Message 30
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Scripture Reading: Lev. 8:30-36
Before we consider some further matters related to the consecration of Aaron and his sons, I would like to give an additional word concerning the application of the blood to the right ear, the right thumb, and the big toe of the right foot and also a word about putting the offering on the palms of the priests.
Some of the blood of the ram of consecration was put on Aaron’s and his sons’ right ear, on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot. This signifies that the redeeming blood of Christ cleanses our ears for hearing, our hands for working, and our feet for walking. This is for the assuming of our New Testament priesthood.
Our hearing is mentioned first because it affects our working and our moving. The blood of Christ deals with our ear for listening to God’s word, to God’s speaking. To serve God as priests, we should be faithful slaves, or servants, to God. As Isaiah 50:4 and 5 indicate, a servant must have a hearing ear. A servant who does not listen to his master’s word cannot serve him according to his will, heart, and desire.
When we were sinners, we did not have an ear to listen to God’s word, to God’s speaking. Daily we listened to many other things, but we did not listen to the word of God. Now that we have been saved and ordained as God’s priests, His servants, the primary thing is to listen to God’s speaking. In typology, when a slave wanted to stay with his master, the master brought him to the doorpost and pierced his ear (Exo. 21:2-6), indicating that the slave must be keen to listen to the master’s word. As God’s priests today, we must learn to listen to His word.
The first thing that we as God’s priests need to deal with is our listening. Positive listening will rescue us from negative listening. If we listen to God’s word from morning to evening, we will not have an ear to listen to any negative speaking. Negative talk prevails and spreads in the church life because certain ones turn their ears from God to something else. These ones do not speak Christ, the word of God, grace, or the gospel. Instead, they listen to negative things, and they work and move according to the negative things they hear. The result is the spreading of death. If we turn our ears from other things back to God Himself, there will not be any problems, and only life will be spreading, not death.
The principle is the same in our married life. If a sister wants to have a good husband, she should not speak to him negatively but should talk to him about God, Christ, grace, the gospel, and the divine light. This kind of speaking will build up her husband and cause him to seek the Lord. However, if she speaks negatively to her husband, she will deaden him. The same is true, both positively and negatively, of the way a brother speaks to his wife. We all need to be careful about our listening. We need to have the redeeming blood of Christ applied to our ear, our thumb, and our toe.
The cleansing of the right ear, the right thumb, and the big toe of the right foot was needed on two occasions: at the ordination of the priests and at the time of the cleansing of a leper (Lev. 14:14). Both the lepers and the priests needed to have their ear, thumb, and toe cleansed with the redeeming blood. This indicates that in the eyes of God we sinners who have been ordained as God’s priests are lepers. As God’s priests, His servants, we need to have our ears redeemed from listening to anything other than God and have them brought back to listening to the word of God. Also, we need to have our working hand redeemed from doing anything other than God’s work. Furthermore, our toe for walking also needs to be redeemed.
In 8:26-28 we see that one unleavened cake, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer (belonging to the meal offering) were placed upon the portions of the fat and the right thigh (another category of offerings). These two categories of offerings as a whole were put on the palms of Aaron and his sons. At that point, the hands of Aaron and of his sons were no longer empty. These offerings were then waved before Jehovah (v. 27), probably by those whose hands had been filled with them. This waving signifies Christ’s move in His resurrection. The offerings were first “killed,” and then they were waved, that is, resurrected, thereby becoming offerings before Jehovah in Christ’s resurrection.
The two cakes, the wafer, the fat, and the thigh were then offered up in smoke (indicating a slow burning to bring out the flavor) upon the burnt offering for a consecration offering by fire to Jehovah for a satisfying fragrance (v. 28). This satisfying fragrance is for God alone; it is His portion for His enjoyment. The tender, excellent parts (the fat), the strong part (the right thigh), and the two cakes and the one wafer — signifying different aspects of Christ’s sinless and Spirit-mingled humanity — are food not for the priests but for God. God’s portion was offered on the altar, which signifies the cross. This indicates that we offer God’s food in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering unto the death of the cross. Although this is for God’s satisfaction, it is also for our assuming of the New Testament priesthood.
We may proclaim the fact that we are God’s priests, but probably none among us ever realized how many matters are involved in being a priest. Fifty-five years ago I did not know that I needed the sin offering to remind me that I am nothing but flesh, an old man in the old creation who is linked with Satan, the world, and the struggle for power. I claimed to be a priest of God, yet I practiced my priesthood in ignorance. I did not know that to be a priest in the New Testament priesthood I needed Christ’s humanity, His strengthening power, and His loving capacity (signified by the breast waved as a wave offering — v. 29). If we all check our past, God’s light of grace will expose where we were as God’s priests — in the old creation, in the flesh, and in the natural life with the natural love, the natural affection. Concerning this, we all need to be exposed and cleansed. We need the cleansing blood on the tip of our right ear, on our right thumb, and on the big toe of our right foot.
“Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him; and he sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons and the garments of his sons with him” (v. 30). This signifies that God sprinkles us, the New Testament priests, and our conduct (garments), with the compounded Spirit and the redeeming blood of the cross of Christ to separate us, to make us holy unto Him.
No matter how much God has been working on us, dealing with our sin, our natural life, and the old man, we still need more “coats” of the anointing oil. The anointing oil refers to the processed Triune God with all that He has become, has done, and has passed through. Such a Triune God, who has been processed and has been compounded with the “spices” of incarnation, human living, an all-inclusive death, a wonderful resurrection, and an excellent ascension, has become the anointing oil, the ointment, to “paint” us (Exo. 30:23-30). We need to be painted again and again with the processed Triune God as the anointing oil.
In order to have the proper knowledge of our New Testament priesthood, we need to study the book of Leviticus. Leviticus is not only for the Old Testament saints. If we understand the typology of this book, we will see that point after point applies to us in a practical way today.
“Then Moses said to Aaron and to his sons, Boil the flesh at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and eat it there with the bread which is in the basket of the consecration offering, as I have commanded, saying, Aaron and his sons shall eat it” (v. 31). This signifies that Christ as the redeeming One with His humanity is food to us (John 6:51), the New Testament priests, at the entering in of the church life.
In Leviticus 8:28 we have God’s portion, and in verse 31 we have our portion. The flesh here refers to Christ as the redeeming One, and the bread refers to His humanity. Christ as the redeeming One with His humanity is our food.
“What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire” (v. 32). This signifies that the inexhaustible riches of Christ should be kept by God’s holiness.
Verse 32 indicates that the Christ whom we offer to God for His enjoyment and whom we also enjoy is inexhaustible. After God’s portion has been offered to Him and we have enjoyed our portion, something still remains. In Leviticus 8 the remainder was burned with fire, which signifies God’s holiness. From this we see that the inexhaustible riches of Christ should be kept in and by God’s holiness.
The consecrating priests remained at the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days for their propitiation (8:33-36). This signifies that our assuming of the New Testament priesthood should be thorough and complete for our propitiation at the entering in of the church life.
Verses 33 through 35 say, “You shall not go out from the entrance of the tent of meeting for seven days, until the day when the period of your consecration is fulfilled; for you shall be consecrated seven days. As it was done this day, so Jehovah has commanded to do, to make propitiation for you. You shall remain at the entrance of the tent of meeting day and night for seven days, and keep the charge of Jehovah, that you may not die; for so I have been commanded.” The same procedure was repeated for seven days. Each day the program was carried out in a solemn way, for every aspect of the program was solemn. This solemnity is indicated by the words “that you may not die.” Therefore, no one dared to be careless or loose. Everyone was aware of the seriousness of what was taking place and of what might happen if anyone was careless.
These verses should be a warning to us not to enter into the enjoyment of Christ in a careless way. We especially need this warning with respect to the Lord’s table. The bread signifies Christ’s body, and the wine signifies His blood. If we eat the bread and drink the wine without the proper discernment, our eating and drinking could be to our own judgment (1 Cor. 11:27-29). We need to be warned of the seriousness of participating in the fellowship in the enjoyment of Christ in a light or loose way.
The consecration of the priesthood lasted for seven days, with the same things repeated each day. Through this repetition, Aaron and his sons were no doubt deeply impressed with every matter. As God’s priests today, we also need to remember all the things involved in our consecration and ordination as priests. In particular, we need to be reminded that, in ourselves, we are sinners, even the flesh of sin.
The consecration of Aaron and his sons is solemn not only in its typology but also in its application to us today. If we realize the seriousness of this matter, we will also realize how much we need the Lord’s mercy and the cleansing of His blood. We will ask the Lord to be merciful to us, and we will hide under the covering of His blood.
