THE PRIESTHOOD Hebrews 5:1, For every high priest taken from men is appointed in service to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. Mediating to God, for the people Hebrews 5:2, He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness. He understands the people s problems Hebrews 5:3, Because of this, he must make a sin offering for himself as well as for the people. He must deal with self, first Reminds me of Jesus words in Matthew 7:3-5, 3 Why do you look at the speck in your brother s eye but don t notice the log in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and look, there s a log in your eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother s eye. THE ORDINATION OF PRIESTS Some of you remember the blue Mazda that Judy and I had. Wreck at P Avenue. Clearly the other drivers fault. Questioned the other drivers insurance, filled on my own. Paid the deductible. Call about refund, it is in MEDIATION. Why? They argued it was not their fault. It all worked out! Mediation is a part of our world. In 1934 our government established the National Mediation Board and it is still working on various mediation issues today. The UN has a mediation section, Schools have mediation groups and in many companies, there are mediation teams to help with employee conflicts and employee and management issues. Even neighborhood associations have mediation boards. The principle behind mediation is the assumption that the mediator is an independent individual whose goal is to achieve a mutually satisfying outcome between two wronged parties. If we think of the priest as a mediator in this sense, we will miss the point (Priest did settle disputes Exodus 24:14, Deuteronomy 19:17; 2:15). But the offense Leviticus is speaking of is against God. No human priest could mediate between God and humanity (1 Samuel 2:25). Between us and God there is only one offended party. God alone has been offended by our disobedience. God has been faithful, we have been unfaithful. We no legitimate complaint against God. The priest is not a dispassionate observer of the dispute. He, himself, was part of the problem. He too was a sinner & in need of mediation. 12 1
The priest is not trying to seek a compromise or enter into negotiations with God. It is not a twoway street. God s way or the highway! Now before you think the Lord to harsh, understand, that even the tabernacle, the temple and eventually the cross are God s grace bending toward sinful humanity. In Leviticus 1-7 we see 5 offerings, which are fulfilled through Jesus. God s grace! In Leviticus 8-10 the Lord provides a PRACTICAL way for the people to find grace! Individual to Priest Priest to God for the people! Today in Leviticus 8 we will see the Ordination Service for the priesthood. Ordination means set apart to serve God for the people. THEIR ORDINATION Leviticus 8:1-4 Ready 1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 Take Aaron, his sons with him, the garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, 3 and assemble the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 4 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the community assembled at the entrance to the tent of meeting. There are 7 the Lord commanded statements. 1 Peter 2:17b Love the Church 1 Peter 2:17c Fear (obey) God 1 Peter 2:17d Honor authority 1 Peter 2:18-25 Glorify the Lord in your work 1 Peter 3:1-7 Glorify the Lord in your marriage 1 Peter 3:8-12 Glorify the Lord in your words & actions 1 Peter 3:13-4:6 Glorify the Lord in your suffering 1 Peter 4:7-11 Glorify the Lord to the end CONCLUSION: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (NIV) Moses gathers everyone and all the stuff the Lord commanded at the tabernacle 2 11
We are clothed in Jesus righteousness Galatians 3:27, All who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on the character of Christ, like putting on new clothes. (NLT) We are anointed by Jesus Spirit 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, It is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (ESV) Leviticus 8:5-9 Cleansing 5 Moses said to them, This is what the Lord has commanded to be done. 6 Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. Baptized them, sign of cleansing! It is believed, by some, their whole body was washed. LET S LOOK AT THE PRIEST CLOTHING (Picture) before anything - Exodus 28:42 Linen boxers Well if I am a priest for God, but to WHO? 4. You are a priest to the nations Your calling - 1 Peter 2:9a, You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession... Aaron (Levites) called Proclaim the glory of God - 1 Peter 2:9b,... so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. We do this with humility - 1 Peter 2:10, Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. What does that look like? 1 Peter 2:11-12 Live out the image of Jesus 1 Peter 2:13-15 Respect & obey human authority 1 Peter 2:16 Live as free people, not in bondage 1 Peter 2:17a Honor others 10 Leviticus 8:7a He put the tunic on Aaron, wrapped the sash around him... Exodus 28:4, 39, 39:27 Tunic, white, woven linen Exodus 28:29, 39:29 Sash of blue, purple & scarlet yarns Leviticus 8:7b... clothed him with the robe... Exodus 28:31-35, 31 You are to make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue yarn. 32 There should be an opening at its top in the center of it. Around the opening, there should be a woven collar with an opening like that for body armor so that it does not tear. 33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn on its lower hem and all around it. Put gold bells between them all the way around, 34 so that gold bells and pomegranates alternate around the lower hem of the robe. 35 The robe must be worn by Aaron whenever he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he enters the sanctuary before the Lord and when he exits, so that he does not die. Questionable rope around ankle 3
Leviticus 8:7c... and put the ephod on him. He put the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him. Exodus 28:6-7, 9-10, 12 (Exodus 39:5); 6 "They are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn. 7 It must have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges so that it can be joined together. 9 "Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of Israel's sons: 10 six of their names on the first stone and the remaining six names on the second stone, in the order of their birth. 12 Fasten both stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will carry their names on his two shoulders before the Lord as a reminder. Leviticus 8:8a Then he put the breast piece on him, and placed the Urim and Thummim into the breast piece. Exodus 28:15-30; 12 stones (3 on 4 rows) name of tribe on each; Gold rings on each corner, attached to the ephod with blue cord Exodus 28:29-30, 29 Whenever he enters the sanctuary, Aaron is to carry the names of Israel's sons over his heart on the breast piece for decisions, as a continual reminder before the Lord. 30 Place the Urim and Thummim in the breast piece for decisions, so that they will also be over Aaron's heart whenever he comes before the Lord. Aaron will continually carry the means of decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord. 4 YOUR ORDINATION 1. If you profess to be a follower of Jesus... 1 Peter 2:5, You yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 2. Jesus is your High Priest Hebrews 7:26-8:2 26 For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He doesn t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when He offered Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever. 8:1 Now the main point of what is being said is this: we have this kind of high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle, which the Lord set up, and not man. Day of Judgment, I covered that one! 3. You are a priest in Jesus We are washed in Jesus blood 1 Corinthians 6:11, You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Baptism is an outward picture of this washing. 9
Leviticus 8:30-36 Dedication Leviticus 8:30, Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood that was on the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. In this way he consecrated Aaron and his garments, as well as his sons and their garments. Leviticus 8:31-32, Moses said to Aaron and his sons, Boil the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket for the ordination offering as I commanded: Aaron and his sons are to eat it. You must burn up what remains of the meat and bread. The meat and bread is from the ordination offering: the priest eating it and not dying, show the people that the priest was in fellowship with the Lord. Leviticus 8:33, You must not go outside the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the time your days of ordination are completed, because it will take seven days to ordain you. Leviticus 8:34-35, The Lord commanded what has been done today in order to make atonement for you. You must remain at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and keep the Lord s charge so that you will not die, for this is what I was commanded. Leviticus 8:36, So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord had commanded through Moses. The seven days showed: 1. The complete cleansing of the priest 2. They could faithful administer the offerings 8 Picture of Urim and Thummim Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 14:41 - Urim and Thummim used to determine God s will and wisdom Leviticus 8:9 He also put the turban on his head and placed the plate of gold, the holy diadem, on the front of the turban, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Exodus 28:36, You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave it, like the engraving of a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD... Exodus 28:36-38; 39:30-31 Turban & holy diadem Leviticus 8:10-13 Anointing Leviticus 8:10-11, Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and everything in it to consecrate them. He sprinkled some of the oil on the altar seven times, anointing the altar with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand, to consecrate them. Leviticus 8:12-13, He poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron s head and anointed and consecrated him. Then Moses presented Aaron s sons, clothed them with tunics, wrapped sashes around them, and fastened headbands on them, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Exodus 29:7; Leviticus 21:10 pour on head Exodus 30:22-25 special anointing oil 1 Samuel 16:13 oil is symbol of Holy Spirit 5
Leviticus 8:14-29 Offerings Leviticus 8:14, Then he brought the bull near for the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering. Leviticus 8:15, Then Moses slaughtered it, took the blood, and applied it with his finger to the horns of the altar on all sides, purifying the altar. He poured out the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it by making atonement for it. Leviticus 8:16-17, Moses took all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and he burned them on the altar. He burned up the bull with its hide, flesh, and dung outside the camp, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Sin offering and anoints the burnt altar Leviticus 8:18-19, Then he presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. Moses slaughtered it and sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar. Leviticus 8:20-21, Moses cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces, and the suet, but he washed the entrails and shanks with water. He then burned the entire ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord as He had commanded Moses. Leviticus 8:22, Next he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 6 Leviticus 8:23-24, Moses slaughtered it, took some of its blood, and put it on Aaron s right earlobe, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Moses also presented Aaron s sons and put some of the blood on their right earlobes, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then Moses sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar. Ordination offering Right side = side of power and/or authority Ear = head = think, motive, attitude Thumb = hand = actions, behavior Toe = foot = walk, lifestyle Whole self is washed, purified & for God Leviticus 8:25, He took the fat the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with their fat as well as the right thigh. Leviticus 8:26, From the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord he took one cake of unleavened bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat portions and the right thigh. Leviticus 8:27, He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and waved them before the Lord as a presentation offering. he will receive, his, from & for the Lord Leviticus 8:28, Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering. This was an ordination offering for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the Lord. Leviticus 8:29, He also took the breast and waved it before the Lord as a presentation offering; it was Moses portion of the ordination ram as the Lord had commanded him. Moses payday! 7