Exodus 29 - The Ordination of Aaron & His Sons / Blessings Come Through Serving

Exodus 29 and the Ordination of Aaron and His Sons

All right, go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 29 and we'll follow along Exodus chapter.

29 and this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to me as priests. Take one young bull and two rams without blemish and unleavened bread. Unleavened cakes mixed with oil and unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

You shall make them of wheat flour. You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket with the bull and the two rams and Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and you shall wash them with water.

Then you shall take the garments put the tunic on Aaron and the robe of the ephod the ephod and the breastplate and Gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod. You shall put the turban on his head and put the Holy Crown on the turban and you shall take the anointing oil pour it on his head and anoint him.

Then you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. And you shall gird them with sashes Aaron and his sons and put the hats on them. The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.

You shall also have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on their head of the bull. Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar. And You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails the fatty lobe attached to the liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them and Burn them on the altar.

But the flesh of the bull with its skin and its offal you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering. You shall also take one ram and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram.

And you shall kill the ram and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it all around on the altar. Then you shall cut the ram in pieces wash its entrails and its legs and put them with its pieces and with its head.

And You shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a sweet aroma an offering made by fire to the Lord. You shall also take the other ram and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram.

Then you shall kill the ram and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tip of the right ear of his sons on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar.

And 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 on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him and He and his garments shall be hallowed and his sons and his son's garments with him.

Also, you shall take the fat of the ram the fat tail the fat that covers the entrails. The fatty lobe attached to the liver the two kidneys and the fat on them the right thigh. For it is a ram of consecration one loaf of bread one cake made with oil and one wafer from the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons and You shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord.

You shall receive them back from their hands and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering As a sweet aroma before the Lord. It is an offering made by fire to the Lord. Then you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord and it shall be your portion.

And From the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering Which is waved and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised of that which is for Aaron and of that Which is for his sons.

It shall be from the children of Israel for Aaron and his sons by a statute forever. For it is a heave offering. It shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings.

That is their heave offering to the Lord. And The holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons after him to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them. That son who becomes priest in his place shall put them on for seven days when he enters the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the holy place and You shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place.

Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made to consecrate and to sanctify them.

But an outsider shall not eat them because they are holy. And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings or of the bread remains until the morning Then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten Because it is holy.

Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them and You shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it.

Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it and The altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar Must be holy. Now, this is what you shall offer on the altar two lambs of the first year day by day.

Continually one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ether of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering and The other lamb you shall offer at twilight and You shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering as in the morning for a sweet aroma.

An offering made by fire to the Lord this shall be a Continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Where I will meet you to speak with you.

And there I will meet with the children of Israel and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. 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.

I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God and They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them up out of the land of Egypt. That I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

The Old Testament Matters for the New Testament Church

So Exodus 29 covers the ordination of Aaron and his sons to be priests. This is the beginning of the Levitical priesthood. The Lord speaking to Moses says in verse 1. And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them.

For ministering to me as Priests. And then the Lord gives these instructions. And there's a lot of instructions here. So instead of toiling over every detail I think what we're going to do is number one focus on the most important parts of the chapter and then number two find the modern application that will instruct us as New Testament Christians.

So with that said one of the most important Verses of Scripture that speaks about the Word of God is Paul's statement to Timothy and 2nd Timothy 316 that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and it is profitable for Doctrine when Paul wrote these words.

Since the New Testament books have not yet been compiled and there were still New Testament books to be written.

Most.

Scholars agree that Paul was primarily referring to the Old Testament. His words apply to the New Testament to be sure but he's telling the church that the Old Testament Matters. It is still profitable.

For teaching.

Paul also told the Corinthian Church that Israel in the wilderness all of these things are written for our Admonition so we need to read study and teach out of the Old Testament scriptures and then make application to the New Testament Church.

Matthew Henry summarizes this chapter by saying this. He said Aaron and his sons were to be set apart for the priest's office with ceremony and solemnity. Our Lord Jesus is the great high priest of our profession called of God to be so Anointed with the Spirit whence he is called Messiah the Christ clothed with glory and beauty sanctified by his own blood made perfect or consecrated through sufferings.

And here's the application as believers We are spiritual priests to offer.

Spiritual.

Sacrifices so in Verse 1 the Lord says to Aaron and his sons that they were to be hallowed meaning they were to be made holy for the work of the ministry. The point that I had made a couple weeks ago is that in the New Testament Church Pastors are not alone and that were set apart as some sort of clergy for the work of ministry.

And you know the the laity they're just spectators, but we're the ones doing the ministry. That's that's wrong. We are all part of the priesthood of all believers. We are all to be involved in the work of ministry now in our church Constitution.

We believe that there are certain things That are expected of church members. Obviously it should go without saying that a church member needs to be saved. They need to be born again first and foremost, obviously but in our Church Constitution, it says that You need to be baptized and to be a member of the church.

There are certain expectations one of those expectations is that you attend church meetings in so much as you are able and You are to serve but let's just focus on two things for the sake of what we're looking at here attending church meetings and Baptism look at verse 4 Exodus 29 verse 4 it says in Aaron and his sons You shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting and you shall wash them with water.

So what does that speak to for us? Well the tabernacle here in the Old Testament was the house of God. This is the dwelling place of God the tent of meeting where the priests and the Levites would Assemble.

Well today in the New Testament What's the house of God? The church is the house of God. This is where we come as the priesthood of all believers. We come to Assemble so the New Testament Parallel with the tabernacle is the church and the Old Testament Washings as mentioned here in verse 4 that is a type or a symbol of New Testament Baptism so Aaron and his sons were to come to the door the tent of meeting just as we are Supposed to come through the doors of the church.

We are to assemble with the Saints. Aaron and his sons were We are to be baptized and then Aaron and his sons were to serve. They were to serve as priests and we also are.

To serve.

God has given every believer at least one spiritual gift and you are to minister that gift in the church and among God's people. Aaron and his sons Obviously did not get ordained just so they could Kind of sit around and wait for God to do something.

They're just sitting around waiting for a blessing. No ministry was the blessing serving God. Was the blessing? There were other blessings to be sure and they got to eat of the sacrifices and we could talk about some other things.

But that's the point. Serving God is the blessing and I think that's what a lot of people today miss. Some people get disillusioned with Christianity or they get disillusioned with the church because they're not seeing the big picture.

People might go to church and sit in a building once a week or once a month and Put a few dollars in the plate and they're waiting for God to do something. They're waiting. Okay, God, I'm doing this and they're waiting for God to bless them.

So here's what they're missing. Serving God is the blessing. Serving God is the blessing. Coming to church for an hour or two on Sunday cannot be the totality of the Christian life. We should be serving God Sunday morning.

Amen, but also Monday morning also Wednesday evening also Friday night. We are to serve in the Christian.

Life.

Most churches have Wednesday evening services where the average turnout is about five to ten percent of the congregation. We have about fifty percent of the congregation sometimes. So praise the Lord for that, but the point is Coming to church is not it.

We are to serve just as Aaron and his priests had a minute his sons had a ministry. We also are to have a ministry and it goes on throughout the week offering spiritual sacrifices. Okay, so every believer has a spiritual gift and we are to minister in that area where God has.

Gifted us.

You know, I love it when I'm ministered to when people do things for me. I'm blessed by that. But I really think I am more blessed and I feel more blessed when I can minister and Serve others and this is what Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

So if you're not serving God and you're wondering why? You're not being blessed or you're not feeling fulfilled in the Christian life. That's why that's why because Serving God is the blessing. So in verse 1 God tells Moses to hallow Aaron and his sons.

They are to be holy now. We've talked about this before this word Saint. Saint means Holy one. One who has been set apart. I think if you were to ask the average person walking down the street Most people would have the idea that a saint is somebody who's like perfect or near perfect.

They don't do anything wrong. Well, that's maybe the way it should be but that's not the way that it is. Aaron and his sons were set apart. They were made holy consecrated for the priesthood. So, is this true that Aaron was like near perfect.

Well No, because when we get to chapter 32, what is Aaron gonna do? He's gonna make an idol and the people are going to worship it. He's gonna build the golden calf. Now, I don't think he Defend Aaron a little bit.

I don't think he actually wanted to do that. I think he was a weak leader and he buckled under pressure. Doesn't mean he didn't love God, but he did sin. So he wasn't perfect his two sons Nadab and Abiyu.

Certainly they weren't perfect because in Exodus or excuse me in Leviticus I believe it's the account when they offer strange fire before the Lord and the Lord strikes them dead because they Disobeyed God in the priesthood.

So it's not about being without sin. It's not about being perfect or that only people that are near perfect can serve God. That is simply not true. None of the priests were perfect or anywhere close. None of the prophets were near perfect.

Just read the book of Jonah. That's quite obvious certainly the Kings have their problems and Don't think for a moment. We're making excuses for sin because we're not.

There are.

Consequences for disobeying God in The New Testament certainly there are some things that might disqualify a person from serving in a particular office. But here's the point the more sin you get out of your life the more effectively you will be able to serve God.

And just because you had have sinned or just because you Maybe are tempted by certain things or struggle with something. It doesn't mean that you can't serve God. So thinking of this word Saint or how Aaron and his sons were hallowed or Set apart to God.

I think this is one of the devil's most Effective strategies where he will whisper in someone's ear and tell them you're no good. You can't serve God. Look at what you did in the past. Look at what you did last week.

You know that thing that Tempts you and in that sin that you struggle with you can't serve, but just give up. What's the use? That's the devil's lie. Don't listen to the devil. That's his trick. To tell you that you're no good.

You can't serve God. That's his trick to prevent you from serving God so that you'll serve him. So don't listen to that voice. If God could only use perfect people He'd have nobody to work with. So if God could only or would only choose perfect people, he would not have chosen Aaron.

He would not have chosen his sons. He wouldn't have even chose Moses because Moses sinned at times. God's Word says that if you sin What are you supposed to do? You confess that sin because God is faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all Unrighteousness with God's help you can get victory start doing better.

From this point forward that's the proper approach not to think that you can't serve God. You can't do anything. So what's the use present your bodies as a living? Sacrifice renew your mind daily serve God in whatever area.

That he has placed you in there's certain people you maybe have influence with serve God in those areas. He's given you a spiritual gift minister that gift in Revelation chapter 22 in the new heaven and in the new earth.

It says his servants shall serve him and his servants shall serve him. So that's the ideal as Christians the priesthood of all believers. We have a ministry just like Aaron and his sons had a ministry we are to Put the things we have learned into practice and we are to serve God daily.

The Blood, the Hand, and the Meaning of Consecration

Aaron and his sons served and What we might look at today. Because you say well, okay, how can I serve God and how are they serving God? I think if a lot of people looked at what Aaron and his sons were doing that seemed like a strange way to serve God what were they doing?

They were killing a bunch of animals. I mean the blood of these animals was flowing. It was like a somebody once described the tabernacle is like a butcher shop. Well in some ways You can understand that.

Why were they killing these animals? Why was God instructing them to make these sacrifices? Well in a way it was it was a way of communicating the gospel. It taught the nation over time the seriousness of disobeying God.

The fact that these animals had to die as a sacrifice or an offering for sin.

That.

Communicated the seriousness of.

Sin.

Some people might wonder why did God do it this way? Why did God demand all these blood sacrifices. Because Serving God is serious business. Disobeying God is serious business. Paul calls the Old Testament ministry.

He calls it the ministry of death. In other words, it's getting a point across. Not everybody understood. I don't know that Aaron and his sons fully understood all the symbolism. Maybe they did. Certainly the Israelites.

Not all of them Got it, but the information was there it was available to those who are seeking God and Had ears to hear just like in the New Testament when we read the Scriptures not everybody gets everything.

But the information is there and if you seek God and if you're putting these things into practice the things you do understand God's going to open your mind to these things. Look at verse 19 and Lord tells Moses and Giving these instructions to Aaron and his sons.

You shall also take the other ram in Aaron and his son shall put their hands on the head of the ram then you shall kill the ram and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tip of the right ear of His sons and on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot and sprinkle the blood all Around the altar.

Now, we're not exactly sure what this is, but I'd like to read John MacArthur's comment on this passage. He says the dabbing of blood on the right ear hand and big toe. Symbolically sanctified the ear to hear the Word of God.

The hand to do the work of God in the foot to walk in the ways of God. And I think that's a pretty good Explanation, but what about laying the hands laying the hand on the animals? Let's turn to Colossians chapter 2 for a moment very important passage.

Colossians 2. Because there's many times where this instruction is given and I think we've all heard of a scapegoat. Well that comes from the Bible. There was the scapegoat. They would lay hands on the animal.

Well here they would lay hands on the animal and they would kill it or they would lay hands on the goat and then drive It into the wilderness Away from the camp. So what is this picture? This is the transfer of sin from the person or from the people to the animal and then Kill the animal to deal with sin, right?

But did that really deal with sin or transfer the guilt of the people on to the goat and drive the goat? Out of the camp, what is that picture it pictures getting the sin out of your life getting the sin out of the church.

Now did laying your hand on the animal Aaron and his sons. Did that actually transfer? Sin and guilt from the people to the animal and When they killed the animal did that really deal with sin? No, because the the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sin.

But what is it a picture of it is a picture of God? Taking the sin of the world and imputing it to Jesus Christ on the cross and he died as the true offering. For sin, he took all of our sin in our guilt upon himself and it was crucified.

It was dealt with on the tree. Look at Colossians 2 13 through 15 Paul writes. And you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision Of your flesh he has made alive together with him having forgiven you all your trespasses.

Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us. Which was contrary to us and he has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross having disarmed Principalities and powers he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them.

In it.

So today Satan has no power over us to accuse us before God. Because why our sin has already been dealt with it was nailed to the cross. When Jesus was nailed to the cross He became sin for us. It was dealt with then therefore.

For those of us who are in Christ We are not guilty and not just that it's not just that we're innocent we are also what we are Justified when God looks at us as hard as this is to imagine when God looks at us He sees the righteousness of Christ because we are in Christ.

We are justified before God. So now it's not a matter of our sin and guilt. That's all been done away with now. It's a matter of being conformed in this life being conformed to the image of Christ. It's about serving God.

This is how you grow in the Christian life. You don't sit around and wait for God to do something you serve you serve. The blessing is the service your ministry. How many of you learn better by Doing rather than hearing, you know, someone can tell me how to do something.

I'm not really gonna learn and absorb it until I'm actually doing it. You know a child can go to driver's ed and they can sit in the classroom and learn all about how to drive and the rules. And everything but until they get behind the wheel, they're not really learning how to drive.

Now the classroom stuff's important, but you need to actually learn by doing it. Well, that's the same with us. We can know all the doctrine and have all the right ideas and beliefs in our head. But unless we're putting it into practice we're not really gonna understand it as well as we should and we're not really gonna grow unless we are active and Putting these things into practice.

We need to serve God. So Moses and Aaron were told to do all of these things and they were expected to obey. You know, we serve God. Partially out of obedience. We do it because we love him, but we are obeying God.

God loves it. When his people obey Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments.

So.

Trying to wrap all of this up. Did the Israelites understand why Aaron and the priests had to do these things and the meaning of it all? Maybe not but over time those who are seeking God it became clearer and clearer as God revealed it to them.

And it's the same today people might start off and wonder why God tells us to do certain things or why God forbids. Certain things, you know, it's really a matter of faith. Are we going to trust God or not whether you understand it?

Are you going to obey God or not if you do as you grow? Over time things will become more clear. One more Verse here verse 18. And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord.

It is a sweet Aroma an offering made by fire to the Lord. Now if you were there, it would have smelt pleasant, right? But that's not really the point God isn't in heaven worried about, you know, how good things smell down here on earth.

What's the point? It's the obedience that they're doing what God says and all that pictures the obedience of Christ who humbled himself and became Obedient even to the point of death the death of The cross so just as Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the Lord as priests for the work of the ministry.

So we are to minister before God daily with the same promise of God's abiding presence. Also applying to us. The chapter closes with verses 44 through 46. 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. I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God and they shall know That I am the Lord their God who brought them up out of the land of Egypt that I may dwell among them.

I am the Lord their God.