There were two rams offered at Aaron and his sons’ consecration. The first one was a burnt offering. Perhaps some of our young readers might wonder what we mean by a burnt offering. There were several different kinds of offerings and each one had a typical meaning of its own. The burnt offering tells us of how Christ’s work on the cross was most pleasing to God His Father. Even if no one were saved at all, God was glorified in Christ’s dealing with sin in the very world where God’s name had been so dishonored.
The Value of the Offering
Aaron and his sons must put their hands on the head of the ram, but this time it was not to transfer their guilt to it as in the sin offering mentioned in our last chapter, but rather to take to themselves the value of the sacrifice. In this we see that the believer is brought into a place of favor and acceptance “in Christ.” We stand before God in all the value of His work which has been transferred to us.
Then, after the ram had been killed and its blood sprinkled upon the altar, it was cut in pieces and all its inward parts were washed in water. This reminds us again of how the Lord Jesus always walked according to the Word (the water) and then “offered Himself without spot to God” (Heb. 9:1414How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)). Then the whole ram, every part of it, was offered on the brazen altar, just as every part of the Lord Jesus’ work was a sweet savor to the heart of God.
The Ram of Consecration
The next ram was the ram of consecration. It is most interesting, for it brings before us the devoted obedience of Christ even unto death. It was like the ram which Abraham found caught in the thicket by its horns — the strength of the animal was caught. And so the Lord Jesus was so devoted in His love to His Father and to us, his redeemed people, that nothing could turn Him back — He was obedient unto death.
Aaron and his sons were to put their hands on the head of this ram, too. Just as with the first ram they had been identified with the value of the sacrifice, so with this ram of consecration they were to be devoted in their service to Jehovah. For us this would speak of the devotedness that should characterize our lives as we realize that we belong to Christ. His love always constrains us.
Applying the Blood
When this animal was killed, its blood was taken and put on the right ear of Aaron and his sons as well as on the thumb of their right hand and on the great toe of their right foot. Aaron, as we have noticed before, is a type of Christ, and so he had been anointed with oil first. We see in this that the Lord Jesus’ life, which was always by the power of the Spirit of God (the oil), was one of perfect obedience. His ear was always open to hear His Father’s voice, His hands were always ready to do the Father’s will, and His feet were always found in the path the Father had marked out for Him, even though that path meant that He must “resist to blood” (Heb. 12:44Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (Hebrews 12:4)).
With Aaron’s sons it was different. The blood must be applied before the oil, and so we learn in this that we must first be under the shelter of the precious blood of Christ before our ears or hands or feet can be used acceptably in service to God. But now that we have been cleansed in His blood, may we be ready to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:11I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)) in return for such wondrous love.
Further Meditation
1. Why were the ear, hand and foot marked with blood?
2. How do the “ram caught in a thicket by its horns” in Genesis 22 and the ram of consecration in Exodus 29 present complementary thoughts?
3. If you would like to go into the offerings including the burnt offering in much greater depth you will find The Offerings of Leviticus: Leviticus 1-7 by W. Kelly to be very helpful.