Exodus 29
Christian consecration is as truly of Christ and founded on His work in the power of the Holy Ghost, as is our redemption and liberty. The will of the flesh and the law wholly fail to accomplish it. Grace alone effects it through the faith of Christ, and for us more blessedly than the types could declare; for the veil is rent in His death, and we are free to enter into the holiest.
Aaron and his sons were washed (ver. 4); for the high priest of Israel was a sinful man like another. Not so Christ, Who is the Sanctifier and in no way needed such sanctification as he. But here it is viewed as one sanctification; and how gracious this is! Only let us jealously remember that His was intrinsic holiness, ours necessary setting apart to God through Him, of whose fullness all we received.
But Aaron was first elected and anointed with the anointing oil, alone and without blood (ver. 5-7): a striking shadow, if not the very image; as we know in fact our Lord was anointed by the Holy Ghost before His death and when about to enter on His living public service. For Himself He needed not blood, and the Holy Spirit bore witness to His holy person, and to His righteous ways as well as His Son-ship. The sons of Aaron could not be anointed with the holy oil till the bullock was slain and burnt for a sin-offering and one ram for a burnt-offering and some of the blood of the other ram was put on his and their persons (ear, thumb, and great toe, the whole man purified), and some of it with the anointing oil sprinkled on both their persons and their garments (ver. 8-21). It is the power of the Spirit in virtue of the blood of Christ. Compare Rom. 8:2-4. There was not the washing of water by the word only; it was unction from the Holy One that God might dwell and work in His own by virtue of Christ's blood. Hence Christ risen and ascended received the Spirit to shed on us (Acts 2:33). Thus only could there be full association when we have redemption in Him, even forgiveness through His blood. By that one offering He has perfected in perpetuity the sanctified. For we must be absolutely cleansed from our sins in order to be associated with Christ at the right hand of God. To be born of God, however important, does not suffice, till the efficacy of Christ's sacrifice leaves us who believe on Him and His gospel without a spot in God's sight, and the Holy Spirit bears us witness of a remission so complete that there is no longer an offering for sin. To suppose aught else is to deny in effect the eternal redemption and His one sacrifice for sins.
But if it be due to His glory to own that Christ could be and was alone anointed without previous sacrifice, it is to be borne in mind for our joy that, after the fullness of sacrifice, we have seen the high priest and his sons and their garments of office to be anointed together “with him;” “and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons and his son's garments with him,” the basis being the blood, not here of the sin-offering, but of the ram of consecration. And thereon follows the wave offering, not only of the bread, oiled cakes, and wafer, which filled their hands, but of the breast and shoulder of the ram waved and heaved unto the Lord (ver. 22-28).
And then came for Aaron and his sons the eating of the ram of consecration duly seethed in the holy place (ver. 31-34). The same Christ by whom the atonement was made becomes the food of the priests, and of none else; as He said Himself, “My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood dwelleth in Me and I in him” (John 6:55, 56).
We stand in all that Christ was to the Father, when He said, “Therefore doth my Father love me.” We stand in divine acceptance in Him. Whatever there is of sweetness and excellency in Christ is upon us. Every act of Christ's was in the power of consecration—His obedience, His service, His walk; and ours should be the same. His devotedness is the standard and measure of our walk with God.
There is no sin-offering before Aaron is anointed, because he typifies Christ; but there is before his sons are anointed, which shows its application to us. We are never to forget that we could not be consecrated to God, if Christ had not died to blot out our sins. Still it is not the blood of the sin-offering that is put on the ear, the hand, and the foot, as it was when the leper was cleansed, and when putting away defilement was the point sought. Here consecration is the question; the value of Christ's blood in consecrating us to God, not the aspect of putting away what defiled. His death is as necessary for the one as for the other; but consecration to God is here the aspect of it. There must be nothing in our thoughts, acts, or ways, inconsistent with that blood.
The blood and the oil were to be sprinkled on the garments. The death of Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost should mark that which appears before the world. Those outside should be able to recognize that we are devoted to the Lord, though they cannot understand it in its principle and spring. Still its effect should be visible to men, as it is obligatory before God. For properly Christian practice is the fruit of what we are with God, and flows from it. It is what we are that shows itself in our walk.
All our privileges are the result of association with Christ. The sons of Aaron and their garments are sprinkled with Him. Observe, they were not sprinkled when they were washed, but when the blood had been applied. The Holy Ghost is the seal, not of being born again, but of the work of Christ.
Aaron's being washed with his sons is like Christ associating Himself with His people in John's baptism. Aaron was anointed without blood. The Holy Ghost could seal Christ as perfectly accepted in His own person; but to us He is the seal of Christ's work being accepted for us.
In being consecrated for worship, their hands were filled—but with what? Christ in His life and in His death; the one figured in the oiled bread and the other in the burnt-offering— “the fat.” Every part of the value of Christ is thus put into our hands and offered up before God. It is not only that Christ is ever before God in all His sweet savor, and there for us; but we are to come and present Him afresh in worship—our hands are to be filled with Christ. We cannot go to God without finding Him already in the full delight of grace; still we may bring it afresh before Him. Noah's offering was a sweet savor; and thus the very reason, why God brought judgment on the world, is given why He would not any more curse them, now that the offering was accepted: “For the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth.”
The daily sacrifice was the provision, on God's part, for the sweet savor being always before Him (ver. 38), whether we fail or not in our priestly action. This shows the meaning of the taking away of “the daily” sacrifice in Daniel. When this is taken away, there is no link with God left.
Unless we are willing to be consecrated to God, we shall never know the full value of the blood, at least not this aspect of its value. Self-will, however, is not consecration; but the reverse. There will be failure constantly in carrying it out: but there must be the purpose of heart to live wholly to Him, and not at all to self. Verse 43 shows that meeting God is the object; and this marks our title to perfect peace. For, if there were one spot of sin left, God could not be so met. If we are brought to God, sin must have been entirely put away; and that according to His estimate of it. For it is God's estimate, and not ours, both of the sin and of the blood, which gives us our place before Him. “It is God that justifieth,” certainly not I myself by my sense of the value of Christ's blood.