Exodus 29
Bible Passage: Exodus 29
After reading about how the holy garments were intricately made in the previous chapter, what is the image in your mind?
The priests were given the holy garments
What a beautiful garment made by many gifted artisans. And today’s chapter, we read that the priests shall be given these beautiful garments, for glory and beauty (cf Exo 28:2). They did not need to make the garments, but they were given the garments, so that they may wear them to serve the Lord.
After they put on the garments, they have to do a series of sacrifices to be consecrated for the work of God.
I am imagining myself admiring and observing the details of such a garment personally crafted by God. I would imagine the priest wearing it to have the humblest of appearance, much like in the movies or dramas we see a peasant being brought to a rich man’s party n adorned with the best clothes he could never imagine the cost of it.
Today we are the priests of God too, so we have to consider how God wanted the Old Testament priests to serve in the temple.
“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5
Pr Simon spoke about us being holy priests last Sabbath morning sermon. He reminded us that it is not enough to just attend church and acknowledge Jesus as our God. We need to serve as priests in the temple of God.
In the Old Testament, only Aaron and his sons can be priests of God, and the priests carry rotational shifts. Every priest serve one week for twice a year in the temple, wearing holy garments.
David was not a priest, but he was concerned about the work of God and he prayed that his prayer be like incense and the evening sacrifice.
“Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”
Psalm 141:2
But today, we have been all made priests and kings, and we are given the grace to come before the throne of God freely every day. Our prayers are incense before the Lord.
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Rev 1:5-6
“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
Rev 5:8
But we must not take lightly this grace. If God commanded such elaborate steps for consecration of the sons of Aaron, don’t you think that He has great expectations for those who serve Him?
Aaron and his sons were washed with water in front of the tabernacle, before the people. They did not wash themselves, they were washed.
“And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water.” (verse 4)
A lot of blood is shed for this consecration process
A bull and two rams had to die for the consecration process, and the priests had to make daily offering of a bull for sin offering for the subsequent 7 days. (Side note – I can’t help but imagine how bloody the scene is, blood on the altar, on the hands of the priests, on the floor, blood sprinkled on the garments too. Wonder if they had some special cleaning agent to clean the blood on the altar everyday.) We know that the blood was shed for the sins of the priests. Today, the blood of Jesus has been shed for our sins so that we may have our sins washed away.
Verse 20 caught my attention. The second ram that was sacrificed, Moses had to take the blood and put it on the right ear, right thumb and right big toe of Aaron and his sons.
As priests of God, they shall be holy and be mediator between the people and God.
Does it mean that they should hear differently because the blood was on their ear, they should work differently because the blood was on their thumb, they should walk differently because the blood was on their toe?
Today we also join in the work of our Mediator Jesus Christ, making prayers for the church and reconciliartion of people with God. Let us make the resolution to consecrate ourselves for God’s holy use. As we know from the Bible, God does not esteem the material of the vessel whether it is made of gold or earth, rather, whether the vessel is cleansed and consecrated for holy use.
We are never holy enough to be worthy to serve Him, but He wills to put on the glorious and beautiful garment on us, and even gives us a crown to wear. He shed His blood for us to take away our sins, and He wills for us to serve Him in His temple. Can we reject the call of service?
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There are many times when I read the daily chapters of the Bible reading plan when I do not quite understand what the passages mean. Thankfully, as I was thinking about some parts of Exodus 29 today, most of my questions were answered during the Bible Study Tuesday evening service led by Pr CAQ.
Is there something wrong with the picture above?
Well… if you have read the chapter, you would know that God commanded the Aaron and his sons to take some of the blood of the sacrifice and put it on their right ear, right thumb and right toe (Ex 29:20). I was wondering about the significance and now know that this is part of the Peace Offering process that God commanded them to do.
The significance is this….
We all want peace from God… and that is the purpose of the Peace Offering.
There are two aspects to peace – Peace with God and Peace with Men.
Sometimes we are at peace with God…. but we find that we are not at peace with men. At other times, we are at peace with men but not with God. Only when we are at peace with both men and God are we truly at peace.
So why is it that we cannot find true peace even when we make Peace Offerings?
This is the significance of the blood of the sacrifice on the ear, thumb and toe.
Is the Lord’s blood on our ears? When we are not at peace… could it be that we are not listening to the Words of God but choose to allow ourselves to listen to everyone else except God? Or we listen to ourselves over and above of what God is trying to tell us through the Bible?
Is the Lord”s blood on our hands? What do we do with our hands? Do we stretch it out in anger or pent up emotions? Or do we offer out our hands in service to the Lord?
Is the Lord’s blood on our feet? Do we walk the way of the Lord? Do we spread the gospel of peace? Where do we run to?
Essentially, if we are listening to God, doing His will and walking in His ways, we will have true peace. Something to think about as we make our daily prayers and live out our lives.
Finally, maybe some writers have stated this but this point is also a very good reminder of me.
The tabernacle is also called the Tent of Meeting.
And in Exodus 29:42 – God said that there is where He will meet with His people and speak to them. This is His special meeting place with His beloved nation.
Do we feel that coming to Church is so special because that is where we meet God? Perhaps we do come to this meeting place very often. But do we come to meet God or are we here to meet other people?
God wants very much to meet with us and talk to us. Are we prepared to do likewise?
Lots to learn again.
May God help us all on our journey in this wilderness of life!
PS
Ex 29:36 “…You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.”
Blood was put on the horns and the base of the altar (Ex 29:12, 16 and 20). Next the offering was burnt on the altar as an atonement. Then the altar was cleansed when atonement was made.
This is our salvation:
i) Cleanse when atonement is made: The blood of Lord Jesus was shed and He was buried for three days as atonement of our sins. We are cleansed at baptism when He makes atonement for us.
ii) Sanctify when anointed: The Holy Spirit , the anointing oil from God, sanctifies us. 1 John 2:27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
(Who is “anyone”? The “outsider” in Ex 29:33. Who is “the same anointing”? The Holy Spirit and brethren in the true church bec there is complete Truth in His true church only. )
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.” (1 John 2:28)
Little priests, he who has ears to listen, let him hear: “So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar, I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests.” (Ex 29:44)