Exodus Chapter Twenty-Nine

Transcription

1 Exodus Chapter Twenty-Nine Overview of Chapter 29 Exodus chapter 29 addresses the ordination or consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests to serve in the tabernacle. This chapter is divided into five sections: (1) Overview of the chapter (2) The sacrifices connected to the consecration/ordination of the priests (10-35). (a) The use of the bull as a sin offering (verses 10-14). (b) The first ram as a whole burnt offering (verses 15-18). (c) The use of the blood of the second consecration/ordination ram (verses 19-21). (d) Offering the rest of the second consecration/ordination ram (verses 22-26). (e) Establishing the offering portions and garments were permanent features of Israel s sacrificial system (verses 27-30). (f) Cooking and eating consecration/ordination ram (verses 31-34). (g) Summary of the consecration/ordination of the priests (verse 35). (3) Consecrating the altar (verses 36-37). (4) Permanent consecration/ordination burnt offering for the tabernacle (verses 38-42a). (5) Reminder and promise of the presence of God among His people (verses 42b-46). Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8-9 both address the consecration or ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests and complement each other. The latter narrates the actual performance of the ordination/consecration ceremony whereas the former provides the instructions to be carried out in this ceremony. The ordination/consecration ceremony which is described in verses 1-37 contains eight steps: (1) Washing Aaron and his sons (verse 4) (2) Clothing Aaron and his sons (verses 5-6, 8-9) (3) Anointing Aaron and his sons (verse 7). (4) The use of the bull as a sin offering (verses 10-14). (5) The first ram as a whole burnt offering (verses 15-18). (6) The use of the blood of the second consecration/ordination ram (verses 19-21). (7) Offering the rest of the second consecration/ordination ram (verses 22-26). (8) Cooking and eating consecration/ordination ram (verses 31-34). Exodus 29:1-9: Overview of the Chapter Exodus 29:1 Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them to minister as priests to Me: take one young bull and two rams without blemish, 2 and unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil; you shall make them of fine wheat flour. 3 You shall put them in one basket, and present them in the basket along with the bull and the two rams. 4 Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic and the robe of the ephod and the 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 ephod and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod; 6 and you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8 You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. 9 You shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and bind caps on them, and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute. So you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. (NASB95) Them refers to Aaron and his sons since in the previous chapter the Lord gave Moses instructions regarding the clothing to be worn by Aaron and his sons while serving in the tabernacle. Consecrate is the verb qā ḏǎš ד שׁ) (ק (kaw-dash ), which refers to setting apart Aaron s sons to serve the Lord in the tabernacle as priests. To minister as priests is the composed of the preposition l- ) (ל (leh), to and the verb kā hǎn (כּ ה ן) (kaw-han ), which means to officiate as a priest, to serve as a priest. There have been seven different orders of priests serving God in history: (1) Jesus Christ s Great High Priesthood (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14-15; 5:1, 5-6, 10; 6:20; 7:14) (2) Universal royal priesthood of church age believers (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). (3) Priesthood of Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:1, 17; 23, 26-28; 8:1; 9:11; 10:21). (4) High Priesthood of Aaron (Exodus 29; Leviticus 8-9) (5) Priesthood of Aaron sons (Exodus 29; Leviticus 8-9). (6) Levitical priesthood (Numbers 1:47-54; 8:5-22). (7) Priesthood of Israel (Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6). The priesthood of Aaron, his sons and the Levites meant that they were set apart to serve the Lord and Israel exclusively in the tabernacle worship (Leviticus 22:9; cf. Exodus 28:1, 4, 41; 29:1, 44; 30:34; 31:10; 35:19; 39:41). They were not to incur uncleanness (Leviticus 21:1) Some exceptions to uncleanness by touching a corpse are listed in verses 2-3 (cf. Ezekiel 44:25). They were not to shave or mutilate themselves (Leviticus 21:5; cf. Ezekiel 44:20) nor marry any but a virtuous Israelite (Leviticus 21:7; cf. Ezekiel 44:22). They were not to drink wine before entering the sanctuary (Leviticus 10:9; cf. Ezekiel 44:21) and were disqualified by physical defects (Leviticus 21:17; cf. 21:18-22). They were not to allow outsiders to eat the sacred offerings (Leviticus 22:15-16; cf. 24:9; 1 Samuel 21:4; Matthew 12:4) and were not to own land in Israel (Numbers 18:20; cf. Ezekiel 44:28). They were not to offer unacceptable sacrifices (Leviticus 22:20; cf. Malachi 1:7-9) and were to obey God s law meticulously (Leviticus 22:31; cf. Ezekiel 44:24). The priests supervised the sanctuary and were the only ones in Israel who had access to holy things (Numbers 3:10; cf. 4:5; Ezekiel 40:45-46; 44:16; Joel 2:17) and tended the sanctuary lamps (Exodus 27:21). They carried the ark 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 (Deuteronomy 31:9; cf. Joshua 3:8, 15, 17; 4:9, 16; 6:12) and supervised the sacrifices (Leviticus 1:5; cf. 1:8; 2:2; 1 Chronicles 9:30). The priests led the nation as role models (Malachi 2:6), as teachers (Ezekiel 44:23; cf. Leviticus 10:10; Deuteronomy 31:10-13; Ezra 7:6; Malachi 2:7), as judges (Deuteronomy 17:9; cf. 19:17; 21:5; 2 Chronicles 19:8; Ezekiel 44:24) and as encouragers in battle (Numbers10:8; cf. Joshua 6:4; 2 Chronicles 13:12). In Exodus 29:1-2, the Lord lists the items needed for the process of ordaining or consecrating the priests and then describes this process as it would unfold. These priests would serve the Lord who would not only serve the host, Yahweh but also His guests, which would be the Israelites. The items listed in these verses were one young bull and two rams without blemish (verse 1) as well as unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil and in addition, unleavened wafers spread with oil, which shall be made with wheat flour. Verse 3 says that all of these are to be put in a basket and represented the ingredients for a special meal and indicated the formality of the meal. In verse 4, we are told that Aaron and his sons were to be washed before the sacrifice, which represented obedience to the Lord s command as a result of understanding the Lord s demand that the priest be holy and pure and healthy. Being washed before putting on the priestly garments demonstrated respect for the priestly garments and thus respect for the office. This washing is referred to in Leviticus 8:6 and was a complete washing of the body and not just the hands and feet. In verse 5, after washing, Aaron could put on the priestly garments. All the items which Aaron was to wear that are mentioned in verses 5-6 were discussed in chapter 28. The tunic is mentioned in Exodus 28:39 and was a long white coat worn beneath the robe of the ephod and was more complete than a loincloth and reached to the knees. The standard garment worn by both men and women in the biblical period was a linen tunic. Worn next to the skin, ankle length, with long sleeves, it provided protection from the sun and sometimes was embroidered or given a fancy hem by the wealthy (Gen 37:3 and 2 Sam 13:18 19) or by priests. 1 The sash was a wide belt worn around the waist of the high priest and was to be the work of an embroiderer. The robe of the ephod is mentioned in Exodus 28:31-35 and was a blue colored robe which was to be worn underneath the ephod, which also contained a blue color. This solid colored robe underneath the ephod was to have a round aperture large enough for the high priest to slip over his head. The circle of this hole was to be protected by a sturdy border that would prevent tearing or serious 1 Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary : Old Testament (electronic ed.) (Ex 28:41). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 wear it was put on and taken off during the performance of the high priest s duties. This robe would have been approximately eight feet long since it had a front and back and would hang to the ankles. All around the hem of the robe, there were to be blue, purple and scarlet pomegranates and bells composed of gold. The ephod is mentioned in Exodus 28:6-14 and refers to a garment like that of a vest or a coat over one s robe, which the high priest was to wear in the tabernacle when serving. It was the distinguishing mark of the high priest Aaron. Exodus 28:4-5 tell the reader that the material used to make this garment of the high priest was gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen. In Exodus 28, the ephod referred to a garment or a piece of clothing that covered the body from thigh to shoulder without covering either the arms or legs. It was typically worn by priests or temple servants (e.g. 1 Samuel 2:18; 22:18). The ephod worn by Aaron was a very elaborate and impressive sort of ceremonial vest or coat worn over his other garments. Symbolically, it signified that Aaron was to represent God among the Israelites. It became a symbol of God s presence among the Israelites. This chapter distinguishes the ephod from the breastpiece, which was attached to it for the purpose of discerning God s will through the Urim and Thummin. The term ephod eventually referred to both articles in the sense of the breastpiece attached to the ephod since they were not used separately but always together. The books in the Old Testament that come after Exodus use the term ephod on a consistent basis to refer to both articles of clothing. The ephod was made of the same fabric and colors as the rest of Aaron s garments as well as the inner curtains of the tabernacle itself. Exodus 28:6 tell the reader that it was to be made by a skilled craftsman which would thus make it a high-quality garment. The two shoulder pieces mentioned in Exodus 28:7 were either loops or straps that permitted the front and the back of the garment to be tied together once the ephod was placed on the high priest. The ephod was to be secured around Aaron s waist according to Exodus 28:8 since the phrase woven band actually refers to a woven waistband which the NET Bible brings out in its translation of the verse. A special, elaborate waistband was to be attached to the ephod and was to be of the same fabric and color as the rest of the ephod. This waistband would be tied around Aaron, the high priest much like the waistband of a bathrobe or waistband that ties at the front of a jacket or vest. In Exodus 28:9-10, we have the Lord telling Moses that two onyx stones were to have the names of the sons of Israel engraved on them with six of the names on one stone and the other remaining six on the second stone according to the order of their birth. Exodus 28:11-14 tells the reader that the onyx stones were to be carefully engraved with the names of the sons of Israel cut deeply and permanently 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 in the stones, which were to be mounted in filigree or fancy gold settings that would enhance their dignity. The stones were to be fastened permanently to the shoulders of the ephod by braided gold chains. This was to be worn by Aaron whenever he ministered in the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle. This was to remind the Israelites that Aaron represented not only himself but the entire house of Israel. It was to emphasize that everyone in Israel was important to the Lord with no exceptions. These onyx stones would hang by their special gold chains and would of course swing as Aaron moved, which would be a visible reminder of the Israelites corporate solidarity with Aaron before the Lord. The breastpiece is mentioned in Exodus 28:15-30 and as a square pouch, which was used for divination. It was eighteen inches square and was basically a fancy pocket worn over the high priest s chest as part of the ephod that held the stones used for discerning the will of God. Breastpiece of judgment is composed of the masculine singular construct form of the noun ḥō šěn ן) (ח שׁ (kho -shen), judgment and the masculine singular noun miš pāṭ שׁ פּ ט) (מ (mish-pawt ), judgment. The noun ḥō šěn means breast-plate which is an ornamental chest covering word by the high priest in Israel, which held the Urim and Thummim. The noun miš pāṭ means judgment or decision in the sense of an official proclamation concerning the will of God. Exodus 28:18 teaches that this breastpiece of judgment literally means a breastpiece for use in making decisions. (see NET) Thus this breastpiece was used for making decisions or for determining the will of God in a particular matter or circumstance. The breastpiece was made of the same material and colors as the ephod according to Exodus 28:15. The colors of the breastpiece were blue, purple, scarlet and was made of gold according to this verse, which corresponds to the gold and these colors that composed the inner part of the tabernacle. Also, this verse reveals that the breastpiece had to be made by an artistic designer or skilled craftsman. This all emphasizes the fact that the tabernacle and the priesthood, which officiated in the tabernacle worship were integrated so as to represent the Lord to the Israelites and vice versa. The breastpiece was to be square and when doubled it was nine inches long and nine inches wide according to Exodus 28:16. Exodus 28:17-21 teaches that the twelve stones were arranged three to a row in a total of four rows. This is comparable to the ephod shoulder stones. Exodus 28:21 teaches that the various stones mentioned in verses were to represent each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This breastpiece was yet another place where another representation of the twelve tribes of Israel could be worn by the high priest while he served in the presence of the Lord. If you recall, two onyx shoulder stones of the ephod held the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on it with the name of a single tribe 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 engraved on a single stone. Therefore, the twelve tribes of Israel were represented both as groups and individually on both the shoulder stones of the ephod and the breastpiece. Exodus 28:22-28 makes clear that the breastpiece was a separate item from the ephod and was not sewn to it but attached by gold chains at the shoulders and gold rings at the waist. It was to be attached in order to keep it from swinging. Exodus 28:29-30 tell the reader two specific purposes for the breastpiece, namely representation and divination. The former meant that the high priest would represent the twelve tribes of Israel when he served in the tabernacle. The latter was a related to the Urim and Thummim, which was used to determine the will of God. The turban and the holy crown on the turban, i.e. turban forehead plate are mentioned in Exodus 28: These verses refer to the important feature of the turban, which the high priest was to wear while serving in the tabernacle. It has yet to be described and is so in verse 39. The Lord tells Moses that on the front of the turban would be a special gold forehead plate, which was to bear the inscription Holy to the Lord. This plate symbolized Aarons role as the representative of the Israelites in relation to the atonement as indicated by the phrase in verse 38 Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrated, with regards to all their holy gifts. This clause teaches that without the forehead piece on the turban he wore while serving in the tabernacle, Aaron s role as representative on behalf of the Israelites in seeking forgiveness for sins through the various offerings would be nullified. This forehead piece was a reminder to Aaron and the Israelites that Aaron s service in the tabernacle was performed by means of faith in order to fulfill the purpose of receiving the forgiveness of sins from the Lord with the result that the Israelites would be holy in the presence of the Lord. They received the forgiveness of sins and were restored to fellowship as a result of their faith that Aaron s actions were done in obedience to the Lord. Based upon Aaron s faithfulness, they received the forgiveness of their sins and were restored to fellowship. So the gold piece on the turban symbolized the meaning behind Aaron s actions as high priest. This is a picture of Christ and the believer. In Exodus 29:7, the Lord instructs Moses to anoint Aaron after clothing him with his priestly garments, which would set apart him to serve the Lord and the Israelites in the tabernacle. The command to anoint Aaron and his sons is mentioned again in Exodus 30:30 and 40:15. The anointing of Aaron is recorded in Leviticus 8:12. Anoint is the verb mā šǎḥ שׁ ח) (מ (maw-shakh ), which refers to smearing Aaron with oil representing that he was set apart to serve exclusively both the Lord and the Israelites as a priest in the tabernacle William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 The NET Bible has the following comment, they write Oil of anointing was used for all major offices (giving the label with the passive adjective mashiah (or messiah ) to anyone anointed. In the further revelation of Scripture, the oil came to signify the enablement as well as the setting apart, and often the Holy Spirit came on the person at the anointing with oil. The olive oil was a symbol of the Spirit in the OT as well (Zech 4:4 6). And in the NT anointing signifies empowerment by the Holy Spirit for service. 2 Exodus 29:8-9 indicates that after Aaron as the high priest was consecrated or ordained, the other priests, Aaron sons were to follow in being clothed and ordained or consecrated to serve in the tabernacle. Their clothing is mentioned in Exodus 28:40-43, which represented the dignity and honor of the office of priest in the sense that these articles would provide them with high status in the Israelite community so that they are respected. Exodus 29:10-14: The Use of the Bull as a Sin Offering Exodus 29:10 Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11 You shall slaughter the bull before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 12 You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. 13 You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and offer them up in smoke on the altar. 14 But the flesh of the bull and its hide and its refuse, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. (NASB95) The sacrifice of the bull in these verses was a sin offering related to any sin the priests might have been committed and was either not confessed or was committed in ignorance. The bull spoke of servanthood. It portrayed Jesus Christ s servanthood. Thus, this offering was not only preparing them to serve the Lord and the Israelites but also teaching them that their service was based upon the sacrificial animal, which served them by dying as a substitute for their sins. This teaches us in the church age that we are able to serve the Father based upon the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross. This sacrifice would make secure the fact that the priest would not be offending the holiness of God at the ordination ceremony. Remember, Aaron and his sons were believers as well as the rest of the Exodus congregation according to 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. Thus this sin offering was to restore them to fellowship if they were out of fellowship. This recalls 1 John 1:9, which says If we confess our 2 Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Ex 29:7). Biblical Studies Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This verse teaches that if the believer confesses any known sin to the Father, He is faithful and righteous to forgive that sin as well as purify them from all unrighteousness meaning even the sins committed in ignorance due to ignorance of the Word of God in a particular area. The instruction that Aaron and his sons were to lay their hands on the bull which was to be sacrificed on their behalf was a symbolic means of transferring their guilt to the body of the animal, which was innocent. This foreshadowed Jesus Christ s sacrifice on the cross, which is the basis for the restoration of the believer to fellowship with God when the believer confesses his sin to the Father. Just as the animal was sinless and innocent so Jesus Christ was sinless and innocent. The animal was a substitute for Aaron and his sons just as Jesus Christ is our substitute in the church age. The laying of their hands on the animals was for identification meaning that Aaron and his sons were identified with the animal which would die in their place. Exodus 29:11 teaches us the location in which this animal was to be sacrificed for Aaron and his sons, namely in the presence of the Lord before the front curtain of the tabernacle, which would thus be at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. In Exodus 29:12, the Lord tells Moses that he was to take some of the blood of the sacrificed bull and put it on the horns of the altar with his finger and pour out all the blood at the base of the altar. The horns spoke of God s power and the altar of burnt offering portrayed or foreshadowed the cross. Thus together, they speak of the power of the spiritual and physical deaths of Jesus Christ on the cross to forgive sins and restore the believer to fellowship and to save the unregenerate from sin and Satan and eternal condemnation. The Lord instructs Moses in verse 13 that he is to take all the fat that covers the entrails of the animal and the lobe that is above the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them and burn them on the altar. These were offered symbolically to the Lord as His portion. This speaks of the doctrine of propitiation which refers to the fact that Jesus Christ s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross satisfied the demands of God s holiness which requires that sin and sinners be judged. Verse 14 teaches that the useless parts of the animal for this ceremony were burned outside the camp. Exodus 29:15-18: The First Ram as a Whole Burnt Offering Exodus 29:15 You shall also take the one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram; 16 and you shall slaughter the ram and shall take its blood and sprinkle it around on the altar. 17 Then you 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head. 18 You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the Lord: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. (NASB95) In these verses, we are told that after the sacrifice of the bull, Aaron and his sons were to sacrifice a ram. In Exodus 29:15, we read the Lord once again instructing Moses to have Aaron and his sons laying their hands upon the animal as was the case with the bull. This again was a symbolic means of transferring their guilt to the body of the animal, which was innocent. As was the case with the bull, this foreshadowed Jesus Christ s sacrifice on the cross, which is the basis for the restoration of the believer to fellowship with God when the believer confesses his sin to the Father. The laying of their hands on the ram was for identification meaning that Aaron and his sons were identified with the animal which would die in their place. Thus, teaching them that the basis for their restoration to fellowship with God through the confession of sin was a substitutionary sacrifice. Unlike, the blood of the bull, the blood of this first goat was to be splashed all around the altar according to verse 16. The blood of the bull was applied to the horns and base of the altar according to verse 12. Now, here in verse 16, the blood of the first goat was to be sprinkled on all sides of the altar, which would make the altar ritually clean. To be clean meant that one was qualified to worship the Lord while to be unclean implied the opposite. Thus, the sprinkling of the blood of this first goat on all sides of the altar would thus make the altar ceremonially clean or in other words, it would enable the altar to be used to purify Aaron and his sons in a ritual or ceremonial sense so that they could enter the presence of God. In Exodus 29:17-18, the Lord tells Moses that this first goat was to be cut up into pieces and then he was to wash the entrails and its legs and put them with its pieces and its head and burn the whole animal on the altar. This was symbolic food for Yahweh. Usually, in most sacrifices parts of the animal were thrown away and parts were offered to Yahweh by burning the animal to ashes on the altar and the rest were cooked and eaten by the worshippers and priests who each got a share. However, in this case with the first goat, the entire animal was to be offered to the Lord by being burnt to ashes. Thus, all the parts of the animal were placed on the altar and nothing was thrown away or kept by the worshippers or priests. This spoke of propitiation as well meaning that it portrayed the Father totally and completely accepting His Son Jesus Christ s sacrifice on the cross as the basis for the restoration of the believer to fellowship once they confess their sins to the Father. This is further indicated by the fact that this burnt offering of the first goat was a soothing aroma to the Lord portraying the Father as propitiated by His Son s death. The offering is said be made by fire and the fire foreshadowed or typified God s judgment upon His Son 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 at the cross. Therefore, Aaron and his sons were taught by the sacrifice of this goat that they could only serve God on the basis of the sacrifice of the animal as their substitute. This teaches us in the church age that Jesus Christ s substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross made it possible for us to serve the Father. The NET Bible has the following comment By consuming the entire animal, God was indicating that he had completely accepted the worshiper, and as it was a sweet smelling fire sacrifice, he was indicating that he was pleased to accept it. By offering the entire animal, the worshiper was indicating on his part a complete surrender to God. 3 Exodus 29:19-21: The Use of the Blood of the Second Ordination Ram Exodus 29:19 Then you shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. 20 You shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron s right ear and on the lobes of his sons right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet, and sprinkle the rest of the blood around on the altar. 21 Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on his sons garments with him; so he and his garments shall be consecrated, as well as his sons and his sons garments with him. (NASB95) In these verses, the Lord instructs Moses to employ a second goat and have Aaron and his sons once again place their hands on the animal so as to identify their known and unknown sins to the animal which would be sacrificed as a substitute. As we read, the blood of the bull was sprinkled on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and at the base of the altar. The blood of the first goat was sprinkled on all sides of the altar making the altar ceremonially clean and fit for use by the Lord in the ordination ceremony of Aaron and his sons. The blood of the bull and the first goat cleansed or purified the altar and its surrounding ground. It was to purify the place and the process but not the persons. However, the blood of this second goat was to be applied to the tip of the right ear of Aaron and the right ear of his sons and on the thumb of their right hands as well as on the big toe of their right foot. Then, they were to splash he blood all around the altar. Thus, the blood of this second goat purified Aaron and his sons. Thus, this ram is the ordination ram as indicated by Exodus 29:22. Therefore, Aaron and his sons placing their hands on this second ram taught them that this sacrificed ram as their substitute was the basis for their ordination. 3 Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Ex 29:15 18). Biblical Studies Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 Stuart has the following comment regarding the significance of the right side of the body Nothing in biblical teaching exhibits a prejudice against the left side of the body, but since the right side is that side used most skillfully by most people because they are right-handed, the application of the blood to the right ear, thumb, and big toe would have seemed appropriate and common sense. Therefore in God s gracious concern to have the ordination/consecration make sense symbolically, the right side was the side that received the blood. 4 The right ear, thumb and big toe were symbolical for the entire person. The Lord was not going to cover them with blood but only apply the blood of the animal to these parts of the body, which were symbolic for the entire person. The NET Bible has the following comment By this ritual the priests were set apart completely to the service of God. The ear represented the organ of hearing (as in ears you have dug in Ps 40 or awakens my ear in Isa 50), and this had to be set apart to God so that they could hear the Word of God. The thumb and the hand represented the instrument to be used for all ministry, and so everything that they put their hand to had to be dedicated to God and appropriate for his service. The toe set the foot apart to God, meaning that the walk of the priest had to be consecrated where he went, how he conducted himself, what life he lived, all belonged to God now. 5 Hannah writes Blood on the ear may have symbolized dedication to the hearing of God s Word, blood on the thumb may have pictured holiness in doing God s work, and blood on the toe may have spoken of walking carefully in the service of God. 6 In Exodus 29:21, the Lord instructs Moses to take some of the blood of this second goat that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron, his garments and on his sons in their garments. The purpose of this was to make them holy or ceremonially clean and qualified to serve in the tabernacle. That they would be holy meant that they were set apart to serve the Lord and the Israelites exclusively in the tabernacle. The oil signified purity and cleanness but not forgiveness. Only the blood signified forgiveness. Thus, purity and forgiveness enabled the priests acceptable to God. Stuart writes The amount of blood available from the altar would be very small since the smooth bronze metallic surface on the sides and horns (the grill top was not sprinkled or touched with blood) would contain just token amounts of blood so little that it would be a matter mainly of dabbing at the bits of blood residue after virtually all of it had simply run down the sides onto the ground. What few 4 Stuart, D. K. (2007). Vol. 2: Exodus (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. 5 Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Ex 29:19 20). Biblical Studies Press. 6 Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Ex 29:15 21). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 grams (or more likely milligrams) of blood would be salvaged from the altar in this way would then under no conditions be enough to sprinkle the priests and their clothing. Only by mixing of the tiny bit of blood into the ample supply of anointing oil would Moses or the successive officiant high priests have had enough liquid for the blood actually to reach the bodies and clothing of the priests being ordained. 7 Just as the blood of this second goat qualified Aaron and his sons to serve the Lord exclusively in the tabernacle, so the substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Jesus Christ on the cross makes us holy and thus qualified to be servants of God. Exodus 29:22-26: Offering the Rest of the Second Ordination Ram Exodus 29:22 You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 23 and one cake of bread and one cake of bread mixed with oil and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread which is set before the Lord; 24 and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. 25 You shall take them from their hands, and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the Lord; it is an offering by fire to the Lord. 26 Then you shall take the breast of Aaron s ram of ordination, and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be your portion. (NASB95) Ordination is the noun mil lǔ ʾîm לּ א ים) (מ (mil-loo ), which refers to the consecration of someone to fill a particular office. Here it refers to the ordination of Aaron and his sons in their high priestly office. Therefore, this second ram was sacrificed as a substitute for Aaron and his sons in order to qualify them to serve as priests in the tabernacle. These verses describe the wave offering which was a part of this ordination ceremony of Aaron and his sons. In this wave offering, they were to take from the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them. They were also to take the right thigh of this second ram as well as one round flat cake of bread, one perforated cake of oiled bread and one wafer from the basket of bread made without yeast that is in the presence of the Lord. Before these parts of the animal were burned, Aaron and his sons were to hold the meat and the bread up before the Lord as a special symbolic offering. This is called the wave offering which is the noun t e nû p ā(h) נוּפ ה) (תּ (ten-oo-faw ), which was 7 Stuart, D. K. (2007). Vol. 2: Exodus (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (625). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 a peace offering signifying that Aaron and his sons were restored to fellowship by the sacrifice of this ordination ram. תּ נוּפ ה The NET Bible has the following comment The wave offering is (ténufah); it is, of course, cognate with the verb, but an adverbial accusative rather than the direct object. In Lev 23 this seems to be a sacrificial gesture of things that are for the priests but they present them first to Yahweh and then receive them back from him. So the waving is not side to side, but forward to Yahweh and then back to the priest. Here it is just an induction into that routine, since this is the ordination of the priests and the gifts are not yet theirs. So this will all be burned on the altar. 8 Stuart writes Even though we do not know the exact motions that may have constituted the waving, it is likely that they were at least simply lifting the offered item up in the air in front of the altar and perhaps moving it around or back and forth, then bringing it back down to waist height and placing it on the altar (or not, depending on what type of wave offering it was). 9 After this wave offering, the parts of the animal were then to be burned on the altar for a burnt offering for a soothing aroma in the presence of the Lord. The fire typifies or foreshadows the Father s judgment of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross. The soothing aroma typifies or foreshadows that the demands of the Father s holiness was propitiated or satisfied by the substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross. In the same way that the death of this second ram propitiated the Father and was the basis for Aaron and his sons service in the tabernacle so Jesus Christ s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross propitiated the Father and are the basis for our service. Exodus 29:27-30: The Offering Portions and Garments Were Permanent Features of Israel s Sacrificial System Exodus 29:27 You shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering which was waved and which was offered from the ram of ordination, from the one which was for Aaron and from the one which was for his sons. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the sons of Israel, for it is a heave offering; and it shall be a heave offering from the sons of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their heave offering to the Lord. 29 The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, that in them they may be anointed and ordained. 30 For 8 Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press. 9 Stuart, D. K. (2007). Vol. 2: Exodus (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 seven days the one of his sons who is priest in his stead shall put them on when he enters the tent of meeting to minister in the holy place. (NASB95) Heave offering is the noun t e rû mā(h) רוּמ ה) (תּ (ter-oo-maw ), which means contribution and describes the offering of this second goat as a contribution from the Israelites from their peace offerings to Aaron and his sons as well as to the Lord. This was a perpetual ordinance in Israel. This established a principle that the priesthood of Israel was to be fed from the offerings brought to the Lord by the non-levitical tribes (cf. Numbers 18:8-32; cf. 1 Corinthians 9:13). The Levites and priests were to be cared for by the other eleven tribes. Actually, there were twelve tribes since Joseph s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh were to be granted extensive territory of their own, whereas the Levites were to have only limited garden plots around the four principal cities of each of the other tribes (forty-eight in all-cf. Number 35:7). The high priestly garments mentioned in detail in chapter 28 are only mentioned in summary form here in verses 29 and 30. These verses specify that the high priestly garments described in chapter 28 would be inherited meaning that successive generations would not need to make new garments as long as the old ones remained intact and useable. These verses make clear that the holy garments of Aaron and his sons were to be kept apart for the ordained priesthood to wear exclusively. Each new priest in the line of Aaron in future generations would be required to wear his consecrated vestments for the first week of his ministry. Other than that, they were to wear them only when they officiated in the tabernacle. The wearing of Aaron s garments for this week would serve to encourage the new high priest to think of his role as keeping with the sacred traditions of his forefathers. The fact that the vestments of Aaron were to be worn for seven days by the new priest was necessary since the ordination process took a week to complete according to verse 35. Also, this was to get the people use to the idea of a new successor to the high priesthood had indeed taken over and would now be the one to carry out the functions of the high priest. Exodus 29:31-34: Cooking and Eating Ordination Ram Exodus 29:31 You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. 32 Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket, at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 33 Thus they shall eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration; but a layman shall not eat them, because they are holy. 34 If any of the flesh of ordination or any of the bread remains until morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. (NASB95) 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 These verses teach that Aaron and his sons were to boil the flesh of the ordination ram in a holy place, which is the courtyard of the sanctuary since Leviticus 8:31 says that this ram is to be cooked at the entrance of the tent of meeting and eaten there as well. This meal was symbolic of the fact that Aaron and his sons ceremonially clean, in fellowship with God and experiencing peace with God. A comparison of this passage along with Exodus 27:3, 38:3, Leviticus 6:28 and 1 Samuel 2:13-15 reveals that the meat of the ordination ram was boiled in large pots then finished ceremonially on the bronze altar of the tabernacle, in the courtyard. The priest sat out in the courtyard and ate this ordination ram and the remainder of the bread that had not been given to the Lord symbolically by fire in front of the entrance to the tabernacle tent itself. This meal could only be eaten by the priests. Since the bread and the meat from this meal were consecrated and holy to God, the remainder of the meal was to be burned with fire and thus could not be disposed of in a profane manner. The leftovers from this meal are unlike the leftovers from an ordinary meal. Stuart writes The statement it must not be eaten, because it is sacred refers to what it had become once it was not eaten in the first place, that is, right after being cooked. It changed from the category that we might label consumable sacred into the category we might label too late be consumable sacred. In other words, it had always been sacred/holy (set aside for Yahweh s special use) ever since being offered in the first place, so it belonged to Yahweh and could not be treated as if anyone else had control over it. Since leftovers were not what he had designated his sacred meat to become (though it was consumable when it was first consecrated), now that it was no longer within the time limit for consumption, it was sacred and nonconsumable; what belonged to Yahweh he could treat as he pleased according to his sense of what constituted proper timing for eating food offerings. 10 Exodus 29:35: Summary of the Ordination of Priests Exodus 29:35 Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; you shall ordain them through seven days. (NASB95) This verse is a brief summary statement which brings to an end the instructions concerning the ordination of Aaron and his sons. It is saying that the preceding 10 Stuart, D. K. (2007). Vol. 2: Exodus (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (628). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

16 instructions that appear in verses are the procedure to ordain priests and this process is to take one week. Exodus 29:36-37: Consecrating the Altar Exodus 29:36 Each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you shall purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to consecrate it. 37 For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy, and whatever touches the altar shall be holy. (NASB95) These verses present a distinct and separate ceremony distinct from the ordination of the priests. Seven bulls, one for each day is used in this ceremony to purify the altar of burnt offering. They were to be used as a sin offering for atonement. Sin offering is the noun ḥǎṭ ṭā(ʾ)ṯ טּ את) (ח (khat-taw-aw ), which is correctly translated and was an offering given for the purpose of atonement as propitiation. This offering would purify the altar of burnt offering and make it acceptable to be used by God who is holy. Nothing made by human beings could be pure enough to be used for God s service. Thus, the altar of burnt offering had to be consecrated and this was done by sacrificing a bull every day for a week. The fact that the Israelites all possessed a sin nature meant that anything that they made such as the altar of burnt offering was unclean or ceremonially unclean and unfit to be used by God who is holy. However, the sacrifice of these seven bulls would consecrate the altar so that it could be used for God s service. The sacrifice of a bull on each of the seven days would make the altar of burnt offering fit for the purpose for which it would be employed, namely accepting the offerings placed upon it as gifts to the Lord, which would symbolize the Lord s acceptance of the death of these animals for the forgiveness of sins. Of course, sacrifice of these bulls typified the substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Jesus Christ on the cross, which would provide the forgiveness of sins for those sinners who trust in Him as Savior resulting in their justification. The Lord s sacrifice at Calvary would provide the forgiveness of sins for the justified sinner in the sense that it would serve as the basis for the restoration to fellowship of the sinner once they confess their sins (cf. 1 John 1:9). The bull spoke of the servanthood of Jesus Christ. Interestingly, there is no mention of the blood of these bulls which would be sacrificed for these seven days. The blood of a bull was applied to the horns of the altar for the ordination of the priests with the main portion of the bull burned outside the camp. These seven bulls mentioned in verses are employed strictly for the consecration of the altar William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

17 Verse 36 also mentions that the altar was to be anointed in order to consecrate it or set apart it for the Lord s use. In Exodus 30:22-33, the Lord gives Moses instructions regarding the recipe to make the anointing oil. There is no blood used for the procedure for consecrating the altar of burnt offering whereas the blood of the animal was used with regards to the consecration of the priests, with the blood sprinkled on the sides of the altar, dabbed on the horns. Unlike in the ordination of the priests, no rams or breads are used in the consecration of the altar. Also, unlike the ceremony connected to the ordination of the priests, no meal was eaten from the sacrificed animals. The bulls were offered differently in the two ceremonies. Verse 36 requires burning the whole bull on the altar, with no priests or worshipers eating any part and there is no disposal of the bull by burning outside the camp since a sin offering was usually a whole burnt offering (29:11 14). The statement whatever touches the altar shall be holy is incorrectly translated and instead should rendered whatever touches it must be holy. This is indicated by the fact that the imperfect verb qā ḏǎš שׁ) (ק ד (kaw-dash ), shall be holy is an injunctive imperfect or non-perfective injunction, which commands that the subject of the verb perform the action of the verb. It is a forceful command which should typically be translated as must. Here the subject is the article hǎ- ),(ה which is used as a relative particle meaning that and is modified by the noun kōl,(כּ ל) which means anything. Thus, the subject of this imperfect verb is anything that touches the altar. Therefore, the injunctive imperfect form of the verb qā ḏǎš indicates that anything that touches the altar must be holy. Therefore, this statement does not teach that there is an automatic transfer of holiness by mere contact with a holy object. Instead it teaches that unholy things are not to be brought into contact with the consecrated altar so as to make it unholy and thus require it to be consecrated all over again. Haggai 2:10-19 teaches that defilement is transferable but holiness is emphatically not. Exodus 29:38-42a: Required Daily General Offerings Exodus 29:38 Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs each day, continuously. 39 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; 40 and there shall be one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb. 41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering and the same drink offering as in the morning, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord. 42 It shall be a continual burnt offering 2012 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

18 throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. (NASB95) In Exodus 29:38-42a, the Lord gives instructions to Moses regarding the required daily general offerings. In these verses, the Lord required that sacrifices were to be offered up twice daily on behalf of all the Israelites, year old rams and accompanying offerings were made on the tabernacle altar, both in the morning and the evening. The spacing of these offerings with one in the morning and one before sundown was intended to teach Israel that they were forgiven by God night and day. Lamb is the noun kě ḇěś שׂ) (כּ ב (keh-bes ), which does not mean lamb but rather it means ram that is a male as opposed to a kibśāh ewe-lamb. This error in translation is due partly because of unfamiliarity today with flock animals and also because it is thought that a lamb entails both lambs and rams. The ram in verses was to be a year old, which would be full grown and thus a very valuable animal. Thus, the Lord required that the Israelites sacrifice two of these valuable animals as a reminder of the need for a better sacrifice, which would be accomplished once and for all or in other words, a death which would atone for sins for everyone for all time (cf. Hebrews 9-10). The sacrifice of these lambs was accompanied by a meal and drink offering. Verse 40 says that with the first lamb, a tenth of an ephah of fine flour was to be mixed with a fourth of a hin of olive oil for a meal offering and a fourth of a hin of wine as a drinking offering. Verse 41 says that with the second lamb, the Israelites were to prepare the same meal and drink offering as they did for the first lamb. The ephah was a commonly used dry measure whose capacity is now uncertain: Quotations given for the ephah vary from ca. 45 to 20 liters (C. Houtman, Exodus, 2:340 41). 11 Hin is a transliterated Hebrew word that seems to have an Egyptian derivation. The amount of liquid measured by a hin is uncertain: Its presumed capacity varies from about 3, 5 liters to 7, 5 liters (C. Houtman, Exodus, 3:550). 12 Tenth of an ephah : The principal dry measure in Israel was the homer, which equaled the load carried by a donkey. This weight varies in the sources from 3.8 bushels to 6.5 bushels. The ephah (an Egyptian loan word) equaled one-tenth of a homer (Ezek 45:11), or three-eighths to two-thirds of a bushel. One-tenth of an ephah (about 1.6 quarts) of fine flour was part of the daily sacrificial offering. 13 Fourth of a hin : The hin (an Egyptian loan word) was a liquid measure equal to about a gallon. One-fourth of a hin (one quart) of olive oil was to be 11 Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press. 12 Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press. 13 Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary : Old Testament (electronic ed.) (Ex 29:46). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18