BACKGROUND
In Leviticus 8, Moses did "just as the Lord commanded" in Exodus 28 and 29. I have provided links to the posts regarding those chapters:
Exodus 28 - The Priestly Garments
Exodus 29 - Instructions for Setting Apart the Priests
Try to imagine how you would feel if you had been there at that first ordination ceremony and part of the congregation at the doorway to the tent of meeting. First, Aaron and his sons were washed at the bronze laver. Then Aaron was dressed in the high priestly garments. Then the dwelling place of God was anointed with oil and consecrated (see a word study for this word in the reflection section). Following this, the altar of incense was sprinkled seven times (the number of perfection). Then Aaron was anointed with oil and consecrated (Psalm 133).
Put yourself in Aaron's shoes as he looked on to see his four sons dressed by Moses for this holy work. Would you feel pride and a sense of holy destiny and purpose? I sure would.
Then . . . the blood . . . of a bull as a sin offering for atonement, a ram as a burnt offering for worship, and a second ram of ordination were slaughtered and blood scattered according to what was prescribed for each of these offerings. The last blood was smeared on Aaron's right ear, thumb and big toe. Then grain was waved with more oil and blood sprinkled on the heads and clothes of Aaron and his sons. They were to remain at the entrance for seven days of their ordination. All things were going just as God had ordained . . . until Leviticus 10. Stay tuned for the tragic turn of events.
Holy sacrifices in a holy place demanded a holy priesthood that did "just as the LORD commanded."
REFLECTION
We who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are called to be priests, consecrated for the Lord's service:
And He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father. (Revelation 1:6; 5:10)
But they will be priests of God and of Christ. (Revelation 20:6).
Paul said he was to be "a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:16)I did a word study on "consecrate" tonight. It is the Hebrew word qadash, and it means to "set apart as belonging in the realm of the sacred in order to avoid the diffusion of the sacred and the profane." We have a high, holy calling to set our lives apart for the Lord because we have been sprinkled by the blood of Christ. Yet, I look at this verse in Romans, and Paul said that he was "ministering as a priest the gospel of God" to the Gentiles. As believers, we are to live a holy life but one that is able to relate to the world. What a balance.
APPLICATION
What is your commitment to holiness? How are you set apart for the work that He has for you to do? What does holiness look like?
The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges is an excellent book for me to read when asking these questions. It is a classic book on the subject.
PRAYER
Lord, set us apart for Your purposes! Amen.
5 comments:
I loved imagining this with you!
Do you think it's accurate to say that we are consecrated by being near to God? That our holiness is from being in His presence? I think in the past I've somehow seen holiness (or being set apart) as what we don't do rather than as a positive. (And I am having trouble articulating this!) But the emphasis on holiness (at least this is what I'm thinking) is to be on being near God, to following Him as closely as we can in faith and trust and obedience. IF we do that we will be people who are holy. So my concern should be to seek HIM, not to seek to be set apart. Rather than continuing to run on about this trying to explain myself, I'll shut up now and see if you understand at all what I'm saying. What do you think?
Becky, that goes along with the verse where it says Aaron and the priests had to stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days during their ordination, which illustrates your idea that proximity to God is related to holiness. But since it also says they needed to do that so they wouldn't die, I wasn't sure if staying at the entrance was about being close or being at a distance. Maybe both--maybe they needed to be close, but not TOO close. That could act as a warning to us to remember that nearness to God is life and holiness, but it's not equality with him--we come into his presence because of his favor and permission, not by right of who we are. Even an identity as a consecrated person doesn't put us on an equal footing with God.
Yes, that's true - about a consecrated person not being on equal footing with God. I guess that's something we might get fuzzy about esp. since Jesus has given us access directly to God. It's easy to take that access for granted - like it's something we deserve. That's why I think grasping the law is so important, why it's important to know the OT. We get so many concepts out of whack when we don't. Like grace and mercy being something we deserve.
I looked again at the verses about the priests staying at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days again. Not sure. Could have to do with what the near, yet not too close idea, or it could be that God simply wanted them to obey. It says "Stay... and do what the Lord requires so you will not die; for that is what I've been commanded." Do you think it could be saying there were certain things they were supposed to "do" while there, or do you think the "doing" is the "staying"?
Do you think it could be saying there were certain things they were supposed to "do" while there, or do you think the "doing" is the "staying"?
At first I thought the staying was the doing of the command, but now I'm not so sure. It might be in reference to all of the things they were commanded to do, including the sacrifices, since basically those were carried out at the entrance, positioned as the altar was right there in the front courtyard. So obedience to the commands would have meant doing all those things this chapter and the next describe, not just hanging around doing nothing in the doorway. Kwim?
But being there, making the sacrifices, etc. for seven days outside the Tent, was in contrast to two other places they could have been: they could have been INSIDE the Tent (forbidden except under limited and very specific circumstances) or they could have been off somewhere else paying no attention to God. I guess the parallel in my mind is that I can hold myself too distant from God, in essence going my own way most of the time; I can approach him too cavalierly, without reverence and a deep understanding of the costly terms by which access is allowed; or I can stay close, stay devoted, stay attentive, stay attuned, stay thankful, stay ready to serve--all positive actions of the consecrated life. And that's what you said in the first place, I think!
It was so good to review the order of things in entering the Tabernacle. I liked imagining it again too!
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