Title: Parashat 81 Ordaining a Priest
This week’s Torah Portion finds Moses ordaining his brother Aaron and his sons to be priests before the Lord. The details for this ceremony were outlined in Exodus 30:20. It was now time to actually ordain Aaron and his sons. It was time to begin the sacrificial system that God had devised so that men could be forgiven their sins and not be out of fellowship with Him.
As with all things regarding the sacrifices and order of worship, the instructions were fairly detailed. The priests were to be set apart, dedicated, holy to the Lord. They were required to do certain things and to dress in a prescribed manner. So what were some of these requirements? And more importantly, what could this Chapter 8 in Leviticus possibly mean to us today?
Preparing
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach said that “It takes a lot of un-spectacular preparation, to get spectacular results.
Bible: Leviticus 8:2
“Take Aaron and his sons with him, the garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, the two rams and the basket of matzot.
In order to get ready for this ordination service, there had to be special garments prepared. The priests would wear linen rather than the more common woolen garments of the people of Israel. Just the manufacture of linen was a long and involved process.
There was the ephod and breastplate, which had 12 precious stones representing the 12 tribes. It was embroidered with gold thread. It had pockets for the Urim and Thummim, the stones by which decisions were sometimes made.
The tunic had decorative bells and pomegranates attached to the bottom hem.
Imagine how long it took to make just this one garment. It could have taken months to prepare for this one week ceremony.
Washing
Leviticus 8:6 Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.
One of the hallmarks of service to the Lord was His requirement for cleanliness. There was the bronze laver where the priests would wash before entering the Holy Place of the Mishkan. On the Day of Atonement the High Priest ceremonially washed and changed clothes several times during process of offering sacrifices on the Holiest Day of the year.
Clothing
Leviticus 8:7-9 He put the tunic on Aaron, tied the sash on him, clothed him with the robe, put the ephod on him, and tied the skillfully decorated sash of the ephod around him and fastened it on him. (8) He then placed the breastplate on Aaron, and inside the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim. (9) He set the turban on his head, and on front of the turban he set the golden plate, the holy crown, just as Adonai commanded Moses.
The very public ceremony of dressing Aaron was one of pomp and circumstance where the office of High Priest a serious and responsible position. The Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) had the most important role of being the mediator between God and the people. It was essential that the people saw that God was investing His authority in Aaron and his sons. Even with this ceremony, it wasn’t long before there was an uprising against Moses and Aaron by the Levite Korach and his family.
This act of dressing for the work of the Lord is also reflected in the writings of Rav Shaul, Paul the Apostle in:
Bible: Ephesians 6:11-17
Put on the full armor of God, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (13) Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm. (14) Stand firm then! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. (15) Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom. (16) Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (17) And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Don’t neglect the armor so that we are properly prepared for spiritual warfare.
But another important aspect of being an ordained priest to the Lord is preparing for service to the Lord every day.
Sacrificing
Leviticus 8:14 Then he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering.
And thus began the series of sacrifices that were to be accomplished during this first ordination ceremony. The animals were slaughtered in accordance with the instructions given earlier in Exodus 30. Blood was dabbed on the horns of the brazen altar. But then came a very curious instruction.
Bible: Leviticus 8:23
Moses slaughtered it, took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the great toe of his right foot.
What is all this about blood on the ear, thumb and big toe? By every way of accounting, this was a strange ritual. It is strange enough to pour oil on someone’s head but even I have to admit that blood on the right ear, right thumb and right big toe is really weird…or is it?
Hearing
Blood was put on the right ear. Some say this was the ear lobe and others argue it was the top of the ear. It doesn’t really matter where the blood was placed. The important point here is that the blood of ordination and sanctification was on the ear, the part of the body that can hear. What does the Bible say about hearing?
The foundational prayer of Judaism is the “Shema”. “Hear oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.“ Why ‘Hear’? Because hearing is vital to clear communication.
Romans 10:17
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Messiah.
Hearing seems to be the preeminent sense among the early believers. John says in Revelation “Blessed is he who hears these words” and again Yeshua in Revelation says “To everyone that has an ear, let him hear”
Hearing is essential to receiving the Word of God.
Doing
Blood was applied to the right thumb. The right hand is the symbol of strength since most people are right handed. What God is saying here is that the blood of sacrifice and sanctification should be applied to our works, our service to the Lord. Too often in mainstream Christian and sometimes in Messianic circles we tend to downplay works because we don’t want to be accused of ‘working our way into heaven’. When we do that we fall short of what God wants us to do. Mankind was created to work. Even in Gan Edan, the Garden of Eden, the Bible said that Adam was placed in the garden and tended it. He didn’t lay about all day with Eve working on the perfect suntan. No, they were expected to work.
Bible: James 2:22
James said that faith without works is dead.
The blood on the right thumb tells us that our work should be sanctified, set apart, holy unto the Lord. Everything we do should be as unto the Lord.
Walking
The Blood applied to the big toe of the right foot speaks to our walk, our halakah before the Lord. This goes beyond our works. No, this goes back to the V’hafta. We should love the Lord with all our heart, soul and resources.
This walk speaks of integrity. This walk shouts out our total dedication and consecration to the Lord. We can work tirelessly for the Lord and still not be walking in the way He would have us walk. Remember that there will be those at the final judgement that argued that they cast out demons in Yeshua’s name but He said go away, I don’t know who you are.
The anointing of the big toe with blood says that our entire being should be dedicated to the Lord. Paul pointed this out in Romans.
Bible: Romans 12:1
I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice—holy, acceptable to God—which is your spiritual service.
The Bible also tells us that through the blood of Yeshua, He has made us Kings and Priests. That is why this ordination is so important. We are priests unto the Lord to bring the world to a knowledge of Yeshua and the salvation available to all if they will only accept it. We have an awesome responsibility. That’s why the anointing is so important.
Let us pray that we would be worthy of the calling to such a position within the Kingdom.
I want the blood of Yeshua on my ears so that I might hear the word of the Lord. I want to be totally absorbed into His Law and Precepts.
I want the blood of Yeshua on my hands in order that I might work for Him. Yeshua said that we could do greater things than He did on earth. That means we have to actually do something. Work at it. Yes anoint my hands.
I want the blood of Yeshua on my feet so that everywhere I walk, I am walking and living as an example of total dedication and separation to God.
