SCRIPTURE: EXODUS 29
IMPORTANT VERSE:
“Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.” (Exodus 29:45)
“They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.” (Exodus 29:46)
CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS (vs. 1-46)
“This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests. Take a young bull and two rams without defects. And from fine wheat flour, without yeast, make bread, and cakes mixed with oil, and wafers spread with oil. Put them in a basket and present them in it – along with the bull and the two rams. Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. Take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband. Put the turban on his head and attach the sacred diadem to the turban. Take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head. Bring his sons and dressed them in tunics and pu8t headbands on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons. The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance. In this way you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. “Bring the bull to the front of the Tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar. Then take all the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. But burn the bull[‘s flesh and its hide and its offal outside the camp. It is a sin offering.
“Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it and take the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides. Cut the ram into pieces and wash the inner parts and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the Lord by fire.
“Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then sprinkle blood against the altar on all sides. And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.
“Take from this ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat around the inner parts, the covering of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the Lord, take a loaf, and a cake made with oil, and a wafer. Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them before the Lord as a wave offering. Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord, an offering made to the Lord by fire. After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination;; wave it before the Lord as a wave offering, and it will be your share.
“Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons; the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. This is always to be the regular share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the lord from their fellowship offerings.
“Aaron’s sacred garments will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them. The son who succeeds him as priest and comes to the Ten of Meeting to minister in the holy Place is to wear them seven days.
“Take the ram for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place. At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket. They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat them, because they are sacred. And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning, burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.
“Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purity the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it. For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.
“This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: Two lambs a year old. Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning — a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the lord by fire.
“For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.
“So I will consecrate the Tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.
THOUGHTS: (From Life Application Study Bible)
God had originally intended that his chosen people be a “kingdom of priests” with both the nation as a whole and each individual dealing directly with God. But the people’s sin prevented this from happening because a sinful person is not worthy to approach a perfect God. God then appointed priests from the tribe of Levi and set up the system of sacrifices to help the people approach him. He promised to forgive the people’s sin if they would offer certain sacrifices administered by the priests on behalf of the people. Through these priests and their work, God wished to prepare all people for the coming of Jesus Christ, who would once again offer a direct relationship with God for anyone who would come to him. But until Christ came, the priests were the peoples’ representatives before God. Through the Old testament system, we can better understand the significance of what Christ did for us.
There were detailed rituals in connection with sacrifices for quality control. A centralized, standardized form of worship prevented problems of belief which could arise from individuals creating their own worship. The rituals also differentiated the Hebrews from the pagan Canaanites they would meet in the Promised Land. By closely following God’s instruction, the Hebrew could not possibly join the Canaanites in the immortal religious practices. Finally, it showed Israel that God was serious about his relationship with them.
The holiness of God was overwhelmingly emphasized. The priest, the clothes, the Tabernacle, and the sacrifices had to be clean and consecrated prepared to meet God. In contrast, today we tend to take God for granted, rushing into worship and treating him with almost causal disregard. But we worship the almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Remember that profound truth when you pray or worship and come before him with reverence and repentance.
God’s action in bringing the Israelites out of Egypt showed his great desire to be with them and protect them. Throughout the Bible, God shows that he is not an absentee landlord. He wants to live among us, even in our hearts. Don’t exclude God from your life. Allow him to be your God as you obey his Word and communicate with him in prayer. Let him be your resident landlord.