And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6).
God chose Abraham. God said He would bless and multiply the family of Abraham beyond measure. God sent Moses to Abraham’s family of blessing, and God used him to walk them out of Egypt. They were by then a small nation no longer in bondage, God had renewed and expanded the covenant with the family. The agreement had conditions. Everything hinged on the word of God. The terms were accepted by the people, and it is known as the Mosaic Covenant. In exchange for keeping the commandments of God, He promised to bless and protect them, individually and corporately. This called out people would be different, even peculiar, to all other nations; yet in both obedience and disobedience, they would bear witness to the reliability of the one true God. Today’s lesson is about the Priests or Kohen (in Hebrew) set up by God to minister and foreshadow the Messiah by performing sacrifices in accordance with God’s instructions.
And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them. And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
God showed Moses a pattern for a place where He would communicate with His people, the Tabernacle. From Exodus chapter 25 through chapter 29, specific instructions are given for the construction, design, and materials. It is extremely important that Moses make this dwelling place exactly as God instructs, according to the divine pattern.
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. (Exodus 25:8-9).
Why? Because this pattern is full of symbolism. Representation from the fall of man to the Messiah could be found in the design and furnishings of the Tabernacle. God ordained the descendants of Levi to be the caretakers of the Tabernacle. Aaron’s family (a subset of tribe of Levi) would be the High Priests and servants to perform the ceremonial and procedural rules that God required. In Exodus chapter 28, God discussed how the family of Aaron would be required to dress. However, before they could put on holy garments to perform sacred duties, they had to be washed by someone else, someone else had to dress them in their robes, and a sacrifice had to be offered for their sin. They were crowned and they were anointed by someone else, because they were not holy.
And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him. And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them. And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
By now, you have probably guessed that Aaron would perform duties that are a shadow or picture of who Jesus would be and what He would do. The great difference being that Christ is eternally holy, He is the perfect, sinless Son of God. He is robed in righteousness that He earned, He is crowned with all glory and all honor. He was worthy to offer a sacrifice, His own blood, for the people. In Moses’ day, there could only be one person serving in the office of the High Priest at a time. Before Aaron or any High Priest could begin any ceremonial ritual that would portray the ministry of Christ, the priests would have to be made ready. They had to separate themselves. They were to serve in Christ’s pattern, but they were unqualified to do so, it is by the grace of God that they were allowed to do so.
They would be covered with garments made specifically for the ceremonial (religious) service. Their garments have meaning, the blue of Heaven that represents God, scarlet that signifies the blood of Jesus, and gold, the priceless value and great cost of our salvation. They were dressed to represent. Nothing about their garments represented their own personal holiness. Everything they wore represented the one and only Jesus Christ. From the Mitre (hat) that is inscribed with HOLINESS to the LORD to the bells on the hem of his robe, and even the precious jewels worn on the priest's chest spoke of the person and passion of Christ. All was done to introduce the Savior of the World. They are glimpses of His glory and testimonies of His beauty. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.(Exodus 28:2).
And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them. And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
The instructions were specific. It would take them seven days of consecration, cleansing, and preparing to be ready to enter into the service of the High Priest. In six days, Creation was completed. The seventh was a day of rest and gratitude for God. For centuries, priests served in the Tabernacle, and afterward in the temple, but at the coming of Jesus, “the seventh seven of Matthew chapter one,” mankind was given a rest, the real work was done by the only one who could answer the demands of the law. Almost immediately the two sons of Aaron broke the rules, they made their own way, disregarding the pattern that would reflect Jesus.
They died from this error. Despite our best efforts, our work, our understanding, and following our own way will always end in judgment and destruction. Jesus only is the answer. The Old Covenant (Mosaic) showed taught us to identify sin. The High Priest performed sacrifices year after year and for situation after situation, which showed that the wages of sin was death, and showed how horrible sin is. Jesus authored a new covenant in His own blood. A look at the cross reveals the seriousness of sin. We know how great the payment was. We now take our requests for forgiveness directly to God through Jesus, our Mediator.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.(Hebrews 9: 23-26).
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:9-13).
Thank you for studying with us! God bless!