The Consecrating Blood

Exodus 29:19–21 ESV

“You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, and you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons’ garments with him. He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.

Leviticus 8:22–24 ESV

Then he presented the other ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. And he killed it, and Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Then he presented Aaron’s sons, and Moses put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. And Moses threw the blood against the sides of the altar.

Context

The people of Israel are wandering in the wilderness, and receive instructions from God on Mount Sinai how He wants to be worshipped.

Moses receives instructions from God on: how to built the tabernacle, how to fabricate the clothes and how to consecrate the priests. These instructions are given and performed in Exodus, only the consecration is performed later, in Leviticus. All these things enabled the priests and high priest to enter into the tabernacle, it gave them access.

Consecrate - Kadesh (holy, apartness, sacredness). Priest were made holy, because they would enter into holy space.

A Biblical and Theological Dictionary Consecration

a devoting or setting apart any thing to the worship or service of God

All of Israel was consecrated to the Lord through the consecration of the firstborn son, but the priests were once more consecrated to enter into holy space.

Exodus 13:2 ESV

2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

Ear, Thumb, Toe

By this ritual the priests were set apart completely to the service of God.

The application of the blood on the person distinguished consecration with ordinary sacrifice, where blood was sprinkled on the altar. In contrast, the blood rituals associated with priestly ordination functioned to consecrate the priests themselves.

The ear represented the organ of hearing (as in “ears you have dug” in Ps 40 or “awakens my ear” in Isa 50), and this had to be set apart to God so that they could hear the Word of God.

The thumb and the hand represented the instrument to be used for all ministry, and so everything that they “put their hand to” had to be dedicated to God and appropriate for his service.

The toe set the foot apart to God, meaning that the walk of the priest had to be consecrated—where he went, how he conducted himself, what life he lived, all belonged to God now.

We saw this earlier in the context of ritual purification from a skin disease. The ritual here also likely has purification as its intent.

Blood and the Oil

The blood and the oil are complementary elements.

The blood purified the priests and was required for holy service. The blood represents the life, and therefore purified / gives life to the service of the priests. Blood serves as a ritual detergent that overpowers and absorbs impurities, allowing the divine presence to remain. For the priests, this meant blood removed the disqualifying effects of human sinfulness, enabling them to stand before God without the barrier that sin otherwise erected. Whatever the blood touches comes to life (again).

Oil symbolized the granting of office, and was used for kings and/or priests. Oil signifies purity and cleanliness, functioning as a vehicle for divine empowerment and sanctification. It enabled the priests to mediate between the community and God.

Both are needed for proper service.

Kingdom of Priests

No that they consecrated the priests, they could perform the task that God gave to Israel, being a kingdom of priests.

Exodus 19:6 ESV

and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

What does it mean to be a kingdom of priests?

A kingdom composed of priests who individually have access to God, and/or a kingdom set apart and possessing collectively, alone among all peoples, the right to approach the altar of God. Israel as a collective is called to be a kingdom of priests. It is God, the true king, who gives the authority to His people. Only Israel has been granted the privilege to approach the true God, and a role of mediation to the other nations. It is a royal company consisting of priests. Israel is designated as royal by one that holds the position of Israel’s King, therefore the people belong to this royal family by definition, Israel is the son of God.

Why is it not enough to be a royal family?

Initially, the image-of-God status was conferred to all humans. There was no Israel in the beginning. Israel arose out of the circumstances of rebellions in Gen 1-11. Israel is the kickstarting of an Edenic vision. So the King kickstarts Israel to be his son collectively through Abraham and therefore, it is sort of Adam and Eve. It is the original plan, the original vision. For God to be faithful to His original vision where he made all humans part of his family, the Israelites have also to serve as mediators to everybody else. Aaron is representing a bigger idea. He is the chief representative of what God really wants. God wants a huge family where everybody is royal and everybody has access to his presence.

Jesus, who is even crowned King of Jews, also has to play the priestly role. His body is the temple. And after the resurrection, the body of Christ, the Church, is collectively the children of God.

1 Peter 2:4–10 ESV

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We are called to reign with Christ over the nations as priests.

We are chosen - just as Christ was chosen by God.

We are a generation - unity of spiritual origin, distinct from the world.

We are royal - we are priests and kings, like Melchisedec.

We are a holy nation - again the union of believers.

We are people for his own possession - God Himself bought/purchased/acquired us for Himself by His blood

We are called to proclaim - It is not our own praises, but His. We have no reason to magnify ourselves above others for we shared in same darkness before, and only through God’s grace we have been brought to the light which we show forth to others.

To reign with Christ is not something that is only futuristic, we have been given the authority already. How do we reign as a priest? We are supposed to restore Eden on this earth. To spread the gospel and to proclaim the good news of God to every tribe, tong and nation, and to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit (Matt 28:19). We mediate between God and the unbeliever, intercede for them and show and tell them that Christ is in you, that He called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. We make disciples to call everybody back to their original image-of-God status. To do this, you need the blood of Jesus on your ears, hands and feet. So that you can hear the Word of God, do His work appropriately and walk with Him. And you need the anointing of the Spirit, the indwelling Spirit of God that transforms you from the inside out. The blood and the Spirit, nothing more, nothing less.

Revelation 5:9–10 ESV

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”