Exodus 29:1–21 (ESV)
1. Consecrating the Priest on the Outside (29:1-9)
29 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take one bull of the herd and two rams without blemish, 2 and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. 3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and bring the bull and the two rams. 4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 6 And you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8 Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, 9 and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.
The High Priest had a specific ordain role. He was to represent the people to God. He would carry Israel on his shoulders and close to his heart before the presence of God. He would make atonement by sacrificing an animal which would atone for the sins of the people.
There is a major issue; a problem that had to be dealt with. How can a sinner make atonement for sinners? How can the one serving as the priest (the one who goes between God and man) serve in that capacity if he is also one of the sinners who needs his sins atoned for as much or even more than the people?
God made a way.
29 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.
Bring a bull and two rams. These would be the sacrificial animals. These animals had to be perfect and in the prime of life.
They were to bring unleavened bread prepared in different ways and with oil over over the bread and cakes.
Moses was to prepare Aaron. He was bathed and washed. Dressed in his holy garments. On his head was placed the golden banner that said Holy to the Lord. Then they poured oil on his head symbolizing holiness before God.
7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.
Psalm 133:1–2 (ESV)
1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
This was very good. Aaron was ready on the outside. But his sin still remained. The reality was that his outer garments were more holy than he was.
There was an incident when Aaron’s two sons Nadab and Abihu did something God did not ordain them to do and God killed them. They offered what the Bible calls an unauthorized fire before the Lord. Fire came down and both were burned alive they were consumed by the fire and died right there. This can be found in Leviticus 10.
What’s even more remarkable is that their priestly garments were untouched by the flame that consumed them.
Leviticus 10:5 (ESV)
5 So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said.
Commentators tell us these were their priestly garments that remained untouched by the flames. Even though the men were profane to God, their clothing was still holy.
Back to Aaron…
He was bathed, smelled good, and looked good but he still was a sinner.
2. Consecrating the Priest by Blood Atonement (29:10-21)
Their outward appearance was good their nakedness was covered with holy garments but sacrifices had to be made so that their sins would be covered as well. They had to be holy all the way through.
The first of the three to be sacrificed was the bull…
10 “Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 12 and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. 13 And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.
Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the head of the bull. This was to symbolize the transfer of their sins to the sacrifice. The bull died the death they deserved.
The bull sacrificed before the tent at the entrance. Its blood splashed on the horns of the altar and the rest poured in front of the altar. Its inner parts and fat burned on altar. The flesh and hide carried outside the camp and burned.
I wonder as the bull was being consumed by the fire is Aaron thought this is what my sins deserve? This should be my fate because of my sin. God is so good to allow my sins to be carried away outside the camp and atoned for by the sacrifice.
Leviticus 17:11–12 (ESV)
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. 12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.
Next was the first Ram…
15 “Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 16 and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, 18 and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
Here again the Priest would place his hands on the head of the ram to show that their sins were transferred to the sacrificial animal. This time the blood was not put on the horns of the altar but the blood was thrown on the sides of the altar and the entire ram was burned on the altar as an offering to God.
As the Ram was totally dedicated to God as an offering so too the Priest is also totally dedicated to God for his service.
Now, the second Ram was sacrificed. This Ram had a name. The Ram of ordination.
19 “You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 20 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. 21 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.
The previous sacrifices were made and blood placed on the altar to atone for and justify the Priests before God. Now, the third sacrifice’s blood was not placed on the altar but on the High Priest. This blood would sanctify them for their holy duties. It would further purify them for service to God. They were washed with water, anointed with oil and now soaked with blood. Aaron was ready to serve as God’s High Priest.
Hebrews 9:22 (ESV)
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
3. Jesus Our Substitutionary Sacrifice and Our Great High Priest
As we think about the first sacrifice, the Bull…remember that the Bull was sacrificed and the blood splattered on the horns of the altar and then its flesh was taken outside the camp and burned.
Outside the camp was the place of uncleanness. When Nadab and Abihu were killed by God for violating His sacrificial laws, their relatives were told to take their ashes outside the camp (Leviticus 10:4–5). If someone had leprosy, he was to dwell outside the camp (Leviticus 13:45–46). If a person was to be stoned to death, it was to happen outside the camp (Numbers 15:35). More than just for practical reasons those things that were unfit for normal dwelling inside the camp were taken outside the camp—it was the home of that which was unclean.
When Jesus was crucified, it was done outside the city walls, outside the camp. Here He would not only be put to death but He would become the most unclean sinner ever to live.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
While at first glance there doesn’t seem to be anything vitally important about how the outside of the camp was used in Israel’s law and culture, the writer of Hebrews brings to our attention an important nuance in the ministry of Jesus Christ. First, the writer reminds readers that the bodies of animals sacrificed under the Law of Moses were taken outside the camp and burned (Hebrews 13:11). The writer then explains that Jesus, in order to sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside of the city gate (Hebrews 13:12).
Hebrews 13:11–16 (ESV)
11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
Matthew recounts that, after Jesus’ injustice of a trial, He was taken outside the city to a place called Golgotha (“place of the skull”) and crucified there (Matthew 27:33).
In Hebrews we understand that Jesus was taken outside the city to bear reproach—to be treated as an unclean criminal unqualified to remain in the city. We are then to go to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach (Hebrews 13:13) and knowing that we do not have a lasting city here; rather, we are seeking that which is to come (Hebrews 13:14). Jesus died the death of a criminal, outside the city, so that we might all be qualified through His blood to have righteousness and eternal life and to be part of His coming kingdom. As Isaiah explains, the Messiah would be despised and forsaken and not esteemed by men (Isaiah 53:3). In a remarkable irony, this Savior would carry humanity’s griefs and sorrows, and yet humanity would look at Him as if He were the one “punished by God” (Isaiah 53:4). All our iniquity would fall on Him (Isaiah 53:6), and by His sacrifice we would be healed (Isaiah 53:5).
Paul puts it this way: Jesus was fully God and worthy of glory, but He allowed Himself to be stripped of His glory, became a man, and was humbled to the point of death as a criminal on a cross (Philippians 2:6–8). John adds that Jesus did this so that by believing in Him we could have life in His name (John 20:31). That Jesus died outside the city or outside the camp just adds to the humiliation He was willing to undergo in His love for us. How can we not respond to such a One with trust, love, and thanksgiving? No greater love exists than the kind He showed for us (John 15:13).
When the High Priest placed his hands on the head of the bull and Ram and it was burned as a sacrifice, the Sacrifice took on the sins of the High Priest and carried them outside the camp and burned.
By faith, we place our hands on Jesus and He bears away our sins outside the camp and we are given His righteousness. Oh, what a Savior we have, One who is the Lamb of God and the High Priest forever.
Place your hands on Jesus by faith and He will carry your sins away outside the camp to be forever paid for by His sinless perfection.
Resources Used:
https://www.gotquestions.org/outside-the-camp.html
Exodus by Rykin
Gleanings in Exodus by Pink
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