TODAY’S READINGS: Exodus 29-30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 8:14-26
CONSECRATION: IN WHOSE SERVICE ARE YOU?
We have been learning that the tabernacle and its services were all designed according to the Pattern that the Lord gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. Every detail suggested a divine fact, an eternally relevant reality, or a divine force, something of God’s all-important activity on behalf of mankind.
The tabernacle, the priesthood, the sacrifices, and the ceremonies, all spoke of God’s glory that would be displayed fully in the Person of Christ. The apostle John hints at this by writing in the Prologue of His Gospel:
John 1:14 (NASB)
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelled (literally, ‘tabernacled’) among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelled (literally, ‘tabernacled’) among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Just as the sacrifices of animal-substitutes could not in themselves put away sin, neither could any ceremony truly sanctify or consecrate anyone to be fit for the service of God. These sacrifices and ceremonies were divinely designed placeholders, foreshadowing the person and work of the Messiah, the prophesied anointed king, prophet and priest, who would put away sin by His perfect sacrifice on the cross. Only by His powerful work on behalf of those who believe, could people become sanctified and ultimately made holy (glorified).
THE CONSECRATION OF AARON AND HIS SONS
So as we read this great chapter describing the consecration ceremony of Aaron as High Priest (Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8) we must look beyond the shadows of the Old Testament types to the substance of the New Testament reality (Hebrews 8:4-5; Col 2:17), the ministry of our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:14). We must also look beyond the consecration of Aaron’s sons and see that it points to the consecration of Christ’s followers, who are called and chosen to be priests unto God (Revelation 1:6, 1 Peter 2:9).
In the tabernacle we see the Glory (Perfection) of His Cross (in the Brazen Altar) the Glory of His Word (in the Brazen Laver), the Glory of His Provisions for His People (Table of Showbread), the Glory of His Revelation (Psalm 36:9, Lampstand), the Glory of His Perfect Worship and Intercession on our behalf (Altar of Incense) and the Glory of His Perfect Mediation (the blood on the mercyseat in The Holiest of All).
The word “Consecration” literally means “to belong to the sacred”. The act of consecration was one in which a person or thing was wholly set apart, dedicated or devoted, for the worship and service of God. One who is consecrated belongs wholly to the Lord.
The first thing we notice is WHO is to be consecrated. The priests are to be:
1. CALLED AND CHOSEN
You did not choose to be consecrated. You had to be CALLED and CHOSEN. First, many were called. The entire nation of Israel was called to be priests (Exodus 19:6). That calling was later limited to the tribe of Levi due to the disobedience of the other tribes who sided with the worship of the golden calf rather than the Living God. Then by God’s sovereign decree, only those who were BORN into the family of Aaron were CHOSEN to be consecrated as priests. (Many are called, few are chosen). It is a picture of how we must first be born again of the Holy Spirit and born into the family of God by trusting Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, in order to be priests.
Notice that the consecration ceremony starts at the entrance gate where the brazen altar is in view, front and center. Consecration is only by and through the Cross of Christ, where He offered himself up to God to put away our old life in Adam and give us a new life in Him.
Everything about the consecration ceremony displays all that Jesus has done and all that He is, that we might be able to live with Him and serve with Him.
2. PRESENTED AT THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE
Present your bodies, a living and holy sacrifice (Romans 12:1). (You were dead. You were crucified with Christ. Now you are alive from the dead. You are alive to be set apart, as belonging to the Lord. You do not live unto yourself, or to please yourself, but you are to live unto God and for His pleasure.
Jesus, our Great High Priest, presented Himself to God and made Himself available to God by the Eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14) to live a perfect life in our stead, and then pour it out (signified by His shed blood) that we could be redeemed.
Romans 12:1 (NASB) 1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
3. WASHED WITH PURE WATER (CLEANSED AND RENEWED BY GOD’S WORD)
Matthew 4:4 (NASB) 4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
John 15:3 (NASB) 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
John 17:17 (NASB) 17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
Romans 12:2 (NASB) 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
4. CLOTHED WITH SACRED GARMENTS (WE APPEAR BEFORE GOD IN THE CLOTHING OF ANOTHER)
The undercoat of linen (purity), the robe (heavenly life), the ephod (righteousness), the breastplate (wisdom and compassion), the woven band, the turban with the golden medallion with the inscription, “HOLY TO THE LORD” were placed on Aaron and then his head was anointed with oil (The Holy Spirit). Then the sons of Aaron were clothed. Their costumes were similar but without some of the distinctive ornaments that were particular to the office of High Priest.
Notice that the priests are not told to wear shoes. Perhaps this is because they, like Moses, were to take off their shoes, knowing they were standing on holy ground. The feet of the priests had to be exposed because the blood of the ram of consecration needed to be applied to their right big toes.
5. MARKED WITH THE BLOOD- A SIGN OF OWNERSHIP PUT UPON THEM
SPECIAL OFFERINGS WERE THEN MADE ON THEIR BEHALF (A young bull and two rams; and loaves of bread, thin cakes mixed with olive oil, wafers spread with oil).
The young bull was to be a SIN OFFERING. The priests, like all the people of Israel, needed to have sin put away. It signified CHRIST’S PERFECT SACRIFICE for the putting away of sin. The first ram was a BURNT OFFERING that spoke of CHRIST’S COMPLETE DEVOTION providing complete satisfaction to the Lord. (We will learn more about these sacrifices when we read the Book of Leviticus). The second ram became “the RAM OF CONSECRATION”. This sacrifice speaks of CHRIST BEING SET APART FOR US.
John 17:19 (NASB) 19 "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
The blood from the RAM OF CONSECRATION is applied to the RIGHT EAR, RIGHT THUMB and RIGHT TOE of the priest as a mark of their having been redeemed from the slave market of sin through the love of Christ who purchased them by His blood.
6. THEIR HEARTS WERE TO BE TOUCHED
THE PRIEST CONSECRATES HIMSELF TO GOD AS:
A RESPONSE TO HIS LOVE
2 Corinthians 5:14-16 (NASB) 14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.
A RESPONSE TO HIS MERCY
Romans 12:1 (NASB) 1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
A RESPONSE TO HIS OWNERSHIP RIGHTS
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB) 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
1 Peter 1:18-19 (NASB) 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
The blood has been applied to the EAR (Consecrated obedience); THUMB (Consecrated Service) and TOE (Consecrated Walk)
Because we have a blood- stained ear, a mark that we have been purchased at the highest price, we are now in the service of our Master, and we only have ears for His commands.
Because we have blood-stained thumbs, our hands are set aside for doing His works.
Because our feet have been marked by the blood, we will walk only in His direction.
Notice that the anointing of the ear, thumb and toe of the priest with blood must come before the anointing with oil. First the Cross, then the Spirit.
7. THEIR HANDS WERE TO BE FILLED
The Hebrew meaning of the word ‘consecration’ is to ‘have one’s hands filled’. The fat and the right thigh of the ram of consecration together with one cake of bread, another cake mixed with oil, on one wafer of unleavened bread is put into the hands of the priest. It is a true picture of consecration. The hands of the priest are so full of what has been placed there by divine ordination that he can pick up nothing else. (As we read through the ceremonial law we learn that these parts of the animal sacrifices all have special meaning- the fat speaks of the excellent that pleases the Lord, the thigh speaks of strength, the breast speaks of affection, the bread speaks of that which nourished and is indispensible to our survival, the staff of life; wafers speak of the sensitivity of the Lord’s humanity)
Then the breast and the thigh are waved before the Lord. Something waved before the Lord indicated that it was representing all that was to come.
8. WE GET TO FEAST WHEN WE SERVE
The service of the priest would be strenuous as he would be on his feet all day. But there was the reward of being able to partake of what they were serving the Lord.
ALTAR OF INCENSE (Exodus 30:1-10)
Today we read of the ALTAR OF INCENSE. (This represents Christ’s ministry of perfect worship on our behalf as well as His perfect intercession). As Jesus prays in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) He is praying a High Priestly prayer (John 17)
NEW TESTAMENT READING: MATTHEW 26:14-46
JUDAS BETRAYS JESUS (Matthew 26:14-16)
The events leading up to Jesus’ death by crucifixion are escalating. Judas goes to the chief priests and agrees to turn Him over to them for thirty pieces of silver. This was the amount paid in compensation for a slave who was gored to death by an ox (Exodus 21:32). It was also the average compensation for four months labor; an amount of much less worth than that of the alabaster box and ointment that Mary spent upon the Lord in the previous incident (Matthew 26:6-13).
JESUS CELEBRATES THE PASSOVER WITH HIS DISCIPLES (THE LORD’S TABLE) (Matthew 26:17-25)
We have seen how Jesus fulfills the meaning of all the Spring feasts (Unleavened Bread, Passover and First Fruits) in His first coming. He would first declare the meaning of the Passover as He first offers the bread as a symbol of His body and the cup as a symbol of His blood, and then demonstrates the Passover as He is crucified as the Passover Lamb and God tears the veil of the temple from top to bottom, to provide our free access to God.
THE DISCIPLES’ FALSE CONFIDENCE
We all shudder when we read Peter’s boasting,
But Peter said to Him, "Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away." (Matthew 26:33)
But let us remember that all the disciples made the same claim (Matt 26:35) and all of them forsook Jesus at the cross. This reminds us that the heart is deceitful and incurably wicked (Jeremiah 17:9)
The mercies shown Peter and the disciples should encourage us with hope.
THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE (Matthew 26:36-46)
Gethsemane means olive press. Here is where we see Jesus agonizing in prayer with the full fury of hell at work to prevent him from going to the cross. He experiences the very human dread of suffering, yet surrenders to the purpose for which He came, in full consecration to the Father’s will. (John 17 gives us an insight to Jesus’ prayer for the church). How Jesus longed for the companionship and participation of His friends, the disciples, at this time. Jesus knew the reality of men without His life in the face of temptation- the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. They lacked the spiritual understanding even to recognize what was happening in the moment.
Matthew 26:45 (NASB)
45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Let us not be found sleeping when we need to be alert and participating in fellowship with our Lord.
Pastor David
So, naturally, we proclaim Christ! We warn everyone we meet, and we teach everyone we can, all that we know about him, so that, if possible, we may bring every man up to his full maturity in Christ. (Colossians 1:28, J.B. Phillips paraphrase)
New Life Community Church, Concord, MA 10742
Meeting Sundays at 10:30 AM at the Emerson Umbrella for the Arts, 40 Stow Street, Concord MA
Mailing Address: Post Office Box Five, Concord, MA 01742
Church Offices: 35 Bypass Rd. Lincoln, MA 01773 978-369-0061
Home Office: 978-371-3176
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