Bible Lessons

From: Messages of God's Love: 1922

Exodus 29:1-4¹And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, ²And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them. ³And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams. ⁴And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. (Exodus 29:1‑4). Consecration of the Priests.

WE trust our young scholars will read these portions in their Bibles, as we do not have space in this small paper to quote the verses.

We have had the details about the priestly robes, and now in the first three verses of this chapter we have what was required for the consecration of the priests.

God must have His own people, consecrated, or separated, unto Himself, because the condition of this world is the opposite to His character.

The first thing to be done to the priests was to have them washed with water at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. This was done as a symbol of what the Word of God does to everyone who will be subject to it. The Scripture therefore is,

“Ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” John 15:3³Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (John 15:3).

“That He might sanctify and cleanse it (the Church) with the washing of water by the Word.” Eph. 5:26²⁶That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26).

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word.” Psa. 119:9⁹BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psalm 119:9).

These three scriptures show distinctly what was meant by washing the priests with water as the first thing in consecrating them to God.

The Word of God, if acted upon by us, cleanses us in our ways and separates us from all that is not pleasing to God; but the blood of Christ is what cleanses us from all our sins before God. The reason is, the wages of sin being death, which is God’s punishment for sin, demands our life and separation from God, therefore Christ, who had no sin. willingly offered Himself up to God, was forsaken by God in our stead, and shed His precious blood and thus died for us. His blood therefore cleanses us from all sin, once and forever. It is His blood that gives us boldness to go into the presence of God. Seeing He has given us such a place in His presence. through the value of Christ’s blood, He must have our ways cleansed, and have us doing those things which are according to His Word.

We cannot serve Him according to His mind, apart from having our sins put away by the blood of Jesus; and, second, by haying all our ways conformed to His Word.

ML 07/30/1922

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