Exodus 29:1-46 Ordination of the Priest

Intro: We have been looking at the Priesthood – here in Exodus

Primarily at – the Adornings of the Priest

A)Tonight in Ch. 29 We come to the actual ORDINATION service of Aaron & his sons – Preparing them to serve READ V. 1-18

B) Now Because we are celebrating communion tonight / I feel the Lord would have us – take some time – wait & worship

  1. Comments will be Brief – 2 main things to see in this Chapter – concerning the Ordaining of Aaron & sons – Application to us

C) 1ST Everything is being Done to Aaron & His Sons – not by them

D)They were NOT DOING something that EARNED them the right to minister

    1. There was something being done to them that Prepared them to be

used by the Lord !!!

Many people think that for God to chose and use them that they must be successful in getting their lives together

A) Become a scholar... Get a degree..... eliminate sin from my life

B)But our being used by the Lord is really a matter of His Grace in calling us/ His Unmerited... unearned favor

    1. And His Thoroughly equipping us for any task that He would call us

to and that is what we see here !!!!

Now we want to notice that there were SIX things done to Aaron and his Sons to SEPARATE them to the office of the priest

A)1st we see in v. 1-3 there was Provision made for them – an offering was to be offered – A sacrifice was to be made

B) v.10,15 Their hands placed upon the sacrifice – Identification

1) APPLICATION TO US !!!!!- Tonight elements – Identifying / bread

2ND they were Brought to the door v.4

A) - They were BROUGHT to the DOOR of the Tabernacle- / only entrance

B) Jesus is the Door to God – and we have been BROUGHT to Jesus

John 6: 44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;

3rd They were washed v.4 - There was a cleansing that took place

A) In our coming to Christ we were washed - REGENERATION

Titus 3: 4But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior

 

4th -V.5,6 They were DIVINELY CLOTHED

A) Now we have already talked about the meaning of their vestments last week – so I won’t go back into that

B) But suffice it to say the picture is clear – after being Regenerated – we have been clothed in garments of Righteousness / Salvation / Truth & peace

5th ANOINTED This speaks of the ANOINTING of the Holy Spirit

A)Zech. 4:6 Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’

B)There is an EMPOWERING that must accompany the CALLING

  1. WITHOUT that Anointing you can NOT be effective

C) Teaching in a Class / Witness in the World / APOSTLES – be my witnesses – WHEN? – after Baptized in the Spirit

 

 

 

6th – They were marked by the Blood v.19-21

A) Blood was placed upon the RIGHT EAR, the RIGHT thumb and the RIGHT big toe - Speaks of Covering and Possession

POSSESSIONS

1 Cor. 6:19-20 do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your £body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Christ purchased us w/ His blood

A)You are not your own Your body belongs to the Lord – EVERY PART

To his EARS the things that he hears -

1) To his hands....ACTIVITY the things that he does

To his feet..- LIFESTYLE the way that he walks Hands feet / ears

C) So first Possession / 2nd Covering

 

NOTE: The blood was applied BEFORE they went into service and AFTER they came out

A) We can NOT really be effective without the CLEANSING of the blood of Jesus Christ removing the STENCH and the STAIN of our sin

B)Then when you are THROUGH ministering you need the blood

Because AFTER ministry you are vulnerable to 1 of 2 things

1)Puffed up or Put down- If effective: Wow did I have it together

If ineffective: Wow did I blow that one

C)The blood needs to be applied in either case

1) I need the BLOOD of Jesus applied to my life AFTER I have ministered.... BECAUSE I miss the mark

D) I don’t hear the Lord as clearly as I should/ Don’t reach out / don’t always walk as straight as I would like – Need the Blood

7th –v.22-25 – Their hands are filled

A)Now we are going to look at these offerings in detail – another month when we get to Leviticus -

B) But just make note – that their hands were filled

1) The Lord filled their hands... they did NOT fill their own

What we have to give to the Lord is from Him in the first place

C) John the Baptist said: John 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

D) That which they received they gave back to the Lord

 

So first of all – again – These were 7 things done to them & for them

A) Now we come to notice – 2nd main thing – this was the only thing that was done by them v.26- 37

B) After the sacrifice was offered up the Priest took part of it and ate

  1. The Laying of their hands upon the sacrifice was for identification the eating of the sacrifice was for Appropriation

C) It was the Appropriation of everything that the sacrifice stood for – sins were covered / God in his love had saved them

1) That eating of the Sacrifice was also to Nourish them / strengthen them

D) Jesus is not only the Saving Sacrifice for ours sins – but He is the sustaining Power for our lives

 

 

Spurgeon: Let not this distinction be forgotten; the eating of the sacrifice is not intended to give life, for no dead man can eat, but to sustain the life which is there already. A believing look at Christ makes you live, but spiritual life must be fed and sustained, & the feeding of that life is explained by our Savior in these words Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life;& I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my Blood is drink indeed," spiritual meat and spiritual drink to support the spiritual life which God has given.

Significance of this leading into Communion

A)They had already been atoned for – sacrifice was offered / brought to the door / washed / clothed / anointed / gifted –

B) But here in the end they were to eat !!!!

C) Now as they continued in the priestly ministry- this was the only part of the ceremony that was continually repeated

  1. The Priest would eat part of the sacrifice

D) Picture is awesome – We have been saved / washed / Robed / Anointed / gifted /

  1. God has given us his son to be our Savior – but He is to be much more than that – He is our life – Therefore – Continually partake of Him

E) He is our Savior , our Substance & our Satisfaction as we continue to draw near to Him / eat of Him DAILY as we come to Jesus

  1. – Living word – Bible as our morning manna

But also in Communion – Appropriation of the Sacrifice of Christ

A)When we partake of the bread & the cup we are feeding upon the fathers love in that He gave His son for us

B) We are feeding upon the fact that Jesus was the Divine Son – Perfect in His humanity - His willingness to be our sacrifice