Exodus 29:1-46
Q.1. How were the Priests ordained to minister to God? What distinguished Aaron from his sons? How long did the Priesthood apply? – (Exo.29:1-9)
The Priesthood passed on to Aaron’s sons and their descendants – to minister as priests to Me … they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute (Exo.29:1 & 9). It required the application of a blood sacrifice of a bull and two rams without blemish. Along with these was a basket of unleavened bread and cakes mixed with oil of fine wheat flour (Exo 29:1-3). Aaron and his sons were ceremonially washed in water (Exo.29:4). Aaron’s sons were dressed in tunics, with sashes, and caps, but Moses was to place – 5 … on Aaron the tunic and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breast piece and gird him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod; 6 and you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban (Exo.29:5-6 c.f. Exo.29:8-9). Aaron was anointed with oil on his head and was thus ordained to serve (Exo.29:7).
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Q.2. How were the sins of the priest atoned for? What sacrifice was offered to God? How were the priests and their garments consecrated? (Exo.29:10-21)
Aaron and his sons identified with the bull by placing their hands on its head. It was sacrificed for a sin offering (c.f. Heb.5:1-3). Moses was to apply the blood to the altar and offer the liver and kidneys with its fat on the altar. The bull’s flesh, hide, refuse was to be burned outside the camp (Exo.29:10-14). Aaron and his sons likewise laid their hands on the head of the ram to be sacrificed for a burnt offering. The ram was cut in pieces, washed, and its blood sprinkled around the altar (Exo.29:15-17). They were to – … offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the Lord: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord (Exo.29:18). They took the second ram, and similarly placed their hands on its head. This time the blood was ceremonially applied to – … the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of his sons’ right ears and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet and sprinkle the rest of the blood around on the altar (Exo.29:20). Some of the blood and anointing oil was sprinkled on Aaron and his sons and their robes (Exo.29:21). The blood on their garments would remind the people of the costliness of atoning for sin.
Q.3. What was the Wave-offering? What offerings belonged to the priests? Were they for laymen? How long did the ordination take? – (Exo.29:22-37)
The liver, kidneys, and fat from this second ram – the ram of ordination, along with the cakes and wafers mixed with oil were to be ceremonially waved in the smoke of the altar as a Wave Offering before the Lord. Moses was to – … take them from their hands and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the Lord; it is an offering by fire to the Lord (Exo.29:25 c.f. Exo.29:22-24). The breast and thigh of the ram of ordination was heaved before the Lord and – shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the sons of Israel (Exo.29:28). The flesh of the ram was boiled in the Holy Place. To this was added the bread from the basket – Thus they shall eat those things by which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration; but a layman shall not eat them, because they are holy (Exo.29:33). The ordination took seven days (Exo.29:35). Each day a bull was sacrificed as a sin offering for atonement – For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it; then the altar shall be most holy, and whatever touches the altar shall be holy (Exo.29:37).
Q.4. What were the daily offerings? How long were they to be sacrificed? Where did God promise to dwell? What did the offerings signify? – (Exo.29:38-46)
God made provision each day to cover the defilement of His people. Once the altar had been consecrated, Israel was to offer two one year old lambs each day continuously along with a fine flour offering mixed with oil and wine for a drink offering – 39 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight …42 It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 I will meet there with the sons of Israel, and it shall be consecrated by My glory (Exo.29:39 & 42-43 c.f. Exo.29:38 & 40-41). The offerings looked back to their deliverance from slavery in Egypt – 45 I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. 46 They shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God (Exo.29:45-46)