(Cross reference with Leviticus Chapter 8)
Note: Under God’s direction, Moses has set aside his brother Aaron and all of his sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar (Chapter 28) for the office of the Priesthood. They were given their official priestly attire. Aaron served as the 1st high priest and in succession, it was by God’s design that all of the future high priest were to come from Aaron’s genealogy. "Although the holiness of their office was reflected in their outward dress, it was equally necessary, because of their sinfulness nature, that they should be sanctified (spiritually) through a special consecration ritual for the administration of their office. The directions now given for the consecration were carried out in Leveticus 8.
I. Consecration of the Priests (Aaron and his sons) Exodus 29:1-9
A. Offerings for the consecration process (vs. 1-3)
1 young bull and 2 rams unblemished, unleavened bread and unleavened wheat cakes tempered with oil and wafers anointed with oil
Consecrating the priests was a solemn ceremony for 2 reasons:
1. The people were to see that the office of the priesthood was an exalted office, an important office of great magnitude completely sanctioned by God.
2 The Priest were to see that they could not take their appointment to the priesthood lightly and they were to understand that the service they performed for God wasn’t just for the people’s benefit but for them too. They had to consecrate themselves COMPLETELY AND EVERYTIME they served in their priestly capacity.
B. Bring them to the door of the tabernacle of the Congregation and wash them
(vs. 4-9)
4 things concerning the consecration of the Priest:
The priest had to be clean spiritually
They had to be clothed in the righteousness of God
They had to be empowered by the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit)
Water usage signified 3 things:
1. In their relationship with God, it signified a transition from an unprivileged to a privileged state.,
2. It signified a change in their status and social state from being “common” to being “consecrated”
3. Signified the necessity and importance a person serving in ministry serving with moral purity and holiness. When Aaron and his sons were constituted priests, they were washed, that element importing that they were not only elevated from the condition of common Israelites to a holy office, but that they required to cultivate personal purity (Isa 52:11; John 13:10; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Peter 3:21)
II. The Sacrificial Offerings in Behalf of the Priest Exodus 29:10-30
A. First: Bring the young bull (the Sin offering) vs. 10-14
Step by Step Procedure:
1. Have Aaron and his sons lay their hand upon its head.
2. Slaughter the bull at the doorway. (in God’s presence)
3. Put some of the blood on the horns of the altar with your fingers.
4. Pour out all of the blood at the base (front side) of the altar.
5. Take the fat (covering the inner parts), the covering of the liver, both
kidneys- (fat and all) and burn them on the altar.
6. Burn the meat and all other parts of the bull outside the city.
Note: There must be a sin-offering, to make atonement for the priest.
a. The Priest must first make a “sin” offering for their own sin, before they could make atonement for the people, (Heb 7:27, 28).
b. They were to put their hand on the head of their sacrifice (v. 10), confessing that they deserved to die for their own sin, and desiring that the killing of the beast might expiate their guilt, and be accepted by as a vicarious satisfaction.
c. This “sin” offering was used as other sin-offerings were; only, whereas the flesh of other sin-offerings was eaten by the priests (Lev 10:18), in token of the priest's taking away the sin of the people, this was appointed to be all burnt without the camp (v. 14).
d. The Sin offering signified the imperfection of the legal dispensation; for the sins of the priests themselves could not be taken away by those sacrifices, but they must expect a better high priest(Jesus Christ) and a better “ blood” sacrifice.
B. Second: Take One Ram [Procedure] (The dedication Offering) vs. 15-18
1. Have Aaron and his sons lay their hands on its head.
2. Slaughter the ram.
3. Sprinkle its blood around the altar.
4. Cut it into pieces, washing its inside and its legs,
5. Place its pieces with the head and burn it all on the altar. (burnt offering)
(offering it up in smoke)
Note: There must be a burnt-offering, a ram wholly burnt, to the honor of God. This offering signified that the priest had completely dedicated themselves to God and to his service, They were presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice, wholly and acceptable to God because as “called” servants, this was their “reasonable service.
Important: The sin-offering must first be offered before the burnt-offering; until God removes their sin guilt, no acceptable service can be performed, Isaiah 6:7
C. The Other Ram [Procedure] ( The consecration offering) vs. 19-22
1. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands of its head.
2. Slaughter the ram.
3. Place some blood on the right earlobe, the right thumb of the right hand, the right big toe of Aaron and his sons.
4. Sprinkle the rest of the blood around the altar.
5. Take some blood from the altar and anointing oil and sprinkle the garments of all of them. Consecrating their priestly garments.
Note: Concerning the Ram of Consecration. Once the priest had been cleansed and dedicated the next thing they did was symbolically had communion with God, as they ate their portion of the sacrificed ram.
a. The Ears, hands, and feet (v. 20) were dedicated to God as the priiest were to listen to God’s instructions and obey his word.
b. The "cleansing blood" and "sanctifying oil" were sprinkled not only upon the men, but upon their official garments (v. 21), symbolizing that God had both consecrated and empowered them for their assigned service.
D. Ram of Ordination (God’s Portion) vs. 23-25
1. Take the fat, the tail, the fat from the inward part and the right thigh
2. Take 2 cakes (one mixed with oil) and a wafer (from the basket of unleavened bread set before the Lord)
3. Put them in Aaron and his sons’ hands.
4. They are to wave them before the Lord.
5. Take them from them and burn them on the altar. (burnt offering)
(Wave; this symbolically presented them to God. God's portion (v. 25) was consumed upon the altar.)
E. Ram of Ordination (Moses’ Portion) vs. 26-28
1. Take the breast of the ram (Moses) from Aaron’s ram and wave it as a wave offering to God. It’s your portion!.
2. Consecrate both the breast of the wave offering ad the thigh of the heave offering.
3. It is for Aaron and his sons
4. It’s a heave offering from Israel forever
(The breast and the thigh of the ram of the installation offering were given to Moses as to the officiating priest (vv. 26-28). Ordinarily, as here ordained, this portion would go to the priest)
III. Passing of the Priestly Garments Exodus 29:29-30
Aaron is to pass the high priest garment to one of his sons at the point he is no longer the high priest. His successor is to put them on for 7 consecutive days when he ministers in the tent of meeting (the holy place) vs. 29- 30
IV. The Food of the Priesthood (the Sacrificial meal) Exodus 29:31- 34
A. Boil the flesh of the Ram of ordination in the Holy Place.
B. Aaron and his sons shall eat it with bread from the basket (at the doorway).
C. They were to partake in each offering through the eating from the atoned and consecrated meats.
D. Burn all that is eaten to prevent spoilage.
Note: The other part, both of the flesh of the ram and of the bread, Aaron and his sons were to eat (at the door of the tabernacle) (v. 31-33), to signify that he called them not only servants but friends, (John 15:15). Jesus supped with them, and they with him. The eating of the flesh sacrificed for the atonement signified they receiving the atonement. As it was the expressed is (Romans 5:11), their thankful acceptance of the benefit of it, and their joyful communion with God thereupon, which was the true intent and meaning of a feast upon a sacrifice. If any of the food was left, it must be burnt, that it might not be in any danger of putrefying, and to show that it was an extraordinary peace-offering.
V. The Time of Consecration Daily for the Priests Exodus 29:35-36
A. Ordination ceremony was to last 7 days for Aaron and his sons.
B. Everyday offer a bull for a sin offering.
C. Purify the altar before you make an offering.
D. Anoint and consecrate it (the altar) for 7 days
E. The altar and whatever touches it then shall be holy
VI. Consecration of the Tabernacle Daily Exodus 29:37-42
A. Offer (2) year old lambs (one in the AM.) (one at twilight)
Both offered with 1/10th ephaph fine (wheat) flour, 1/4th hin of beaten oil, 1/4th hin wine for drink offering by fire unto the Lord for a “soothing aroma”
B. To be offered continually and daily at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
C. To make daily atonement for sin for the people and for Israel as a nation.
VII. God’s Promise of Continual Blessing Exodus 29:43-46
A. I will meet with you the priest there and speak to you.
D. I will consecrate the tent, and the offering, (by my (God’s) glory.
E. God will consecrate Aaron and his sons, set them aside to minister as priests.
F. God will dwell among the 12 tribes and be their God.
G. They will know that I AM the Lord, their God who brought them out of Egypt. that I might dwell with them
H. God’s signature: I AM the Lord their God.