Consecration

Q: What does the Bible say about the consecration of priests?

The Bible describes the consecration of priests as a divine choosing and setting apart for God's service, as seen in Exodus 29. Exodus 29 outlines the consecration process for Aaron and his sons as priests, emphasizing that it was God who chose them, not man. This divine election is reflected in Hebrews 5:4, which states that no one takes this honor for themselves but is called by God. The ceremonial aspects, including the sacrifices and garments, illustrate their purification and separation for God’s purposes. They serve as a foreshadowing of Christ, our High Priest, and the priests that all believers become in Him, as highlighted in 1 Peter 2:5, indicating that we are a 'royal priesthood' offering spiritual sacrifices to God.

Q: How do we know that Christ is the true High Priest?

Hebrews establishes Christ as the true High Priest who fulfills the Old Testament priesthood, as seen in His sacrifice and intercession. Christ is recognized as the true High Priest primarily through His obedience, sacrifice, and divine appointment by God. The priesthood of Aaron and his sons symbolizes Christ's priestly role, as discussed in Exodus. Hebrews 7:24 affirms that Jesus holds His priesthood permanently because He continues forever, contrasting with the temporary nature of the Levitical priests. Furthermore, His offering of Himself as the ultimate sacrifice solidified His role, as He is both the priest and the offering, reflecting the foreshadowing seen throughout the Old Testament sacrifices, including those described in Leviticus.

Q: Why is the concept of being chosen by God important for Christians?

Being chosen by God underscores the grace of salvation and believers' identity in Christ, which leads to worship and service. The concept of being chosen by God is pivotal for Christians because it highlights God's sovereign grace in salvation. According to Ephesians 1:4-5, believers are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, illustrating that salvation is not based on human merit but solely on God's divine decision. This understanding fosters deep gratitude and reverence, urging believers to offer spiritual sacrifices such as praise and thanksgiving. Additionally, being chosen affirms believers' identities as part of God’s royal priesthood, empowering them to serve and worship meaningfully in their lives, realizing they are set apart for God's glory.

Q: What are the spiritual sacrifices Christians are called to offer?

Christians are called to offer spiritual sacrifices such as praise, thanksgiving, and service to one another. The New Testament uniquely defines spiritual sacrifices as offerings of a heart devoted to God, rather than physical sacrifices. In 1 Peter 2:5, believers are referred to as a 'holy priesthood' tasked with offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. These sacrifices encompass acts of worship, including praise and thanksgiving, as well as the practical expressions of love and service towards one another. This framing shifts the focus from ritualistic offerings to the relational and communal aspects of worship, rooted in one’s relationship with Christ, who perfects these offerings as our High Priest.

Q: How does Jesus intercede for us as our High Priest?

Jesus intercedes for believers by representing them before God, ensuring their worship and needs are accepted. As our High Priest, Jesus plays an essential role in interceding for us, continually representing believers before God. This is poignantly described in Hebrews 7:25, which emphasizes that He lives to make intercession for those who draw near to God through Him. His intercession is crucial especially during worship, as outlined in the sermon, wherein it is noted that even in our imperfections, He perfects our attempts at worship, making them acceptable to God. This assurance enables believers to approach God's throne with confidence, knowing that their Advocate is actively working on their behalf in heaven.

turn back to Exodus chapter 29, Exodus 29 I titled this message consecration of the high priest and his sons now you can just put down consecration if you want for the for the sermon audio but this is what it is the consecration of the high priest and his sons and and we will see in this our consecration.

Now in Exodus 28 verse 1, we see that those who were to be priests, Aaron being the high priest, were chosen by God. God chose them, not men, God chose them. In other words, the priesthood began in election, God doing the choosing. God chose Aaron and his sons, they did not make themselves priests. Moses didn't make them priests, God did. Moses did what God said to do.

It says in Hebrews 5, verse 4, And no man takes this honor to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. No man takes this priesthood upon himself, except they be called of God, as was Aaron. Now we know that Aaron represents Christ as the high priest in this portion of scripture and his sons represents all the sons of God who've been made priests in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is so rich. I hope the Lord enables me to bring this out this morning as I received it in my study and I've been looking at this for what's been about three weeks since we've been in back in Exodus. Well, I've been in Exodus. It's just taken me a little while to put it together. And I hope the Lord makes it a blessing to you this morning. But we know, as I said, that Aaron represents Christ as the High Priest and his sons represent us who have been made priests in Christ.

It says in 1 Peter 2.5, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. What are these spiritual sacrifices? Praise, thanksgiving, serving one another. These are the spiritual sacrifices that we make. So in the verses before us in chapter 29 we have the consecration of Aaron as the high priest and his sons as the priests and this is a type of Christ and his priesthood and us in Christ.

Now if you want a little more insight into this chapter go home and read Leviticus chapter 8 it goes right with this chapter right here Leviticus 8. And you'll see that Moses, everything Moses did was according to the word of the Lord. It was according to God's commandment. And God told Moses, you do these things as I have commanded you, you will see my glory. You'll see my glory. If he had not done that, he and the rest of Israel would never have seen the glory of God. First we see obedience, Moses did as God commanded him to do.

Now in verse 1, 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. Now in Leviticus chapter 8, the whole congregation is assembled at the tabernacle to witness this consecration. God allows Israel to see the one entrusted with their interest and we see that when God saves us, when He saved us and when He saves sinners, He allows them to see that all our interest is vested in Jesus Christ. God has put everything into His hands And everything He does, He does on our behalf. As our High Priest, He represents us before God. As our High Priest, even as right now, right now, He represents us as our High Priest, our Advocate, right now, in glory.

It's hard to comprehend that, isn't it? It's hard to comprehend as we sit here and we look at each other, AND TO THINK OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN GLORY. THERE'S ANOTHER WORLD BESIDE THIS. THERE'S ANOTHER WORLD BESIDE THIS WHERE GOD DWELLS AND THE SAINTS WHO'VE ALL BEEN REDEEMED AND PASSED ON, THEY'RE THERE, THE HOLY ANGELS ARE THERE. IT'S A VERY REAL PLACE.

Now when the Lord taught His disciples, we go back to verse 21, He says, Thou shalt hallow them. When the Lord taught His disciples to pray, He started by saying in Matthew 6, 9, After this manner, therefore, pray ye, Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed, holy, be thy name.

Now we do not make God holy, we know that. WE REVERE HIS NAME WHO IS HOLY. WE REVERE HIS NAME WHO IS HOLY. WE DO NOT TAKE HIS NAME IN VAIN. WE DO NOT TAKE HIS NAME LIGHTLY. AS ONE MAN SAID, GLIBLY. WE DON'T DO THAT. WE DON'T DO THAT. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF THAT. YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A WHILE TO GET THESE OLD GRAVE CLOTHES OFF, DOESN'T IT? I know a particular person that just always says, well, my Lord, well, Lordy, Lordy, don't do that. That's taking His name in vain. We don't do that. We revere the name of God. Now who makes us holy? Who makes us holy? Listen to this scripture in 1 Corinthians 1 30.

But of him are you in Christ Jesus. That's how you ended up in Christ Jesus. God put you in Christ even before the world began. But of him are you in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. WE HAVE BEEN SET APART IN CHRIST, CHOSEN IN HIM BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, AND WE ARE SANCTIFIED, WE ARE CLEANSED AND MADE HOLY IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

God has done this. God has done this. And our ministry is unto the Lord. I want you to look at this. He says, FOR HIM AND HIS SERVICE, that's what we are set apart for God and His service. He says, TO MINISTER UNTO ME IN THE PRIEST'S OFFICE. TO MINISTER UNTO ME. WE ARE NOT OUR OWN, which scripture teaches us. WE'VE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE, CONSECRATED TO GOD, WE'RE HIS. WE ARE HIS. WE BELONG TO HIM. Their consecration and our consecration is of God and it's not without sacrifice and blood.

He says take one young bullock and two rams without blemish. Someone said this, we need the sacrifice of Christ as sinners. We need Christ as our High Priest as believers as we live out our lives here below. His sacrifice, His blood, cleanses us from all our sins. We need Him to intercede for us. We need Him to pray for us, to represent us before God. While we sit here and we attempt to worship, we try to worship, and I try to preach.

The Lord is interceding on our behalf and makes this accepted. He makes this service accepted. Even though our minds are wondering all over the place, I know they do. His mind isn't wondering. He's making this worship service accepted. That's what He does for us.

In verse 2, An unleavened bread and cakes, unleavened, tempered with oil, and wafers, unleavened, anointed with oil, of wheaten, that is fine flour, shalt thou make them. NOW YOU NOTE HERE HOW ALL WAS TO BE MADE WITHOUT LEAVEN. THESE REPRESENT CHRIST WHO KNEW NO SIN. HE IS ABSOLUTE PURITY.

AND THIS FOOD, THIS FOOD IN THE BASKET WAS FOR AARON AND HIS SONS TO EAT. THERE WAS TO BE A PIECE OF BREAD, A WAFER, And that was to be laid on the altar with the fat of the ram and it would be burned, but the rest of it that's in the basket, it tells you over Leviticus 8, was for Aaron and his sons to eat. Christ is the unleavened bread that we feast on daily, provided by God. And this unleavened shows the sincerity, the simplicity, and the integrity that is found EVERY BELIEVER IN SERVING THE LORD.

NOW WE DON'T DO IT PERFECTLY. WE DON'T DO THAT PERFECTLY DO WE? I KNOW WE DON'T. BUT I DO KNOW THIS. OUR LORD DID IT PERFECTLY. HIS SINCERITY His integrity and the simplicity in which he went about doing his father's business was perfect. It was perfect. And then it says in verse 3, And thou shalt put them in one basket, and bring them in the basket with the bullock and the two rams. Put all these bread, all this, the wafers, put them in the basket. What can that be?

All the blessings that we have are in Christ. Everything's in Christ that we need. 2 Corinthians 1 20 For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. All blessings are in Christ. Ephesians 1 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ It's all in one basket. It's all in Christ and all these blessings now that are in Christ are not without sacrifice and blood and HE SAID BRING HIM INTO ONE BASKET WITH THE BULLOCK AND THE TWO RAMS, AND WE'LL LOOK AT THOSE THINGS LATER. IT'S TOO LONG TO LOOK AT TODAY. BUT NO SACRIFICE, NO BLOOD, NO BLESSING. NO BLESSING.

And then in verse 4, AND AARON AND HIS SONS THOU SHALT BRING UNTO THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, AND SHALT WASH THEM WITH WATER. You see, the tabernacle of the congregation represents the presence of God. God said, My presence is known here. This is where My presence will be known among the children of Israel. So all this is going to be done in the presence of God.

And you shall wash them with water. Everyone whom God has chosen, Christ has sanctified, cleansed. He's cleansed us. Now Aaron and his sons did not wash themselves. Moses washed them all over. And here's what's interesting. At this point, they're being washed all over.

Later, the priest washed their hands and their feet only. When the Lord went to wash the disciples' feet, Peter said, Lord, don't wash my feet only, but wash me all over. And the Lord said, he that's washed don't need to be washed again. He just needs to have his feet and his hands, his feet washed. And here Moses washes them all over. We do not wash ourselves. This is the Lord's work in salvation. He washes us. He makes us clean.

Isn't that what the leper said? Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. having reference to being sanctified or sanctified as I said in Christ and here's something else here's another thought Moses as the deliverer represents Christ we are washed by the Lord Jesus Christ but Moses also represents the law so they're washed by Christ in the presence of the law washed by Him and then we are washed in redemption, washed in the blood.

Listen to Zechariah 13. In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. Christ is that fountain. He's that fountain. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins. The center of blood beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

And then we're washed in regeneration. Listen to Titus 3, 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration. That regeneration is the new birth, a new person, a person without sin. No washing, no entrance into God's presence.

And then in verse 5, 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 a curious girdle of the ephod What we have here is the high priest garments that only he can wear You see that the priest had garments which we'll see in a minute, but the high priest he has special garments He had this breastplate, he had stones on it that had the names of Israel on it.

He had two stones on his shoulders with the tribes of Israel on them. He represents the whole of Israel. He carries the whole of God's people on his shoulders and in his heart. You see Aaron is clothed in his official vestments. And what we see in Aaron as a type we have in Christ spiritually. We're on His heart. He represents us before God. He carries us. We're on His shoulders and He represents us before God Almighty. Aaron alone in this phase typifies Christ in His unique person, His dignity and His glory. See this Aaron is set apart here right now as the high priest.

There's not several high priests, there's one. There's a lot of priests. All God's children are priests. The royal priesthood. But there's one high priest and that one high priest is the Lord Jesus Christ. And every detail points to Christ's qualification as our high priest in all this vesture that he's wearing. It points to our Lord. And thou shalt put the miter upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the miter. This shows the honor and the dignity of the priestly office. Christ, Christ being a priest upon his throne, he bears the glory and the honor that belongs to him as our high priest, as the priest of God's people, the whole church. ALL POWER AND AUTHORITY BELONGS TO HIM. THIS IS ALL PUT ON HIM, ON AARON, UPON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

AND THEN SHALT THOU TAKE THE ANOINTING OIL AND POUR IT UPON HIS HEAD AND ANOINT HIM. NOW THIS IS INTERESTING. I HAD TO STUDY THIS SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THIS FINALLY JUMPED OUT AT ME. THEN SHALT THOU TAKE THE ANOINTED OIL AND POUR IT UPON HIS HEAD, AARON, AND ANOINT HIM. AARON IS ANOINTED BEFORE THE SACRIFICE IS OFFERED AND BLOOD SHED. HIS SONS WERE ANOINTED AFTER THE SACRIFICE WAS OFFERED AND THEN THE BLOOD WAS SPRINKLED UPON THEM AND UPON THEIR CLOTHES TO CONSECRATE THEM. But Aaron, Aaron, he's anointed before the sacrifice of blood is offered.

But here's the point. Here's the point. Christ was anointed to be our high priest before Calvary. Before the world began, Christ was anointed to be our high priest. Then he came into this world and offered up himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Our Lord being the Messiah is anointed. He's the anointed one of God. He's the one, this is my son in whom I'm well pleased. This is the anointed one, the Messiah. Chosen of God and anointed of God.

And now after that happens, in verse 8, thou shalt bring his sons and put coats upon them. Aaron's sons represent believers united to the Lord Jesus Christ. Unlike Aaron, they're not anointed until after the sacrifice. I want you to turn over to Leviticus chapter 8.

It says in Leviticus 8, verse 10 and Moses took the anointed oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein and sanctified them and he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times of this anointed oil and he anointed the altar and all his vessels both the laver and his foot to sanctify them and he poured of the anointed oil upon Aaron's head and anointed him to sanctify him now turn over to verse 30 AND MOSES TOOK OF THE ANOINTING OIL AND OF THE BLOOD WHICH WAS UPON THE ALTAR, AND SPRINKLED IT UPON AARON, AND UPON HIS GARMENTS, AND UPON HIS SONS, AND UPON HIS SONS' GARMENTS WITH HIM, AND SANCTIFIED AARON, AND HIS GARMENTS, HIS SONS, AND HIS SONS' GARMENTS WITH HIM."

I mean I thought this was interesting. Now that he was anointed before the sacrifice, before there was blood shed, as our Lord was anointed to be the high priest before he came into this world. And then when the sons were anointed, that's after the sacrifice, that's after the blood was shed, then the blood and the anointed oil was sprinkled upon them. I thought that was very interesting to me.

Now they put coats, it says, put coats upon them. This represents the righteousness of Christ. We are clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know the priests were not allowed to wear their own garments. They were not allowed to wear their own garments. They could only wear the garments that God provided for them, the priestly garments. That's what they were allowed to wear.

WE DO NOT MINISTER BEFORE GOD IN THIS FLESH. WE DON'T DO THAT. NOR DO WE COME BEFORE GOD CLOTHED IN SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE COME CLOTHED IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NOT OUR OWN GARMENTS, NOT OUR OWN GARB, BUT WHAT HE'S GIVEN US IN CHRIST.

WE HAVE BEEN MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST, it says in 1 Corinthians 5. then verse 9 and thou shalt gird them with girdles Aaron and his sons and put the bonnets on them and the priest office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons you know unless the Lord has saved a sinner you don't see anything of Christ in this you just see a ceremony going on don't you that's all you see This I thought about this this has struck me as I was reading this Past two or three weeks. I thought nobody's you can't see this Until the Lord gives you spiritual eyes to see then you see Christ and everything You see Christ in the priesthood. You see Christ the high priest you see yourselves as priest in Christ We're made priest in Christ THAT'S HOW COME WE CAN COME BEFORE GOD AND OFFER UP PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING IN THE NAME OF CHRIST!

NOW, THOU SHALT GIRD THEM. THE GIRDLE WAS USED, IT WAS CALLED A GIRDLE. IT WAS USED TO TIE UP THE LOOSE GARMENTS SO THAT THEY COULD DO THEIR WORK. THEY COULDN'T HAVE ALL THESE LOOSE GARMENTS, THEY HAD TO TIE IT ALL UP. Around them, because they're offering sacrifice, blood being shed, it'd be all over them. But they had to tie that up. Christ is our girdle. That means this, He's our strength. Christ is our strength in all that we do. He said, without me, you can do nothing. Without me, you can do nothing.

God assures us that His grace is sufficient for us in all that we do or go through. We are girded by His grace. His grace girds us up. My grace is sufficient for you no matter what you go through. You think you can't go through it, but God will gird you up. His grace is sufficient. He'll enable you to go through whatever He brings your way. You know, the scripture teaches us that He will not put on us more than we can bear. In Christ, I can bear all things, right? So whatever He sends my way, He's gonna enable me to bear it. He's gonna gird me up.

And here's something else. and 1st Peter 1.13 about this girdle. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, hope to the end, for the grace is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Gird up the loins of your mind, bring every thought into subjection to Christ. And this image, image I had when I read that. Gird up the loins of your mind. Gird up your loose thoughts. Take all your loose thoughts and gird them up and bring them into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listen to Ephesians 6.14.

Stand therefore, having your loins gird, your loins, your legs, your strongest part of your body, having your loins gird about with truth, THAT'S HOW YOU STAND! THAT'S HOW YOU STAND IN THE FACE OF CONTROVERSY! THAT'S HOW YOU STAND IN THE FACE OF YOUR ENEMY! YOU GIRD ABOUT WITH TRUTH! NOW I'M TELLING YOU WHAT, IF JESUS CHRIST IS ALL YOUR HOPE, ALL YOUR SALVATION, ALL YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, IF HE'S YOUR ALL IN ALL, YOU CAN STAND BEFORE ANYTHING OR ANYONE! BECAUSE HE IS THE TRUTH! When you're girt about with truth, you're girt about with Christ. With Christ. And have him on the breastplate of righteousness. He is righteousness. He is.

And put bonnets on them. That's turbans, that's the white linen that they wrapped around their head. Now you see Aaron had that wrapped around his head, but then he had that golden mitre put on that had written on it, holiness to the Lord. Now he's the one who had that, the others didn't wear that. That belongs to Christ. But they had these white turbans, and it says in chapter 28, 40, that these turbans, this white fine linen that's wrapped around their head, was given for glory and for beauty. It set them apart. Nobody else wore that, nobody. That was for the priest, it set them apart.

It was for glory and for beauty. Who is our glory and our beauty? THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, HE'S OUR GLORY AND OUR BEAUTY. AND THE PRIEST'S OFFICE SHALL BE THEIRS FOR A PERPETUAL STATUTE. THOU SHALT CONSECRATE AARON AND HIS SONS. THE IRONIC PRIESTHOOD HAS COME TO AN END. IT'S COME TO AN END.

CHRIST THE TRUE PRIEST the true High Priest, our Melchizedek, has come and fulfilled all the types and pictures of Him. And all believers in Christ are made priests forever in the Lord Jesus Christ, that we may be able to praise Him, thank Him, worship Him, come into His presence, My what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ I would to God that he would enable us to really Grasp what we have and what we are in Christ Because it will enable us more and more to worship him in spirit and in truth The more we see him and comprehend and understand who he is And what he's done for us That's when you'll really begin to understand what it is to worship Him.

Now the next time we go through this chapter, we're going to see the offering. They had the bullock, the sin offering. Then you had a burn offering, a ram. Then you have a consecrated offering, another ram. And all of these are Christ's. All these sacrifices point to Him. He fulfilled all of them. We have the SIN OFFERING in Christ, we have the BURN OFFERING in Christ, we have the CONSECRATION OFFERING in Christ. He's everything we need. Everything is provided in the Lord Jesus Christ. And God gave these pictures to us that we might see Him and better understand who He is and His offices, Prophet, Priest, and King.

I have to say, until I heard the gospel from Henry and sat under the gospel, I didn't know anything about Christ. I knew His name. I knew His name, Jesus Christ. But a man I was listening to, I didn't know anything. When I left the service, Vicki knows this, it was nothing. There was nothing said about Christ. That's because he didn't know Him. Sad but so.

But boy, when you start to understand the Scriptures and God starts to open your eyes and you can see Christ in the sacrifice, you can see Christ as Noah's Ark, and you can see Him everywhere on every page. And then the Bible finally becomes a hymn book. All about Him.

Consecration

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the consecration of priests?

How do we know that Christ is the true High Priest?

Why is the concept of being chosen by God important for Christians?

What are the spiritual sacrifices Christians are called to offer?

How does Jesus intercede for us as our High Priest?

Sermon Transcript

About John Chapman

Comments

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Consecration

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about the consecration of priests?

How do we know that Christ is the true High Priest?

Why is the concept of being chosen by God important for Christians?

What are the spiritual sacrifices Christians are called to offer?

How does Jesus intercede for us as our High Priest?

Sermon Transcript

About John Chapman

Comments

More from John Chapman

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by John Chapman

Suggested for You

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book