Exodus 29:1-35

 (1) Overview

(NET) Everyone who ministers, everyone who worships, and everything they use in the presence of Yahweh, must be set apart to God by the cleansing, enabling, and sanctifying work of God.

(2) Structure

the preparation (1–3), washing (4), investiture and anointing (5–9), sin offering (10–14), burnt offering (15–18), installation peace offering (19–26, 31–34), other offerings’ rulings (27–30), and the duration of the ritual (35).

Bull=sin offering v.10-14

1st ram=burnt offering v.15-18

2nd ram+bread=the offering for consecration v.19-28

(3) Symbolic meaning for the offering and the principles 

a. First of all the sin offering implied that Aaron and his sons were sinful. They could not serve until their sins were forgiven. 

29:10 “You are to present the bull at the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to put their hands on the head of the bull.

(NET) At the very least it identifies the animal formally as their sacrifice. But it may very well indicate that the animal is a substitute for them as well, given the nature and the effect of the sacrifices.  

29:12 and take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; all the rest of the blood you are to pour out at the base of the altar.

(NET)  The offering is better described as a purification offering rather than a sin offering, because it was offered, according to Leviticus, for both sins and impurities. Moreover, it was offered primarily to purify the sanctuary so that the once-defiled or sinful person could enter

Principle: Not only the servers are sinful, but also we will defile the worship place. Without our sin offerings (Jesus Christ) we will not be able to serve. The OT gave us a vivid picture of our sin and reminds me how underserved I am to serve God. 

 b. v.13 [fat]=(NET) The giving of the visceral organs and the fat has received various explanations. The fat represented the best, and the best was to go to God. If the animal is a substitute, then the visceral organs represent the will of the worshiper in an act of surrender to God.  

  

Principle: The server has to offer our best to serve God. Are we willing to give our best time to serve? Not waiting until  I have free time then I am willing to give to God. 

c. the rams were without blemish v.1 and the bread were made with fine flour v.2-(NET) The requirement was designed to ensure that the people would give the best they had to Yahweh. The typology pointed to the sinless Messiah who would fulfill all these sacrifices in his one sacrifice on the cross.

d. v.17 the whole ram was burnt

(NET) By offering the entire animal, the worshiper was indicating on his part a complete surrender to God. 

Principle: When the priests offered themselves to serve they offer their whole life to God.

29:20 and you are to kill the ram and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot,

(NET) By this ritual the priests were set apart completely to the service of God. The ear represented the organ of hearing... and this had to be set apart to God so that they could hear the Word of God.

The thumb and the hand represented the instrument to be used for all ministry, and so everything that they “put their hand to” had to be dedicated to God and appropriate for his service. 

The toe set the foot apart to God, meaning that the walk of the priest had to be consecrated—where he went, how he conducted himself, what life he lived, all belonged to God now.

Reflection: How about you? Do we serve God with hearing God's word, dedicating to be an instrument of God, going to where God wants us to go?

e. v24 [wave offering]=(NET) In Lev 23 this seems to be a sacrificial gesture of things that are for the priests—but they present them first to Yahweh and then receive them back from him. So the waving is not side to side, but forward to Yahweh and then back to the priest.

First half of the wave offering was burned to the LORD here v.25-26. The second part was their share v.26-28. 

The priests got some of the gifts to God back to themselves. They could eat the meat in front of God. God gave them meat.  I think*** it is just like the pastors today. They receive their compensation from the offerings brothers and sisters gave to God. 

Audrey