THE ALTAR AND COURTYARD

Read Exodus 27:1–19 (38:1–7, 9–20)

We have seen the significance of the Ark of the Covenant, the table for the bread of presence, the golden lampstand, and the tabernacle itself. Let us now explore the altar for burnt offerings and the outer courtyard. God dwelled in the midst of Israel, which was an honour and privilege for the people of God. Access to God’s presence, however, was an entirely different matter. As we will see from our study of the altar, the first thing to confront the one who entered the confines of the tabernacle was the altar for burnt offerings. This, as we can well imagine, sent an important message to those who wanted to be in the presence of God. And, as we will see when we explore the significance of the altar from the New Testament, there are connections to Christ and the church.

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The courtyard and altar

The outer courtyard (27:9–19)

As we saw in the previous chapter, God gave the Israelites instructions for the fabrication of the tabernacle proper. The tabernacle itself, however, did not simply sit in the midst of Israel allowing anyone to approach. Rather, the tabernacle was surrounded by an outer courtyard that was approximately 150 feet by 75 feet, enclosed by white linen hangings, a wall of linen if you will, that was 7½ feet tall. This outer courtyard separated Israel from the actual tabernacle. On the east side of the tabernacle, there was a gate through which the people could enter. But the very first thing the Israelites would see as they entered the gate of the courtyard was the altar for burnt offerings.

 

Altar for burnt offerings (27:1–8)

The altar was a square made out of acacia wood, like the rest of the tabernacle, though it was covered in bronze, not gold. Scholars argue, and rightly so, that the further away from the holy of holies you were, the lesser were the values of the metals that were used. In the holy of holies and inner tabernacle, everything was covered in gold, which was to symbolize the glory and immediate presence of God, and to remind the Israelites of the heavenly tabernacle. The outer courtyard, however, was a symbolic representation of the earth, hence lesser metals such as bronze, copper and silver were used in these portions of the tabernacle.

The altar was five cubits square, or approximately 7½ feet square, and 4½ feet tall. It was hollow in the middle and most likely filled with uncut stones and earth. On the top of the altar there was a grate made out of bronze—it is on top of this grate that the burnt offerings were placed. There were also four protruding corners of the altar that God calls the ‘horns’ of the altar (Exod. 27:2). And, like the rest of the tabernacle, the altar was built for portability, in that God directed the Israelites to fabricate wooden poles to insert in four rings on the corners of the altar. This way the altar could be carried like the ark and the table for the bread of presence. God also instructed the Israelites to fabricate tools to use with the altar: buckets to carry the ashes away from the altar; shovels to scoop the ashes out of the altar; and forks and fire pans for handling the sacrifices that were to be placed on the altar. What were the Israelites required to do with the altar?

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Burnt offerings (Lev. 4:2–21)

The book of Leviticus tells us that the Israelites used the altar to make sin offerings. Israel and the high priest did not have access to God whenever they wanted but could only approach under the blood of a burnt offering, a sacrifice for their sin. The high priest would bring a bull without blemish and slaughter it at the entrance, the courtyard of the tabernacle (Lev. 4:4). He would then take some of the blood and sprinkle it seven times on the veil separating the holy of holies from the inner tabernacle (Lev. 4:5–6). The priest then took some of the blood and placed it on the four horns of the altar and then poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar (Lev. 4:7). He then took the fat, kidneys, loins and liver, and burned them all upon the altar (Lev. 4:8–10). He then took the rest of the bull—its flesh, head, legs, entrails, and dung—and burnt it outside the camp (Lev. 4:11–12).

The symbolism in the burnt offering is powerful, as we can well imagine. The imagery is certainly substitutionary, in that the one who sinned would offer an animal in his own place to appease the wrath of God and receive the forgiveness of his sins. There was an emphasis upon the shedding of blood, because we know from other portions of Scripture that the blood was identified with the life of a creature (cf. Gen. 9:4):

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‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for

your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life … For the life of every creature is its

blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of

any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off’ (Lev. 17:11, 14).

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Israel was supposed to sacrifice and smear blood on the horns of the altar, for the consecration of priests (Exod. 29:12), for sin offerings (Lev. 4:25, 30), and on the day of atonement (Lev. 16:18).

One thing should emerge quite clearly from all of the information we have gathered—namely, there was a constant reminder of God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness at the entrance to the tabernacle courtyard. Israel would have a blunt reminder of the cost of the forgiveness of sins as they saw and heard a bull slaughtered, saw the blood smeared upon the horns of the altar, smelled the burning fat, and then carried the remains of the animal outside of the camp to be burned. The Israelites would know from the gruesome ritual that sin was costly, but at the same time would also know they served a God who was willing to forgive their transgressions. Indeed, the Israelites would know that the horns of the altar were a place of refuge and shelter. Recall that when Joab, one of King David’s trusted advisors, supported the rise of Adonijah as king rather than David’s choice of Solomon, he fled to the tabernacle and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar, a symbolic action of his desire to find the mercy of God (1 Kings 2:28–34).

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The altar in the light of the New Testament

The connections to Christ

The sacrifices of the Old Testament foreshadow and point forward to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews, probably more so than any other in the New Testament, makes the explicit connection between the sacrifices of the Old Testament and the sacrifice of Christ:

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These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their

ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit

indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing

(which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered

that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper, but deal only with food and drink and various

washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation(Heb. 9:6–10).

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Notice that verses 6–7 address the elements of the sacrifices that we have explored in our study of the altar.

What is particularly of interest is the significance the author gives to the very structure of the tabernacle, showing us that it is replete with symbolic meaning. The author says in verse 8 that the way into the heavenly holy of holies was not yet opened as long as the first section was standing, namely, the veil separating the holy of holies from the rest of the tabernacle. The author states that the veil that separated the holy of holies from the rest of the temple was ‘symbolic for the present age’ (v. 9a). In other words, with the fall of Adam and the entrance of sin into the world, the way to access and fellowship with God was obstructed. The tabernacle was a symbolic representation of what would happen in the future, namely, that one would make a sacrifice, opening the way once again to the presence of God. Symbolically, once a year, the high priest would enter by the shed blood of the sacrifice, opening the veil and entering the holy of holies.

Now that Christ, the true high priest, has come, he has done precisely what was foreshadowed in the Old Testament sacrifice of the burnt offering upon the altar:

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But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and

more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy

places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an

eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11–12).

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Christ entered the heavenly holy of holies and offered a sacrifice with his own blood by which he secured our redemption. There are still further connections between Christ’s sacrifice and the burnt offerings upon the altar. The blood from the animals was smeared upon the horns of the altar, sprinkled upon the veil between the holy of holies and the inner tabernacle, and also upon the mercy seat. Remember, though, what happened with the rest of the animal: its fat was burned upon the altar.

I believe burning the fat was symbolically connected to the wrath of God, as throughout Scripture we see fire connected with God’s judgement. We certainly know that Christ bore the wrath of the Father upon the cross. Also recall that the remains of the animal, the head, legs, entrails and dung, were carried outside the camp and burned as well. This aspect of the burnt offering is also captured in Christ’s crucifixion: ‘For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood’ (Heb. 13:11–12). Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem, outside the camp. Burning the sacrificial animal outside the camp symbolically pictured that the sins of the one who brought the sacrifice had been taken away, burned and forgotten. The same may be said of the sacrifice of Christ—he was sacrificed outside the camp so that he might sanctify the people of God with his own blood.

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The connections to the church

The connections between the altar for burnt offerings and the church are clear, especially in the light of Christ. Unlike Israel, we are no longer confronted with the altar every time we enter the confines of the tabernacle. Rather, Christ offered himself as a perfect sacrifice once and for all, and now, what was only symbolically portrayed in Israel’s sacrifices upon the altar has been fulfilled by Christ. We now have access to the very presence of God—we have access to the throne of grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his shed blood. There are no longer sacrifices year after year, sin after sin, but the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ has come, which brings atonement for sins, past, present and future.

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There is therefore the important connection between the altar and the church through the sacrifice of

Christ. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not

desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no

pleasure. Then I said, “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll

of the book.” ’ When he said above, ‘You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and

offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings’ (these are offered according to the law), then he added,

‘Behold, I have come to do your will.’ He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And by

that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And

every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take

away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right

hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by

a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified (Heb. 10:5–14).

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One of the questions that we should ask ourselves is: Do we fully realize the significance of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ?

So often we will give lip service to the idea of the sacrifice of Christ, but our conduct reveals our lack of understanding in our hearts. Many claim to take refuge in the sacrifice of Christ, but they live in rebellion to the authority of Christ—they claim to love Christ but their lives demonstrate they are indifferent to the costly sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There are still yet others who claim the name of Christ and look to him for the forgiveness of sins, yet they live as though we still worshipped at the Old Testament tabernacle. In other words, they believe that their sin is too great for God to forgive, and so, like the Old Testament Israelites, they repeatedly come to God doubting his mercy and seek the forgiveness of a sin, offering their prayers and repeatedly pleading with God for forgiveness for the same one sin over and over again.

Oddly enough, both types of sin are manifestations of pride—the former thinks too much of himself, which is arrogance, because he does not believe he needs the forgiveness of sins. The latter thinks too much of his sin and too little of the sacrifice of Christ, because Christ could never forgive him, or so he thinks. We should occupy neither of these positions of arrogance and pride.

We should recall the costly sacrifice of Christ and rejoice that we can envision the horns of the altar smeared with blood, cling to them in Christ, and know that our sins accuse us no more. If Christ gave his life so that we might live, then we must not live as though Christ never came, as though he never offered himself up on our behalf. We must, as Paul says, walk in the newness of life, for our sinful nature has been crucified with Christ: ‘Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires’ (Gal. 5:24).

At the same time, when we fall into sin, even grievous sin, we are not beyond forgiveness. Do not think that we can somehow atone for our sins if we ask God to forgive us many times. We should rest assured and rejoice that when we ask for God’s forgiveness we have it because of the sacrifice of Christ. As the psalmist says, ‘As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us’ (Ps. 103:12). Rejoice, knowing that your heavenly Father forgives you on account of the perfect sacrifice of Christ.

When in our mind’s eye we enter the confines of the tabernacle as the ancient Israelites did so many thousands of years ago, let our gaze fall upon the person and work of Christ. Remember that he is the perfect sacrifice, the one who has secured our redemption. Remember that Christ has torn the veil in two and that we can once again enter into the presence of our holy and righteous God.

 

THE PRIEST’S GARMENTS

Read Exodus 28:1–43 (39:1–31)

We are now aware of the various aspects of the tabernacle, the contributions of materials, the Ark of the Covenant, the table for the show bread, the golden lampstand, the tabernacle itself, the bronze altar and outer courtyard. At this point let’s take a diversion from the actual tabernacle and its furnishings to explore the instructions regarding the clothing of the priests, and more specifically the clothing for the high priest. Though God dwelled in the midst of Israel, the people could not approach God’s presence in any manner they saw fit. Rather, just as there were ritual sacrifices that had to be performed to enter God’s presence, such as the burnt offerings, so too the priests, especially the high priest, had to be clothed in specific garments. We will explore the nature of these garments and examine their connection to Christ and the church. In so doing we will see that we, as priests of God, are clothed with special garments just as Aaron was clothed.

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The priest’s garments

Holy garments for Aaron (vv. 1–5)

God begins this portion of the chapter by telling Moses that Aaron and his sons, Nadab and Abihu, were to serve as priests for the people. They were to be the representatives of the people in the presence of God. They were to be clothed, however, in ‘holy garments’ which are to be ‘for glory and for beauty’ (v. 2). The garments were supposed to be made out of the same materials as the tabernacle: gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen (v. 5).

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The ephod (vv. 6–14)

In theses verses we find the description of the ephod, which was similar to a robe made out of fine linen. We are left in the dark as to exactly what the ephod looked like, though it had four parts: the main part of the garment, two shoulder pieces, and an elaborate belt. The two shoulder pieces were supposed to have an onyx stone mounted on each one with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved upon them in order of their birth. While the text does not specifically state it, the idea seems to be that the high priest would representatively carry the twelve tribes of Israel into the tabernacle and holy of holies. The tribes were, in a sense, upon the shoulders of the priest.

 

The breastpiece of judgement (vv. 15–30)

The breastpiece was something like a shield that was worn over the chest. It was a perfect square, nine inches by nine inches, and had four rows of precious stones placed upon it, with three stones in each row. This represented one stone for each of the twelve tribes of Israel, and each stone had the name of a tribe engraved upon it. The idea is that the high priest represents the people of God and carries them with him into the holy of holies, into the presence of God.

At this point we should realize that the priest is essentially wearing a miniature replica of the tabernacle. His garments reproduce the tabernacle, as they are made out of the same material, and the perfect square upon his chest represents the holy of holies. Remember that in the Solomonic temple the holy of holies was a perfect cube. There, God said what he would do from above the mercy seat in the holy of holies: ‘There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel’ (Exod. 25:22). God would render his judgements and give commandments for the people; that is, reveal his will. In similar fashion, therefore, Aaron was to place the Urim and Thummim, which were for casting lots, that is, revealing the will of God for making decisions: ‘And in the breastpiece of judgement you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgement of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly’ (Exod. 28:30).

 

The robe (vv. 31–35)

The next item of clothing to be worn is the robe of the priest. This robe is called the ‘robe of the ephod’, which indicates that the robe was to be worn under the ephod and breastpiece. The robe was to be made out of the same materials used in the tabernacle, and had openings for the head and arms, and was to be put on like a sweater. The robe was decorated with embroidered pomegranates, which were symbolic of God’s fruitfulness, reminding us of the Garden of Eden. Recall that the spies brought back pomegranates from their reconnaissance of the promised land (Num. 13:23), a land flowing with milk and honey, imagery evocative of the pristine and fecund Garden of Eden. Additionally, the walls of the Solomonic temple were adorned with bronze pomegranates. The overall intent is that the priest was wearing a replica of the tabernacle, in a sense conveying that the priest himself was a part of the tabernacle.

Upon the hem of this robe the Israelites were to attach bells: ‘And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die’ (Exod. 28:35). These bells were necessary to keep the high priest alive—he could not enter the holy of holies without them. As to the precise function of the bells, we cannot be sure, though there are some suggestions. One such suggestion is that the noise that came from the bells was to remind the priest of his duties and his ministrations before the presence of the Lord. Others have suggested that the bells would also let those outside the holy of holies know that the high priest was still alive, because they dare not enter the holy of holies to check.

 

The head plate (vv. 36–38)

Aaron was supposed to wear a turban on his head, and on the turban was a gold plate with the words ‘Holy to the Lord’ engraved upon it. Given Aaron’s function to represent Israel as a nation, not only does this head plate remind Aaron that he was holy, set apart to the Lord and his service, but that Israel as a nation was set apart as well. Recall that God told the Israelites that they were to be a ‘kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ (Exod. 19:6).

 

Linen coat (v. 39)

Aaron was supposed to wear a coat woven out of fine linen, one that bore a chequered pattern, and the turban was to be made of the same material. There was also a sash, or a belt, apparently to secure the fine linen coat. So, then, it appears that Aaron would first put on the fine linen coat, which seems to be an undergarment, and the turban. He would then don the robe, followed by the ephod and the breastpiece of judgement.

 

Garments for Aaron’s sons (vv. 40–43)

Lastly, the other priests were to be clothed in a similar fashion to the high priest, though not in precisely the same clothing. They were also to wear linen undergarments, because they were not to appear naked in the presence of God. Remember that God made clothing out of animal skins to cover the shame of Adam and Eve’s sin. The same shame still hung over fallen man, which thereby necessitated that the priests not appear naked in any way in the presence of the Lord. The Israelites were never to be naked in the presence of God, as it revealed their sinfulness, guilt and shame. The priests were always to be clothed in their special garments.

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The priest’s garments in the light of the New Testament

When we cross over into the New Testament our minds should first of all dwell upon the identity of Christ as our high priest. Christ is our high priest but there is a great difference between his ministry and that of Aaron and his descendants. The author of Hebrews elaborates upon the differences between the priesthoods of Aaron and Christ:

 

‘For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God,

to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself

is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for

those of the people’ (Heb. 5:1–3).

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As we saw in the previous chapter, the high priest had to sacrifice a burnt offering so he could enter the presence of God in the holy of holies. Not only did the high priest have to sacrifice a bull for the sins of Israel, but also for his own sins. As the author of Hebrews states: ‘he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins’ (Heb. 5:3). Jesus Christ, as we know, was not only the high priest but also the sacrifice—the lamb without blemish. The apostle Peter powerfully writes:

 

‘You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things

such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot’

(1 Peter 1:18–19).

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So, then, one of the major differences between the Old Testament high priest and Christ as our high priest is the fact that the Levites were sinful and Christ was not. Not only did Christ not have to offer a sacrifice for himself because he is free from sin, but by the sacrifice of his own life he brings the actual forgiveness of sins: ‘For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God’ (Heb. 9:13–14). So, then, we can rejoice knowing that by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, our sins accuse us no more. The slate, so to speak, which was filled with the record of our wrongs has been wiped clean; as far as the east is from the west, so God has removed our sins from us.

At the same time, we should realize that Christ does not merely wipe the slate clean and then tell us to fill it with our own righteousness. On the contrary, Christ not only wipes the slate clean, forgiving us from our sin, but he also gives us his perfect righteousness—the slate, if you will, is filled with the perfect, holy and righteous obedience of Jesus Christ. The accrediting or imputation of Christ’s obedience to his people is attested in numerous places throughout the Scriptures. The prophet Isaiah writes: ‘Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities’ (Isa. 53:11). Building upon this idea, Paul explains to the church in Rome: ‘For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were constituted sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be constituted righteous’ (Rom. 5:19, translation mine). Or most famously, Paul writes of the glorious exchange that occurs between Christ and the believer: ‘For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2 Cor. 5:21). So, then, when we place our faith in Christ, trusting in his life, death and resurrection, we not only receive the forgiveness of sins but also the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. When God the Father then looks upon us he not only sees us negatively, namely, that we are without sin, but positively, that we are righteous in his sight.

Holiness and imputed righteousness were symbolically represented in the clothing of the high priest. Recall that God told Moses that the priest’s garments were holy, ‘for glory and for beauty’ (Exod. 28:2). Moreover, the priests were not supposed to enter the presence of God with their nakedness exposed—that is, their sinfulness, guilt and shame. They were to have their sinfulness covered by their holy garments. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Scriptures liken the righteousness that we receive in salvation to being clothed in garments. The prophet Zechariah recounts a vision of Joshua the high priest who stood before the Lord in soiled filthy garments as Satan hurled accusations against the priest. Satan was rebuked by an angel and informed him that Joshua was a ‘brand plucked from the fire’, that is, delivered from God’s wrath. The angel then told others to remove the priest’s filthy garments. The removal of the garments is described as the removal of sin. Joshua is then clothed in pure garments, which implies that Joshua was now holy and righteous, free from sin (Zech. 3:1–5).

Elsewhere in the book of Isaiah, the garments of salvation are likened unto righteousness: ‘I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels’ (Isa. 61:10). It is important to note that the one who is saved does not manufacture his own garments; rather the garments are given by the Lord. The apostle John builds upon this Old Testament imagery when he writes: ‘ “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints’ (Rev. 19:7–8). The saints are decked in a robe of righteousness, their righteous deeds, but these righteous deeds are given to the bride, not produced by the bride herself.

There is a theme of being clothed in righteousness, which we know we receive from our great high priest, Jesus Christ. We should rejoice in the knowledge that we are clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ. We do not have to labour and somehow earn God’s favour by our good works. Rather, when we place our faith in Christ, we receive the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of his righteousness. And these things are given to us by God’s free and unmerited grace! Just as the garments of the high priest were for glory and beauty, in a far greater way we are clothed with Christ’s robe of righteousness all to the glory and praise of our triune Lord.

There is one last thing we should take into consideration, namely, the breastpiece that Aaron wore. Recall that Aaron was wearing a replica of the tabernacle. It should come as no surprise that we see heaven itself foreshadowed in Aaron’s breastpiece. Note that when the New Jerusalem descends out of the heavens in the book of Revelation, which is the church, it has the same features as Aaron’s breastpiece:

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Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke

to me, saying, ‘Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in

the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of

heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear

as crystal (Rev. 21:9–11).

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The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are inscribed upon its twelve gates (Rev. 21:12). There are twelve foundations, with the names of the twelve apostles of Christ (Rev. 21:14). The city ‘lies foursquare; its length the same as its width’ (Rev. 21:16), just like the perfectly square breastpiece. And the foundation of the wall that surrounds the city is adorned with precious stones: jasper, sapphire, agate, emerald, onyx, carnelian, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth and amethyst (Rev. 21:19–20). These are the same precious stones that adorned

 

Aaron’s breastpiece.

Aaron wore a miniature replica of the heavenly temple upon his chest and what we see hinted at in shadows will be fully revealed on the final day with the descent of the New Jerusalem, the holy temple, the church—radiant and resplendent with the righteousness of Christ! Rejoice that we no longer need to fear the presence of the Lord. We no longer need to sacrifice bulls and goats and worry whether we have the garments properly donned to avoid God’s judgement. Instead, we have Jesus Christ the perfect, holy and righteous high priest who has offered himself as a sacrifice, bringing us the forgiveness of sins and giving us his own righteousness. Remember to rest in the perfect righteousness of Christ.

 

THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS

Read Exodus 29:1–46

We return to the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle. We have explored the tabernacle and its furniture, and we last examined the clothing of the priests. Let us explore the nature of the consecration, or the setting aside and dedication, of the priests for their service in the tabernacle. As we explore the consecration of the priests, one of the things that should strike us is the number of sacrifices that are necessary to purify ceremonially the priest for service. One thing that should strike us is the bloody nature of the priest’s consecration. It tells us of the costly nature of sin and that, in the end, there is only one remedy available for one who is guilty of sin—the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

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Explanation of the rite

Bringing the priests near (vv. 1–4)

The chapter opens with the instructions for bringing the priests near the tabernacle for their consecration. We should notice that before they entered the tent of meeting and before they donned their priestly garments, they were supposed to wash with water (v. 4). They were supposed to wash themselves from the bronze basin that stood before the tabernacle (Exod. 30:17–21). If the priests did not wash, then God would strike them down. They were also supposed to have the elements of the sacrificial animals, one bull and two rams, and the needed grain offerings ready as well.

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Anointing the priests (vv. 5–9)

The priests were to dress themselves in their priestly garments and then they were to be anointed with oil, for which we see instructions in the next chapter (Exod. 30:22–33). The oil was to be used exclusively for the ordination and consecration of the priests. Anyone who used it for any other purpose would also be cut off from the people of God. There is also a specific purpose given for the anointing with oil, namely, it was to seal the permanence of the Aaronic priesthood: ‘And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute for ever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons’ (Exod. 29:9).

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The first sacrifice for the sins of the priests (vv. 10–14)

In these verses Aaron and his sons had to place their hands on the head of the bull, symbolizing the transfer of their sin to the bull. They then had to slaughter the bull, offer it as a burnt offering, and the rest of the bull—the head, skin and dung—they had to carry outside the camp for disposal. What is clear here is that the bull was a substitute for the priests—their sin was symbolically punished upon the altar as it was burned and cut off from the people of God by being taken outside the camp.

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The second and third sacrificial animals (vv. 15–25)

Aaron and his sons were to lay their hands upon the second animal, a ram, and slaughter it, sprinkling its blood upon the sides of the altar. They were then supposed to burn the entire ram upon the altar as a burnt offering to the Lord (v. 18). Aaron and his sons were then supposed to take a second animal, another ram, place their hands upon it, and then slaughter it. They were to take the blood of this second ram and sprinkle it, along with the anointing oil, upon Aaron and his garments, as well as those of his sons. This action was to dedicate the priests, make them holy, and purify them from sin. They were also supposed to take the blood of this ram and put some of it on Aaron’s right ear lobe, on his right thumb, and on the big toe of his right foot. This was also to be done to Aaron’s sons. The remainder of the blood was to be sprinkled upon the side of the altar. Now, the precise reason for placing the blood upon the right ear lobe, thumb and big toe, is not revealed in the text. We do know, however, that the general purpose of this practice was to ceremonially cleanse the priest from his sin. The priests were supposed to take the various cakes of grain and figs, raise them before the Lord, and then offer them upon the altar as a burnt offering.

 

The priestly consumption of meat (vv. 26–34)

Aaron and his sons were to take some of the meat that was left from the second ram, the breast, and this was their portion that they were allowed to eat. Any of the meat or bread that was left over was to be burned. Again, no one was allowed to eat this food—it was for the priests alone: ‘They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy’ (Exod. 29:33).

 

The daily priestly offerings (vv. 35–37)

Aaron and his sons were consecrated over a seven-day period, which seems to reflect the initial creation of man, who was also the first priest. We should note, though, that Aaron and his sons had to sacrifice a bull on each of the seven days. So, at this point, there were seven bulls and two rams that were required for the consecration of the priests. These sacrifices were not the only required sacrifices. Remember, the sacrifices of the seven bulls and two rams were required for the priests alone, there were also the sins of the people that had to be taken into account.

 

 

The daily sacrifices (vv. 38–44)

In addition for the priestly sacrifices, God also instructed the priests to make two daily sacrifices on behalf of the people. These sacrifices were performed at the beginning and end of the day—morning and evening. Two lambs were to be offered for these sacrifices, one at the morning and the other in the evening. Again, these sacrifices were for the ceremonial cleansing of the people from their sins. To what end were all of these sacrifices not only for Aaron and the people? We read:

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‘It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting

before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. There I will meet with the people

of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory … I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be

their God’ (Exod. 29:42–45).

 

The ultimate purpose of all of these sacrifices was so that the people of God could have the presence and fellowship of God in their midst. But because of the entrance of sin, fellowship with God came at a high price—as we see that much blood had to be shed in order to maintain their relationship with their covenant Lord.

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The consecration in the light of the New Testament

The perfect sacrifice of Christ

What we have seen in the instructions for the consecration of the priests and the institution of daily sacrifices was the establishment of a sacrificial system. We know, however, that this sacrificial system was only a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice that would be instituted by Christ himself. Indeed, God instituted a system of sacrifices to be carried out by the anointed priests. Well, the anointed, the Messiah, has instituted a new sacrificial order. The author of Hebrews tells us: ‘For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near’ (Heb. 10:1). The author also writes: ‘For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins’ (Heb. 10:4).

By contrast, Christ’s perfect sacrifice was of an entirely different order. The author of Hebrews writes that Christ abolished the first order to establish the second (Heb. 10:9). The sacrifices of the bulls and rams, or goats, only pointed to the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ. With the once-and-for-all sacrifice of Christ, we as the people of God no longer have to repeatedly offer sacrifices so that we can be in the presence of God.

On the contrary, Christ has offered himself once and for all, putting away the need for sacrifice because he has paid the debt that we owe for our sins: ‘And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins’ (Heb. 10:10–11). Indeed, the sacrifices of the Aaronic priests were necessary because they themselves were constantly guilty of sin. They had to sacrifice seven bulls and two rams for their own consecration and then two sacrifices per day for the sins of the people. Yet because Christ was sinless, he was the spotless lamb who was slain, he had no need for his own sacrifice. Rather, his sacrifice was an outpouring of his love and mercy upon those who did not deserve such love.

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How then should we live?

In light of the all-sufficient once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, the author of Hebrews instructs his recipients to do three things. First, we read:

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Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the

new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since

we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of

faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure

water (Heb. 10:19–22).

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The author tells us that we should draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith. The Old Testament priests had much to fear as they drew near to God—perhaps in a moment of absentmindedness a priest might forget to perform one of the rituals in the proper manner. For such an oversight, the penalty was death. Yet, we need not fear such things because Christ has offered the once-for-all perfect sacrifice on our behalf.

We should therefore constantly draw near to the presence of God—whether through prayer, the reading of the Word, or corporate worship. Remember that the purpose of the sacrifices was so that the people could be in the presence of God and fellowship with him. But remember, too, that the sacrificial price was very high. The sacrifice on our behalf was very costly—the Father sacrificed his only Son for us so that we could be reconciled to him. Should we therefore not draw near to God through the appointed means, fellowship, and be in the presence of our faithful covenant Lord?

The author of Hebrews gives a second instruction: ‘Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful’ (Heb. 10:23). We should never lose hope no matter what trials or tribulations we face. Whether we face personal illness, persecution, financial difficulties, problems at work, problems at school—no matter what trial we suffer, we should never lose sight of the source of our hope. Jesus Christ has brought us what no one could—fellowship with our Creator and Maker.

Think of the thousands of years that God’s people longed for intimate fellowship with our covenant Lord—think of the sacrifices that Abel, Adam and Eve, and the faithful offered, longing and looking forward to the time when complete fellowship would be restored to them by the seed of the woman. Well, God has been faithful to send his Son to fulfil the promises that he has made. God is faithful; we should therefore never lose hope.

The author of Hebrews gives a third instruction: ‘And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near’ (Heb. 10:24–25). Notice that as a result of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, we are to stir up one another to love and good works. We should be in prayer for one another that we would all be more and more conformed to the image of Christ. We should stir up one another to love and good works, not so much by what we say, but by our lives.

We can stir one another up to these things by loving others and performing good works for others—not so we can swell with pride or somehow try to merit God’s favour, but in response to the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ. We can also pray for one another that we as the church would love Christ, one another, and do good works to the glory of Christ. How often, for example, do we pray for those who we know are sinning? Do we pray for those under church discipline? Do we encourage those under discipline to love Christ, his body, and to glorify Christ by their lives?

The chief way that the author of Hebrews has in mind to accomplish the goal of stirring up one another to love and good works is through attending church. He tells his readers, not to neglect ‘to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another’ (v. 25). In other words, if we truly have a longing to be in the presence of God, and we realize how costly a price has been paid so that we have free access to our covenant Lord, then we will hardly ever miss a worship service because our desire will be to be in his presence.

As we reflect upon the consecration of the priests, we should not be revolted by the number of animal sacrifices that had to be performed. We should not be repulsed by the amount of blood that had to be shed. We should not be disgusted by the slaughter of animals so that the people of God could be in the presence of our Lord. We should instead be ashamed of our sinfulness that has required such sacrifices.

We should, however, rejoice that we have a merciful God who opened the way to reconciliation by showing us in shadows the costly nature of the sacrifice of his only Son. We should realize that the sacrifice of Christ is not only our forgiveness of sins but indeed our sustenance for life itself. Remember that the priests were allowed to eat a portion of the sacrifices from the altar for their food. We are a holy nation of priests, and God has allowed us to eat from the altar of sacrifice: ‘Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat’ (Heb. 13:9–10). We are sustained by the sacrifice of Christ. Therefore draw near to our Lord! Be filled with hope! Stir one another up to love and good works! And do not neglect gathering together as we wait until the day of our Lord’s return.

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