In this message we will begin to consider the consecration of Aaron and his sons.
In Hebrew, the word consecrate (Exo. 28:41; 29:9, 33, 35) means “to fill the hands.” Through Aaron’s consecration to receive the holy position of high priest, his empty hands were filled (Lev. 8:25-28).
The word consecration is sometimes translated “ordination.” Consecration is on our side; we consecrate ourselves to God. Ordination is on God’s side; He ordains us.
As a result of my study of Exodus and Leviticus, I am convinced that for Aaron and his sons to be consecrated to serve as priests meant that their empty hands were filled. Aaron and his sons appeared empty-handed before Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting. But when they were consecrated, their empty hands were filled with the type of Christ in different aspects.
The first seven chapters of Leviticus describe five categories of offerings: the burnt offering, the meal offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering. Then five kinds of laws are given concerning the application of the five kinds of offerings. The result of the application of these offerings is peace. Peace is the totality of what Christ is to us with God. Under Christ’s redemption, we are enjoying Christ as a totality, and this totality is peace, which implies rest, enjoyment, and satisfaction.
After the record of the offerings, Leviticus describes the consecration of the priesthood. This indicates that the offerings in chapters one through seven are for the consecration, or ordination, of the priests.
According to the spiritual significance of this book, we all are priests. We have been reborn, regenerated, to be priests (Rev. 1:6; 5:10). As long as we have been regenerated, we are the real priests. However, we need a day of consecration on which we give ourselves to God and say, “Lord, I am Yours because You bought me. You redeemed me with Your blood, and You have regenerated me. Now that I have Your life and the enjoyment of Your redemption, I would like to offer myself to You. I give myself to You to serve You as Your servant, even as Your slave.” God will immediately accept our offer and ordain us to be His serving ones, His priests. Thus, consecration is on our side, and ordination is on God’s side.
Leviticus is not a book for ordinary people; it is a book for priests. Since we have been sanctified and separated from ordinary people, we are no longer common. We are a particular people-we are priests. All the offerings refer to Christ, and whatever Christ is to us and does for us is to constitute us priests. This constitution is the divine ordination.
God constitutes us to be something different from what we are by our natural birth. In our first birth, our original birth, we were constituted sinners (Rom. 5:19). Regardless of their class or social status, all human beings have been constituted sinners. All are sinners by birth. But through our second birth, we who believe in Christ have been constituted priests. Now we need our consecration and God’s ordination to make our priesthood official.
Let us now consider the details concerning the consecration of Aaron and his sons.
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