is just a microcosm of the world at large. We have seen God’s hand do the miraculous both in His word and in our lives. We have seen the ancient promises fulfilled, even during our lifetime, and yet we fail just as Israel failed. But we can overcome our failures if we look to the Lord and to His honor in our lives. This is a lesson which is 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 Testing of the Sons of Levi (verses 25-29)

25 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies),

The word for “unrestrained” which is found twice in this verse is para. It is from an unused root meaning “to loosen.” One can get the mental picture that the people were simply loosed, like wild oxen, to dance about in a completely unrestrained manner. They were running amok and out of control.

This word is found only 16 times and 6 of them, more than any other book in the Bible, are found in the Proverbs. One proverb which fits what occurs here at Sinai is found in Proverbs 29 –

“Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
But happy is he who keeps the law.” Proverbs 9:18

Solomon may have been reading this account in Exodus and contemplating what occurred here when he wrote this particular proverb. This word is variously translated here. Other versions say running wild, out of control, broken loose, were naked, were stripped, and unbridled.

Those translations which say “stripped” or “naked” may be taken literally, as if the people had actually torn off their clothes and committed outright indecency, or it may be taken figuratively in that they left themselves naked and exposed. If so, then their enemies would have the ability to overtake and destroy them. This is most likely the true sense as the same word is used that way in 2 Chronicles 28 –

“For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had made Judah naked and had completely rebelled against the LORD.” 2 Chronicles 28:19, 20

Sounds like our president today! Judah’s morals degraded so greatly that they became naked and exposed to their enemies. Such is the pattern of rebellion against God. We have failed to learn from the past, and we now face the same state of moral decline and nakedness.

As seen in the last passage where Joshua was noted, the enemies of God, represented by Amalek, would be the most likely to take advantage of this naked state. Whether it was the spirit of Amalek within the camp, or the actual group of Amelekites who could view the open and exposed flanks of Israel, the people had left themselves in a state which was unacceptable.

The word translated as “to their shame” is a verb, shimtsah. It is only found here in the Bible, and it means scornful whispering (of hostile spectators), and thus “shame.” It is the same as a rare noun, shemets, meaning “to whisper.”

The idea is that God’s people had so degraded themselves that their enemies had opportunity to scornfully whisper about them. In turn, their actions would then reflect on the Lord. To bring shame upon self is to bring shame upon one’s God. This is evident every time a pastor, preacher, priest, or pope acts in a disgraceful manner. The God they profess is maligned along with them.

But this is not limited to clergy alone. Anyone who claims to be a follower of the Lord will bring disgrace upon Him when they act in an unrestrained manner. We need to remember always that our actions don’t just harm us. Family, friends, congregations, and above all the name of our God, all are affected by our immoral behavior.

26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp,

In the Bible, the shaar or “gate” of a camp, town, or city, was the place of judgment. It is where the elders would congregate to decide matters and to determine laws and their enforcement. This camp, despite being just that – a camp – was set up as a city, with a makeshift barrier around it and points of access. It is certain that there were at least two, and maybe several, points of access from the wording of the next verse.

This was probably the principle gate where Moses now stood, maybe the camp was aligned to face Sinai. Whatever the case, a judgment was now to be rendered at the place of judgment.

26 (con’t) and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!”

The Hebrew basically says, “Who for Yehovah? And come to me!” In verse 5, upon seeing the golden calf, Aaron had said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” He thus equated the golden calf with the Lord, and the people had acknowledged it as such.

Now what is happening is that a divide is being set. Those in the camp who were feasting to the calf had set up their standard of who the Lord was to them. Moses now sets up the unseen Lord in opposition to them. By standing in the gate of the camp, he was calling out for those who were faithful to come outside the camp as an act of declaring themselves sanctified for the service of the Lord. This is similar to the thought of Hebrews 13 –

“Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Hebrews 13:12, 13

Were there any in the camp who were willing to sanctify themselves to the Lord by acknowledging that He was not reflected in the idol, but rather in the commandments which had preceded the idol? This is what he calls out for.

26 (con’t) And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

As was seen in verse 3, and at many other times throughout Scripture, not every “every” means every and not all “all’s” mean all. In the case of “all the sons of Levi,” it is speaking of a greater portion of them. It can be inferred from verse 27, that there were Levites who didn’t come to the side of the Lord.

However, those who did probably came first out of loyalty to Moses, and thus the brotherhood of the tribe itself. This deep-seated loyalty can be traced all the way back to the account of Genesis 34 where Simeon and Levi both defended the honor of the family against the rape of their sister Dinah.

Moses, calling for the honor of the Lord, then stirred up that same loyalty in his brothers who quickly came to his side. Whether any or all of them had been a part of the feast is not the consideration here. What is being considered is their willingness to turn from the crowd and to the honor of the Lord. As one turned to Moses, another turned, and then another. Eventually, a great portion of Levi had come to his side.

27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel:

Moses is speaking as the prophet of God. There is no indication in Scripture that the Lord told him to say this, with the exception of this verse itself. And yet, the silence concerning any condemnation of what follows, and even the approval of it, shows that Moses was speaking as the Lord’s prophet. And therefore, what transpires is not to be considered inappropriate, rash, or unauthorized.

27 (con’t) ‘Let every man put his sword on his side,

The word translated here as “side” is yarek, and it properly means “thigh.” The swords used would be thigh swords which were small and easily maneuvered in close-quarter fights.

27 (con’t) and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp,

Here we see that the camp was set up with multiple entrances. For a tent type of city, it would have been a rather well defended encampment, and it would have had points where the people could quickly go in and out if enemies came to attack them. The verses here show discipline and contemplative arrangement by the leader, meaning Moses.

However, at this time, these gates would not be a place of safety and life for those inside, but rather they would become the place where death came upon them through full and unmerciful force.

27 (con’t) and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’”

The words here are given as an all-encompassing command. Regardless of how a person was known to one of the Levites, whether through blood relation, close friendship, or nearness as a neighbor, they were to kill and not hold back.

As they are told to go throughout the camp, the idea surely does not mean indiscriminate killing, but rather those who had not stopped their reveling at the return of Moses. Any continued offender would be subject to death. This is certain because out of a group of perhaps two million people, only a small fraction will actually die.

The obvious purpose of this command is to stay the wrath of the Lord against a greater destruction of life. This is seen at other times in the Bible. The zeal for the Lord, and the taking of action in regards to His wrath, is what saves the people from greater wrath. Each of these precepts is seen again in Numbers 25 –

“Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.’
5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, ‘Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.’
6 And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 7 Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. 9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.” Numbers 25:1-9

28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses.

Of this, Matthew Henry states –

“Those are marked for ruin who persist in sin: those who in the morning were shouting and dancing, before night were dying. Such sudden changes do the judgments of the Lord sometimes make with sinners that are secure and jovial in their sin.” Matthew Henry

What is important to understand here is that a type of amnesty was offered to all people with the words of verse 26. When Moses called out, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” it meant that those who came to him had been obedient, and for any who had not, their guilt remained. The only people who were actually not guilty were these faithful Levites. All others were rendered guilty by association, if nothing else.

28 (con’t) And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

The number to die in comparison to the number in the camp is exceedingly small. Though all bore the guilt implicitly, only 3000 died. However, it was a sufficient amount to demonstrate that the Levites had been faithful to the task to which they had been called.

For whatever reason, the Latin Vulgate of this verse reads 23,000 people were killed, that along with another Catholic version, the Douay-Rheims both state this without any textual support. They are in error and need a red letter correction penned in here.

29 Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord,

The words here, v’yomer moshe milu yedkem hayom l’Yehovah literally say, “and said Moses fill your hands today to Yehovah.” The idea of filling the hand brings to mind that of consecration, just as when the priests would fill their hands with the ordination sacrifices, thus consecrating themselves to the Lord.

The deed of the Levites was considered as such a filling of the hand. They had filled their hand with the sword of the Lord, and they had then used that sword to avenge the honor of the Lord. Thus their actions were considered as acts of consecration. It is exactly what was seen in the passage from Numbers concerning Phineas. After his noble deed, this is recorded –

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 11 ‘Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’”

The destruction of the enemies of the Lord is called a sacrifice elsewhere in Scripture, thus, their deed is considered as if a sacrifice which fills the hand. In such a sacrifice, there is something which is then returned upon the person…

29 (con’t) that He may bestow on you a blessing this day,

The opposite of a curse is a blessing. The blessing to be bestowed upon Levi for their zeal will be the distinction of a people who are set apart to serve the priests in Israel. What has occurred here is the reversal of a curse. As I said earlier, Simeon and Levi had defended the honor of the family when their sister Dinah had been raped. However, Jacob saw this as a reason to curse their zeal. On his deathbed, he pronounced these words over them –

“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
6 Let not my soul enter their council;
Let not my honor be united to their assembly;
For in their anger they slew a man,
And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
And scatter them in Israel.” Genesis 49:5-7

In Levi’s zeal, he had violated the precepts of truth and justice in regards to a false connection to obtaining a blood relationship through the covenant of circumcision. Now the descendants of Levi had restored truth and justice, and had upheld the covenant at Sinai by avenging the Lord against their own blood relationships. Thus, their curse had been changed into a blessing.

Both Simeon and Levi would still be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel, but for the Levites it would be in a positive sense. Whereas Simeon would scatter into obscurity in Judah, Levi would continue to be held in high honor in Israel. Even to this day, the name of Levi remains well-known. Nobody wears Simeon blue jeans, do they? But Levi’s are the standard.

29 (con’t) for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”

Of these words, the Geneva Bible says –

“In revenging God’s glory we must have no partiality to person, but lay aside all carnal affection.” Geneva

This tenet remains unchanged. To what point will you be willing to stand for the honor of the Lord? What will you do if your son or daughter tells you they are a homosexual? What will you do if your brother joins a cult? When will you say, “I’m going to ignore this part of the Bible because it conflicts with my interpersonal relations?” Be prepared now to stand and defend the honor of the Lord – at any and all costs.

How high will you hold up the honor of the Lord?
To what level will you go to defend it before another?
How precious to you is His sacred word?
Will you stand against your friend, or even against your brother?

How sacred is to you the faith that you profess
And how willing are you to stand upon every precept
What if your life is threatened? Will you still confess?
Or in your resolve will the Lord faltering detect?

Be steadfast in your proclamation
Be willing to stand for the Lord before any and all
Be one of the greats in your generation
When the times of testing come, be sure not to hesitate or stall

II. Accursed from Christ (verses 30-33)

30 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin.

After the slaying of the people by Levi, even on the next day, Moses spoke to the people concerning what had occurred. His words, “You have committed a great sin” follow on from what was said in Exodus 20, at the time of the giving of the law. At that time, there was the great display of thunderings, flashes, the blast of the trumpet, and smoke. The people then asked that the Lord would no longer speak to them lest they die. Moses’ response was –

“Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” Exodus 20:20

They had forgotten this, and they had, in fact, committed a great sin, directly against the laws found in the Ten Commandments. The word “You” is emphatic. “You people have committed a great sin.” Because of this, Moses’ next words are given…

30 (con’t) So now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

Of these words, several scholars state pretty much what Charles Ellicott says –

“When Moses had, on first hearing of God’s intention to destroy the people, interceded for them (Exodus 32:11-13), his prayers had received no direct answer—he had been left in doubt whether they were granted or no. Having now put an end to the offence, and to some extent punished it, he is bent on renewing his supplications, and obtaining a favourable reply.”

This is incorrect. Verse 14 shows that the Lord relented against destroying all of the people during his testing of Moses. Therefore, Moses’ ascent to the Lord now is not one of seeking His wrath to be stayed. It is a different level of restoration which he seeks.

The people have nullified the covenant through their deeds. They are, in essence, cut off from being the people of the Lord. This is what Moses is looking to restore. When Peter betrayed Christ, he received pardon for that betrayal in the death of Christ. However, he was not restored to his position as an apostle until later, on the shores of the sea of Galilee.

Israel has received general pardon from God for their idolatry; they will not be destroyed. However, their sin has separated them from their God as to being counted as the people of the Lord; His representative nation. This is the atonement which Moses will seek. He will now act as the mediatorial priest for Israel.

It is the greatest such act recorded of him. In the future, with the construction of the tabernacle and the service of the law, this duty will be conducted by Aaron and his descendants after him. That they have lost their status as the Lord’s people is now seen in the words of the next verse…

31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!

After ascending the mountain once again to seek the Lord, Moses begins his petition with the word an-na. It is a contraction of two other words, ahava, meaning “love,” and na, meaning “please.” In essence, “I beg of you.”

After this, he does not say, “Your people” as he did in verse 11. He says “these people.” They have distanced themselves from the Lord by the worship of a false god which they called “the Lord.” It has removed from them the position which they had been accepted to in the ratification of the covenant in Exodus 24.

As a further stress, Moses says that the people have made elohe zahav, “gods of gold.” The plural is given for the singular to show the utterly contemptible nature of what had occurred. It is comparable to us saying, “He is engaged in sins of the flesh” when speaking of any illicit behavior a person may have been caught in.

Moses has laid bare the situation, and now seeks for a sign of mercy and restoration concerning what has transpired…

32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—

This phrase is what is known as an aposiopesis. It is the sudden cutting off a speech to make a point. One must insert a thought, guessing what the rest of the phrase should be. Normally the continuation is obvious. In this case, it would be something like, “If you will forgive their sin, then great…” However, those words are left off in order to make the contrasting statement more poignant…

32 (con’t) but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

The words here are often taken to unintended extremes, even to the point of saying that people can lose their salvation and that this is a proof of it. This is not what this is speaking of, and the context here has nothing to do with the context of salvation after the cross of Christ.

The “book which you have written” is the book of the living. The idea is similar to that of a registry of people in any city. There are those who are alive and who are thus accounted on those roles for all of the purposes of the living. These can include school, taxes, being drafted – whatever.

In the case of Israel, there was a book of the living for those who are a part of the covenant people. This was agreed to in Exodus 24. The people were inscribed in the book as subjects of the kingdom. It could even be that it was compiled during Moses’ 40 days on the mountain while receiving the details of the previous chapters.

To not have their sins forgiven means that they would be blotted out of that book. It would then mean that they would have no inheritance in the land of Canaan to which they were headed. This is what Moses has in view as he petitions the Lord.

Moses has tied himself to his people. They are either the people of the Lord, or he desires to be counted among them when they are no longer His people. He is expressing his highest desire that they remain the people of the Lord, despite having broken the covenant. John Lange details this –

“He would rather be blotted, with the people, out of the book of life, of theocratic citizenship, than without the people to stand in the book alone. As mediating priest he has come as far as to the thought of going to destruction with the people, but not for them.” John Lange

There are quite a few verses in Scripture which point to this idea of inclusion in the theocratic citizenship of the Lord. Two of them will help explain what is going on –

“Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
And not be written with the righteous.” Psalm 69:28

“And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.” Isaiah 4:3

This is an earthly kingdom leading to the Messiah. In Christ’s coming, the kingdom moves into a new phase where the Mediator will not be just willing to go to destruction with the people, but for them. In His act, the true book of life is seen and realized. When one puts their faith in Christ, receiving Him as Savior, they become a part of His eternal theocratic rule. Revelation says –

“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Revelation 3:5

Paul shows us the state of those who have rejected this spiritual kingdom of Christ. It is a state of being accursed and cut off from God. In his love for his people, we find words reminiscent of those of Moses –

“I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” Romans 9:1-5

In Moses, there is a petition for “grace or judgment.” In Christ, there is the realization of, “Through judgment the highest grace” (Lange). Paul could not seek the first for his people collectively, and so they are obligated to seek the latter individually.

Gods of gold fashioned with our hands
We pray for them to save, but they do not hear
Gods of gold, it seems no one understands
Instead of life and peace, they bring only death and fear

Lord, forgive our hearts and turn us back to You
Give us wisdom to seek out that which is right
Help us to be ever faithful and true
And to pursue only Jesus with all of our might

Let our names be inscribed forever in Your book
Through Christ’s shed blood alone do we overcome
Towards heaven’s riches forever shall we look
To no more gods of gold will our hearts succumb

III. Promises and Punishment (verses 33-35)

33 And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.

Cambridge states, “Jehovah replies that He will blot out of His book not the righteous, but those only who have sinned against Him.” However, there is the truth recorded later in Romans that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23) Further, Romans says, “there is none righteous, no, not one” (3:10).

In Ezekiel 18, it twice says, “The soul who sins shall die.” It is certain that Moses sinned, and Moses died. Further, Moses could not die for the sins of others. The Bible makes it known that such a vicarious punishment is unacceptable.

And yet, we as Christians can rightly make the assumption that though Moses died, he is also considered a righteous saint, along with many others of the Old Testament. And so how can we reconcile these two contrasting thoughts – that of being blotted out if a soul has sinned against the Lord, and that of being considered righteous before the Lord?

The answer, as always, comes down to faith. Faith in God’s provision, which is Christ, is what brings a person to the Throne of God. This is why Hebrews 11 highlights the saints of old and proclaims that they were deemed acceptable to God. It was by faith in what lie ahead.

Only in Christ is there found One who never sinned. And yet He died. However, it was not for His sins, but for the sins of others. Only in Christ is a vicarious punishment deemed acceptable. The Bible shows us such marvelous truths!

In the immediate context though, Moses is being told that the one who has sinned against the Lord will be blotted out of the book. This is referring to the sin of the golden calf and the book of the theocratic rule which is to be realized in the land of Canaan.

Those who failed to live by faith, and instead trusted in the work of their hands, would not receive the promised inheritance. This is seen in the words of the next verse…

34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you.

It is the promised inheritance, the land of Canaan, which is being dealt with – life in Canaan under the theocratic rule of the Lord. Moses is instructed to lead the people there in fulfillment of the promise which was made.

34 (con’t) Behold, My Angel shall go before you.

There are two views on what these words mean. Is “the Angel” referred to here a created being, or is it referring to the Angel of the Lord who is Christ?

These words are very similar to Exodus 23:20 which was speaking of the Lord. However, based on the words of the next chapter, most scholars see this angel here is not the Lord, but a created angel. In the next chapter, it will say –

“Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” Exodus 33:3

For this reason, it seems that this is not the Angel of the Lord, but a created angel. However, the words “in your midst” are the antithesis of the words of Exodus 33:7 –

“Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.”

The Lord was no longer in the midst of the congregation, but a far way off. Thus, there is no reason to assume that this verse is not still the Angel of the Lord, meaning Christ. This is further supported by the term malaki or “My Angel,” rather than merely malak, or “an angel.” Only the “angel” of verse 33:2 is not speaking of the Angel of the Lord. This appears to be borne out in the chiasm which spans these chapters.

34 (con’t) Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”

The words here in Hebrew read, “when I visit, then I will visit on them their sin.” The word is paqad. It comes from a root which means to visit, either with friendly or hostile intent. In the case of this visitation, it will be with intent which is hostile. Those who sinned and were spared by the sword will still not find relief.

*35 So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

The chapter ends with these sobering words. The Lord promised to visit the people with punishment and these words confirm that this took place. The word used here means to strike. It can be in a plague or some other way. Nothing more is said about what occurred in their being stricken. Nor is there any note of those that repented and mourned over what they had done.

Instead, the verse is left up to the divine discretion of the Lord and to His righteous justice to decide what occurred with each person who sinned. The congregation was spared, but the soul that sinned was brought into judgment. What is to be considered of particular note is the contrast between this account today and that of what occurred in Acts 2.

At Sinai, which according to Galatians 4 symbolizes the temple in Jerusalem, the law was received and it was written on tablets of stone. Those tablets were given to Moses but were broken at the base of the mountain because of the people’s turning from the Lord to a false God. After this, 3000 people died because of their sin. In Acts 2, we read this –

“And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:40-42

There at the temple in Jerusalem, the word of the Lord was again given, but this time it was written on the tablets of the hearts of the people, as Paul calls the work of the Spirit in 2 Corinthians 3:3. At that time, 3000 people were saved because of their faith in Christ.

The two accounts are given to show the superiority of the fulfilled law in Christ to the giving of the law by Moses. One was written on stone and it leads to death. The other is written on the heart and it leads to life.

It was a perverse generation who followed after the golden calf, having rejected the Lord on the mountain at Sinai, and it was a perverse generation who rejected Christ and sought to seek their own righteousness apart from Him. For those 3000 who died at Sinai, they died in sin because of their deeds. For the 3000 who received Jesus in Jerusalem, they died to sin because of His deeds.

For all the rest, in both places, and for all who have come since, the truth is that the soul who sins shall die. The question for each of us is, “When the Lord comes to visit us for punishment, will it be punishment in us for the sins we have committed in this life, or will it have been in Christ for those same sins?” These are the only two options available to man.

If our sins have been judged in Christ, our names are written in the book of life and they shall never be blotted out; we have overcome. If our sins have not been dealt with through Him, then another fate awaits –

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15

Of this passage today, Matthew Henry says –

“But having that mind which was in Christ, he was willing to lay down his life in the most painful manner, if he might thereby preserve the people. Moses could not wholly turn away the wrath of God; which shows that the law of Moses was not able to reconcile men to God, and to perfect our peace with him. In Christ alone, God so pardons sin as to remember it no more.” Matthew Henry

Isn’t that the most marvelous news. In Christ, God so pardons sin as to remember it no more! The world doesn’t even want to hear about sin. But it is a reality which cannot be denied when considering the holiness of God.

Today many large churches are full of worshippers quite often because the church is geared towards the carnal man. There are promises of health, wealth, and prosperity, but there is no heart for the grace of God which frees us from sin. The sin is passed over, not dealt with.

It is the rare church which is both large and filled with worshippers who praise God not for what He can give us in this life, but what He has given us for eternal life. Sin is not a popular subject, but it is one of the defining subjects of Scripture. If God simply wanted to plop down prosperity upon our heads, He would have skipped over the brutal death of Christ. But He didn’t.

Today, if you are wanting a true and right relationship with Christ, come to the foot of the cross and call out your need for the Savior. After that all else will fall into its proper place. If you have never come to do this, please make today the day…

Closing Verse: “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8

Next Week: Exodus 33:1-11 As you all listen, none of you should be bored (Everyone Who Sought the Lord) (92nd Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Testing of the Sons of Levi

Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained
For Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies
Then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp
And said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me. Do, please

And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him
And he said to them

Thus says the Lord God of Israel:
“Let every man put his sword on his side
And go in and out from entrance to entrance, as well
Throughout the camp, let these words be applied

And let every man kill his brother
Every man his companion, and every man his neighbor

So the sons of Levi did according to as Moses did say
And about three thousand men of the people fell that day

Then Moses said, yes he did say
“Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord
That He may bestow on you a blessing this day
For every man has opposed his son and his brother according to His word

Now it came to pass on the next day
That Moses to the people said
“You have committed a great sin, in your wicked way
So now I will go up to the Lord instead

Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin
Otherwise you are surely done in

Then Moses returned to the Lord and said
“Oh, these people have committed a great sin
And have made for themselves a god of gold!
Surely your patience is wearing thin

Yet now, if You will forgive their sin – but if not, I pray
Blot me out of Your book which You have written, blot me out today

And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me
I will blot him out of My book, this is how it shall be

Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place
Of which I have spoken to you
Behold, My Angel shall go before your face

Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment
I will visit punishment upon them for their sin, the debt shall be paid
So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did
With the calf which Aaron made

Here we are Lord, really no different than Israel
We are unrestrained in in our lives each and every day
It is a sad, sad story to tell
But this is humanity’s normal, confused way

Help us to be bold, Lord, when facing sin
To stand against it and to be firm in defending Your glory
While the world continues to spiral its way in
Help us to proclaim to all the wondrous gospel story

For it alone has the power, the lost soul to save
For it alone tells of the precious life You gave

Thank You, O God, for this perfect gift which You have bestowed upon us
Thank You, O God, for our Savior, our Lord, our precious Jesus

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

Exodus 31:12-18 (The Law of the Sabbath)

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Exodus 31:12-18
The Law of the Sabbath

We have already had several sermons on the Sabbath. It is a theme which one would think would simply dry up so that all we would be doing is repeating the same thing. However, today’s passage is completely different than those of the past, such as Ex 16:22-26, where the Sabbath was introduced into Scripture, or Exodus 20, which dealt with the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath.

This passage today takes us in an entirely different direction, and yet it fully supports those, and all the other passages which deal with the Sabbath. It is a temporary institution which finds its true meaning in Christ. In Him, the picture made by the Sabbath is fulfilled, and thus the Sabbath requirement is ended. Along with the new information comes a marvelous chiasm which I discovered while doing the sermon.

I will lay it out for you now, and at times we will refer to it in the sermon. Chiasms give us hidden structures which reveal what God is thinking. They help us to properly analyze difficult passages and theological concepts and they reveal what their true meaning is. This one is no different –

2 Chiasm

As we read the sermon text, maybe you thought, “Why is the same thing being repeated again and again?” Now you know. The Lord is revealing truths about this most important weekly day which occurred in the lives of Israel of old.

Text Verse: “Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Hebrews 3:7-11

Before we even start with the sermon, we need to be reminded that the Sabbath was a part of the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses is, according to the book of Hebrews, obsolete, annulled, and set aside. It is, according to Paul in Colossians, “nailed to the cross.” We are not Sabbatarians here. We don’t observe an annulled precept from an annulled law in order to be pleasing to God.

Instead, we trust in the work of Christ, and we rest in His finished work – plain and simple. Working deeds of the law in order to attempt to be right with God will lead to only one sad end, separation from God. It is a self-condemning act. This truth, and quite a few others, are poignantly highlighted in today’s verses. Let’s pay heed to what is revealed there… 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. A Sign Between Me and You (verses 12-14)

12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

v’yomer Yehovah el Moshe lemor – “And said the Lord to Moses saying…” These words introduce the second major section of this chapter. The first began in verse 1 with a very similar phrase. With just a single word of difference, this second section now opens. What is most notable about it, is that it will close out the Lord’s discourse concerning the instructions of the tabernacle and the priestly ordination which began in verse 25:1.

In all, these 6 chapters have comprised 22 individual sermons which have discovered hundreds, if not thousands, of pictures of Christ. There has been an amazing amount of information revealed in this 40-day trip up the mountain by Moses. Even 3500 years later, new insights continue to come out of these 6 chapters of 243 verses, such as our chiasm which finally came forth at this time.

13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep,

This final section of the instructions to Moses seems to be completely out of place. Everything to this point concerning his time on the mountain has been in regard to the building of the tabernacle and its associated rites and services. Suddenly, the law of the Sabbath is reintroduced. As I said, it was already mentioned in chapter 16 where it was first introduced.

It was then next mentioned in the giving of the 10 Commandments, specifically it being the fourth of them. Those two incidents would seem to suffice concerning this particular observance, and yet, before closing out His highly detailed discourse, these six verses are given.

After them, will be one more verse concerning the tablets of the Ten Commandments and the chapter will close. Because of this seemingly unusual placement of these seemingly out of context verses, several reasons have been suggested for their inclusion now.

  • “The law of the Sabbath held a particularly prominent place” in the Ten Commandments, and so it is highlighted before they are given to Moses. (Kurtz)
  • “That the holy service in the tabernacle could not supersede the observance of the Sabbath, but derived from that observance its true value.” (Kalisch)
  • That the “penal edict was especially introduced as a caution in reference to the construction of the tabernacle, lest the people, in their zeal to carry on the work, should be tempted to break the divine law for the observance of the day.” (Barnes)
  • “Hitherto the Sabbath had been, in the main, a positive enactment intended to test obedience (Exodus 16:4); now it was elevated into a sacramental sign between God and His people (Exodus 31:13). Having become such a sign, it required to be guarded by a new sanction, and this was done by assigning the death-penalty to any infraction of the law of Sabbath observance (Exodus 31:14-15). (Ellicott)
  • None of the above (Charlie Garrett)

The first reason, that the Sabbath held an especially prominent place in the Ten Commandments, is wholly unjustified. Elevating the Sabbath above the other nine has led to both heresy and the establishment of aberrant cults. That is neither stated in, nor can it be inferred from, Scripture.

The second reason, that the service in the tabernacle could not supersede the observance of the Sabbath, would mean that the rites of the tabernacle would have to be suspended every Sabbath. And yet the directions for the service of the tabernacle mandate that they be conducted, without interruption, every day of the week. Even the ordination of Aaron and his sons was to continue on through Sabbath days.

The third reason, that of the people neglecting the Sabbath to work on the tabernacle, is just wrong. The Sabbath law has been given. For them to assume that they could work on the tabernacle in order to get it finished was not mentioned by the Lord during the instruction of these 6 chapters. In other words, the Sabbath requirement was named at the giving of the Ten Commandments. It was mandated and expected to be kept, just as all ten were.

The last view, that it was because it was elevated to a sacramental sign between God and the people is a correct precept, but that doesn’t explain the placement of it here along with the instructions for the tabernacle. It simply provides an explanation for the penalty of death for a violation of the Sabbath and goes no further.

The issue is, “Why has the Sabbath been placed here, at this time, after giving minute instructions for the building of the tabernacle, and just prior to the physical handing over of the Ten Commandments?” That is the relevant question.

The answer is that if you survive to the end of this sermon, you will be told the reason. In the meantime, you can chew on it as we go through the rest of the verses, and see if you can come to the correct answer.

As far as the use of the word Shabbat, or Sabbath, here, it is the first time that the term shabbatotay or “My Sabbaths” is found in Scripture. First, it shows the personal nature of the Sabbath in relation to the Lord. In observing the Sabbath, there is a direct connection to God’s rest which is recorded in Genesis 2 –

“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” Genesis 2:1-3

Second, the word is in the plural, “Sabbaths,” because they were a regular occurrence, each week throughout the year. This is why Paul uses the same term when speaking of the “Sabbaths” in Colossians 2:16. They are many, and they are personal to the Lord. This “rest of God” is so important to Him that it will bear several unique connotations and requirements. The first is…

13 (cont’) for it is a sign between Me and you

The Sabbath is to be a sign between the Lord and His people. The word for “sign” is owth. It comes from the verb avah, which means “to sign, mark, [or] describe with a mark.” Thus this type of sign is something that points to something else.

It can point back to a memorial which represents a particular occurrence; it can point forward to something anticipated; and it can reflect something that exists which is only highlighted by the sign itself. In other words, a signature on an important document highlights the authority of the one signing the document.

The Sabbath then is merely a sign intended to highlight a reality which exists already, or which is to be anticipated at some point in the future. Further, this sign is not a temporary thing. Rather, it was intended to remain…

13 (con’t) throughout your generations,

This exact same phrase, l’dorotekem, or “throughout your generations,” has already been used nine times. Looking at those earlier instances will hopefully reveal a truth to you concerning the reason for the placement of this passage.

So far it has been used when speaking of the sign of circumcision which was given to Abraham in Genesis 17. It was used when speaking of the Passover in Exodus 12. It was used concerning the keeping of an omer of Manna in Exodus 16. It was used in the passage concerning the daily offerings at morning and between the evenings in Exodus 29.

It was used in connection with the burning of incense on the Altar of Incense at morning and between the evenings in Exodus 30. And finally, it was used concerning the use of the Holy Anointing Oil in Exodus 30.

Of these nine references to something being done “throughout your generations,” what is the common element? Well, let us ask ourselves, “Are we still required to be circumcised?” No! In fact, Paul says that if we do that in order to be justified by the law, then we are debtors to the whole law. It is a self-condemning act. Circumcision only pointed to the coming Christ.

Are we required to observe the Passover? No! “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Are we still holding on to a golden jar of Manna? No! Why? Because Christ has come! He said –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” John 6:47-51

What about the daily sacrifices? What about the offering of incense or the Anointing Oil? What is the common element? The common element is Christ. None of these previous things which were to be l’dorotekem, or “throughout your generations,” was permanent. They were given in anticipation of Christ.

13 (con’t) that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

The Sabbath was a sign, to be observed throughout the generations of Israel, to point to something else. It was given as a sign for the people of Israel to know that it was Yehovah who sanctified them. Just as he blessed and sanctified the seventh day after His creative effort in Genesis, the people of Israel were to know that they were sanctified by that same God. In observing His rest, they were intimately connected to Him and sanctified by Him.

In the words of the Bible connected to the Sabbath, we find a most important truth. First, the Sabbath is given in Exodus 20:11 based on the God’s creative efforts. In Deuteronomy 5:15, the Sabbath is given based on God’s act of redemption. And in this verse, it is tied into God’s work of sanctification.

In other words, the work of all three members of the Trinity are tied up in the Sabbath. God the Creator, God the Redeemer, and God the Sanctifier. Matthew Poole notes –

“…the sabbath owns the Lord as our Creator, and as our Redeemer, and as our Sanctifier; and therefore it is no wonder God so severely enjoins the sanctification of the sabbath, and punisheth the neglect of it, it being a tacit renouncing or disowning of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”

14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you.

Of these words, Joseph Benson says –

“…it is designed for your benefit as well as for God’s honour; it shall be accounted holy by you.” Joseph Benson

It is the Lord who sanctifies Israel. The Sabbath is the property of God. For Israel it is the inheritance of God. Therefore, Israel was instructed to keep the Sabbath. The directions for the construction, services, and rites of the sanctuary were based on works. They were to work towards the Sabbath each week, and then rest in honor of the works which were performed, even though the priest’s works continued during Sabbath days.

14 (cont’t) Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death;

To profane the Sabbath means to defile it. That which would defile the Sabbath was defined in the Ten Commandments –

“In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.” Exodus 20:10

Violating these, and any other prohibitions which will be given, would then be considered profaning the Sabbath. However, as we saw in a recent sermon, the priest’s continued to work on the Sabbath and yet they were held guiltless. They did not profane it.

14 (cont’t) for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people.

A distinction is especially made between being put to death and being cut off from the people. A person could be cut off from the people without being put to death. The two are not synonymous. A person who offended in such a way as to put himself out of the covenant was considered an outlaw. He was to be cut off from his people. When the offense affected the nation as a whole, then the person was to be put to death.

When a person defiled the Sabbath, they actually caused more harm than may be realized. If nothing was done about his actions, it might spur others to jealousy who were not making the same money as the one who profited from the Sabbath. Further, it would then spur them on to profane the Sabbath as well, knowing that nothing would be done about their actions.

Eventually, the infection would spread, and the people in general would come to this same conclusion. What was a sign to the people would cease being a sign. They would no longer know that it was the Lord who sanctified them, they would no longer fear the Lord, and they would quickly turn from Him to profane worship. This will be noted later today in a passage from Nehemiah.

I am the Lord who sanctifies you
In Me you shall find your rest
What I look for is faith that is true
And in this, I shall put you to the test

I am the Lord, pay heed unto Me
For I will give you a Day of rest
If you will simply trust, you will see
That in My presence you will be eternally blessed

Come unto Me, you who are weary
And in My presence there will be peaceful rest
Come unto Me, leave your life so dreary
If the land of Paradise-restored is your hope-filled quest

II. A Sabbath of Rest, Holy to the Lord (verses 15-17)

15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord.

These words of verse 15 form the middle of the chiasm. The term Shabbat Shabbaton, or “rest of restfulness,” gives the idea of complete restfulness.  The Pulpit Commentary translates this as, “but in the seventh is complete rest.”

These words, Shabbat Shabbaton, are a particular term used only seven times in Scripture. It is applied to the Sabbath here and two other times – to the Day of Atonement twice in Leviticus, and to the Sabbatical year in Leviticus. Each of these is only a prefiguring shadow of the work of Christ. That the term is mentioned seven times shows us the spiritual perfection of Christ’s work.

The repetition of Shabbat in Shabbat Shabbaton, using an abstract form of the fixed noun, gives the idea of that which is superlative. Thus, the term “high Sabbath” is used of it in John’s gospel. There he says –

“Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” John 19:31

It was a Sabbath, but it also occurred in conjunction with another feast day. Thus John highlighted the day. It truly was the Lord’s Sabbath as He was secreted away in a cave to rest after His great time of work culminating in what we know as the Passion.

In this, it needs to be noted that the life of Israel was working towards a Sabbath. As the verse says, “Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest.” Israel worked and then rested. Just as God worked, and then rested – six followed by one, Israel was to work and then rest – six followed by one.

15 (cont’t) Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

With these words, the chiasm begins its backward descent from the high point of the previous words. This clause forms two separate parts of that chiasm. The first is that of working on the Sabbath; the second is that of being put to death.

The sequence of thought is 1) The infraction – working on the Sabbath; 2) The penalty – mowt yumat, “dying he shall die.” Think about the structure of the chiasm. Line d is an explanatory sentence. Line e is the penalty for the infraction. Line f is what the infraction is.

The first half of the chiasm explains the requirement. It then gives the naming of the punishment first and then the reason for the punishment. The second half of the chiasm does the opposite. It gives the reason for the punishment, then the naming of the punishment, and then the explanatory basis for the sequence.

The middle is the anchor of the two halves.

What is the Lord showing us? If it is about Christ, as we know it is, then there is a reason for the chiastic structure. Keep thinking. The sermon is half over. Until we finish, let’s continue analyzing… The severity of the punishment which is mandated brings a few thoughts to mind. The first is, “Was this punishment ever meted out?”

The answer is that, “Yes, it was.” It is common for a precept to be laid out in the Bible and then an example of punishment for violation to be noted. For the Sabbath, the punishment is recorded in Numbers 14 –

“Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.

35 Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.’” Numbers 14:32-36

The second question is, “Are all violations of this standard which are noted in Scripture handled with the same punishment?” The answer is, “No.” In Nehemiah 13:15, we read –

“In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions.”

The third question is, “Are we today required to observe the Sabbath?” If so, what are we doing in church on Sunday instead of Saturday? That will be answered later.

The fourth question is, “For those who claim that the Sabbath is still in effect, meaning the Jews and aberrant cults like the Seventh Day Adventists and various messianic groups, why are they mandating the word of the Lord concerning the Sabbath, but not upholding the word of the Lord by putting their Sabbath breakers to death?” Is their disobedience in this any less damaging than failing to adhere to the requirement of the Sabbath itself?

16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath

These words correspond to line d on the chiasm. The word “therefore” simply says “and” in the Hebrew. The sentence, although explanatory, is more a reaffirmation of the importance of the requirement than being an overall explanation of what has thus far been said.

Israel is again commanded to keep the Sabbath and to observe the Sabbath. The repetition is a stress in itself. The honoring of the Sabbath was to be as important to them as was life in the day itself. We cherish Today because it is the day we are in. It is the moment in which we exist. The observance of the Sabbath was to be just as important and cherished as that state of existence.

To understand this, I can give the example of what Jim and I do on Saturday. Every Saturday, the two of us, along with Tom Alley, do mission work in the projects. At times, people come along with us. It is not their Saturday except for the Saturday that they come. However, for Tom, Jim, and me – it is our Saturday. To not be there is the exception for us. For any others, to be there is the exception for them. Israel’s Saturday was to be their Sabbath, without exception. And it was to be…

16 (con’t) throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.

These words correspond to line c on the chiasm. Again, the idea of the Sabbath was to continue on for the generations to come. However, as we saw earlier, the idea of something continuing throughout the generations does not mean eternally. There is a point where the practice of these generations was to end.

As long as it was in force, it was however, to be a berith olam, or a covenant perpetual. As long as the generations to whom this requirement was assigned were in existence, the requirement stood. The covenant was made at Sinai and it remained in effect until it was superseded by the New Covenant.

The word olam, or perpetual, gives the idea of “to the vanishing point.” Whatever that point was, it was to continue to it. The same term berith olam, or covenant perpetual, was given to Abraham concerning circumcision, something no longer required.

17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever;

These words correspond to line b on the chiasm. We continue to move away from the middle anchor verse, but the precept remains the same. The rest of the Sabbath is to be an owth, a sign. A sign, as I said, points to something else. It is not the thing itself, but stands as representative of the thing. The rest was to be this sign and it was to be so until the vanishing point.

17 (cont’t) for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,

This is not included in the chiasm, but it explains the final line. In order for there to be rest, there was first work. As God worked six days in creating, Israel was to work six days with the creation. The six days were intended to lead to the anticipated seventh…

17 (con’t) and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”

On the seventh day, the Lord rested. Without a doubt, the Lord, meaning Yehovah, has been seen countless times already to be Jesus. He is the incarnate Word of God. He is the Lord in the flesh. In His creative efforts, He made the heavens and the earth, and then He rested. And along with that, it says He “was refreshed.”

The word is naphash. Literally, “He took breath.” This is the only time the word is used in this remarkable way in the Bible as being ascribed to the Lord. After the immense work of creation, the Lord took time to catch His breath and to admire the handiwork which He had so marvelously brought into existence.

The connection between this line of the chiasm and the first line is that it is the Sabbath which the Lord claims as His, and it is the seventh day on which He took His rest. The two are intimately and intricately tied together.

A time of rest for the weary soul
A time to stop and contemplate Jesus
Our Lord, Our God – our Aim, our Goal
The longing desire for each of us

To rest in Him, sweet and sublime
To be still in His presence, safe and secure
For the ages of ages; for all time
Blessed assurance – holy and pure

Oh! To know Christ and to seek Him more
To ponder His majesty as together we rest
Come to Him all you weak, weary, and poor
Find peace and joy, in His comfort be blessed

III. The Tablets of the Testimony (verse 18)

18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony,

Everything that has been presented since Exodus 25:1 has been for the reception of these two tablets. After the call for the people to provide materials, the very first thing that was described to Moses was the construction of the Ark of the Testimony and then the Mercy seat. In verse 25:16, after the details for the construction of the Ark, it said, “And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you.”

Then again in verse 25:21, after the details were given for the Mercy Seat, the Lord said, “You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you.” Every single thing after that was described for the purpose of building a tabernacle and a sanctuary for these stone tablets and then for the conduct of the services and rites associated with that sanctuary. With that speaking for instruction now complete, it says that the tablets were then given to Moses. These tablets were…

18 (con’t) tablets of stone,

lukhot eben, “tablets of stone.” The fact that they are stone is to give the idea of permanence. What is written on them is fixed and is unchanging. That there were two tablets shows something more though. Two in the Bible is the number of difference. In the number, there is a contrast, and yet there is a confirmation.

The precepts of the Ten Commandments fall under two distinct categories. The first five follow a basic pattern of filial obedience, as children to their parents. The first four were directed to God, but in them and in keeping them, they were as children honoring their heavenly Father. The fifth was specifically in honoring of one’s parents. The second set of five deal with interpersonal relationships between man and his fellow man. The contents contrast, and yet they confirm God’s expectations for man.

These two tablets, which are made of stone and which are to be secreted away in the Ark also have another defining characteristic. These were…

*18 (fin) written with the finger of God.

The tablets themselves were made by God, and the writing upon them, which was set in stone, was written by God. They are the law of God which is set and unchanging. Once written, they are set, fixed, and complete. There were 172 words which detailed God’s expectations for man to live in His presence.

However, that they were stone also showed that they could be broken. The words would still be there, but they would be violated if broken. And in fact, Moses will break the first set. And so a second set will need to be made. However, the second set will be made by Moses. This is recorded in Exodus 34:1 –

“Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke.”

Later, in the same chapter, the Lord writes on those new tablets –

“So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 34:28

In this we are given a picture of our spiritual state. The laws are permanent, but are capable of being broken. And in fact, God knew that man would break them. God created Adam, pictured by the first set of tablets, and Adam broke God’s law.

Moses made the second set, picturing Christ, coming from the stream of humanity, and yet He never broke God’s law. In both, the law was written by God, but only in Christ does the law remain unbroken. Adam Clarke, at least partially picked up on this when he wrote concerning the giving of these tablets to Moses –

“It is evident therefore that this writing was properly and literally the writing of God himself. God wrote now on tables of stone what he had originally written on the heart of man, and in mercy he placed that before his eyes which by sin had been obliterated from his soul; and by this he shows us what, by the Spirit of Christ, must be rewritten in the mind.” Adam Clarke

The giving of this law, at the end of the directions for the sanctuary, is the fulfillment of what the sanctuary anticipated. All of the details looked forward to Christ, but without the law which Christ fulfilled, there would remain an eternal disconnect between God and man. Only when this law was placed in the Ark and covered by the Mercy Seat, could there be a restoration of that fellowship which was lost in Adam.

In the pages of the Bible, we are hardly there yet, but in type, shadow, and picture, we are getting there with each new passage which speaks of Christ, and which is leading us to Him. And so this passage and the chapter close out with these final words. But we are still missing something. We have not yet correctly answered the question which has eluded those great scholars we cited earlier.

“Why was the seemingly disconnected subject of the Sabbath placed here, in the overall theme of the preparation for the Sanctuary? John Lange came very close to answering the enigma when he said –

“It should also be observed that in 35:1 sqq. the command respecting the Sabbath recurs again, and this time precedes the order concerning the erection of the tabernacle. The Sabbath belonged as essentially to the tabernacle and the temple as the Christian Sunday to Christian worship.—A sign between me and you.” John Lange

Just after receiving the details of the sanctuary from the Lord, the subject of the Sabbath is brought up. And then, just prior to Moses conveying the details of the sanctuary which he received, he will say this to the people –

“These are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” Exodus 35:1-3

The Sabbath is being intricately and intimately tied into the sanctuary. The sanctuary is where the Lord is to reside. It signifies that He is dwelling among the people. The greatest punishment of all for Israel was exile from the presence of the Lord. But this is exactly what was promised for disobedience. In that promise the Lord states the following in Leviticus 26:33-35 –

“I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you;
your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.
34 Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land;
then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths.
35 As long as it lies desolate it shall rest—
for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.”

The reason for the Sabbath’s inclusion here is because it, like every other detail which has been given in the past six chapters, ultimately points to Christ – His Person and His work, for us. The chiasm itself hints at this.

In the Old Covenant, man worked and then rested. In the New Covenant, man rests and then works. A picture is made of the process of salvation in the two dispensations. Israel worked six days and then rested on the Sabbath. It was an anticipation of the time of rest which lay ahead when all things would be restored.

With Christ’s coming we rest on the first day of the week in honor of His finished work, and then we conduct our work week. This is why in the first half of the chiasm, line e gives the penalty – death, and then line f gives the reason for the penalty – working on the Sabbath.

Whereas in the second half of the chiasm, the order is reversed. First is noted the reason for the penalty – working, and then is given the penalty – death. Our rest is in Christ and what He has done. We have died to the law; we now live in Christ.

If we work in an attempt to please God, we are cut off from God. But if we accept Christ’s work, we are saved by grace and through faith. Works are excluded. They can only condemn, not save. The book of Hebrews explains the rest of God in great detail. In Chapter 4 we read these words –

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” Hebrews 4:1-5

Speaking of those who had been disobedient, the word says that “They shall not enter My rest.” But for those who have believed, verse 3 says, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.” Everything about the sanctuary centers on Jesus.

All of it points to our return to Eden and into God’s rest which is from the foundation of the world. Now, by faith in Christ we do enter that rest. Like the sanctuary itself, the Sabbath is obsolete because Christ has come. This then explains why the Sabbath is included in these sanctuary instructions. It is a part of the rites of the law; the law is fulfilled; it is set aside.

Because of this, works are excluded. And for those Jews who have missed the grace train, to this day they are still working, having failed to trust in Christ. They exist in this new dispensation, that of grace, and thus are cut off from His provision.

However, the Bible tells us of their coming day of restoration. They will finally, after 2000 years, call on Him as a nation. They will be brought into the covenant, and they will enter their time of rest. This is what we call “the millennium.” In this, we see that the Sabbath is a sign between the Lord and Israel.

The great Sabbath is coming in the final dispensation of time as we know it. The world has been at war and in strife for six thousand years, but when the nation of Israel calls out for their Messiah, He will return to them. The Sabbath is a sign between the Lord and Israel because it pictures something else. It pictures that truly wondrous time on earth when wars will cease, where –

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:6-9

This then explains the rare term of verse 18, naphash. Literally, “He took breath.” The Lord will sit on His throne in Jerusalem and will take His breath. His work will be fully complete in the restoration of all things for that marvelous millennial period.

This, however, also explains why the priests were held guiltless, even when working on the Sabbath. It pictures Christ’s continued role, at all times, as our great High Priest. The priests of Old, only pointed to the true Priest – Christ. Insightfully, Matthew Poole shows that the Sabbath of Israel was a fivefold sign to Israel –

  1. Commemorative, of God’s creation of and dominion over them and all other things.
    2. Indicative, showing that they were made to be holy, and that their sanctification can be had from none but from God.
    3. Distinctive, whereby they owned themselves to be the Lord’s peculiar people.
    4. Prefigurative, of that rest which Christ should purchase for them.
    5. Confirmative, both assuring them of God’s good will to them, and that as he blessed the sabbath for their sakes, so he would bless them in the holy use of it with temporal, spiritual, and everlasting blessings. Matthew Poole (amended)

He noted that it was only prefigurative of Christ and the rest that He would purchase for them. We are still awaiting the day when they will see this, but maybe one of you has yet to receive it as well. He has already done the work. All we need to do is simply reach out by faith and grab it.

If you are here and feel that you have to somehow merit God’s favor by some work or another, the Bible shows that you have missed the mark. God has done the work in Christ. Trust in that and be found pleasing to God by simple belief in His mighty deeds, accomplished by Christ and just for you…

Closing Verse: So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 2:16, 17

Next Week: Exodus 32:1-10 Worshipping anything but the Lord will leave you baron… (The Golden Calf – The Testing of Aaron) (89th Exodus sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Law of the Sabbath

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He was relaying

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying:
Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, so shall it be
For it is a sign between Me and you
Throughout your generations, as commanded by Me

That you may know that I am the Lord
Who sanctifies you, and so pay heed to My word

You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore
For it is holy to you
Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death
This is what you are to do

For whoever does any work on it
That person shall be cut off from among his people
So to you I submit

Work shall be done for six days
But the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord
Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day
He shall surely be put to death, according to My word

Therefore the children of Israel
Shall keep the Sabbath, so shall they do
To observe the Sabbath throughout their generations
As a perpetual covenant; a covenant between Me and you

It is a sign between Me
And the children of Israel forever; thus we are enmeshed
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth
And on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed

And when He had made an end
Of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, no more could Moses linger
He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony
Tablets of stone, written with God’s finger

O God, again we come to Your word
To search it out for what You would of us expect
And in so searching we find our precious Lord
And in Him, only grace and mercy can we detect

For those who have trusted in Jesus
We have the surest hope of all
Magnificent, wondrous things He has done for us
Because upon His precious name, we did call

How can such love be, O God?
Surely it is exceeds heaven’s highest height
And so for sending Jesus we joyously applaud
Because through Him, all things are new –
Once again all things are right

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 29:38-46 (I Will Dwell Among Them and be Their God)

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Exodus 29:38-46
I Will Dwell among Them and be Their God

If you’ve read through the Old Testament, you may have gotten kind of tired of all the offerings that are mandated in it, especially in Exodus and Leviticus. I actually had a friend quit reading the Bible because of them. It seemed brutal, pointless, and overly excessive to her.

Reading the pages one after another and not understanding what is actually going on can certainly lead to that kind of conclusion. Be honest, it seems tedious at times, doesn’t it? Even the Lord said that he had had enough of Israel’s burnt offerings. If you don’t believe me, check Isaiah 1:11.

But the reason was because of the manner in which they were offered, not because it wasn’t the right thing to do. The Lord had called Israel and had given them these rules for a reason. It was first so that they would be His people and He would be their God. There was to be communion with Him through their offerings.

But they got to the point where communing with God was a chore and not a joy. They mechanically offered what the law required and there was no true fellowship in what they did. The second reason for the required offerings was to show us something else. These offerings under the law, like every other detail of what we have seen, were given as a type and shadow of Christ to come.

I know that the thought of analyzing a bunch of sacrifices and offerings may seem dull, but its not. If you still aren’t impressed with the verses ahead when we get done today, I’ll give you a full refund on your time. But I just don’t believe you will ask for it. If you truly love what Christ has done, then those things which picture Him will be worth the time you spend looking into them.

Text Verse: For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”2 Corinthians 6:16

The Lord said in our sermon verses today that he would dwell among the children of Israel and that He would be their God. He said in 2 Corinthians 6 that He would dwell among us and be our God. Doesn’t that at all get your curiosity up? How do the two accounts tie together? How can the morning and evening sacrifices of ancient Israel point us to our current position with God?

Well, stay awake and pay attention for the next 30 or 40 minutes and you’ll see. One thing is for sure, we can’t find out if we don’t open the book and study it. 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. A Lamb, Morning and Evening (verses 38 & 39)

38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar:

The consecration of the altar was explained in the previous verses, especially in verses 36 and 37. Now, immediately following that description, the account moves directly into the establishment of the daily offerings to be made on the altar.

The purpose of the ordination rites which were described, both for the priests and for this altar, is explained in these verses today. They are the end design to which that ordination is subservient, which is the worship of God and an acknowledgment to Him that all things come from Him.

It would make no sense to ordain the priests and consecrate the altar if there was not an ultimate purpose for their ordination and its consecration. Therefore, it shows that the intent for those consecrations find their fulfillment in what will now be described.

No exception is given here, or anywhere else, concerning relief from these offerings. Even if the land were completely deprived of food or animals, these would still be required because God, being the Source of all things, was to be acknowledged for being the provider or withholder of those things for the people.

His grace could be anticipated if these offerings were made, but even if it was withheld, they were still to be given in petition for mercy. To refuse to offer them as instructed would first be a violation of the covenant, and secondly a stubborn refusal to acknowledge the sovereignty of God who controls the nations and who directs the destiny of Israel.

The life of the people belonged to the Lord, and therefore, these sacrificial animals stood as representative of their lives being offered daily to him. These offerings then could be summed up by Paul from his words in Romans 12 –

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1, 2

This mandate will continue throughout the duration of the Old Covenant. Even until the time of Christ, these offerings were made. At His coming, they were made obsolete, but they continued on until the destruction of the temple in AD70.

The re-establishment of them is being planned right now, but this doesn’t mean they will be acceptable to God. Rather, they are a part of what God has said would come in the final 7 years of the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. However, these offerings were so especially important to the covenant while it was in effect, that we read this in Ezra 3 –

“From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, although the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid.” Ezra 3:6

Even before the laying of the foundation of the second temple, the daily offerings prescribed here were initiated. The same will probably be true with the reestablishment of the offerings in the coming of the next temple. As we will see though, the offerings only picture the coming work of Christ. In Him, they are fulfilled and set aside.

38 (con’t) two lambs of the first year,

The words read, kebasim bene shanah shnayim – “lambs, sons of the year, two.” These lambs were to be young, in the first year, picturing innocence. A lamb of any age is a beautiful picture of innocence, but one of the first year is especially so. It’s hard to imagine sacrificing such a pure and unstained animal.

However, it needs to be considered that it is the Lord who is mandating the sacrifice. As He is the Creator of the lamb, then it is His prerogative to stipulate whatever animal He chooses. In selecting a young, tender, and innocent lamb, He was making a picture of His own Son to come.

Every single day, 360 days a year, and therefore 720 times, these young lambs were sacrificed in anticipation of the day when the pure, perfect, and innocent Son of God would be sacrificed. These lambs then only prefigure His perfect innocence, and His infinite tenderness.

Lambs are not rebellious, but submissive animals. They don’t fight even as they go to their deaths, but rather they remain silent. They will willingly go where the master leads them. Such an animal then made a perfect picture of Christ who voluntarily submitted to His Father’s will and who did not fight or speak against the authority that came to take His life.

Lambs further picture many of His other endearing attributes of harmlessness to those He died for, His humility even toward those who cared nothing for Him, His patience towards the objects of His wrath, and they even emulate Christ in that lambs are useful for both food and clothing.

For those who partake of Him, He is their food. And for those who receive Him, He is their unstained white garment of righteousness. The sacrifice of these lambs was to be a twice-daily anticipation of many of the good things to come in Jesus Christ the Lord.

One more aspect of them is actually not yet recorded. However, in Numbers 28:3, it is added into the details where it says, “two male lambs in their first year without blemish.” Not only were these to be innocent lambs which were to be sacrificed to the Lord, but they were to be without blemish.

These then picture Christ as anticipated by Isaiah with the words that “He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.” Peter then further refines the image in the New Testament –

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:17-19

38 (con’t) day by day continually.

la’yom tamid – ” daily continually.” From the first day that they were to be offered, until whatever point set by God in His eternal counsel, these offerings were to be made continually and without interruption.

If a war raged around Jerusalem, and the walls were ready to be breached, the offering was not to be withheld from the Lord. If the rains poured down, or if the snow piled deep, the offering was to continue unabated. God did not delay in offering His Son; Israel was not to delay in offering what merely pictured His coming.

The idea for Israel was first to understand that they continuously contracted new defilement which offended the Lord. And so daily they needed His pardon in order for them to continue before Him. Secondly, it was to show them that the worship of Him wasn’t to be limited to a Sabbath day or one of the set feast days, but it was to continue on at all times, and every day of the year.

39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning,

ha’kebes ha’echad taaseh ba’boqer – “the lamb the one you shall offer in the morning.” The first lamb was to be taken and sacrificed as an offering in the morning. There is a lesson for Israel to consider in this act, but there is also a picture of the Christ to come. In a moment we will look at both, but only after seeing what occurs with the second lamb…

39 (con’t) and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.

v’eth ha’kebes ha’shnei taaseh ben ha’arbayim – “and the lamb the second you shall offer between the evenings.” The second lamb was to be sacrificed at a particular time which would later become known as the time of the evening offering, or even simply as the time of the offering. This is found, for example, in the great challenge between the 450 prophets of Baal and Elijah –

“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.'” 1 Kings 18:36, 37

This time became so important to the Jews, that even during exile when the sacrifices had stopped being made, those who were observant still used that time of day to make a sacrifice of prayer, petition, and praise to God. This is seen, for example, in Daniel 9 –

“Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.” Daniel 9:20, 21

For the people of Israel, these two daily sacrifices were to be a reminder of the sin-debt they incurred each night, necessitating a morning sacrifice, and the sin-debt they incurred each day, necessitating an evening sacrifice. An innocent died each morning and each evening as a symbolic reminder of the mercy of God towards them.

Thus, the nation was given a reminder to rededicate itself to the Lord morning by morning and evening by evening. They were to offer themselves as that reasonable living sacrifice that Paul later tells us in the church to be.

The only difference is that instead of considering the death of an innocent little lamb, we are to consider the death of the Lamb of God. How much more then should we treat the offering as holy and worthy of our fullest attention and devotion!

Just as Peter equated Christ with these innocent lambs of the morning and evening sacrifice, Paul asks us to consider our own selves in a similar light, being holy and without spot or blemish –

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27

But there is more in this verse to consider. The Hebrew term here is ben ha’arbayim – “between the evenings.” It seems like a perplexing phrase, but one has to consider biblical time. According to the Bible, a day is divided into “evening” and “morning.” Thus there are actually two evenings to be reckoned. The first began after twelve and went through until sunset.

The second evening began at sunset and continued till night, meaning the whole time of twilight. This would therefore be between twelve o’clock and the termination of twilight. Between the evenings then is a phrase which allows the three o’clock sacrifices at the temple to be considered as the evening sacrifice even though to us it would be considered an afternoon sacrifice.

The sacrifice of these two lambs then, one in the morning and one “between the evenings,” meaning at 3pm, then picture the work of Christ on His final day. His final daylight hours are exactingly recorded in the gospels. Luke says this concerning the time which parallels that of the morning sacrifice mandated here in Exodus –

“As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 ‘If You are the Christ, tell us.'” Luke 22:66

And again, Luke tells us of the ending of this day of brutality, torture, and death –

“Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:44-46

The same time that Christ began his last day there in front of the chief priests and scribes, the morning offering was being made. And the same time that Christ died on the cross, which is carefully and meticulously recorded in the gospels, was the same time that the evening sacrifice was being made – the sixth hour, or 3pm.

God, knowing in advance of what was to come in the final day of Christ’s earthly ministry in fulfillment of the law, ensured that these two lambs would be sacrificed, day after day and year after year, as a picture of the ultimate sacrifice of His own precious Son.

Now, in the remembrance of the Day, and in the life which was given for us, we can press on in the full assurance that morning by morning and day by day our sins are truly removed and God’s mercy is granted in all its fullness to us. As Christ offered Himself once for all, He is literally therefore a continual sacrifice for us.

What these continual day by day offerings pictured is what we have realized in the absolute sense through our receiving of Christ Jesus the Lord. Because of this, how much more should we be like Daniel and offer our own spiritual sacrifices of prayer, praise, and petition to God both morning and evening and at all times in between. As Matthew Henry says –

“Our daily devotions are the most needful of our daily works, and the most pleasant of our daily comforts. Prayer-time must be kept up as duly as meal-time. Those starve their own souls, who keep not up constant attendance on the throne of grace; constancy in religion brings in the comfort of it.”

A Lamb, spotless, and pure – without any defect
Will be sacrificed in my place
And looking at that Lamb, I can certainly detect
The greatest love and grace… this I see looking upon His face

Oh! That I could refrain and not see Him die
Oh! If there could be any other way
How could this Lamb go through with it for one such as I?
Oh God! This perfect Lamb alone my sin-debt can pay

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Behold the sinless One, there on Calvary’s tree
He has prevailed and the path to heaven has been unfurled
The Lamb of God who died for sinners like you and me

II. Sanctified by Glory (verses 40-43)

40 With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour

Along with the lambs, other offerings were to be presented. The first such named offering says, v’issaron solet, “and one-tenth of flour.” From later verses, we know it is one-tenth of an ephah of flour. This is the first time that a division of tens is indicated in the Bible using the word issaron, or “the tenth part.”

An ephah is believed to be around 4 1/2 gallons, and so 1/10th of that would be a bit more than 3 lbs of flour. Elsewhere, the tenth part of the ephah is specifically known as an omer. This was to be presented with the first lamb each day. With this it was to be…

40 (con’t) mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil,

The ephah is a measure of dry goods; the hin, now introduced into the Bible, is a measure for liquids. It is believed to be a word of Egyptian origin. Although not certain, a hin is reckoned at about 3/4 of a gallon and so 1/4 of a hin is somewhere around a pint, maybe 1 1/2 pints.

There is to be 1/4  of a hin of shemen kathith or “oil pressed.” The word kathith is used for the second of just five times. It indicates something beaten. It is only used in connection with the olives that have been made into oil. This oil was to be mixed in with the flour and presented as a daily offering along with the first lamb.

The flour is an obvious picture of Christ, the Bread of life, who came down from heaven. It was a reminder that day by day we are to dine on Christ. He is our sustenance and that which nourishes us. The oil from beaten olive pictures the anointing of the Spirit upon Him which was suitable to carry Him through the suffering and trials that He endured.

Together, they made a tasteful food offering to God, just as Christ crucified became our Bread of life. As He is our spiritual meal, then we can and will be able to endure whatever trial or suffering we too may face.

40 (con’t) and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering.

The same amount of wine as oil was to be presented to the Lord. However, this was not mixed with the bread, but was poured out as a drink offering. The word for “wine” here is yayin. It is a common word for wine, which was used ten times in Genesis, but is seen just this once in all of Exodus.

It comes from an unused root meaning “to effervesce.” Thus it indicates fermented wine. It is to be considered wine which has alcohol content to it, thus banqueting wine. This is only the second time that a drink offering has been mentioned in Scripture. The first was after Jacob’s night, sleeping on the stone when he had his heavenly dream in Genesis 35 –

“So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.”

Like that drink offering, these were to be wholly poured out to the Lord. The Pulpit Commentary disagrees. They say –

“The application of the “drink-offerings” is uncertain. Josephus says (Ant. Jud. 3:9, § 4) that they were poured out round the brazen altar. But the analogy of the “meat offering” makes it probable that a portion only was thus treated, while the greater part belonged to the priests. In the entire provision by which burnt and peace-offering were to be necessarily accompanied with meat-offerings and drink-offerings, we can scarcely be wrong in seeing an arrangement made especially for the convenience of the priests.” Pulpit Commentary

This is entirely incorrect. The wine contains alcohol content. This was forbidden for the priests to consume during the time they ministered in their duties. This is seen in Leviticus 10:8-11 –

“Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying: 9 ‘Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations, 10 that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean, 11 and that you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses.'”

There was no prohibition, on the priests or anyone else in Israel, concerning alcohol consumption with but two exceptions. The restriction for the priests as they ministered, and for the Nazirite during the time of a vow, are the only times it is forbidden.

The pouring out of the drink offering signifies the pouring out of the life-blood of Christ for the remission of sins. There is no way God would allow the priests to consume such an offering. In this act can be seen a secondary picture of the outpouring of His love in the offering up of Himself. The three offerings of the lamb, the meal offering, and the wine produce a marvelous picture of a banquet of Christ’s life presented to God and for man.

But for Israel of old, they could only speculate on the meanings of these things. For them, the sacrifice and accompanying offerings would simply be signs of gratitude to God for His everlasting mercies. They would also be a faithful, twice-daily acknowledgment of His protective care and enduring love.

41 And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;

As was noted in the last clause of verse 39, the second lamb was to be offered “at twilight” or literally, “between the evenings” at the time that Christ gave up His spirit on the cross of Calvary. As John Lang describes the two sacrifices –

“The morning sacrifice made atonement for the sins committed in the night, and the evening sacrifice expiated the sins committed during the day.”

This is true in a sense and thus it pictures a continual purification from sin for the people, day unto day and night unto night. As this was merely a picture of Christ to come, in its fullest sense it symbolizes the full atonement and complete expiation of sins for any and all who have received what His life and work offers. Along with this second lamb, there were also other offerings…

41 (con’t) and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning,

The same procedure was to be followed for the bread, oil, and wine in the evening as was conducted in the morning. The cycle was complete in the two sacrifices each day, and the cycle of our redemption was complete beginning on that Friday morning so long ago in Jerusalem and ending at 3pm that same afternoon.

41 (con’t) for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

It should be noted that together, the two offerings are described in this one clause. In other words, the two sacrifices, though separate, actually comprise one whole. Only together do they form to make a complete offering to the Lord. Why is it noted this way?

It is for three specific reasons. The first deals with Israel. These two sacrifices combined were intended to show Israel that they were to consecrate their lives each day anew unto the Lord. So that the entirety of their lives would be included, the two offerings were made continually, both morning and evening.

As long as the law existed, the requirement was to be Israel’s reminder of their consecrated status as the Lord’s holy people. Secondly, they are mentioned together because only together do they picture the final day of the Lord’s earthly ministry before and up to His death.

And so thirdly, they now form for us what Israel only saw in the earthly sacrifices. We are to consecrate our lives each day anew unto the Lord. This is so that the entirety of our lives will be included. The complete and finished work of Christ is to be our constant reminder, both morning and evening.

42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations

The words of the previous clause, “a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire” in Hebrew are masculine. And yet, combined they are call now “a burnt offering.” This is feminine and so it appears there is a gender discord, but this is what Keil calls an ad sensum.

This is “a grammatical construction in which a word takes the gender or number not of the word with which it should regularly agree, but of some other word implied in that word” (Wikipedia). There is a precision of thought and intent in the original which is not seen in our translations.

And now once again, the word tamid, or “continuously” is repeated from verse 38. The offerings were to be perpetual, but it cannot be said forever. They were to continue only as long as the law, for which they were mandated, was in effect.

As a point of doctrine then, it should be noted to those who perpetually reinsert precepts from the law into their Christian doctrine, that they are actually in violation of the law which they insist upon. If the law is in effect, then the sacrifices must be made.

After the consecration of Aaron and his sons, this is the first point that has been considered. It is a continual, or perpetual, statute for the time of the law. If the law is in effect, in any part, then this part must be followed through with. Thus, it is both ridiculous and absurd to assume that one can pick and choose what parts of the Mosaic Law they will adhere to.

It is an all-or-nothing thing. To go with the “all” can only mean condemnation. To go with the “nothing” means a full and complete trusting in Christ alone, of whom each of these things only picture. If you are sticking to precepts of the law – be they tithing or not eating pork – or any other part of the law, in hopes of pleasing God, you are not only failing, you are disgracing the work of His Son and offending Him.

42 (con’t) at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord,

This translation is incorrect in part. It is the door of the tent of meeting, not tabernacle. However, the KJV does even worse by calling it the “tabernacle of the congregation.” This is entirely incorrect. It is ohel moed – the tent of meeting.

They have made the assumption that this is speaking of the door of the courtyard where the altar is more closely placed, but this is not correct. The sacrifices are said to be “at the door of the tent of meeting before the Lord.” This is speaking of the door to the tent of meeting, even though the altar isn’t placed in that exact spot.

The door for the tent is the word pethakh. The gate of the courtyard is the word shaar. They are two entirely different words describing two different things. It is the altar before the door of the tent of meeting where the Lord would meet with the people and commune with them. This is seen in the next words…

42 (con’t) where I will meet you to speak with you.

Most translations do not give a good sense of these words because of our modern use of the word “you.” It says, asher ivaed lakhem shammah l’dabber elekha sham – “where I will meet with you (plural) and speak with you (singular). The reason for the wording is explained quite well by Charles Ellicott –

“This passage determines the meaning of the expression, ‘tent of meeting.’ It was not the place where the congregation met together, for the congregation were forbidden to enter it, but the place where God met His people through their mediator and representative, the high priest, who could there commune with God and obtain replies from Him on all practical matters that were of national importance. … The fact that all communication was to be through the high priest is indicated by the change of person.”

The words in today’s passage have been exceptionally precise and take great thought and consideration to understand. If you try, you can see what is going on rather clearly. Christ is the Altar. Christ is the offerings. Christ is the High Priest. Christ is the Door. Christ is all of these things. Therefore, the Lord is saying that He will speak to us (plural) through Him (singular).

Everything about this edifice, the offerings, the exquisite wording that is used… all of it is intended for us to see the Person and work of Christ for us – both past, present, and on-going – even until forever. This is seen in the next words as well…

43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel,

It is through the entire process of what is being described that the Lord promises to meet with the children of Israel. They meet with Him through the sacrifices and offerings. They meet with him at the altar on which they are made. They meet with him through Aaron and the priests. There in the place, the rituals, and the people, the Lord says that He will meet with the children of Israel

43 (con’t) and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.

In this clause, the words “the tabernacle” are inserted by the translators for either your benefit or as an error. All it says is, v’niqdash bikbodi – “…and I will sanctify by My glory.” The question is, “What will the Lord sanctify by His glory?” Of 20 English translations, here are the options – “the place,” “it,” “the tabernacle,” “that place,” “the Tent,” and “the altar.” Anyone?

The answer is “None of the above.” The tent, the altar, and Aaron and his sons are all mentioned in the next verse as being consecrated. The only entity mentioned in this verse is Israel. It is Israel which is sanctified by the glory of the Lord that is being referred to here. This is later explained explicitly in Ezekiel 37 with these words –

“My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:27-29

In the New Testament, it is Christ who is said to sanctify the people. As each implement, each rite, and each position of the tabernacle merely points to Christ, then this is speaking first and foremost of the people who are sanctified by Him.

This is a higher and more perfect sanctification than the law could ever provide. It is a sanctification which proceeds from the Lord Himself. It is the people who are being sanctified by His glory personally, represented by the various things around them by which they draw near to God.

It is I who consecrates Israel
It is by My glory that this is so
And it is I who can consecrate You as well
To you My holiness I will show

For those who call out from Egypt’s chains
I will respond and break them free
Nothing of the previous bondage now remains
For those who have been released by Me

I am the Lord who sanctifies His people
It is by My glory that this is so
So let them sing their praises from under the steeple
They are mine; let the world know

III. I am the Lord Their God (verses 44-46)

44 So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.

Only after noting that He would sanctify the people of Israel does it now mention sanctification of the list of things which allow for the ministering of the people. Further, it is in the future tense, “And I will consecrate…” It is another indication that what was said in the previous verse is wholly separate from that which is being referred to now.

This is why it is so disastrous to read and be captivated by a single translation of the Bible. Man is fallible and the insertions are man’s fallible words, often incorrectly rendered. This is perfectly evident, once again, even in this verse which the NKJV translates at “tabernacle.” Again, it is the ohel, or tent of meeting and the altar which are first noted as to be sanctified.

44 (con’t) I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests.

After the edifice, only then are Aaron and his sons mentioned as to be sanctified by the Lord. As they are a part of the people of Israel, it is logical that they would be mentioned after the tent and the altar if the previous verse was speaking of Israel as a whole.

The separation between the clauses shows that verse 43 refers to the people of Israel. This will become fully evident in the next verse, but before going there, Adam Clarke’s words on this verse, in relation to the ordaining of men as ministers, is worthy of note –

“From this, as well as from many other things mentioned in the sacred writings, we may safely infer that no designation by man only is sufficient to qualify any person to fill the office of a minister of the sanctuary. The approbation and consecration of man have both their propriety and use, but must never be made substitutes for the unction and inspiration of the Almighty. Let holy men ordain, but let God sanctify; then we may expect that his Church shall be built up on its most holy faith.”

The lesson in Clarke’s words has been borne out thousands of times throughout the years. Man ordains, but only God sanctifies. How many pastors and preachers have been ordained by man, but have had no sanctification by God’s Spirit. Hence, it is never wise to put faith in a title such as pope, priest, pastor, or preacher.

Rather, we are to put our faith in God and inspect the man as to whether he is endowed with God’s approval or not. And the only way to do that is to see if he lives in accord with the word which He has given us.

45 I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.

As I said a minute ago, the structure of how these verses are put together shows us that verse 43 was speaking of Israel. There is a chiastic structure in verses 43-45 which allows us to see this –

And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and they shall be sanctified by My glory.
So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.
I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests.
I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.

The Lord promises to meet with the children of Israel and to sanctify them by His glory. Therefore, He will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. The center of the verses speaks of the tent, the altar, Aaron, and his sons. Each of these has pictured Christ.

Therefore, we can see the picture revealed for us in the church now. Through Christ, in all of His many roles, God meets with us, sanctifies us, dwells with us, and is pleased to call Himself our God. As I said earlier, the passage today is exquisitely structured and the wording is exactingly precise.

Who would have thought when we started through them less than an hour ago that such marvelous treats would be seen in them! And yet, you are learning what so very few people have ever taken the time to learn. Like Israel of old, for us today, it is Christ who directs us, it is He who saves us, it is He who sustains us, it is He who enlightens us, it is He who defends us, and it is He who loves us enough to dwell among us.

In these verses, you are experiencing marvelous depths of wonder that are hardly ever plumbed. You are finding Christ through the revealed mind of God. Be pleased to revel in Him because through these words, there is wonderful assurance…

46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God,

It is through Christ who sanctifies His people that we can know Yehovah our God. It is He who dwells among us and who lives in us by His good Spirit. It is by no other name that we can identify with God in this unique, personal, and intimate way.

In the tabernacle, the people saw the working of God and for God. It was through these types and shadows that they could say, “Here is the Lord our God.” As these types and shadows look forward to Christ, then when we see their fulfillment in Him, we can – and without any reservation at all – say, “Here is the Lord our God.”

God has given us the Old only to point us to the New. Let us never squander our rightful position by deferring to the Old and trusting in our own deeds of the law in order to do what Christ has already accomplished and set aside.

46 (con’t) who brought them up out of the land of Egypt,

It is through the sanctification of Israel and all that went along with it that they would know the Lord “who brought them up out of the land of Egypt.” In other words, it is not through the tabernacle itself, nor the altar, nor Aaron that they would know this, but through their sanctification.

This is why the Lord ties this knowledge of Him in with being brought out of Egypt. Otherwise, it makes no sense. The tabernacle was replaced with the temple. The people were exiled to Babylon, the priestly line stopped its sacrifices and offerings, and yet they never forgot that it was the Lord who dwelt among them who brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Thus, we need to remember what Egypt only pictured – our life of sin. We don’t have an altar; we don’t have a tent; we don’t have a high priest. Rather we have the Altar; we have the Tent; and we have the High Priest. All capitals there folks! We have Jesus, the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. It is He who brought us up out of the Land of Egypt and He did it for a most marvelous purpose…

46 (con’t) that I may dwell among them.

Until Christ died for us, we could not be justified. Until we received His work, we remained apart from Him and separate from the covenant promises. But when we called out to Him from our state of bondage, He made another entry on the rolls of heaven’s scroll. He set another space at the heavenly banquet table, and He added on another room to the glorious dwelling where we will reside with Him for all eternity.

But He also gave us of His Spirit so that even now He dwells with us. What Israel realized in type and shadow, we realize in spirit and in truth. We have the fullness of what God offers when He said that He will dwell among us. We have the true Tent, our Lord Jesus Christ. And because we have Christ, we have the absolute fullness of our final words of the day…

*46 (fin) I am the Lord their God.

Ani Yehovah elohehem. If there is one truth which absolutely must be stated again and again and again, it is that Jesus Christ is Yehovah Elohim. He is the Lord God. This is so absolutely evident in Scripture that it takes the very hardest of hearts, or the very dullest of minds to deny it.

Throughout the entire chapter, we have seen literally dozens if not hundreds of pictures of Christ. In today’s nine verses, we have seen countless more. God is calling out through His word to show us what was, what He has done, and what will be in what He will do.

And every single detail of it hinges on our acceptance that He personally stepped out of His eternal realm and united with His creation in order to redeem us from Egypt, our place of bondage to the devil and sin. In that act, He again becomes the Lord our God.

And as certain as any other truth found in the Bible, if we fail to accept that and to receive Him as our Savior, we remain under the devil’s power. The little lambs whose life blood ebbed away at the altar of sacrifice each day make people cringe at the brutality of God who would allow such a thing.

And yet, those innocent little lives were given as a mere type and shadow of something far more precious, and infinitely more valuable. The love of God for humanity impelled Him to do what He did. This is how much He loves the work of His hands, and this is the amazing length that He would go to in order to once again fellowship with us. Through the cross of Christ, God is calling out to you. Will you respond? Call on Christ; marvelous things lie ahead if you do.

Closing Verse: “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.'” Revelation 21:3

Next Week: Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 Our lives are such a very short span… (The Brevity of Man)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

I Will Dwell among Them and be Their God

Now this is what you shall offer on the altar:
Two lambs of the first year
Day by day continually, in this do not falter

One lamb you shall offer in the morning so bright
And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight

With the one lamb shall be
One-tenth of an ephah of flour, such is the proffering
Mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil
And one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering

And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight
And you shall offer with it the grain offering, as to My word
And the drink offering, as in the morning
For a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord

This shall be a continual burnt offering
Throughout your generations, so you shall do
At the door of the tabernacle of meeting
Before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you

And there I will meet with the children of Israel, where I abide
And the tabernacle shall by My glory be sanctified

So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar too
I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons
To minister to Me as priests, so shall I do

I will dwell among the children of Israel
And will be their God, as I to you now tell

And they shall know that I am the Lord their God
Who brought them up out of Egypt the land
That I may dwell among them
I am the Lord their God, so they shall understand

Surely You are holy, O God
And this is what You expect also from us
But even now You have accepted us while on this earth we trod
Because of the imputed righteousness of Jesus

How can such a marvelous thing as this be?
That You have granted us to again fellowship with You
Thank You, O God for Jesus, the Lord of glory
Who, through His shed blood has made all things new

And so in His name to You we give our praise
And so shall it be forever and ever, even unto eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Exodus 29:26-37 (The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons – Part III)

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Exodus 29:26-37
The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons, Part III

We go to the mechanic from time to time to get our car tuned up. Only a dummy would think, “I sure am glad I’m getting this done. Now I’ll never have to come here again.” No. Rather, we get a tune up from time to time in order to keep the car running properly. If for no other reason than a funny clunking sound, we eventually have to go in again for more work.

Some of us have regular intervals we go in. That way, we stay ahead of the game. We are proactive in our mechanical needs. Some of us aren’t so careful and it is the clunking sound that forces us back to the shop. No matter what, we know we will eventually have to go.

In Israel, every time people came to the temple to sacrifice, it reminded them of their sin. It had to be so. They placed their hands on an animal and confessed their transgressions over it. After that, the animal’s throat was cut and its blood was poured out.

Even if they didn’t believe that they deserved what the animal got; even if they didn’t think of themselves as sinful; they were still reminded that the God who they had come to thought they were. There could be no mistaking this as the thing twitched and writhed until it was emptied of its life blood.

These sacrifices were there to remind them of this. And they were required often enough that they were never to forget it. Each year, they would go to Jerusalem on the Day of Atonement. They would also make sacrifices at other times and for other reasons. Each time they made one, they could think, “Gee, I did this before and here I am again. I guess I must need a spiritual tune up.”

The best part about Jesus, if we actually believe His word, is that we have received a permanent tune up – at least concerning the sin-debt that we owe. Aaron and his sons are being consecrated in order to begin a priesthood that would require constant tunes up for the people it served. This included them as well. But Christ, has a priesthood far, far superior to that…

Text Verse: “‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” Hebrews 10:16, 17

It is a marvel and a wonder. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice took care of the sin debt once and forever. It is, as He said with His dying words on the cross… FINISHED. Now in Christ, there is a remission of sin and there is no longer an offering for sin. We have full pardon, full redemption, and eternal salvation.

As we continue with the consecration rites which will be expected for Aaron and his sons, let us remember this. 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 Wave and the Heave Offerings (verses 26-28)

26 “Then you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord;

The ram of the consecration, or literally, the ram of the filling, which began to be detailed in verse 19 last week continues to be described here. Its breast was to be taken and waved before the Lord as a wave offering.

The term for “breast” which is khazeh, is used now for the first of thirteen times. All will be in Exodus through Numbers. 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. This particular part of the animal has a special significance and was to therefore now be waved before the Lord.

26 (con’t) and it shall be your portion.

This breast which had been waved was to be given to Moses as his “portion.” Here another new word is brought in translated as “portion.” It is manah. It is a noun from a verb which means “to appoint;” thus it is an assigned portion. This word is used, for example, in the tender account of Elkanah and his beloved Hannah which is found in 1 Samuel 1 –

“And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb.” 1 Samuel 1:4, 5

The Lord now tells Moses that this breast was to be his. However, later, this same breast which is waved will belong to Aaron and his sons. This is recorded in Leviticus 7:28-32 –

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 29 ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offering to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offering. 30 His own hands shall bring the offerings made by fire to the Lord. The fat with the breast he shall bring, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. 31 And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. 32 Also the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings.'”

As this is later to be the portion of the priestly line, then we are being shown two things right now. The first is that Moses is acting as the priest in order to establish the priesthood. He is receiving priestly wages for his work.

The second is a logical deduction which can be made from the rite. It is that this is a fallible priesthood which is initiated by a fallible man in the consecration of other fallible men. If they are imperfect, then the law which they minister cannot perfect anyone.

As this is so, then it by necessity must be a temporary priesthood. And if a temporary priesthood, then the law to which they minister must also be temporary. The law which so many confused Christians return to in order to attempt to be pleasing to God is a law of imperfection.

How good it would be for us to simply trust in the greater priesthood of Christ which came through His perfect work. Here, even before the beginning of the Aaronic priesthood, we can learn so much if we will just open our ears, pay heed with our minds, and attend to what the rest of the Bible says about these things!

27 And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons.

There are two actions which can occur with an offering. One is to wave it. A wave offering is moved backwards and forwards and horizontally. This signifies the four directions – north, south, east, and west. This is what was done with the breast. In this type of offering a picture of the cross of Christ is formed.

A heave offering is an offering which is lifted upwards in a single motion. This is what occurred with the thigh. In this is a picture of Christ on the cross. The same word, rum, that is used to describe this offering is used to describe the work of Christ in Isaiah 52 –

“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently;
He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.” Isaiah 52:13

As you can see, each has its own significance, and each pointed to the work of Christ. Every offering of this type, for generation after generation was simply a foreshadowing of the coming work of the Lord. Of this verse and the next verse, the liberal dolts at Cambridge state the following –

“The verses (which do not agree with vv. 22, 24; for the thigh which was there burnt on the altar is here to be the perquisite of the priests) are probably a later insertion, correcting v. 26, and harmonizing (though imperfectly) vv. 22, 25 with the practice that was usual in the case of a peace-offering, viz. for the priests to receive both the breast and the right thigh…” Dolts at Cambridge

In other words, these liberal scholars see this verse as being in error and inserted afterwards in order to harmonize the instructions with what would later occur with all such offerings. Verses 22 and 24 show that the right thigh was to be burned on the altar as a sweet aroma before the Lord.

In not understanding the intent of this verse, they make the immediate assumption that it is in error because it now says that the right thigh was to be given to Aaron and his sons. If it was burned on the altar, then how could it have been given to Aaron and his sons? But they are incorrect in their analysis.

If one refers to the actual ordination of Aaron and his sons in Leviticus 8, it is evident that burning the thigh of the consecration  is exactly.what.does.occur –

“And Moses sprinkled the blood all around on the altar. 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; 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, and put them on the fat and on the right thigh; 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. 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.” Leviticus 8:24-28

There is no contradiction in this verse and verses 22 & 24. Rather, this is a short digression to explain that from the time after the consecration, the right thigh was to belong to Aaron and his sons. However, for the ordination, this was not given to them. Instead it was offered to the Lord on their behalf. They weren’t yet ordained. Therefore they were not yet given the rights of ordained priests.

Rather than being cumbersome, contradictory, or confused, it is a logical time to show that the ordination was the exception to the rule of the right thigh. The dolts at Cambridge get no credit for their analysis. Instead, they get shameful demerits for not thinking this verse through, for not checking the passage which concerns the actual ordination, and for attempting to appear smart when they actually have made themselves look doltish and uneducated by trying to find fault in God’s word.

28 It shall be from the children of Israel for Aaron and his sons by a statute forever.

The rights of the offerings were to be l’khaq olam or “by statute forever.” This is not to be taken in the ultimate sense that we think of when we use the word “forever.” Rather, olam gives the sense of “to the vanishing point.”

In the context of the Aaronic priesthood, it would last until the coming of the Messiah who would fulfill the types and pictures of the Old Covenant. At that time, the law would pass away, being superseded by that which the law only anticipated. Until that time though, the giving of the breast and thigh to Aaron was to be a permanent statute. And there is a reason for this…

28 (con’t) For it is a heave offering; it shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, that is, their heave offering to the Lord.

The breast of the wave offering was given to Aaron and his sons because Aaron bore the breastplate of judgment upon his breast for the sons of Israel. The right thigh was to be given to them because he bore the memorial stones on his shoulders for them as well.

As he carried the responsibility and burden of them upon himself, these offerings were to be given in kind to him. The contrast between this offering and the burnt-offering of verses 15-18 is summed up very well by Benson –

“In the burnt-offering, God had the glory of their priesthood, in this they had the comfort of it.” Benson

The meaty and wholesome parts of the animal were given to Aaron and his sons as a comforting aspect of their high responsibilities before the Lord.

An offering waved to my God
To the four corners of the earth I offer it
In hopes that through acceptance together we will trod
And so to Him, this offering I submit

An offering lifted high to my God
I raised it up and petition Him for my life
In hopes that through acceptance together we will trod
And that between us will end, our state of strife

An offering raised up to My God above
And an offering lifted up to Him on High
On behalf of the people that I love
I will be raised on Calvary’s cross, there to die

II. Imputed Holiness (verses 29-34)

29 “And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him,

Verses 29 & 30 are now a new digression, but by no means an illogical or misplaced one. Verse 31 in thought follows logically after verse 28, but at some point the matter of the garments of Aaron, which were made specifically for the office of high priest, must be addressed. What will happen to them when he dies?

The answer is found in these two verses. The logic of placing these two verses here is evident. The ram of the ordination, or the “ram of the filling” is that by which the office is filled. Therefore, to mention this now concerning the garments for the office which is held is appropriate and precise.

In this is another hint of the temporary nature of the law. Noting that the garments of Aaron were to pass down to his sons after him shows that he would, in fact, die. Thus nothing is made perfect through the Aaronic priesthood.

If Aaron is the representative of the law before the Lord, and if he is to die, then it implies that his sinful state remained. Further, if the designated representative before the Lord died, then those on whose behalf he ministered for were also not perfected. This is explained in Hebrews 10 –

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” Hebrews 10:1-4

However, at the time of the establishment of the priesthood, these things weren’t expected to be thought through. Only now as we look at the whole counsel of God can we clearly see the temporary nature of the law, and the limitations that went along with the associated offices and rites connected to it. Only in Christ is that which is perfect and eternal realized.

As far as the passing on of these garments, the transfer of them from Aaron is noted in Numbers 20:24-28 –

“‘Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor; 26 and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; for Aaron shall be gathered to his people and die there.’ 27 So Moses did just as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. 28 Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.”

This is the only time that the transfer of these garments is noted in Scripture, but it would have been the regular custom at the death of each high priest. As long as the garments lasted, they were to be passed on. We can only assume that as they wore out, new ones were made to replace them.

29 (con’t) to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them.

The Hebrew is more expressive than the English here. l’mashkha bahem u-l’maleh bam eth yadam. Only Young’s gives a proper, literal translation of what it says –

“…to be anointed in them, and to consecrate in them their hand;” (YLT)

To consecrate them in their hand goes back to the idea of filling the hand for the duties of the job. The hand of the man performs the tasks of the job. And so to fill their hand in the rite of consecration then makes the work of their hands acceptable to the Lord. Thus, whoever was to perform the priestly duties was to be properly anointed and consecrated for the office.

30 That son who becomes priest in his place shall put them on for seven days, when he enters the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the holy place.

Again, as has been noted elsewhere, it is not the “tabernacle of meeting” but the “tent of meeting.” The word ohel signifies a tent. Aaron would be the first priest to be so ordained. This is recorded in Leviticus 8 –

“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. 34 As he has done this day, so the Lord has commanded to do, to make atonement for you. 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.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did all the things that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.” Leviticus 8:33-36

The number seven, as has already been seen, is the number of perfection. It corresponds to countless occurrences in Scripture. Why seven days is chosen for this rite of ordination then should be explained. Seven represents spiritual perfection.

Looking at the different ways to arrive at seven, we can see several important truths. The first is one plus six. As a cardinal number, one denotes unity; as an ordinal it denotes primacy; six is the number of man. Thus, the ordination of Aaron shows the unity of the office and the primacy of the man in relation to all others in Israel.

The second is two plus five. Two is the number of difference or division; five is the number of grace. In this then, there is the idea that the office of High Priest is a distinct office through which grace is offered.

And the third is three plus four. Three is the number of divine perfection – that which is real, solid, substantial, and complete; four is the number of creation. In this then we see the uniting of body and soul.

These seven days set aside for ordination follow logically and perfectly with each formation of the number. Aaron is being prepared to be the sole man to assume the high priestly role. He is the “set apart man” through whom the grace of God is transmitted to His people. And, he is the man who is to be prepared both physically and spiritually for the accomplishment of the tasks set before him.

However, this ordination is only a shadow of the true ordination of Christ as our eternal High Priest who literally fulfills what Aaron only pictures. This seven day period is only given as a prefiguring of the greater High Priest to come.

31 “And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place.

The rest of the animal which was not burnt on the altar or given to Moses as the officiating priest will be taken and boiled, as it says, “in the holy place.” However, this will be further defined in Leviticus 8 to not be specifically in the holy place, but at its door –

“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…'” Leviticus 8:31

32 Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

In verses 23-25, one of each of the three types of bread were taken from the basket and presented to the Lord as a part of the burnt offering. That which remained, along with the flesh of the ram, was to be eaten by the door of the tent of meeting.

If you remember, each of those types of bread individually pictured Christ. The ram has also pictured Christ. Thus this meal is symbolically a partaking of His body. As He said in John, “My flesh is food indeed” (John 6:55), and “I am the Bread of life” (John 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, as is next made explicit…

33 They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them;

The purpose of the food is to consecrate and sanctify them. But how was this possible? It is because these were the things with which atonement was made. This is really the first time this word, kaphar or atonement, is used in the Bible in this sense.

It has only been used twice so far. The first was when Noah covered the ark with pitch in Genesis 6:14. The second time is when Jacob set about to appease, or cover, the anger of his brother Esau with a gift in Genesis 32:20.

Now it is used for the third time indicating the covering or atonement of the sins of Aaron and his sons. This covering or atonement is simply a combination of the words “at-one-ment.” In others words, the intent of atonement is to reconcile through the covering. Peace and harmony is restored.

In the case of Aaron and his sons, the need for atonement actually highlights their failings. They needed a sacrifice for themselves. In this foreshadowing of Christ, we see how He far excelled the Aaronic priesthood. He had no sins of His own.

The sacrifices of Aaron were first for himself and only then for the sins of others. However, the atonement of Christ’s sacrifice was exclusively for the sins of others. God in His grace and mercy accepted the temporary covering of the death of animals until the time when He would send Jesus to be the final, permanent sacrifice for the sins of those He would redeem.

33 (con’t) but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy.

The “outsider,” or zuwr, is introduced into the Bible here. In this context it means anyone who was not of the ordained priestly line of Aaron, not even a regular Levite. This word comes from a primitive root which means to turn aside, as if for lodging. And so it speaks of a stranger or a foreigner. It is someone who is not a part of what is going on in the usual dealings of a place or matter. Because the food was considered holy, only someone who was consecrated as holy was to partake of it.

34 And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings, or of the bread, remains until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

This is a direct command which is very similar to that of the Passover sacrifice. Concerning that sacrifice in Exodus 12, it said –

“You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.” Exodus 12:10

The consecration offerings, like the Passover, were not to be eaten on the second day. Instead, they were to be burnt with fire. The reason for this is specifically given – “…because it is holy.” The holiness of God is what is to be impressed upon their minds. 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 God 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 of some sort, such as 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.

The offering shall be pure and undefiled
And it shall not be allowed to become corrupt
Upon you with My grace I have smiled
Therefore, let nothing our fellowship interrupt

The offering shall be pure, not stained with sin
It shall be holy as I am also holy
Only through holiness can you the victory win
This is how it is and how it shall be

The offering is Pure and Undefiled
It is Pure and not stained with sin
Upon My people through Jesus I have smiled
For them and through His holiness, the victory He did win

III. A Holy Offering to the Lord (verses 35-37)

35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them.

What this verse is telling us is that this same ceremony was to be conducted, not just on the first day, but on each day for seven days. This means that no matter what day the rite was started on, it would include at least one Sabbath. And yet, there was no guilt to be imputed for having conducted the priestly affairs on a Sabbath.

This is spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 12:5, where the priests are said to profane the Sabbath and yet remain blameless. This is just the first of such recorded instances in Scripture. The priestly functions were to progress on without regard to a Sabbath. Again, it is showing a distinction between the holy and the profane.

If a priest were not on duty, they would be required to observe the Sabbath, but if they were on duty, they would not be so required. Further, if they were called to duty on the Sabbath, they would be held guiltless. This is seen in the record of the fateful end of the wicked queen Athaliah –

“‘This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors; 5 one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord. 7 And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.’
8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed the divisions.” 2 Chronicles 23:4-8

36 And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement.

Each of the seven days of the ordination, a bull was to be sacrificed as “a sin offering for atonement.” This looked forward to “the full and complete atonement for sin by the sacrifice of Christ.” This again takes us back to the number seven and its derivatives.

As I noted, and as just one example, three plus four is seven. Three is the number of divine perfection – that which is real, solid, substantial, and complete; four is the number of creation. In this then we see the uniting of body and soul.

The bull pictures Christ, the High Priest. The blood pictures His blood covering, or atoning, for our sin. And so the seven pictures Him as the God/Man who is wholly capable of accomplishing this atonement.

He was wasn’t just an offering for sin; He was made to be sin that we, by imputation of His righteousness, might become the righteousness of God in Him. This is all being pictured in these verses which are so quickly passed over by most who dare to read them even just one time.

36 (con’t) You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.

The cleansing of the altar here shows us a rather important truth which is found in the Bible. Sin is considered in a much wider sense than we tend to think of it. The biblical aspect of sin is that it can even infect a material object. That which is unholy is defiled, and defilement is sin. This is seen explicitly in Haggai 2 –

“On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?”’”
Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
13 And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?”
So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”
14 Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.” Haggai 2:10-14

In order to consecrate the altar, he had to make atonement for the sin of the altar. But where did that come from? It came from the sinful men who erected it. Further, the materials used in it are a part of the fallen creation.

Therefore, at least symbolically, it had to be made acceptable so that the gifts laid upon it would also be acceptable. John Lange, however, asks an obvious question concerning the state of the priests who would minister at it and their own sinful state. Did their sin also transfer to the altar?

“But as yet there can be no reference to this source of impurity; for in that case how could the priests ever make atonement for the altar?” John Lange

It is a good question, but the fact that the High Priest had to continue to sacrifice for his own sins year by year on the Day of Atonement showed that he was still a man with sin. The atonement for the altar was not made by sinless priests at all. And yet, the altar was to be considered acceptable for use.

Hence, once again, we see that the service of these men under the law, and thus the law itself, was to only be a temporary stepping stone in God’s greater redemptive workings. The law could save none. Nor could it truly bring a state of sinless perfection to man.

In the sanctification of the altar, it was set apart for sacred use. It was also deemed as holy so that the gifts offered upon it would be holy. This is seen in Matthew 23 –

“Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.” Matthew 23:19, 20

However, in Christ the true Altar, we read that He sanctified Himself, so that our lives as gifts to God might be acceptable to Him. This is seen in John 17 –

“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

37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it.

This is now the third time that an interval of seven days is mandated. The first was in verse 30 concerning consecration of the son to replace Aaron. The second was in verse 35 concerning the consecration of Aaron and his sons. And now we have this time concerning the atonement and sanctification of the altar.

Once the period of seven days, with its associated rites, was complete then the altar would be ready for service as is seen next…

37 (con’t) And the altar shall be most holy.

Literally, it says ha’mizbeakh qodesh qadashim – an altar, holiness of holinesses. From that time forward, the altar would be considered acceptable for the offering of the gifts of the people to the Lord. Because of its most holy status, the result is the final words of our verses today…

*37 (fin) Whatever touches the altar must be holy.

Scholars disagree on what is meant here. Ellicott and those in agreement with him say that it should read as the NKJV, “Whatever touches the altar must be holy.” He says –

“…nothing which is not holy must touch it. The future has the force of an imperative, as in the Ten Commandments.”

However, other scholars disagree and say that it should read, “…whatever touches the altar shall be made holy.” (Jubilee Bible). Their stand is that –

“…this may be understood as implying that whatever was laid on the altar became the Lord’s property, and must be wholly devoted to sacred uses, for in no other sense could such things be sanctified by touching the altar.” Adam Clarke

The second is correct. The altar was once and for all sanctified as holy so that whatever was offered upon it would become holy. Further, that which was unholy and which touched it became set apart as devoted to the Lord. This is seen in the account of Joab going into the altar to seek mercy in 1 Kings 2. He was not holy when he went in, but his fate was devoted to the Lord through the word of Solomon.

So why is this important? The answer is that the altar pictures Christ. Our offerings to God are made holy through Him. They are not holy in and of themselves. Nor can our touching Him in a defiled state make Him impure. This is seen in the account of the woman with the flow of blood in Luke 8 –

“Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Luke 8:43-48

As with all things in the Bible which may seem obvious on the surface, the truth is that more often than not, there is more to what is going on than meets the eyes. Christ was not defiled by the unclean woman, and yet she – meaning her offering of faith – was deemed holy by God and accepted because she had offered upon the true Altar.

These verses, some of which seem so immensely different that the religion we espouse in knowing Christ, are actually intricately tied up in who He is and what He has done and still does for us. The law had to come and these rites and rituals needed to be given first before we could realize our need for that which is greater.

The temporary atonement of a bull or a ram, being graciously offered by God, could never truly perform the function it was given for. It could only temporarily stay off His wrath and provide us with His mercy and grace. The law was necessary, but thank God that the law is now fulfilled and set aside.

In Christ, we have the fullness of what was actually lacking in the law. We have peace with God, we have atonement for our sins, and we have full redemption as sons of God – all by mere faith in His marvelous provision. Let us never forget this as we read these sometimes difficult passages. We have what they only pictured. We have Jesus; sweet Jesus. If you have never received the precious gift of Christ Jesus; do it today!…

Closing Verse: “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:11-14

Next Week: Exodus 29:38-46 Wonderful words through which we will trod (I Will Dwell Among Them and be Their God) (82nd Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

Then you shall take the breast
Of the ram of Aaron’s consecration
And wave it as a wave offering before the Lord; per His behest
And it shall be your portion

And from the ram of the consecration
You shall consecrate the breast
Of the wave offering which is waved
And the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, it is the best

Of that which is for Aaron, as I tell you
And of that which is for his sons too

It shall be from the children of Israel
For Aaron and his sons by a statute forever, so I to you tell

For it is a heave offering
It shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel
(hear My word)
From the sacrifices of their peace offerings
That is, their heave offering to the Lord

And the holy garments of Aaron
Shall be his sons’ after him, so shall you do
To be anointed in them
And to be consecrated in them too

That son who becomes priest in his place
Shall for seven days put them on
When he enters the tabernacle of meeting
To minister in the holy place, these he shall don

And the ram of the consecration you shall take
And boil its flesh in the holy place
A boiling of its flesh you shall make

Then Aaron and his sons shall
The flesh of the ram, they shall be eating
And the bread that is in the basket
By the door of the tabernacle of meeting

They shall eat those things
With which the atonement was made, so shall it be
To consecrate and to sanctify them
But an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy

And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings
Or of the bread, remains until the morning – do hear Me
Then you shall burn the remainder with fire
It shall not be eaten, because it is holy

Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons
According to all that I have commanded you to do
Seven days you shall consecrate them
According to all that I instruct to you

And you shall every day offer a bull
As a sin offering for atonement, yes each day
You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it
And you shall anoint it to sanctify it, as to you I say

Seven days you shall make atonement
For the altar and sanctify it, according to these words from Me
And the altar most holy shall be
Whatever touches the altar must be holy

Lord God Almighty, we thank you for what You have done
You have made us a kingdom of priests to You
And it is only because of the work of Your Son
It is only because of what He alone did do

And so we do thank You and we give You praise
Yes, Lord God Almighty, we shall do so… even unto eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

Exodus 29:1-14 (The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons – Part I)

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Exodus 29:1-14
The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons, Part I

Towards the end of chapter 28, the Lord told Moses the purpose of the special garments which were made for Aaron and his sons. In verse 41, he said –

“So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests.” Exodus 28:41

The covenant was cut, the law was confirmed, and the place where the law would be administered has been described. Further, the instructions for making the garments of those who would administer the law has been given. Every detail has ultimately pointed to the work of Christ.

And so before going on, it needs to be noted that if each of these things which has been given to administer the law point to Christ, then in Christ’s coming, they are no longer needed. The ark and its mercy seat; the table of showbread; the menorah; the tabernacle and the tent; the courtyard; each pillar and socket – all of it.

If Christ fulfilled these pictures, then the items are no longer needed. And if there is no longer a need for an ark or a mercy seat or a temple to contain them, then the law which these things detailed is no longer in effect. One cannot have a law without one to minister that law. And one cannot have a minister of the law if there is no place to minister.

This should be as clear as crystal to Christians. And yet, the heresy of reinstating the law into our theology never ceases to raise its ugly head. And so, even before looking at the consecration of Aaron and his sons for the priesthood of the law, let us remember this truth. The law and everything associated with it only pointed to Christ, including this priesthood. The author of Hebrews explains this…

Text Verse: “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.” Hebrews 7:12, 13

Let us never lose sight of this fundamental truth as we now turn to the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood; a priesthood which only remained in effect until it was superseded by the work of Christ, our true High Priest who descends not from Aaron, but from Judah.

This is why the author of Hebrews almost immediately follows up with words that tell us that the Law of Moses is annulled “because of its weakness and unprofitableness.” The law made nothing perfect. But on the other hand, in Christ there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we can now draw near to God.

In Christ, we have a new priesthood, an eternal one which is superior to the law in all ways. We have a Mediator who is without sin and who will never fail us. Let us remember this truth as we look at the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood. These were fallible men administering a law of bondage and death.

However, it is a necessary part of the redemptive story. By seeing the failings of this priesthood, the glory of Christ’s priesthood stands out all the more radiantly. It is 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 Investiture of Aaron and His Sons (Verses 1-9)

“And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them

As I said, at the end of chapter 28, Moses was given instructions to anoint, consecrate, and sanctify Aaron and his sons. We will now be given the specific process by which this is to be accomplished. In Leviticus 8, the actual rites which are prescribed here will be carried out.

The word translated here as “hallow” means to sanctify. It is what is required in order to set them apart for their duties. Five things will be accomplished in order to sanctify them. The first is washing. This is found in verse 4. The next will be investiture of them with the garments of the priesthood. This will be seen in verses 5-9.

After this, will come the anointing mentioned in verse 7. After that will be the sacrifices of the bull and the rams. This is recorded in verses 10-23. And finally, will be the filling of the hand as recorded in verse 24. This filling will be for the purpose of a wave offering. Charles Ellicott notes the purpose of these five acts –

“All of these were symbolical acts, typical of things spiritual—ablution, of the putting away of impurity; investiture, of being clothed with holiness; unction, of the giving of Divine grace, &c.; the entire consecration forming an acted parable, very suggestive and full of instruction to such as understood its meaning.” Charles Ellicott

Here in verse 1, the offerings are mentioned first. The Pulpit Commentary says this is because it was to have them “in readiness when the investiture and anointing were over.” This is incorrect. Moses is still on the mountain and only receiving instructions. He isn’t actually there, ready to do the prescribed tasks. The same thing here is happening as that which occurred with the mentioning of such things as at other times, like the ark and the mercy seat being mentioned first before all other furniture.

The thing which sanctifies is mentioned first. In the case of the animals, it is their shed blood which will be used to cover the sins of Aaron and his sons. For this reason, the bull and rams are named first. Each step of the process is showing us the holiness of God and the need for atonement, even for the high priestly line.

1 (con’t) for ministering to Me as priests:

It should be understood that these things were required, and they allowed Aaron and his sons to minister to the Lord, but they did not make them perfect. This will be seen throughout the history of Israel under the law. Further, when the high priest sacrificed for Israel each year on the Day of Atonement, he first had to sacrifice for his own sins. Therefore, the Aaronic priesthood is one of imperfection, but established by grace and with mercy. Were this not given, these men would be unacceptable as priests to the Lord.

1 (con’t) Take one young bull and two rams without blemish,

The first portion of the hallowing process is to take one young bull. The word is par. It comes from parar, which means “to defeat.” Par means “a bullock” because it breaks “forth in wild strength.” It may also have a reference to dividing the hoof.

They are also instructed to take two rams. The ram is ayil. This comes from uwl, meaning “mighty.” Therefore, it indicates strength or anything strong. In the case of a ram, it is the strong animal of the flock.

Those selected are to be “without blemish.” The Hebrew word is tamim, which means “blameless” or “perfect.” It was first used to describe Noah in Genesis 6:9. Later, the Lord told Abraham to “walk before me and be tamim (or blameless).” It is also the word used to describe the Passover lamb of Exodus 12. Now, for the fourth time in the Bible, it is used to indicate the animals which are to be sacrificed in place of Aaron and his sons.

2 and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil (you shall make them of wheat flour).

Meal offerings are next mentioned. They are a bloodless offering, but each is specifically noted as being unleavened. Leaven, or yeast, in the Bible pictures sin. Just as bread puffs up when leavened, man puffs up in pride, arrogance, or wickedness through sin. It is also something that causes corruption, just as sin is what causes corruption in man.

The first bread is simply lekhem, or bread. We will see in verse 23 that this is a round loaf of bread. The circle in the Bible signifies that which is divine and eternal. It has no beginning or end.

The second bread is khallah, a new word introduced into the Bible. It comes from khalal, meaning “to pierce.” Therefore it is pierced or punctured cakes. These cakes were to be mixed with oil. The third is another new type of bread, raqiq. This comes from raqaq, which means “to spit.” So it is a thin cake, like a wafer. These wafers were to be smeared with oil.

Each of these was to be made of soleth khittim or fine wheat flour. The word khittah or “wheat” comes from the word khanat, which means to make spicy, to embalm, or to ripen. The flour, or solet, comes from an unused root meaning “to strip.” Thus it is fine flour. It has only been seen once so far in the Bible, at the time of Abraham. When the Lord appeared to him on the way to destroying Sodom, we read these words –

“So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, ‘Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.'” Genesis 18:6

We will see that these will all be waved before the Lord. It was to be an acknowledgement that bread is what sustains the body, and that the mercy which allows man to be acceptable before God comes solely by an act of grace.

3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams

It’s always curious to come to a verse like this. One must ask why the Lord is so specific about them bringing the three types of loaves in sal ekhad, or ” basket one.” Is this entirely necessary? Couldn’t He have just said, “Bring them in a basket,” or “Bring those along with the animals”?

And yet, there is great specificity which asks us to stop and consider why one basket is specified. The sal, or “basket,” comes from the word salal, which means “to build.” Thus it indicates a basket which is built up through the weaving process, specifically with a type of willow branch.

4 “And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting,

The translation is incorrect. It is “the tent of meeting,” not the “tabernacle of meeting.” The word is ohel, signifying a tent, not mishkan, which would be the tabernacle itself. At this door of the tent, an item which is not yet described, known as the bronze laver, will be placed. That will have a specific purpose in the rituals of the priests as they minister to the Lord.

4 (con’t) and you shall wash them with water.

As part of the ordination process, Moses is to wash Aaron and his sons with water. This implies an entire washing of their bodies. At this strategic place, just between where the people were allowed to come, and the entrance to the place where the Lord dwelt, they were to be prepared for being acceptable to enter His presence.

The people would be witnesses of this part of the process, and it was intended to allow them to see that they remained unclean and unacceptable to enter where their King was. Only those chosen and properly prepared could do so. After this washing of their bodies, the laver will be used differently. This is seen in Exodus 30 –

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18 “You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, 19 for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. 20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.” Exodus 30:17-21

Each step, they are being progressively instructed in the holiness of God and the need to be pure and undefiled as they approached Him on behalf of the people.

5 Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod.

Two of the things previously described, the sash and the Urim and Thummin, are not mentioned. Also, the order here for two of the pieces of clothing is inverted. When the clothing of them is actually done in Leviticus 8, the missing items will be mentioned and the two inverted items will be noted in the right order.

For now, only basic instructions are given. These instructions now are not in error, but they are noted according to what the Lord determines is needed in order for Moses to clearly understand what is expected for the ordination process.

You should remember now that the clothing of Aaron and his sons only occurs after their washing. However, the continued washing of their hands and feet in the regular discharge of their duties occurs after they are clothed. Why is this something we should remember? Because you will be given a test on it at the end of the sermon to see if you remember.

6 You shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban.

The turban is what is to adorn Aaron’s head and the holy crown is to adorn the turban. This “holy crown” is the “plate of pure gold” mentioned in verse 28:36. Here it is called netser ha’qodesh, or “crown, the holy.” The word netser is introduced here. It comes from nazar, which means “to consecrate.” It indicates something set apart and includes the idea of the Nazirite who is found in Numbers 6. There is to be a separation noted between Aaron and all others, highlighted by this marvelous holy crown.

7 And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.

The anointing oil was first mentioned in Exodus 25:6, but its specific makeup will not be explained until chapter 30. Again, this is not out of order, but rather the use, being given before the makeup of the substance, follows logically along with the other prioritized items so far.

This special anointing oil will be used to anoint Aaron, his sons, and the tabernacle along with everything in it. As far as the means of anointing Aaron, it was poured or smeared on his head in an extravagant amount. His sons however would simply be sprinkled with this oil. The anointing of Aaron was remembered by David in a most vivid way in the 133rd Psalm –

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.” Psalm 133:1-3

8 Then you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them.

The clothing of the sons is intended to set them apart for their priestly duties. Though not in the mediatorial role of Aaron, the sons are consecrated to perform the necessary services required for the care of the people of Israel. They are also set apart for the care of the items in the holy place of the tabernacle.

9 And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them.

The second and third of the three designations of the priestly office are noted here. They were to be girded with sashes and have the hats placed on their heads. These three items then are the standard dress expected of the priests as they ministered for the people and before the Lord.

9 (con’t) The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute.

In these words, confusion can arise unless one understands what the Lord means. The priesthood will last only as long as the law lasts. If the law is annulled, then the priesthood ends with the annulling of the law. When the Messiah came who fulfilled all of the types and shadows of the law, and who also fulfilled living out the law, then the law was set aside and the priesthood ended.

The word for “perpetual” is olam. It means “the vanishing point.” It can mean eternity, but in the case of the law, it is not to be so understood. The law would serve its purpose, and as long as it was in effect, the priesthood would belong to the line of Aaron.

9 (con’t) So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.

u-mileta yad ad aharon v’yad ba’nav – literally, “…and you shall fill (the) hand of Aaron and (the) hand of his sons.” In the ordination and consecration of Aaron and his sons, they would be set apart as acceptable concerning the offerings which filled their hands from the people and to the Lord. Thus, the term “fill the hand” indicates their acceptability and thus their consecration.

Clothed in righteousness, adorned in white
Cleansed by the blood of the Lamb
Now our garments are pure; clean and bright
Saved forevermore by the Great I AM

We are now priests unto the Most High God
We have been brought new unto Him by the blood of the Lamb
Forever and ever golden streets we will trod
Saved forevermore by the Great I AM

Throughout the ages we will serve the Eternal King
Subjects of His kingdom because of the blood of the Lamb
For endless, ceaseless ages to Him we shall sing
Saved forevermore by the Great I AM

II. The Slaying of the Bull (Verses 10-14)

10 “You shall also have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull.

The KJV incorrectly says, “…thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought.” It is not “a” bull, but “the” bull mentioned in verse 1. It was to be set apart because it was “without blemish.” The KJV confuses this and diminishes the importance of what is being said.

This bull, without any blemish, was to be brought to the door of the tent, not the tabernacle. There before the tent, they were to place their hands on the bull’s head. In this is symbolically a transfer of the sin and imperfection of the men to the bull.

In this act, the bull thus takes on the curse which they deserve for their sins and it is transferred to the bull. As the animal is accursed, it must die. Thus we have what is known as a vicarious substitute. The sin is symbolically removed from the one and transferred to the other. Therefore, one life is given in place of another.

11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

It is Moses who is instructed to kill the bull. He will act as the priest pro-tempore until Aaron and his sons are fully consecrated as priests. In this verse, we see something which occurs from time to time. Instead of saying. “…kill the bull before Me,” it says, “…kill the bull before the Lord.”

The words are intended to be fulfilled in the future, at a specific time and at a specific place. Therefore, even though He is speaking about having this accomplished in His own presence, He still uses the formal term “before the Lord.”

A way of understanding this would be for the president to say to a person on a mission, “You are to get this document and bring it directly to the office of the president.” The matter is so important, that the stress is laid on the position rather than the person. In the case of the Lord, as He is both position and Person, He uses the term “before the Lord.”

12 You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger,

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.
2 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, has only been used one time so far in Scripture, in Exodus 8:19 when the magicians of Pharaoh ascribed the plague of the lice to the “finger of God.”

The word etsbah 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.

12 (con’t) and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar.

After the proof of death has been testified to on the horns of the altar, the rest of the blood was to be poured out at the base of the altar. This signifies the complete removal of the life-force which bore the sins of Aaron and his sons.

13 And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.

As new words come into the Bible, I always try to highlight them to you. In this verse are three new words – the yothereth, or lobe; the kabed, or liver; and the kilyah, or kidneys. One must wonder why these particular parts of the animal were to be burnt on the altar. The fat around the entrails signifies the health of life, its abundance. This is seen, for example, from David in Psalm 63 –

“My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” Psalm 63:5

The liver signifies the seat of emotions and feeling. It is used synonymously with disposition and character. In Lamentations, Jeremiah says –

“My eyes fail with tears; my bowels are troubled; my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people because the children and the sucklings faint in the streets of the city.” Lamentations 2:11 (Jubilee Bible)

The kidney’s position within the body makes them almost inaccessible. When an animal is cut up, they will be the last organs which are reached. Because of this, the kidneys symbolize the hidden parts of man, and thus the mind.

These then were to be offered to the Lord because they symbolized those most intimate aspects of the person. They are the very substance of who he is. The life of the animal was given in exchange for the sins of the men. Therefore, these attributes of theirs were being offered to Him in fire on the altar.

In fact, the word for “burn” here is qatar. It is a new word in the Bible and it gives the idea of the smoke of incense. It is the act of turning something into a fragrance by fire. These parts of the animal, signifying these most intimate aspects of the person, were to become as incense to the Lord.

14 But the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire outside the camp.

The rest of the entire animal was to be taken outside the camp and burned with fire. Nothing of it was to remain and none of it was to be eaten. The animal was under a curse, and thus to eat it would be symbolic of taking the sin into oneself.

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 new nature, cleansed from their defilement before the Lord.

One new word in this verse is peresh, meaning dung. It is translated here as offal (and dung is usually pretty awful!). It is what passes through. The entire animal, including what was inside of it, was to be wholly burnt outside the camp.

*14 (fin) It is a sin offering.

These last words of the day show us the imperfection of the Aaronic priesthood. Because these were fallible men who required sacrifices for themselves before they could sacrifice for the people, the priesthood could not endure forever. It could only do so until it was replaced by the One who would be perfect and without a need of sacrificing for His own sins. Only then could man truly be purified of the stain of sin which had clung steadfastly to him since the fall of his first father.

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

III. Pictures of Christ

Again, as we do each week, it is time to look at the verses today in what they actually picture in relation to the Person and work of Christ.

The meal offering consisted of three things: unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. All of them were to be made of wheat flour. These point to three aspects of Christ’s life and ministry.

Bread is symbolic of life, the word, and provision which sustains man, among other things. The lekhem, or bread, is simply the normal term for bread. It was to be made without leaven and thus symbolizes life without sin. It is thus a picture of Christ, the sinless Man, who is the word of God, our life, and our provision. As I said earlier though, it is round bread. Thus it also signifies the divine eternality of Christ. As it says of Him in Hebrews –

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

The second is the unleavened cakes mixed with oil. That cake is known as khallah, which comes from khalal, meaning “to pierce.” Thus this bread pictures Christ’s work as the One who was pierced to give us life. This bread was to be mixed with shemen, or oil.

Oil signifies several things in the Bible such as joy, prosperity, etc. However, its preeminent signification is that of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the work of the Spirit is mixed into the piercing of Christ. The two are not disconnected, but are intricately enmeshed together.

The third type of bread is raqiq. This comes from raqaq, which means “to spit.” So it is a thin cake, like a wafer. These wafers were to be smeared with oil. In Leviticus 15:8, it notes that if a person defiled by a discharge were to spit, raqaq, on a person, it would make them unclean. This bread then pictures Christ’s passion when He was spit on and beaten by the unclean Gentiles as is stated in Luke 18. This was prophesied in Isaiah, using the word roq which comes from raqaq –

“I gave My back to those who struck Me,
And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;
I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.” Isaiah 50:6

However, this bread is said to have been “anointed” with oil. The word is mashakh. It is the same word used to identify the coming Messiah in Isaiah 61:1 –

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Isaiah 61:1

Thus, this third bread with its oil also pictures Christ as the One anointed to fulfill the messianic pictures presented in the Old Testament. Each type of bread was to be made of soleth khittim or fine wheat flour.

Khittah, or wheat, is the finest of the biblical grains. The word comes from khanat, which means to make spicy, to embalm, or to ripen. When the wheat is ripened, it is valuable as food and as seed for more wheat. Through Christ’s ministry, a harvest of wheat is realized. He spoke of this in John 12:23-26 –

“The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”

The fine wheat flour is a picture of His unchanging character and purity. After these were specified, the Lord told Moses that all three of the breads were to be brought before Him in one basket. The three loaves in the single basket indicate three different aspects of Christ’s single ministry. He is the bread of life; He is the One pierced for our transgressions; and He is the one who brings about our salvation and the growth and great harvest of the church.

And yet, there is great specificity which asks us to stop and consider why one basket is noted. The sal, or “basket,” comes from the word salal, which means “to build.” It indicates a basket which is built up through the weaving process. Thus it is through these various aspects of Christ that His ministry is built and embodied. This aspect of His work can be summed up by the words of Hebrews 2:9 –

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9

After this, the washing and clothing of Aaron and his sons is mentioned. This was to be done at the door of the tent of meeting where they were to be first washed with water. This pictures the total cleansing of the priests.

In Aaron’s case, as the high priest, it pictures Christ’s perfect purity as our High Priest. It points to His baptism before He entered into His public service in order to fulfill all righteousness. For the sons, it pictures those who follow Christ and are purified by His work. This is seen in John 13 where Christ said this –

“He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” John 13:10

In that passage, John uses two different words. One indicates a full bathing, the second indicates a lesser washing. Through Christ’s work, we are completely cleaned. We stand justified and free of guilt. However, we also continue to go through a process of sanctification where we need to be purified from time to time.

This is pictured in the priests need to wash their hands and their feet as they ministered to the Lord. These external washings signify the universal corruption of man and our need for external purification. The water pictures the spiritual regeneration which occurs when we are set apart by Christ.

Only after the washing was accomplished were the garments then put on them. In the case of Aaron, his garments are emblematic of the divine work of Christ. In this passage, he had seven articles placed upon Him, each representing an aspect of His work which we have seen in previous sermons. Together, they form a picture of Christ, the Prophet, Priest, and King who is completely distinct and set apart from all others.

After he was clothed, Moses then anointed Aaron. That is a picture which was seen once already in the bread, and which is repeated here. It is the anointing of the Holy Spirit on Christ which was prophesied in Isaiah 61. It is also referred to by Peter in Acts 10:38 where he told Cornelius that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.”

In the case of the sons of Aaron, the symbolism again follows through to us. Three items were placed on them – tunics, sashes, and hats. The tunics picture our being clothed in His righteousness. The sashes picture us having girded our waists with His truth. The hats picture our having been granted a helmet of salvation upon our head because of the judgment named for Christ at Gabbatha, the name of which bears the same root as that of the hats.

As far as the terminology concerning the priesthood, that of Aaron and his line, it was to be as long as the law was in effect. However, for the priesthood which this only pictures, Christ’s priesthood, Hebrews tells us of its duration –

“Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.” Hebrews 7:23, 24

The priesthood which Christ established, and to which we belong is one which will span eternal ages.

Finally today, we looked at the bull offering. The bull is an exacting picture of Christ. It is the sacrifice that the high priest made for his own sins each year on the Day of Atonement. As Christ has no sins of His own, and thus needing no sacrifice, the bull pictures Him as the perfect High Priest.

As the bull pictures Christ, then the symbolism is rather sobering. These men placed their hands on the bull in a symbolic act of transferring their corruption and guilt to it. In Christ, we transferred our corruption and our sin to Him – the sinless Son of God whom the bull pictures. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 5 –

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

The slaying of the bull symbolizes the death of Christ as our Substitute. The bull was to be without blemish, symbolizing the perfect Man, Jesus. The application of the bull’s blood on the horns of the altar shows that Christ’s blood has brought all who come to Him mercy and a place of refuge.

The particular instructions that the blood was to be applied with the finger demonstrates the creative workings of God on our behalf. Jesus told the people of Israel that if He truly cast out demons with the finger of God, then surely the kingdom of God had come upon them. The application of the blood signifies Christ’s exacting work for His redeemed.

As I said earlier, the mercy, the refuge, and the remission of the sins is granted by God, but it results from the work of the mediator’s fingers. As Jesus is fully God, the proof of His death in the shedding of His blood is completely sufficient to take away the sin guilt that we bear.

The pouring out of the blood at the base of the altar pictures the full proof of Christ’s death. He bled until the life had expired from His body. His blood was completely poured out. Despite this, the burning of the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them sybolizes the offering of the very essence of Christ to God. Paul explains it exactingly in Ephesians 5 –

“And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:2

The verses ended today with the final disposal of the body of the bull, with the exception of those parts already mentioned. It was to be taken outside the camp and burned with fire. The author of Hebrews explains the symbolism for us –

“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Hebrews 13:10-13

Here we are again at the end of a passage which upon a cursory reading seems to have little other than historical value. And yet, it is a passage rich in significance because of what it shows us. The details are in the words and the words reveal so very much.

The law really existed, and it served its purpose, but the law also was given in types and shadows in order to show us the supremacy of what still lies ahead. In Christ, the law was annulled. In its place has come the most marvelous of priesthoods. It is an eternal one and one which has the ability to perfect those who come to Christ through it.

If you have trusted in earning God’s favor through self, or through deeds of an outdated law which could never save, I would ask you to reconsider your stance. Christ’s priesthood is superior to that of Aaron’s in all ways. Take your sins, place them at the feet of Jesus, and be reconciled to God through what He has already done. Please allow me just another moment to tell you few verses to make this simple and understandable for you…

Closing Verse: “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:11-14

Next Week: Exodus 29:15-25 Wonderful things the Bible will relate to you… (The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons, Part II)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if a deep ocean lies ahead of You, He can part the waters and lead you through it on dry ground. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons

And this is what you shall do to them
To hallow them for ministering as priests to Me
Take one young bull and two rams without blemish
And continue to follow my directions explicitly

And unleavened bread
Mixed with oil, each unleavened cake
And unleavened wafers anointed with oil
You shall them of wheat flour make

You shall put them in one basket
And in the basket them you shall bring
With the bull and the two rams
So you shall do this thing

And Aaron and his sons you shall bring
To the tabernacle of meeting, at the door
And you shall wash them with water
On them water you shall pour

Then you shall take the garments
Put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod too
The ephod, and the breastplate
And gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod –
So shall you do

You shall put the turban on his head
And put the holy crown on the turban, as I have said

And you shall the anointing oil take
Pour it on his head, and anoint him
For the ordination’s sake

Then you shall bring his sons
And put tunics on them, so shall you do
And you shall gird them with sashes
Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them too

The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute
So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons
In these things, the priesthood you will institute

You shall also have the bull brought
Before the tabernacle of meeting, as I say
And Aaron and his sons shall put their hands\
On the head of the bull, this they shall obey

Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord
By the door of the tabernacle of meeting
According to My word

You shall take some of the blood of the bull, for sure
And put it on the horns of the altar with your finger
And all the blood beside the base of the altar pour

And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails
The fatty lobe attached to the liver, so shall you do
And the two kidneys and the fat that is on them
And burn them on the altar, as I now instruct to you

But the flesh of the bull
With its skin and its offal, you shall do this thing
You shall burn with fire outside the camp
It is a sin offering

Lord God Almighty, we thank you for what You have done
You have made us a kingdom of priests to You
And it is only because of the work of Your Son
It is only because of what He alone did do

And so we do thank You and we give You praise
Yes, Lord God Almighty, we shall do so… even unto eternal days

Hallelujah and Amen…