Thurs.’s Devo - The Ordination of the Priests

Read: Leviticus 7:28-9:6; Mark 3:31-4:25; Pslam 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5 When a person brought a peace offering, the priest would wave it before the Lord and then burn the fat on the altar to the Lord but the priest would get the breast for themselves. When a person makes peace with the Lord, everyone benefits. *** The priests were ordained by offering a sin offering for themselves so they would be clean. They were then to wash and put on their priestly clothes. Moses would anoint them with oil. They would lay their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering and then kill the bull. Moses would take the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar purifying the altar then pour the rest at the base of the altar to make atonement for it. All the fat would be burned on the altar and the rest of the bull burned outside the camp. *** Then the ram for the burnt offering would be killed and its blood thrown on the sides of the altar. This bull was to be completely consumed on the altar. *** Next, the ram of ordination would be brought in and Aaron and his sons would lay their hands on the head of it and it was killed. Moses would take some of its blood with his finger and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, the thumb of his right hand and the big toe of his right foot. He would do the same to his sons. Then he would throw the rest at the base of the altar. *** All of this represents what Christ did for us. Christ stood for Aaron. We stand for his sons. Moses stood for God. When we become a Christian we accept everything Christ did for us. We die with Christ, and are raised to a new life. We are washed of our sins and everything we listen to, or put our hand to, and our foundation is now to be God’s will. Moses would take a loaf of unleavened bread (the Father), a loaf of bread with oil (the Holy Spirit) and one wafer (Christ) and place it on the fat and the thigh that would be offered to the Lord. He would put them in the priest’s hands and let them wave them before the Lord. *** When the priests gave a wave offering they would wave them up and down first then from east to west making the sign of the cross. *** Moses would take some anointing oil and blood and sprinkle it on the priests. They were to boil the meat at the entrance of the tent and eat it. All that was left was to be burnt on the altar. They were not to leave the tent of meeting for the whole seven days they were being ordained. *** This week represents our whole Christian life. Once we are saved, we have a “week” to live for Christ. When we die, no matter how long that takes, we will have completed our “week.” *** The eighth day represents what happens once we die. All the offerings are done again in commemoration of what Christ did for us. *** In Mark, Jesus made a great statement. He proclaimed that all who do his will are his family. Then he told them the parable of all parables. It is about the seed and the sower. Jesus explained the parable and the key to cultivating the seed was the heart. If the seed of God’s Word falls on a heart that wants to know God, it will prosper. It will grow according to how he walks in the Word. We choose how much of God’s Word we want to walk in. The more we walk in it, the more God will give us. *** Lord, may we walk in your Word and be doers of it, not just hearers. May we complete our week bringing a hundred fold into your kingdom.