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?

Robe of Declaration

Robe of Declaration

Exodus 28: ³¹ “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. ³² There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear. ³³ And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: ³⁴ a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. ³⁵ And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die.

 

³⁶ “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet:

 

HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

 

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GOD gave Moses instructions to make the robe of the ephod. HE gave specific instructions and specific words that must be used.

 

My Observations:

• GOD was preparing the robe to be used as a signal that the high priest was still alive, by using bells to alert people outside of the tabernacle.
• GOD used the complex fruit of a pomegranate as decoration.
• GOD seemed to be preparing the high priest to declare HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

 

Preparing to meet GOD took a change of clothing and a change of mindset. This was not an ordinary meeting; rather, it was a meeting that could be fatal if handled improperly. GOD is holy and wants to be treated as such.

 

Humans are not holy until GOD declares them as holy. This requires the right mindset towards our sin. We need cleansing from our sin and the only one who can do this is JESUS. HE is our forgiver who washes away our sins so we can live a daily life for HIM.

 

When we put on the robe of JESUS, we are declared as holy. In other words, when we believe that JESUS took our punishment instead of us facing it, we not only get eternal life, but HE intervenes in this life. We declare that the LORD is holy and HE declares us as holy.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the robe of the ephod?
• Has GOD washed away all of your sins?
• How can you declare GOD as holy?

Reminder of Thoughtfulness

Reminder of Thoughtfulness

Exodus 28: ²⁶ “You shall make two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which is on the inner side of the ephod. ²⁷ And two other rings of gold you shall make, and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. ²⁸ They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod, using a blue cord, so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod.

 

²⁹ “So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the Lord continually. ³⁰ And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.

 

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GOD gave Moses the final instructions to create the breastplate of judgment.

 

My Observations:

• GOD wanted Aaron to remember the children of Israel when he met with GOD.
• The judgment that GOD assigned to the high priest helped people to be successful by changing the mindset to focus on GOD versus human desires.
• Judgment was not always punitive, rather clarity of thought.

 

“Use good judgment” is a statement that comes to mind when making decisions. Bad judgment can cause problems, while good judgment progresses the person to success. GOD wanted the high priest to remember those where were assigned to him. GOD wants you and me to do the same.

 

GOD used rare stones, Urim and Thummim as a reminder of how rare good judgment would be. When faced with difficult situations, Aaron would need GOD to guide him in wisdom. People would bring selfish situations and present them before Aaron. Unique wisdom would point people to GOD as the constant answer.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the thoughtfulness the priest needed to have about HIS people?
• Who has GOD given to you and what good judgment do you need to guide them?
• Will your thoughtfulness of others help someone grow in GOD?

Viewed as Precious

Viewed as Precious

Exodus 28: ¹⁵ “You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it. ¹⁶ It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span shall be its width. ¹⁷ And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; ¹⁸ the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; ¹⁹ the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; ²⁰ and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings. ²¹ And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.

 

²² “You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold. ²³ And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. ²⁴ Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate; ²⁵ and the other two ends of the two braided chains you shall fasten to the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.

 

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GOD told Moses to create the breastplate of judgment. HE gave the instructions to use twelve precious stones to engrave the names of the sons of Israel.

 

My Observations:

• GOD created people and values them as precious to HIM.
• GOD wanted each tribe to have its own unique stone, showing a unique relationship with HIM.
• GOD provided the precious stones and the skills to engrave names in them.

 

Four rows of three precious stones were to be laid out in the order of birth. GOD seems to specialize in symbolic gestures that help humans relate to HIS heart. The breastplate of “judgment” contained symbolism of how precious people are to HIM.

 

GOD used multiple colors. This was another symbolic gesture that does not place superiority of one race over another. GOD values you and me. HE values the people you despise and those who despise you. HE views people as precious and wanted the priest to do the same.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the precious stones used in the breastplate of judgment?
• What stone do you think has your name carved in it?
• Have you forgotten how precious you are to GOD?

Ephod to Remember Mercy

Ephod to Remember Mercy

Exodus 28: ⁵ “They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, ⁶ and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. ⁷ It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. ⁸ And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.

 

⁹ “Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: ¹⁰ six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth. ¹¹ With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. ¹² And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial. ¹³ You shall also make settings of gold, ¹⁴ and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.

 

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GOD told Moses to engrave the names of Israel’s sons onto onyx stones. HE also had Moses make an ephod to hang the two stones.

 

My Observations:

• GOD knew Jacob (Israel) was a scoundrel, yet HE claimed him in HIS family.
• GOD saw the atrocities the sons of Israel did against Joseph and other people, yet HE had their named engraved in rare stones.
• GOD seems to be showing an extreme amount of mercy on the family who was in the lineage of CHRIST.

 

If humans made up the story of JESUS, they would have made it like Hollywood. Everyone in JESUS’s family would be perfect and JESUS would easily defeat evil. But it didn’t happen that way.

 

Israel and his sons were sinners like you and me. Joseph’s own brothers plotted to kill him out of rage and jealousy. Have you ever been jealous or enraged? GOD reveals to us that we need mercy and that HE has shown it. The priest would remember GOD’s mercy on HIS people every time he put on the ephod.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about making the ephod?
• What mercy is GOD showing you right now?
• Have you overlooked GOD’s mercy on you and taken HIS love for granted?