God Consecrates HIS Aaronic Priesthood
Required to have God’s characteristics
Required to Come before God Sinless
Required to be passed in the Blood of Offering
DBF Sunday Sermon notes, Exodus 29, 3/9/03
Again this is another matter that most people in Bristol Bay know a little bit about since at the beginning of the fishing season the fleet is blessed.
Actually consecrated requires a little more effort than to merely be blessed.
Consecrated to serve God, would mean that you are being totally set apart to do the will of God. In the case of Aaron and his sons they were “set apart” to minister daily in the Tabernacle and to sacrifice the continual peace offerings on behalf of the nation of Israel.
We are consecrated also as people who accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior to go about learning and doing the “good and perfect” will of God.
But how do we do that in Bristol Bay, or the Kobuk River valley, or Anchorage?
We simply do it the same way it has been done since Jesus Christ came as the “Good News” to mankind.
His parting word and challenge to all who would come after HIM in HIS “Great Commission” is;
Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Let’s walk with Moses today as God gives him the commandments on how to Consecrate his brother Aaron and his sons.
Required to have God’s characteristics
Exodus 29:1-9 (KJV)
And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, [2] And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them. [3] And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams. [4] And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. [5] And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: [6] And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. [7] Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. [8] And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them. [9] And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
As we studied last week God commands Moses to choose Aaron and his sons, from among the many possible children of Israel.
Does God choose them because they are perfect?
No because they are not for we will see shortly that Nadab and Abihu died under God’s judgment (Lev. 10:1-2) so that the Aaronic priesthood continued through his two younger sons Eleazar who succeeded his father as high priest (Num. 3:4) and Ithamar.
The images in our verse here are images of the Holy characteristics associated with our Holy God. The priests were called to strive for Godly perfection, separation, cleanliness, and anointing. Let’s examine this more closely.
Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,
The Hebrew word for blemish is tamiym, taw-meem’; from Hebrew 8552 (tamam); entire (literal, figurative or moral); also (as noun) integrity, truth :- without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright (-ly), whole.
This is the image of our perfect righteous God, without fault or blemish, undefiled and sound.
Psalm 145:17-18 (KJV)
The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. [18] The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Romans 11:33-36 (KJV)
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! [34] For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? [35] Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? [36] For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Rev. 15:2-4 (KJV)
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. [3] And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. [4] Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Do you strive to grow continually in these characteristics of our God?
We are challenged too in Jesus’ words:
John 15:13-16 (KJV)
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. [14] Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. [15] Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. [16] Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
John 17:14-19 (KJV)
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. [15] I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. [16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. [17] Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. [18] As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. [19] And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Draw near to the righteousness of God, of course the only way you are I are able to do so is to give ourselves totally to Jesus Christ, and to obey the word of God in our lives.
Next we look at the separation to which HIS chosen are called. We see this in;
And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened…We are called to be separated unto God and our Lord Jesus Christ. HE has separated us and “set us apart” unto him.
1 Cor. 5:6-8 (KJV)
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? [7] Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: [8] Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. ..Looking at cleanness, Aaron and his sons were washed with water to be able to start the process of temple worship. We likewise should present ourselves undefiled, clean before God.
The washing speaks of the cleansing we have through faith in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Rev. 1:5; Acts 15:9), a once-for-all washing that needed never to be repeated (John 13:1-10).
1 Cor. 6:9-11 (KJV)
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, [10] Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1 John 1:9 (KJV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Rev. 1:5 (KJV)
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
It was necessary for the priests to have daily washing at the laver, which speaks of our daily cleansing as we confess our sins to Jesus Christ.
Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him…Finally, the high priest was to be anointed with the holy anointing oil, which showed the empowerment of God upon these men to do HIS will.
The word consecrate here is from the Hebrew word male’, maw-lay’; or mala’, maw-law’; (Esth. 7:5), a primitive root, to fill or (intransitive) be full of, in a wide application (literal and figurative) :- accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, × draw, give in, go) full (-ly, -ly set, tale), [over-] flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a [hand-] full, + have wholly.
The fragrance would fill the church with the sweet favour of his administrations, and show the pouring out of the Spirit upon him, to qualify him for his work and confirm their being “set apart” to God.
If someone smelled you today, could they tell you were “set apart” to the work to which God has called you?
Required to Come before God Sinless
Exodus 29:10-18 (KJV)
And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock. [11] And thou shalt kill the bullock before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. [12] And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar. [13] And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar. [14] But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.
[15] Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. [16] And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar. [17] And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head. [18] And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the Lord: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock…We see Aaron and his sons coming forward and their sins being transferred to a scapegoat, this bullock that will be offered for their sinfulness.
Leviticus 1:4 (KJV)
And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
Leviticus 4:15 (KJV)
And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the Lord: and the bullock shall be killed before the Lord.
Numbers 8:12 (KJV)
And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the Lord, to make an atonement for the Levites.
2 Chron. 29:23 (KJV)
And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:
We can clearly understand that the sinfulness of man was transferred to the imperfect sacrifice of animals, which required continual offerings until a perfect sacrifice could be found.
Praise be to God our perfect sacrifice was found and freely gave himself and offering for all who would believe on HIM, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Heb 10:9-12; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man (Jesus Christ), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
As the appointed ministers to God, Aaron and his sons would be required to first offer their own offerings before beginning the administration of offerings for the nation of Israel, until the perfect offering was to come.
This duty they took seriously. Can it be said of you today that you take your callings seriously?
Required to be passed in the Blood of Offering
Exodus 29:19-37 (KJV)
And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. [20] Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about. [21] And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him. [22] Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration: [23] And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord: [24] And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. [25] And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the Lord: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord. [26] And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord: and it shall be thy part. [27] And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: [28] And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the Lord. [29] And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them. [30] And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
[31] And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place. [32] And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. [33] And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. [34] And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. [35] And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them. [36] And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. [37] Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
Aaron and Christ shared the priestly qualifications of a divine calling and genuine humanity.
Unlike Aaron, however, Christ needed to offer no sacrifices for Himself. Only such a perfect High Priest could offer a sacrifice that was wholly and eternally effective.
Hebrews 5:1-8 (KJV) For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: [2] Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. [3] And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. [4] And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. [5] So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. [6] As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. [7] Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; [8] Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Hebrews 7:26-28 (KJV) For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; [27] Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. [28] For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
Hebrews 9:11-14 (KJV) But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; [12] Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. [13] For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: [14] How 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?
Just as Aaron and his sons were “set apart” over a seven day period to God, you and I are “set apart” by our association and cleansing from our High Priest Jesus Christ who calls each of us to continue to go forward with HIS “Good News” message unto the ends of the earth. Of course to be able to be a part of this you first have to make a choice for Christ or against Christ. There is no middle ground as the world would like for you to believe.
What about you? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your HOPE today or are you still seeking your hope or help in a lost and dying world?
You see, God’s word gives us the answers to life’s most complex and complicated questions if we will only follow up, don’t give up, but get up, look up, and allow God to lift us up in our lives and the situations which come our way.
We can come to this place only after we truly come to Jesus, our High Priest.
We must come forward and admit to God that we are sinners. The bible tells us “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. That means you and me…we are all sinners.
So if we recognize that we are sinners, God calls us to repent for “While we were yet sinners, God sent HIS only begotten son to die for all who believe on Jesus’ name.”
If you are at a place in your life that you realize that God is talking to you, and you want to come to a place of acceptance so that you can follow up, get up, look up and allow God to lift you up, then we ask you to come forward. We would love to pray with you today, to help you become one with Christ, so that you may begin to walk in newness of life.
Then you can begin to follow in the ways that God leads.
If you have any prayer needs or concerns we would love to pray for you. Let us continue to lift up the leaders of the United States and all our allies that are aligned against the nations of terror. We will also lift up our men and women in uniform and those loved ones while they are out doing the will of God.
Closing Prayer.
