Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:45-46

45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.

46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God.

To conclude this chapter God makes the very special promise that He will dwell with the Israelites, a constant presence in the midst of them. God will not only be some outer concept, but their own neighbor, living in a house that the community had prepared for Him, somewhere that they could go and visit throughout the year.

God further promises that the people will know that He is, indeed, their God, even the same one that brought them out of Egypt with such tremendous power and miracles. That seems to suggest that they will see such power and wonders coming from the tabernacle that they will be able to identify the presence there as the same that had been within the pillar of smoke and fire. We will hear how this promise is fulfilled at the very end of Exodus, in chapter 40.

This brings us to the end of the preparations for the priests. There yet remains two more furnishings for use in the tabernacle, however. We will hear the details of them in the next chapter.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:42-44

42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.

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

44 And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.

The Israelites would make a continual offering to the Lord, morning and night, and now God promises that He will respond by coming to the doorway and speaking to them directly. He states that He “will meet with the children of Israel,” and that His glory will sanctify the tabernacle, the altar, and the priests.

This is the overlap of two worlds, a special place where man and God would be in the same place at the same time. These are precious portals between heaven and earth, very rare and only ever attained by the condescension of God Almighty. We may have our spiritual experiences, but they are generally invisible and immeasurable, occurring only on a spiritual plane that resides within us. What makes these world-overlapping moments so special is that they are times where the things of Heaven are physically and tangibly perceptible by the denizens of the Earth.

Records of such special worlds-overlapping moments including Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Moses at the burning bush, and the voice of God at Jesus’s baptism. Of course, the greatest of all the world-overlapping events was the entire life of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

As I said, these moments are very rare, and I think it is fair to say that most people live their entire lives without experiencing this sort of occasion even once. It may well be that there will not be any such large overlapping moment until the second coming. Suffice it to say, if ever such a moment does occur in your life, be sure that you attend to it!

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:38-41

38 Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.

39 The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:

40 And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.

41 And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

We have heard of the sacrifices necessary to consecrate the priests and the altar, and we will hear of many more ritualistic sacrifices that would restore the Israelites back to unity with God after all manner of dividing circumstances. Today, however, we read of a constant ritual that was ongoing in perpetuity at the tabernacle. Aside from all the other offerings, there was a perpetual sacrifice being given to the Lord every day. A lamb, a measure of flour, a measure of oil, and a measure of wine every morning. A lamb, a measure of flour, a measure of oil, and a measure of wine every evening.

Many people speak of their conversion to the Lord in terms of key, pivotal moments in their lives where a specific and great sacrifice brought them into harmony with the Lord. But underlying and between these key moments there is also the constant, daily sacrifice that we make to keep ourselves on the straight-and-narrow. A man may renounce his evil ways in one, great moment of conviction, but then he must make innumerable micro-sacrifices as he turns down every following temptation to return to his old ways.

The life of the disciple is one of constant sacrifice and work, and I believe that that is what is being symbolized in these daily sacrifices. Just each individual is expected to perpetually subjugate his will to the Lord every day, so would the nation of Israel as a whole.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:35-37

35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.

36 And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.

37 Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.

Today we learn that the seven days of sacrifices is not only to sanctify the priests, but also the altar being used for the sacrifices. By being employed repeatedly in holy rituals, the altar itself would become holy.

This is a good opportunity to consider the question, what is it that makes something be sanctified? Is it our works or is it God’s grace? Can we make something cease to be carnal by our carnal labors? If not, then why do the labors at all?

I would argue that sanctification is a door with two locks. One that we have the key for, and one that God has the key for. We turn our key by our sacrifices, because that which we sacrifice most for becomes that which we hold in the highest regard. When we give up our greatest loves for a thing, then that thing becomes our greatest love. It becomes sacred to us. Regardless of the thing’s inherent nature, because of all we have given to it, it is now an item of worship.

But none of that forces God to hallow the thing also. We might have turned our key on the door of sanctification, but we are not able to make God turn His. And God does not hallow everything that we do. We often sacrifice to our appetites, to our greed, and to our vanity. We make those things sacred in our own eyes, but God will never join us in sanctifying those things. If we are ever to meet God, we must be trying in the right places.

So, is it grace or works that makes something sanctified? I would say both. Our works are important in that they make a space where God is invited, but it is still up to Him to grace us with His presence. In the case of the tabernacle altar, the seven days of repeated would have made it hallowed in the minds of the Israelites, and because it was an approved vessel, God hallowed it from His end also.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:32-34

32 And 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 the congregation.

33 And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.

34 And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

“If any portion remains” suggests that the Lord would provide for the priests even to the point of overflowing. Those that dedicate their lives to the Lord will receive as much blessing as they can receive, and the rest will have to be let go simply because there is no more room for it. Excess blessing was not to go to another unsanctified, though, but returned back to the Lord by the fire. This seems to suggest that God has blessings enough for everyone, without having to balance the load lest He run out.

Thus, in this offering ritual we see that the life of the disciple is defined on the one hand by sacrifice and surrender to the Lord, and blessing and providence on the other. One would think that sacrifice would cause want, but thanks to divine intervention, it would actually yield surplus.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:29-30

29 And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.

30 And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.

We have a brief parenthetical here, which reiterates that Aaron and his descendants would make up the priest class, the only ones that could be consecrated to stand before the Lord.

What it says about putting the garments on the priests for seven days is explained further in the following verses of this chapter. Apparently, the offering of a bullock, two rams, and the various breads would be repeated over a period of seven days.

Presumably, this sort of repetition would impress the symbolic lessons deeper and deeper in the mind of the priest. It also signifies how we strengthen our commitment to the Lord by degrees, reaching greater and greater levels of discipleship as we go. Finally, there is a special significance to the number seven, suggesting fulfillment and completion. For example, seven days was the full measure of the creation of the Earth, and Naaman was commanded to bathe himself in the river Jordan seven times to be healed. Through a full measure of repeated consecration, the priest would be ready by-and-by to perform his holy duties.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:22-28

22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:

23 And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord:

24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the Lord.

25 And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the Lord: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

26 And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord: and it shall be thy part.

27 And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:

28 And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the Lord.

After the sprinkling of blood, the best parts of the ram would be placed in the hands of the priest, as well as a bread, a cake, and a wafer, and they would be waved in the air. At the same time, there was also a heave offering, which is not described, but mentioned in retrospect by verse 27. The right shoulder was apparently held by the priest and heaved upward.

It also says in verse 25 that all of these items were placed upon the altar and burned for a sweet savor to the Lord, though in verses 26-28 it sounds instead like these parts were given to the priests for their allowance of food. So were the items burned on the altar, or given to the priests? I can see two possibilities:

  1. The “receive them” in verse 25 is not calling for the totality of the wave and heave offering. Perhaps only the fat, caul, and kidneys were burned upon the altar, while the breast and shoulder and breads were left for the priests.
  2. All of this first offering, which was meant for the sanctification of Aaron and his sons, was burned upon the altar, but every heave and wave offering thereafter would be given to the priests.

With either interpretation, this offering seems to be establishing the unity between God and the priest. Because the priest went through the rituals of giving up his sins, dedicating his life to the good, and receive the purification of the anointing oil and blood, now the Lord will share from His own altar with the priest. Now that the disciple has been sanctified, he is invited to share in the meal that is laid on God’s table.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:19-21

19 And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.

20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.

Now the second ram is sacrificed. This one is neither a sin offering nor a burnt offering, but something new. The first two sacrifices took the essence of the animal and gave them to God, whereas this one has its essence directed towards the priest. This time the blood is being placed upon the ear, thumb, and toe, and then mixed with oil and sprinkled all over them. In the following verses we will learn that the meat of the ram would also be given as a meal to the priests.

It seems clear that the first two sacrifices represented what man brought as an offering to God, and now we are starting to hear what God brings back as an offering to man. With the first two sacrifices we saw represented how man must give up his sins and dedicate his life to the Lord, and now in today’s verses we see a symbol of God sacrificing his own son, Jesus Christ, that his divine blood might purge away our sins and make us holy.

No man is sufficiently pure from his efforts alone, there must also be the touch of the divine to make him truly sanctified. The sacrifices that the man makes are simply to make himself a ready receptacle to the receiving of God’s spirit, which comes as an act of grace. This is therefore a covenant, a sacred bond that goes both directions between God and man, with expectations and requirements for each.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:15-18

15 Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.

16 And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.

17 And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.

18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the Lord: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.

After sacrificing the bullock as a sin offering, the first ram would then be offered for a burnt offering. Here the blood was not to be smeared upon the horns of mercy, but to be sprinkled all around the altar. And instead of separating the body into key parts and handling each of them differently, instead the entire ram was burned directly on the altar, though only after it had been divided and washed.

While the sin offering seemed to do with getting rid of that which was dirty and undesirable, all of this offering is desirable, and its stated effect is to bring a sweet savor brought up to the Lord. There is something much more positive about this sort of sacrifice.

In the life of the disciple, after the sacrificing of his gross sins, what follows is the giving of his life in service to God. The proper life is defined both by the wrong things that we won’t do, and also the right things that we will do. Abstaining on the one hand, proactive on the other. The latter is what today’s offering represents. If the sin offering was the giving up of one’s life doing bad things, the burnt offering was the giving of one’s life to do good.

Posted on by Abe Austin

Scriptural Analysis- Exodus 29:10-14

10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.

11 And thou shalt kill the bullock before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.

13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.

14 But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.

After being properly dressed, washed, and anointed, the priests were further prepared by sacrificial ritual. First came the bullock, which we hear in verse 14 was being offered up as a sin offering. This was for the priests to make atonement for all that they had done wrong. Like the rest of us, each of them had violated the ideal at one point or another. They had pursued self over others, they had betrayed their own consciences, they had entered misalignment with truth.

The symbolism of having the priests place their hands on the head of the bullock is clear. This placing of the hands upon the head is repeated with just about every sacrifice and is a clear representation of the animal being made to stand in place of the person. The people are choosing the animal as their representative, and witness as it receives the punishment in their place. That punishment is death, because “the wages of sin is death.”

It is worth noting, the laying on of hands is also a common practice when a disciple is ordained to a particular responsibility in the church. This makes sense, as once again that person is being selected to stand in for the other people, to make a sacrifice of his time to do the responsibilities in place of all the others.

Let us consider the meaning of what is done to the separate parts of the bullock. First, its blood is placed upon the horns of the altar. Later in the Bible we hear how the guilty would cling to these horns when seeking mercy for their wrongs, so perhaps the blood upon them represented coming to the Lord in desperation and moral anguish, casting yourself upon His mercy.

Then, the fat and the kidneys are burned upon the altars. The significance of giving the fat to the altar should be immediately clear. It was giving one’s passions, one’s indulgence, one’s reserve of energy to the Lord. No longer would the repentant give his indulgence to his carnal appetites, but to His maker.

Then, all of the bad parts: the skin and the dung, and also the very flesh of the beast, were burned without the camp. This means exiling the sin and the self, taking it out of the camp that it doesn’t belong in and destroying it. From this point on the sinner is not to be those parts anymore.

And so, atonement for sin is made. The old man of sin is destroyed, his passion and energy are dedicated to the Lord, and he casts himself upon God’s mercy. This is the same offering that we all spend our entire lives making over and over again.