A Consecrated Life
Exodus 29:19-21: "You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, and you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons' garments with him. He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons' garments with him."
Aaron and his sons have been chosen by God to serve as priests in the tabernacle. In order to serve God and to represent the nation of Israel before God, these men must go through a process of purification. That begins with the offering of a bull and two rams. These animals must die on behalf of the sins of Aaron and his sons. The ordination ceremony will begin with Moses washing the men with water, placing their priestly garments upon them, and then anointing them with oil. Each of these actions denote that these men are set apart to serve God.
Now, the offering must be made for sins. Aaron and his sons lay their hands first on the bull and then on the head of the ram. Their sin is transferred to the ram, and the ram will die in their place; the blood serving as a covering for sin. The second offering of the ram differs from the first, as the blood is placed upon the tips of the right ears, the thumbs of the right hands, and the great toes on the right feet. Again, the anointing oil is sprinkled upon these priests, and they are declared holy before the Lord.
Why must the blood be place on the ears, thumbs, and great toes of these men? In ordination, these men were being consecrated to serve God; it was a total commitment of their lives, from head to toe. The right side was considered to be the dominant side of the body and thus the greater side. God wanted their best.
This idea of consecration continues in the New Testament. Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2). We are to be living sacrifices before the Lord. We are to surrender everything to him and to give him our very best. As living sacrifices, we are not to take on the ways of the world but to allow the Lord to transform us - body, mind, and spirit.
Aaron and his sons were called to live a consecrated life. You and I are now called to live that consecrated life. They were washed by the water; we are washed by the waters of baptism. They were clothed in the priestly garments; we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. They were anointed with oil to symbolize God's power working in them; we are anointed by the Holy Spirit and empowered for every good work through him.
Reflection:
Are you living a consecrated life, a set-apart life, unto the Lord? What does it look like for you to surrender to him today? Ask him to transform and renew your mind.
Aaron and his sons have been chosen by God to serve as priests in the tabernacle. In order to serve God and to represent the nation of Israel before God, these men must go through a process of purification. That begins with the offering of a bull and two rams. These animals must die on behalf of the sins of Aaron and his sons. The ordination ceremony will begin with Moses washing the men with water, placing their priestly garments upon them, and then anointing them with oil. Each of these actions denote that these men are set apart to serve God.
Now, the offering must be made for sins. Aaron and his sons lay their hands first on the bull and then on the head of the ram. Their sin is transferred to the ram, and the ram will die in their place; the blood serving as a covering for sin. The second offering of the ram differs from the first, as the blood is placed upon the tips of the right ears, the thumbs of the right hands, and the great toes on the right feet. Again, the anointing oil is sprinkled upon these priests, and they are declared holy before the Lord.
Why must the blood be place on the ears, thumbs, and great toes of these men? In ordination, these men were being consecrated to serve God; it was a total commitment of their lives, from head to toe. The right side was considered to be the dominant side of the body and thus the greater side. God wanted their best.
This idea of consecration continues in the New Testament. Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2). We are to be living sacrifices before the Lord. We are to surrender everything to him and to give him our very best. As living sacrifices, we are not to take on the ways of the world but to allow the Lord to transform us - body, mind, and spirit.
Aaron and his sons were called to live a consecrated life. You and I are now called to live that consecrated life. They were washed by the water; we are washed by the waters of baptism. They were clothed in the priestly garments; we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. They were anointed with oil to symbolize God's power working in them; we are anointed by the Holy Spirit and empowered for every good work through him.
Reflection:
Are you living a consecrated life, a set-apart life, unto the Lord? What does it look like for you to surrender to him today? Ask him to transform and renew your mind.
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