Consecrated For YHWH’s Holy Presence

Israel has recently been redeemed from Egypt.

They are camped at Mount Sinai.

The covenant has just been established & confirmed (Exodus 19–24).

Then God begins to establish the means by which God’s people will be relationship with Him.

Exodus 25–27

Instructions for building the Tabernacle.

Question answered: Where will God dwell?

Exodus 28

Priestly garments.

Question answered: Who will serve in God's presence?

God is forming Israel into His holy nation. A PEOPLE FOR HIMSELF AND FOR HIS GLORY.

The priesthood is being established for the first time.

Aaron and his sons are officially installed as mediators between God and Israel.

Exodus 29

Consecration of the priests.

YHWH’s appointed priest are consecrated & made holy through sacrifice so His people may know His presence.

This foundational understanding will lead the people to understand over the years that there has to be something better, something more complete to help their enslavement to sin and to finally fully satisfy as a guilt offering.

It is only through YHWH’s perfect High priest and sacrifice can sinful people enjoy YHWH’s Holy Presence.

Consecration Begins with Preparation (Ex. 29:1-9)

Exodus 29:1–9 ESV

1 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take one bull of the herd and two rams without blemish, 2 and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. 3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and bring the bull and the two rams. 4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 6 And you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8 Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, 9 and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

It was required for the Priest to be Consecrated to serve YHWH.

Consecration meant that they would be removed from common use and made holy (set apart) for service to the Lord.

This was not a job that just anybody at anytime could do. (No outsider was to intrude into the priesthood because of this (Num. 3:10)

Not even Kings (2 Chron 26:16-23) (Uzziah)

Consecration took Preparation.

Gathering of all supplies (Ex. 29:1-3)

The washing of Aaron & his sons (Ex. 29:4) - Symbolized a spiritual cleansing.

The adorning & anointing of the Priest (Ex. 29:5-9) Putting on the garments mentioned in Ex. 28 and being anointed with oil on their heads showing that they were set apart for their ministry.

The Priesthood cannot be bought or taken away (Ex. 29:9b) THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS CHOSEN AGAIN BY YHWH.

This should teach us something in the way that we approach YHWH.

There most certainly are times where we may fly to God in our distress with no thought of rushing quickly to our Father for help…

But there is also a teaching point here that is revealed through their meticulous preparation for ordination and going into God’s Presence.

The people of God should also consider the way in which we prepare our hearts and minds before a Holy & Righteous Creator.

Spurgeon depicts this well in his book “Order & Argument in Prayer”

“See yonder priest. He has a sacrifice to offer, but he does not rush into the court of the priest and hack at the bull with the first ax he can find. He first washes his feet at the brazen basin; he puts on his garments and adorns himself with the priestly clothing, then he comes to the altar with his victim properly divided according to the law.”

… Now this ritual is all set aside, but the truth that it taught remains the same, our spiritual sacrifices should be offered with holy carefulness. God forbid that our prayer should be a mere leaping out of one’s bed and kneeling down and saying anything that comes first to mind; on the contrary; may we wait upon the Lord with holy fear and sacred awe.

YHWH teaches them this by His grace and then reveals to them what the process or ordination looks like for the priest.

Consecration & Holiness Given Thru Sacrifice

Exodus 29:10–42 ESV

10 “Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 12 and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. 13 And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. 15 “Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 16 and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, 18 and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 19 “You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 20 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. 21 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. 22 “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 23 and one loaf of bread and one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the Lord. 24 You shall put all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. 25 Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the Lord. It is a food offering to the Lord. 26 “You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be your portion. 27 And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests’ portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron’s and his sons’. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the Lord. 29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them. 30 The son who succeeds him as priest, who comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, shall wear them seven days. 31 “You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. 32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 33 They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy. 34 And if any of the flesh for the ordination or of the bread remain until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy. 35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them, 36 and every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall purify the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall anoint it to consecrate it. 37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall become holy. 38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 And with the first lamb a tenth measure of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord. 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.

The Bull as a Sin Offering (Purification Offering) (Ex. 29:10-14)

Laying Upon of Hands (V. 10)

This is repeated with the other two sacrifices.

Symbolized the transferring their sin guilt to the animal. (The transfer doesn’t actually happen… but rather symbolized it.

There was this basic understanding in the sacrifices that SOMETHING MUST DIE IN MY PLACE IF I AM TO LIVE.”

Not only should there be substitutionary death, but there should also be blood spilt and applied… (Lev. 17:11)—->> “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls…”

The blood of the bull is to be placed on the horns of the altar and the rest be poured out at the base of the altar. (V. 12)

This part is about the cleansing of the altar as well: The sacrifice here is for the priest but the altar is also purified by the blood because it is the place where sinful people would draw near to God.

Entrails to be burned on the altar.

Flesh, dung, to be burned outside the city.

RESULT: Priest and the altar are purified before a Holy God. (Altar to be purified each day for seven days)

The Priest and the altar must be made Holy before God’s presence will dwell with HIs people.

The First Ram as a Whole Burnt Offering (Ex. 29:15-18)

Unlike the bull, this ram is not a sin offering. It is a burnt offering, symbolizing complete consecration and devotion to God.

Laying Upon of Hands (V. 15):

All of the ram would be burned on the altar except for it’s blood.

The Blood of the first Ram was to be sprinkled on all sides of the altar which were previously not touched, cleansing the rest of the altar.

The ram was cut into pieces, washed, and burned on the altar

This is a food offering / burnt offering / a pleasing aroma to God.

The Hebrew word for “Burnt” comes from a verb meaning to “to go up”, or ascend”. —-> Total animal is consumed symbolizing total surrender to the Lord. Nothing is held back.

For Aaron and HIs sons, their lives and service and work were wholly devoted to the Lord.

Sin must first be dealt with.

Then the priest can offer themselves wholly to God.

The Second Ram (The Ram of Ordination) (Ex. 29:19-28)

The second ram is unique.

It’s neither a sin offering like the bull nor simply a burnt offering like the first ram.

This is specifically called “the ram of ordination” with it’s purpose being to formally install Aaron and his sons into the priest hood.

Laying Upon of Hands (V. 19)

Then Moses puts the blood on the tip of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the great toes of the right feet.

This was to symbolize his whole person being set apart,

TO HEAR GOD’S WORD,

DO GOD’S WORK,

& TO WALK IN GOD’S WAYS.

Continues to remind us that nobody could enter into God’s presence APART FROM BLOOD.

The rest of the blood thrown onto the sides of the altar.

The mixing of some of the blood and oil for the purpose of sprinkling on Aaron and his sons for the ordination of their garments.

V. 26-27: Selected portions of the ram, along with bread from the ordination basket were to be placed into their hands and waved before the Lord and then burned on the altar - SHOWING THAT EVERYTHING BELONGS TO THE LORD.

V. 27-28: We then see Aaron, his sons and future priest would receive a portion due to them for their service from this offering in the breast and thigh.

The Garments; The Ordination Meal; Keeping the Altar Holy through ordination; Regular “day by day” burnt offerings V. 29-42:

Verses 29–42 complete the ordination of the priests and establish the ongoing worship of Israel.

The passage moves from the succession of the priesthood and the ordination meal to the consecration of the altar and the institution of the daily burnt offerings.

The progression of this ordination ceremony is deliberate:

The bull removes the guilt through the sin offering.

The first ram expressed complete devotion through a burnt offering.

The second ram commissions and consecrates the priest for their ministry before a HOLY GOD.

This showed that the priesthood would not just merely be another position to be held, It couldn’t be held by just anybody but had to be appointed, and that it would be a life WHOLLY DEDICATED TO THE LORD IN ALL THAT THEY WOULD HEAR, DO,

This text also revealed for God’s Holy Presence to be with HIs people, it required both consecrated priest as well as CONTINUAL WORSHIP.

AND THAT WAS THE BIG IDEA OF THIS WHOLE PROCESS OF THIS ORDINATION AS WELL AS CONTINUAL OFFERINGS>>> ALL OF THIS MEANT FOR GOD’S PRESENCE TO DWELL AMONG HIS PEOPLE AND FOR THEM TO KNOW HIM AS THEIR GOD…

Consecrated for His Presence, For His Service, & For the Knowledge of Him Who Saved Us.

Exodus 29:43–46 ESV

43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

The Israelites had clearly seen the presence of God among them in the form of the pillar of cloud/fire that accompanied them from Egypt to Sinai. But that manifestation of HIs presence would not continue.

Now, when the tabernacle would be fully built… His presence would be specially known there in HIS HOUSE. “THERE I WILL MEET WITH you (Moses, &) THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL and everything in God’s presence will be made holy and sanctified by MY GLORY.”

It’s interesting that it’s said here for the need for the people to KNOW YHWH as their God and as the one who brought them out of EGYPT… (AFTER ALL THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH to see the completion of the promise God made Moses and the people in Ex. 6:7 (Very much the same language we see here.)

May we not forget the fact that YHWH is still working in the midst of the stubborn hearts of a people who came out of a nation in which multiple deity’s were worshiped and where anything and everything might be considered god.

Even right now as YHWH gives Moses these instructions, for the tabernacle, the priest and their garments, the ordination, the altar, the offerings and worship… MOSES IS DELAYING from coming down and the people are easily being led astray to worship a golden calf that we’ll hear about in a few weeks.

YHWH here is reminding them that AGAIN… it was HE ALONE…

WHO IS THEIR GOD AND WHO BROUGHT THEM OUT OF EGYPT…

that it was through this PRIESTHOOD AND REGULAR WORSHIP THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THIS REGULAR KNOWLEDGE OF HIS SAVING GRACE UPON THIER PEOPLE

AND THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD KNOW HIS PRESENCE.

Here’s what is awesome about every piece of this passage that we see here today…

every single part of it points forward to the serpent crusher who would come and give the flesh and bones to the shadow that we see here in Exodus 29.

Aaron and his sons point to Christ as the greater High Priest. (We see Psalm 110 promise this… we see Christ fulfill (Heb. 5-10)

The sacrifices point to Christ's once and for all atoning death.

The blood points to Christ's cleansing blood.

The altar points to the cross.

The ordination Meal points to Christ bringing God’s people into fellowship with YHWH.

The continual offerings point to Christ's once-for-all sacrifice.

God's promise to dwell among His people is fulfilled through the salvation that Christ provides, by the Holy Spirit in which God tabernacles with us now, and ultimately the New Creation.

CHRIST IS THE PERFECT PRIEST… “The guarantor of a better covenant” and He holds it permanently.

AND NOW through this salvation that we have through Christ… and through God dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit… we get to be His priestly people…

And so now we get to be priest under the Great High Priest in Christ.

Priest were cleansed —> believers are cleansed by Christ (Heb. 10:22)

Priest were consecrated—> Believers are set apart as Holy through Christ (1 Peter. 2:9)

Priest had access to YHWH — Believers draw near to YHWH through Christ (Heb. 4:16)

Priests offered sacrifices —> Believers offer spiritual sacrifices (Rom. 12:1; Hebrews 13:15-16)

Priest were to proclaim YHWH and HIs Word—> believers are to proclaim YHWH and His Word as Christ. (1 Peter 2:9)

WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS?

Let us be thankful for the access to YHWH that we have through Christ.

Don’t waste it.

Hebrews 10:19–22 ESV

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Live as God’s Royal Priesthood.

Laying aside every weight and sin that clings so closely to run with endurance.

Proclaim the excellencies of His who called you.

Let us offer up Spiritual sacrifices to God through Christ. “WITH HOLY CAREFULLNESS)(our bodies, our money, our resources, out time)

Let us be a people who ultimately show who God is and reveal His Kingdom to those around us…

LET’S Pray