Sun.’s Devo - The Ordination of the Priests

Read: Exodus 29:1-30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 8:14-26 Aaron and his sons were to be consecrated to serve the Lord as priests. They were a picture of what Jesus went through on earth to become our High Priest and what every Christian goes through to become a priest to the Lord. *** First they presented themselves and the required offerings at the entrance of the Tabernacle. They were washed with water and then dressed in the clothes of the priest. The water represented their baptism to cleanse them of sin. ***They laid their hands upon one of the rams to transfer all their sins upon it. That is the process of admitting we are a sinner and need atonement. Jesus was sinless but he still had to learn to obey through the things he suffered. He didn’t come to earth with the plan all written out in his mind. He walked by faith every day just as we do, and God showed him his will in small parts just like he does for us. They slaughtered this ram and sprinkled its blood on every side of the altar then burnt the entire animal on the altar. This was the picture of Jesus dying for the world. They took the other ram and laid their hands on its head. They slaughtered it and put its blood on the right earlobe, the right thumb and the right big toe of the priests. This was to individually cleanse everything the priest heard, everything he did, and everywhere he went. His life was consecrated to the Lord. This was true about Jesus also. This ram was the personal ram to ordain them as priests. We have to individually come to Christ to receive our salvation. *** To seal the deal, Aaron and his sons took one loaf of holy bread that was mixed with olive oil and made with out yeast and lifted it up as a special offering to the Lord. That bread represented them now, sinless and filled with the spirit of God and anointed for service. They lifted it a symbol of offering themselves to the Lord. Then they took the breast of the ram and lifted it up to the Lord. This was a picture of them offering their hearts to God. Aaron’s priestly garments were to be preserved for future priests. As God’s holy priesthood, we wear the robe of righteousness, the breastplate of truth, the sandals of truth and the helmet of salvation. *** Aaron and his sons were to eat the meat of the ram used in their ordination along with the bread as the Tabernacle entrance on that day. What was left had to be burned. This is what we do daily as we eat of God’s Word and receive his mercies that are new every morning. *** No one else could eat this bread. Without Christ, no one can partake of God’s holiness and eternal life. *** The ordination ceremony lasted a whole week. Every day of that week a bull had to be sacrificed as a sin offering to purify them. We must always remember the atoning sacrifice of the Lord and repent when we have sinned. The invitation is offered for seven thousand years and then it is done. Every day after the sacrifices were made, they purified the altar by pouring oil on it. After that, everyone who touched it would become holy. *** Every day from then on they were to offer two lambs: one in the morning and one in the evening. We remember what Jesus did for us when we start our day and when we end it. We are to be constantly reminded of what Christ did for us on the cross and the power of his resurrection. *** All of this came with the promise that God would live among them and be their God. *** Another altar was made to sit right outside the Holy of Holies and it was called the Altar of Incense. This was the place where God would meet with them. Every morning when Aaron lit the lamp stand, he was to offer incense to the Lord. This incense is the prayers of the saints. God meets with us in our prayer times. *** Once a year, Aaron had to purify the altar by smearing the horns with blood. This was to be an annual event. *** In Matthew, Judas went to the leading priests and asked how much they would pay him to betray Jesus and hand him over to them. They offered him 30 pieces of silver. *** God had prepared the place ahead of them for them to meet for the last supper where they would eat the Passover meal. *** Jesus sat down with the Twelve and told them that he knew one of them would betray him. Can you imagine what Judas thought at that moment? Each of them asked if it was them. Jesus told him that it was one who had eaten from his bowl. He said it would have been better if this man would not have been born. When Judas asked him if it was him, Jesus replied, “Thou has said.” By his own words, he condemned himself. *** Then Jesus blew tradition away and told them the bread represented his body and for them to eat it. Then he told them that the wine represented his blood and they were to drink it. He was ordaining them to be priests unto him. He told them they would not drink of this wine again until they drink it together in his Father’s kingdom. *** After they sang a song, they went to the mount of Olives. Here the olives would be squeezed. Jesus told them that they would all be offered because of him. He would be smitten but they would be scattered. *** Peter, of course, boasted that he would never be offended because of Jesus. Jesus told him that before the rooster crowed the next morning, he would deny him three times. *** Jesus took them to Gethsemane which means “olive press” and told them to pray. He took Peter and James and John with him and they saw how much he travailed. He asked them to watch with him but they fell asleep. Jesus prayed that if it was possible to let this cup pass from him but he wanted God’s will above it all. *** Jesus came back to find the disciples asleep and told them that the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak. They had to overcome the flesh. *** Jesus went and prayed again and returned to find them asleep once more. This time he told them it was time for him to be betrayed. *** There is so much we can learn from reading this. One thing I see is that we can persevere past our reserves because Christ did. There was nothing the disciples could do to stop what was going to happen, but they could have had a better outcome for themselves by staying awake and praying. *** Lord, may we be found praying when we need to pray, and resting when it is time to rest. Thank you for your sacrifice that you did to save us all. Thank you for your loving kindness, your grace and your mercy.