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 verses 1-3 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,
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.
GOD would not only have a sin offering for the consecration of the priests, which we considered in our last, but He must have a burnt offering for their acceptance in His presence.
Let us notice first that the ram for the burnt offering was to be brought, and Aaron and his sons were to put their hands upon its head, just as they did in the sin offering, but there is this difference: the sin offering became identified, with the offerors and their sins; whereas in the burnt offering they became identified with it, therefore its perfections were put down to the offerors.
All the details about the burnt offering are given to us in the first chapter of Leviticus.
It had to be without any blemish, as well as the sin offering, because both were a type of Christ as the perfect One; but these two offerings were giving us two aspects, or views, of the death of Christ. The burnt offering being a type of Christ in His perfection, even in offering Himself up to God, for He said,
It therefore was accepted for the offerors, so that the offerors could be accepted in God’s presence.
How wonderful is all this for all those who have Christ as their Saviour; they can say, Not only has Christ died for my sins, but He is accepted for me, and I am accepted in Him. My sins are gone through Christ my sin offering, and now I stand in all His perfection as the burnt offering.
This is what God has done for us in Christ, through His wonderful love, “Love that transcends our highest powers
Demands our soul, our life, our all.”
WE now have come to the second ram which was to be offered. This one had the character of the peace, or communion offering, so we shall find a number of things quite different from the two previous offerings. The mark of identification, by putting their hands upon the head of the sacrifice, was the same as in the burnt offering; they by that act became identified with it, but what marks this offering is consecration, and brings before us a type of the Lord Jesus consecrated to God, even unto death.
The blood of this ram of consecration was put upon the right ear of the priests, on the thumb of their right hand, and the great toe of their right foot.
“What can all this mean?” you say. If you just bear in mind that it is “a ram of consecration” (verse 22), it will help in understanding it as a type of Christ, as the One who was consecrated to God, even unto death. His ear was consecrated to God, so that He could say, “Thy law is within My heart.” He listened to God’s Word, and treasured it in His heart. Even when in the garden of Gethsemane, when the cross of Calvary was before Him, and what it would be to be made sin for us, He said, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” Matt. 26:3939And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39). The lesson for us in all this is, that if we have Christ as our Saviour, we must have His measure of consecration applied to us.
First, He wants our ears to be listening to what He has to say to us in His Word.
Second. He wants our hands to be consecrated to His service, and not to be doing the things that please ourselves.
Third, He wants our feet to walk in His ways. We may also put it this way,
First, what would He have me read?
Second, what would He have me do?
Third, where would He have me go?
In verse 21 we have the continuation of the thought we had before us last week, with these additions: oil was used, and instead of sprinkling certain parts to identify, and consecrate to Him, their whole person and garments were consecrated.
How important this is for all who know the Lord Jesus as their own Saviour. The Lord wants, not only our ear, hands and feet, but our whole person, and habits for Him; indeed, it is summed up in this,
If we give Him our hearts, He will have all that we have, and He is worthy of all, seeing He gave His life for us, and will share with us all that He has, and heaven and earth are all His.
After this we have the offering, and unleavened bread presented to God, and waved before Him. This is typical of worship; and God the Father wants us to be worshipers in spirit and in truth. As the type before us points to Christ (for He was the consecrated One, and He was the unleavened bread, that is, the One in whom there was no sin), God wants us to present Christ to Him; in other words, speak to Him about His beloved Son.
Another point I would take notice of is, that a part of this offering was to be food for Aaron and his sons. God therefore wants us to feed upon Christ, have Him as our object, and find our delight in thinking and meditating on Him. As we do this, we shall become more like Him in our ways.
In the latter part of the chapter, we have the continual burnt offering to give us a type of what Christ is to God continually, as a sweet-smelling savor in giving Himself up to God in death. People generally see no beauty in Christ; their hearts are far from Him, so they do not care to talk about Him, or even think of Him, but He is God’s delight.
How is it with you, dear reader? Do you delight to think, and talk of Christ? Or is it with you, like the many who are so far from God, who have no love for Him. If the latter, you are choosing the lake of fire, which is the furthest place away from Him, but if He is your delight you shall have your portion with Him forever.