When You Wake Up and Before Bed

When You Wake Up and Before Bed

Exodus 29: ³⁸ “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. ³⁹ One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. ⁴⁰ With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. ⁴¹ And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning, for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. ⁴² This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, where I will meet you to speak with you. ⁴³ And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory. ⁴⁴ So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests. ⁴⁵ 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, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

 

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GOD told Moses to have Aaron and his sons sacrifice young lambs every day. HE also gave special instructions of how they were to be prepared and what should accompany the offering.

 

My Observations:

• GOD wanted the children of Israel to have a mindset that all of their possessions were not theirs; rather, they were HIS.
• GOD gave special instructions of how to prepare the burnt offering to HIM.
• GOD was planning to meet with the children of Israel through the priests because HE wanted them to know that HE is GOD.

 

Short memories about who GOD is seems to be a problem. GOD set in motion a perpetual remembrance of the need for HIM. It would take everyone to participate to provide that many lambs. Several hundred lambs would be needed each year. The flour and wine needed to be made.

 

GOD was planning to stay as a houseguest and wanted the children of Israel to symbolically remember what JESUS represented. They did not know the lambs represented the Messiah. We have short memories. Every day, we are supposed to remember what JESUS did for us. When we wake up and before we go to bed, we should remember HIM.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the sacrificial lambs?
• What has GOD given you that you think is yours?
• When you wake up and before you go to bed, do you remember JESUS as your Savior and daily leader?

Seven Days of Consecration

Seven Days of Consecration

Exodus 29: ³¹ “And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place. ³² Then 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 meeting. ³³ They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy. ³⁴ And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings, or of the bread, remains until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

 

³⁵ “Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them. ³⁶ And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it. ³⁷ Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. And the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar must be holy.

 

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GOD told Moses to have Aaron and his sons eat the second ram as prescribed. GOD also said to repeat the sin offering for seven days.

 

My Observations:

• GOD may have been paralleling the holy week or Passover week, which is the week JESUS died for the sins of the world.
• Seven days of consecration was a one-time action.
• GOD declares people as holy even though we are sinners.

 

This meal was made for the consecration of Aaron and his sons. It was meant for them and them alone. Even the scraps were to be burned.  GOD was setting up a model where sin needed to be confessed and something had to die for the atonement of the confessed sins.

 

Bulls were special. They could breed cows that would provide meat and milk. To kill one meant cutting off the possibility of breeding. It was a sacrifice indeed. JESUS would become the sin offering that was holy and acceptable to GOD.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the seven days of sin offerings used in the consecration of Aaron and his sons?
• What is GOD consecrating you for?
• Do you believe that JESUS paid for your sins, past, present and future?

Wave Heave and Peace Offerings

 Wave Heave and Peace Offerings

Exodus 29: ²² “Also you shall take the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration), ²³ one loaf of bread, one cake made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord; ²⁴ and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and you shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. ²⁵ You shall receive them back from their hands and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma before the Lord. It is an offering made by fire to the Lord.

 

²⁶ “Then you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be your portion. ²⁷ And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons. ²⁸ It shall be from the children of Israel for Aaron and his sons by a statute forever. For it is a heave offering; it shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, that is, their heave offering to the Lord.

 

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GOD told Moses to take the second ram and use it as a wave offering. HE also mentions the heave offering and the peace offering.

 

My Observations:

• GOD seems to have multiple meanings for the wave offering, but when applied to JESUS, it could mean that HE was presented before GOD and given to humans.
• GOD could also be stating that JESUS was lifted up on the cross and the heave offering was symbolic of that action.
• GOD mentions the heave offering coming from the peace offering, but it could also mean that JESUS’s action brought peace between GOD and humans.

 

GOD cannot be paid off or bribed. HE seems to love symbolic gestures and wants to celebrate HIS SON as often as possible. When trying to make sense out of the offerings, they seem like separate activities that are unrelated. But GOD took the offerings very seriously.

 

Part of the ram was to be burned as a sweet aroma before the LORD. Anything we give to HIM is acceptable to HIM and is endeared. It doesn’t have to be money. It could be your time, art, song, building or clothing. HE accepts your ideas as you wave them in front of HIM. The heave offering could mean JESUS was lifted up to be murdered, but also HE was lifted up to be placed over all things. HE has all authority.

 

Lastly JESUS provides peace. HE is the Prince of Peace. When we offer peace to GOD, HE gives it back. The symbolic eating of the ram’s meat, shows us that we have peace between us and GOD.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the wave, heave and peace offerings?
• What symbolic gestures has GOD asked you to do?
• Do you remember what JESUS has done for you and how do you celebrate the peace GOD has between you and HIM?

It Only Takes a Little

It Only Takes a Little

Exodus 29: ¹⁹ “You shall also take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram. ²⁰ Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. ²¹ And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him; and he and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.

 

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GOD gave Moses strange instructions of what to do with the second ram. HE told Moses to take a little blood and sprinkle is in various places.

 

My Observations:

• Blood is needed to sustain life and it had to be shed to redeem humans from eternal death.
• The right hand or right side represents GOD’s holiness, sovereignty, and favorable judgment.
• Wearing the garments was a representation of GOD’s holiness, sovereignty and favorable judgment.

 

What I noticed was the amount of blood used to consecrate Aaron and his sons. It only took a little versus them bathing in blood. I believe the ear represented listening. The thumb represented helping and the toe represented being sent by GOD or going places.

 

You would think GOD would say use a lot of blood, but HE didn’t. The power of the HOLY SPIRIT through the shedding of JESUS’s blood would be enough to redeem life. Humans would play a role in redemption, but it would be through listening to people, helping them in their time of need and going out to spread the Gospel of CHRIST.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about consecrating Aaron and his sons with a dab of blood?
• Do you feel you don’t have enough of GOD?
• How much of GOD’s power do you need to accomplish what HE has planned for you?

A Bull and a Ram

A Bull and a Ram

Exodus 29: ¹⁰ “You shall also have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull. ¹¹ Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ¹² You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar. ¹³ And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. ¹⁴ But the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

 

¹⁵ “You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram; ¹⁶ and you shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it all around on the altar. ¹⁷ Then you shall cut the ram in pieces, wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and with its head. ¹⁸ And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

 

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GOD gave Moses specific instructions about the one-time consecration of Aaron and his sons. Moses was supposed to offer a bull and a ram.

 

My Observations:

• GOD was establishing a symbolic gesture that sin was to remain outside the camp.
• GOD told Moses to handle the bull differently than the ram.
• GOD used the human sense of smell to show acceptance of the offering.

 

The sin offering and the ram offering were to be taken seriously. The bull was cut up and not cleaned. Parts of it were to be burned on the altar and other parts were to be burned outside the camp as a sin offering. This was a very important symbolic gesture. GOD knew the people could not resist sinning and they needed to admit the sin by performing the symbolic gesture of placing the hand on the bull and burning it outside the camp.

 

The ram was treated different. It was cut into pieces and washed. This clean ram was to be a symbolic gesture that JESUS, a clean and sinless human, would one day be the acceptable sacrifice to atone for sin. The whole “cleaned” ram was to be burned on the altar. The sweet aroma of the burned ram would be pleasing to the LORD.

 

It’s not like GOD couldn’t smell the bull burning. The sin offering was to destroy the sin versus continuing in it. GOD accepted the gesture, but not the aroma. BUT GOD could smell when we acknowledge JESUS as the Savior. This gesture on our part is a sweet aroma to the LORD.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the one-time offering of the bull and the ram to consecrate Aaron and his sons?
• Has GOD put you on a path to represent HIS forgiveness to people?
• How is GOD setting you apart to represent HIS forgiveness?

 

Aaron and Sons Consecrated

Aaron and Sons Consecrated

Exodus 29: “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, ² and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil (you shall make them of wheat flour). ³ You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams.

 

⁴ “And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water. ⁵ Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod. ⁶ You shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban. ⁷ And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him. ⁸ Then you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. ⁹ And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them. The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.

 

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GOD told Moses to consecrate or make Aaron and his sons holy.

 

My Observations:

• Aaron and his sons were declared holy by GOD, not because of their actions.
• Moses was given the authority to declare Aaron and his sons as holy.
• The consecration was a one-time event; however, the dressing and preparation of the priests would happen perpetually.

 

Following GOD took the admission of sin. The priests were about to enter into activity that would require thousands of animals to be offered each year. GOD would provide the animals and Aaron and his sons would provide the holy ritual of sacrificing the animals to GOD.

 

After Adam and Eve disobeyed GOD, HE sacrificed animals to cover their nakedness. HE may have used rams to cover their nakedness, but the Bible does not say. Abraham was provided a ram as a substitute for sacrificing Isaac. A ram is a male sheep. Young sheep are called lambs. JESUS is the sacrificial lamb that would end the need for sacrificing animals for the atonement of sin.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about consecrating Aaron and his sons?
• What is GOD preparing you for?
• Has GOD made you holy for a purpose HE has not revealed to you?

Dressed to Remember

Dressed to Remember

Exodus 28: ³⁷ And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. ³⁸ So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

 

³⁹ “You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work.

 

⁴⁰ “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty. ⁴¹ So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests. ⁴² And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs. ⁴³ They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.

 

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GOD gave Moses instructions to make turbans, tunics, sashes and underwear for the priests.

 

My Observations:

• GOD wanted the priest to understand why they were meeting with HIM in the first place.
• GOD wanted the priests to remember they were interceding to atone for the sins of the people.
• GOD wanted underwear to be used to symbolize what HE did for Adam.

 

When Adam sinned by eating the fruit from the tree that GOD told him not to, he immediately became aware that he was naked. The awareness seems innocent because we are sinners. But the awareness brought shame, desire and problems he didn’t have before. GOD killed an animal and covered Adam’s nakedness. The priests were to remember what GOD did.

 

From head to toe, the priestly garments had meaning that was not to be taken lightly. The cord would need to dangle in the high priest’s face to remember what he was there for. Putting on all the garments took time and the priest could not help seeing the names and statements written on the pieces of clothing. All of this was an announcement that JESUS was the High Priest who atoned for sins.

 

Challenge

• Why did GOD remind Moses about the various garments for the priests?
• Does GOD have a purpose for something HE created for you that you may have taken lightly?
• What does GOD want you to remember?