29:1-37, Instructions For Ordaining Priests.
29:1 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,
A.THIS IS THE THING: This is the ceremony they were to follow in appointing priests to their office.
B.TO HALLOW THEM: To make them holy, or set aside; To ordain (appoint, install) them to serve God in the office of priest.
C.TAKE ONE YOUNG BULLOCK: The animals were to be selected before the time, and held in readiness for the sacrifice.
29:2 AND UNLEAVENED BREAD, AND CAKES UNLEAVENED TEMPERED WITH OIL, AND WAFERS UNLEAVENED ANOINTED WITH OIL: [OF] WHEATEN FLOUR SHALT THOU MAKE THEM.
29:3 AND THOU SHALT PUT THEM INTO ONE BASKET, AND BRING THEM IN THE BASKET, WITH THE BULLOCK AND THE TWO RAMS.
A.UNLEAVENED BREAD: This was considered to be purer than leavened bread, because fermentation is corruption.
B.TEMPERED WITH OIL: Mixed with (made with) olive oil, that is, the oil was one of the ingredients.
C.ANOINTED WITH OIL: Completed cakes, not made with oil, but brushed with oil (or had the oil poured on them) after they were made.
29:4 AND AARON AND HIS SONS THOU SHALT BRING UNTO THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, AND SHALT WASH THEM WITH WATER.
A.UNTO THE DOOR: A brazen laver was to be placed between the altar of burnt-offering and the entrance to the Holy Place.
B.The priests had to wash at the laver before entering the Tent.
29:5 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 THE CURIOUS GIRDLE OF THE EPHOD:
29:6 AND THOU SHALT PUT THE MITRE UPON HIS HEAD, AND PUT THE HOLY CROWN UPON THE MITRE.
A.CURIOUS GIRDLE OF THE EPHOD: The (INTRICATELY WOVEN BAND, NKJ), or sash.
B.MITRE: The turban the priest wore.
C.HOLY CROWN: The narrow strip of engraved gold on the turban. Gold has always been a special sign of royalty; here it was to mark the royal character of the high priest, who was a type of the Great King to come.
29:7 THEN SHALT THOU TAKE THE ANOINTING OIL, AND POUR [IT] UPON HIS HEAD, AND ANOINT HIM.
29:8 AND THOU SHALT BRING HIS SONS, AND PUT COATS UPON THEM.
29:9 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.
A.ANOINT HIM: Thus to ordain/appoint him to be high priest.
B.COATS/GIRDLES/BONNETS: Special shirts, sashes, caps.
C.FOR A PERPETUAL STATUTE: As long as Israel was God's special nation, Aaron's descendants would always be the priests; So this ceremony and all it involved were to be continued until the Great Priest came Who is after the order of Melchizedek.
29:10 AND THOU SHALT CAUSE A BULLOCK TO BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION: AND AARON AND HIS SONS SHALL PUT THEIR HANDS UPON THE HEAD OF THE BULLOCK.
A.A BULLOCK: The young bull of Verse 1, which was ready for use.
B.THEIR HANDS UPON THE HEAD: So as to identify with it as an offering for sin (their sin - see Verse 14), thus transferring their sins to the animal who would die.
29:11 AND THOU SHALT KILL THE BULLOCK BEFORE THE LORD, [BY] THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION.
29:12 AND THOU SHALT TAKE OF THE BLOOD OF THE BULLOCK, AND PUT [IT] UPON THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR WITH THY FINGER, AND POUR ALL THE BLOOD BESIDE THE BOTTOM OF THE ALTAR.
29:13 AND THOU SHALT TAKE ALL THE FAT THAT COVERETH THE INWARDS, AND THE CAUL [THAT IS] ABOVE THE LIVER, AND THE TWO KIDNEYS, AND THE FAT THAT [IS] UPON THEM, AND BURN [THEM] UPON THE ALTAR.
29:14 BUT THE FLESH OF THE BULLOCK, AND HIS SKIN, AND HIS DUNG, SHALT THOU BURN WITH FIRE WITHOUT THE CAMP: IT [IS] A SIN OFFERING.
A.BURN WITHOUT THE CAMP: This animal was identified with nothing but sin, it had the curse of sin upon it; So it was not fit for food, and could not even be buried within the camp.
B.IT IS A SIN OFFERING: Apparently this was for the sins of the priests, for when a sin offering was made for someone else, the part that was not burned on the altar could be eaten by the priests - Lev 5:13; 6:26 ("5:13 And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned
in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and [the rem-nant] shall be the priest's, as a meat offering......6:26 The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation").
29:15 THOU SHALT ALSO TAKE ONE RAM; AND AARON AND HIS SONS SHALL PUT THEIR HANDS UPON THE HEAD OF THE RAM.
29:16 AND THOU SHALT SLAY THE RAM, AND THOU SHALT TAKE HIS BLOOD, AND SPRINKLE [IT] ROUND ABOUT UPON THE ALTAR.
A.ONE RAM: Apparently one of the two rams in Verse 1.
B.THEIR HANDS UPON THE HEAD: Again, to identify themselves with the victim, so as to make it their representative; This time the idea may be self-sacrifice.
C.ROUND ABOUT UPON THE ALTAR: That is, on all four sides. Jewish tradition says it was splashed from a basin on two opposite corners, thus touching all the sides.
29:17 AND THOU SHALT CUT THE RAM IN PIECES, AND WASH THE INWARDS OF HIM, AND HIS LEGS, AND PUT [THEM] UNTO HIS PIECES, AND UNTO HIS HEAD.
**]PUT THEM UNTO HIS PIECES, AND UNTO HIS HEAD: After being washed, the parts were all laid together on the altar.
29:18 AND THOU SHALT BURN THE WHOLE RAM UPON THE ALTAR: IT [IS] A BURNT OFFERING UNTO THE LORD: IT [IS] A SWEET SAVOR, AN OFFERING MADE BY FIRE UNTO THE LORD.
A.BURN THE WHOLE RAM: The burnt offering was all acceptable to God (it represented self-sacrifice); Whereas the sin-offering was so representative of evil that some of it could not be accepted, and had to be taken out of the camp - Verse 14.
B.SWEET SAVOR: A good aroma -- Not the physical smell, but the pleasure God received by the peoples' recognizing their sin and the requirement of death as the penalty, and by their obedience to Him in providing the sacrifice exactly according to His directions.
29:19 AND THOU SHALT TAKE THE OTHER RAM; AND AARON AND HIS SONS SHALL PUT THEIR HANDS UPON THE HEAD OF THE RAM.
29:20 THEN SHALT THOU KILL THE RAM, AND TAKE OF HIS BLOOD, AND PUT [IT] UPON THE TIP OF THE RIGHT EAR OF AARON, AND UPON THE TIP OF THE RIGHT EAR OF HIS SONS, AND UPON THE THUMB OF THEIR RIGHT HAND, AND UPON THE GREAT TOE OF THEIR RIGHT FOOT, AND SPRINKLE THE BLOOD UPON THE ALTAR ROUND ABOUT.
A.TAKE THE OTHER RAM: This one of the two rams is in Verse 22 called "a ram of consecration."
B.In Lev 3:1-17 it is seen as a "peace-offering." The offerings had built up to this, and it seems to be the most significant one, as it implied the complete dedication of the lives and powers of the priests to the service of Jehovah.
C.TIP OF THE RIGHT EAR: Apparently on the lobe of the ear. The victim having been accepted, its blood would sanctify the ear, so that it would be open to God's directions; It would sanc-tify the hand, so it would serve acceptably; And it would sanctify the foot, indicating that their walk in life was to be devoted to the service of God.
D.UPON THE ALTAR ROUND ABOUT: All around; On all four sides.
29:21 AND THOU SHALT TAKE OF THE BLOOD THAT [IS] UPON THE ALTAR, AND OF THE ANOINTING OIL, AND SPRINKLE [IT] UPON AARON, AND UPON HIS GARMENTS, AND UPON HIS SONS, AND UPON THE GARMENTS OF HIS SONS WITH HIM: AND HE SHALL BE HALLOWED, AND HIS GARMENTS, AND HIS SONS, AND HIS SONS' GARMENTS WITH HIM.
**HE SHALL BE HALLOWED: Dedicated, set apart, made holy.
29:22 ALSO THOU SHALT TAKE OF THE RAM THE FAT AND THE RUMP, AND THE FAT THAT COVERETH THE INWARDS, AND THE CAUL [ABOVE] THE LIVER, AND THE TWO KIDNEYS, AND THE FAT THAT [IS] UPON THEM, AND THE RIGHT SHOULDER; FOR IT [IS] A RAM OF CONSECRATION:
A.A RAM OF CONSECRATION: Part of the ordination ceremony.
B.THOU SHALT TAKE...: This was usually given to the officiating priest - Lev 7:33 ("He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for [his] part").
29:23 AND ONE LOAF OF BREAD, AND ONE CAKE OF OILED BREAD, AND ONE WAFER OUT OF THE BASKET OF THE UNLEAVENED BREAD THAT [IS] BEFORE THE LORD:
29:24 AND THOU SHALT PUT ALL IN THE HANDS OF AARON, AND IN THE HANDS OF HIS SONS; AND SHALT WAVE THEM [FOR] A WAVE OFFERING BEFORE THE LORD.
A.ALL IN THE HANDS OF AARON: These instructions were to Moses, so it seems that Aaron and his sons were to hold the things which have been named, then Moses was to put his hands under theirs and make a waving motion toward all the directions of the heavens above, showing that the gifts were offered to God, Who is everywhere.
B.WAVE THEM FOR A WAVE OFFERING: A "heave" offering was lifted straight up; A "wave" offering was held up and moved from side to side toward all four directions of the compass.
29:25 AND THOU SHALT RECEIVE THEM OF THEIR HANDS, AND BURN [THEM] UPON THE ALTAR FOR A BURNT OFFERING, FOR A SWEET SAVOR BEFORE THE LORD: IT [IS] AN OFFERING MADE BY FIRE UNTO THE LORD.
**SWEET SAVOR: As in Verse 18, a good aroma -- Not the physical smell, but the pleasure God received by the peoples' recog-nizing their sin and the requirement of death as the penalty, and by their obedience to Him in providing the sacrifice exactly according to His directions.
29:26 AND THOU SHALT TAKE THE BREAST OF THE RAM OF AARON'S CONSECRATION, AND WAVE IT [FOR] A WAVE OFFERING BEFORE THE LORD: AND IT SHALL BE THY PART.
A.IT SHALL BE THY PART: This is stated directly to Moses, so the breast was to be his on this occasion, but after the priest-hood was set in order, then after the second ram was offered to the Lord, the choice ribs could be eaten by the priests; See details of this in Lev 7:31-34.
B.Now (in Verses 27-28) the thought turns from this offering to all future offerings, showing that the breast and the right shoulder are to belong to the priests.
29:27 AND THOU SHALT SANCTIFY THE BREAST OF THE WAVE OFFERING, AND THE SHOULDER OF THE HEAVE OFFERING, WHICH IS WAVED, AND WHICH IS HEAVED UP, OF THE RAM OF THE CONSECRATION, [EVEN] OF [THAT] WHICH [IS] FOR AARON, AND OF [THAT] WHICH IS FOR HIS SONS:
29:28 AND IT SHALL BE AARON'S AND HIS SONS' BY A STATUTE FOR EVER FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: FOR IT [IS] AN HEAVE OFFERING: AND IT SHALL BE AN HEAVE OFFERING FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OF THE SACRIFICE OF THEIR PEACE OFFERINGS, [EVEN] THEIR HEAVE OFFERING UNTO THE LORD.
A.WAVE OFFERING: This seems to have been a repeated movement in a horizontal direction.
B.HEAVE OFFERING: Apparently the offering was lifted up toward heaven one time.
C.BY A STATUTE FOR EVER: This law was never to change through all the history of Israel as God's chosen people.
D.This seems to be directions for all future offerings -- So when an Israelite later would make an offering, the meat belonged to God, but it could be eaten by the priests.
29:29 AND THE HOLY GARMENTS OF AARON SHALL BE HIS SONS' AFTER HIM, TO BE ANOINTED THEREIN, AND TO BE CONSECRATED IN THEM.
29:30 [AND] THAT SON THAT IS PRIEST IN HIS STEAD SHALL PUT THEM ON SEVEN DAYS, WHEN HE COMETH INTO THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION TO MINISTER IN THE HOLY [PLACE].
A.HIS SONS AFTER HIM: Aaron's HOLY GARMENTS were to be preserved after his death, and used to consecrate his descendants who became high priest.
B.PUT THEM ON SEVEN DAYS: There would be a seven-day ceremony of ordination for the high priest, during which time he was to wear THE HOLY GARMENTS OF AARON - Compare Verse 35.
29:31 AND THOU SHALT TAKE THE RAM OF THE CONSECRATION, AND SEETHE HIS FLESH IN THE HOLY PLACE.
A.TAKE THE RAM: Apparently the part of it that was left which had not been burned on the altar (Verse 25).
B.SEETHE HIS FLESH: SEETHE means boil.
C.IN THE HOLY PLACE: In a separated, sacred place; Not in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle, but at its door (Verse 32, "By the door of the tabernacle").
29:32 AND AARON AND HIS SONS SHALL EAT THE FLESH OF THE RAM, AND THE BREAD THAT [IS] IN THE BASKET, [BY] THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION.
29:33 AND THEY SHALL EAT THOSE THINGS WHEREWITH THE ATONEMENT WAS MADE, TO CONSECRATE [AND] TO SANCTIFY THEM: BUT A STRANGER SHALL NOT EAT [THEREOF], BECAUSE THEY [ARE] HOLY.
29:34 AND IF OUGHT OF THE FLESH OF THE CONSECRATIONS, OR OF THE BREAD, REMAIN UNTO THE MORNING, THEN THOU SHALT BURN THE REMAINDER WITH FIRE: IT SHALL NOT BE EATEN, BECAUSE IT [IS] HOLY.
A.There seems to have been a ceremony of forgiveness performed for the priests, and only they had the right to eat this food.
B.STRANGER: Not referring to a foreigner, but to someone who was not a priest.
29:35 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.
A.The ordination ceremony for the priests was to be repeated for seven days in a row, as God COMMANDED.
B.The number SEVEN is often used to suggest ideal completeness.
29:36 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.
A.OFFER EVERY DAY: On each of the seven days a bull was to be offered as a sacrifice for sin, and as a way of purifying the altar.
B.THOU SHALT ANOINT IT: In addition to the sacrifice, the altar was to be smeared with olive oil to make it completely holy.
C.See Lev 8:11,15 ("11 And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them......15 And he slew [it]; and Moses took the blood, and put [it] upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it").
29:37 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.
**SHALL BE HOLY: (WHATEVER TOUCHES THE ALTAR MUST BE HOLY, NKJ); It may not be clear if the altar sanctified, or if the object had to be holy before it touched; But compare Mt 23:17-19.
29:38-42, Instructions For Daily Sacrifices.
29:38 NOW THIS [IS THAT] WHICH THOU SHALT OFFER UPON THE ALTAR; TWO LAMBS OF THE FIRST YEAR DAY BY DAY CONTINUALLY.
29:39 THE ONE LAMB THOU SHALT OFFER IN THE MORNING; AND THE OTHER LAMB THOU SHALT OFFER AT EVEN:
A.Each day the Israelites were to offer two lambs a year old, one in the morning and one in the evening.
B.This was to be A CONTINUAL BURNT OFFERING THROUGHOUT YOUR GEN-ERATIONS (Verse 42), thus acknowledging that the very life of the people belonged to Jehovah - Compare Rom 12:1-2 ("1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God").
29:40 AND WITH THE ONE LAMB A TENTH DEAL OF FLOUR MINGLED WITH THE FOURTH PART OF AN HIN OF BEATEN OIL; AND THE FOURTH PART OF AN HIN OF WINE [FOR] A DRINK OFFERING.
A.A TENTH DEAL: "A tenth part," the "part" being an ephah, which was about twenty pounds, so this "deal" or "part" was approx-imately two pounds; This FLOUR and OIL mix is in Verse 42 called THE MEAT OFFERING.
B.FOURTH PART OF A HIN: Approximately a quart.
C.A DRINK OFFERING: the "meat and drink offerings" would be in-dications that the nation recognized the debt of gratitude they owed to God for His continual benefits to them.
29:41 AND THE OTHER LAMB THOU SHALT OFFER AT EVEN, AND SHALT DO THERETO ACCORDING TO THE MEAT OFFERING OF THE MORNING, AND ACCORDING TO THE DRINK OFFERING THEREOF, FOR A SWEET SAVOR, AN OFFERING MADE BY FIRE UNTO THE LORD.
29:42 [THIS SHALL BE] A CONTINUAL BURNT OFFERING THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS [AT] THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION BEFORE THE LORD: WHERE I WILL MEET YOU, TO SPEAK THERE UNTO THEE.
A.AT THE DOOR OF THE TABERNACLE: The animals would be offered on the altar just in front of the entrance to the Tent.
B.THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION: That is, of "the gath-ering," the Tent of Meeting, where God met them - Verse 43.
29:43-46, God's Promises To The People.
29:43 AND THERE I WILL MEET WITH THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND [THE TABERNACLE] SHALL BE SANCTIFIED BY MY GLORY.
A.THERE I WILL MEET WITH THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL: For this reason the Tabernacle frequently was called "the tent of meeting."
B.SANCTIFIED: His Presence made the Tent holy (so the rooms were called The Holy Place and The Most Holy Place).
29:44 AND I WILL SANCTIFY THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION, AND THE ALTAR: I WILL SANCTIFY ALSO BOTH AARON AND HIS SONS, TO MINISTER TO ME IN THE PRIEST'S OFFICE.
A.I WILL SANCTIFY...I WILL SANCTIFY: God did this by having Moses do the things necessary to their sanctification; That is, He did it through the agency of Moses.
B.SANCTIFY ALSO BOTH AARON AND HIS SONS: They would be set apart to the priesthood by the ceremony God had prescribed, and thus they would be worthy to serve as priests.
C.R. L. Whiteside said, "This sanctifying the tabernacle and its furniture, and Aaron and his sons to be priests, gives us a fine illustration of sanctification. To sanctify, or to make holy, is to set apart. It signifies 'not of the earth.' All the material of the tabernacle and its furniture had been used in common worldly affairs. When the tabernacle and its furniture had been set apart from worldly uses and dedicated to the service of God, they were sanctified. They had been separated from worldly uses. They were holy. No change had been made in the material of which they were made. It was a change of relationship -- a change from worldly uses to the service of God. Aaron and his sons had been set apart to a special service. In harmony with this idea, Paul speaks plainly of our sanctification. 'I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness unto sanctification.' (Rom. 6:19) When a worldly person turns from worldliness and gives himself into the service of God, that is sanctification."
29:45 AND I WILL DWELL AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND WILL BE THEIR GOD.
29:46 AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I [AM] THE LORD THEIR GOD, THAT BROUGHT THEM FORTH OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, THAT I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM: I [AM] THE LORD THEIR GOD.
A.THAT I MAY DWELL AMONG THEM: God rescued them from the bondage of Egypt, SO THAT He might live among them (they needed to recognize the purpose of their deliverance).
B.Again, R. L. Whiteside said, "His presence with them kept alive in their hearts the great truth that the Jehovah dwelling among them was the Jehovah Who brought them out of Egypt. He brought them out that they might be His own possession, and that He might dwell among them."
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