To be qualified to serve God as priests, Aaron and his sons had to be sanctified, to be set apart by being marked out. The mark that set apart, sanctified, Aaron and his sons to be the priests was the filling of their hands with the offerings (v. 24 see note Exo. 28:41^1b), signifying the filling of the believers with the riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8) through their subjective experience of Him as the reality of the offerings (Heb. 10:5-10). The steps in sanctifying Aaron and his sons included the washing away of their uncleanness (v. 4), the covering of their nakedness by the priestly garments (vv. 5-9), the dealing with their sinful nature through the sin offering (vv. 10-14), and the feeding of God and the priests with the burnt offering (vv. 15-18) and the peace offering (vv. 19-28). This was not merely a consecration or ordination of Aaron and his sons. See also note Exo. 29:28¹.

The bull was offered to God as a sin offering (vv. 10-14), the first ram, as a burnt offering (vv. 15-18), and the second ram, as a peace offering (vv. 19-28). The sin offering is for redemption, the burnt offering is for fellowship with God, and the peace offering is for enjoyment and satisfaction with God. The bull in this chapter typifies the crucified Christ, and the two rams signify the resurrected Christ. As the crucified and resurrected One, Christ not only represents us but also includes us. Hence, when He was crucified, we were crucified with Him (Gal. 2:20a), and when He was resurrected and presented to God, we were in Him (John 20:17 and note John 20:17¹; Eph. 2:6a).

The blood here typifies the blood of Christ shed for redemption (Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:12; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).

Christ as the trespass offering (Lev. 5:1-19; 6:1-7; Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18) deals with our sins, our outward sinful deeds, and Christ as the sin offering (Lev. 4:1-35; Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:26) deals with our sin, our inward sinful nature. Whenever we come to serve God as priests, we must realize and confess that we still have a sinful nature (Rom. 7:17-18a; 1 John 1:8 and note 1 John 1:8¹) and that we need Christ experientially to be our sin offering to deal with that nature. Through the fall we were constituted of sin (Rom. 5:19) and even became sin (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21). Enjoying Christ as our sin offering subdues and preserves us, causing us to have no confidence in ourselves (Phil. 3:3), and also prepares the way for us to enjoy Christ further as the priestly food, typified by the rams and the unleavened bread, cakes, and wafers (vv. 1-2, 32-33). Furthermore, it solves the problem of sin between us and God, reconciling us to God and making peace with God for us (1, Rom. 5:10), that we may serve Christ to God as food in an atmosphere of peace (vv. 38-42).

See note Exo. 29:21^1a, par. 2.

Referring to the engraved gold plate worn on the turban of the high priest (Exo. 28:36-38). That holiness is exalted here as a crown indicates that holiness in divinity is exalted for glory.

The priestly garments signify Christ as the outward expression of the priests, full of beauty and glory (Exo. 28:2 and notes). The clothing of Aaron and his sons was to cover their nakedness, i.e., to cover the appearance of their flesh, their natural being, which is uncomely and abominable in the sight of God (Rom. 8:7-8).

The sanctifying of the priests included both the clothing of the priests with the priestly garments outwardly (vv. 5, 9) and the feeding of the priests with the offerings inwardly (vv. 32-33). To be sanctified to be God’s priests, we need to be clothed with Christ outwardly and nourished with Christ inwardly (cf. Luke 15:22-23).

The richest and sweetest of the inward parts of the ram, and the right thigh, with one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, were burned on the altar to be God’s food for God’s satisfaction (vv. 22-25). The right breast of the ram was first waved before God and then given to Moses as his portion (v. 26), and both the left breast and the left thigh were heaved up before God and then given to Aaron and his sons, along with the bread, to be their portion (vv. 27-28, 31-32).

The fat (v. 22) signifies the tender and excellent parts of Christ as the portion that is for God, and the right thigh signifies Christ as our strength to stand. The unleavened loaf, the cake of oiled bread, and the wafer (vv. 2, 23) signify, respectively, Christ as the food that is without sin, Christ as the food that is mingled with the Spirit, and Christ as the food that is available and easy to take in and that is good for feeding the young ones (see note Lev. 2:4⁴ in ). The putting of all these portions on the palms of Aaron and of his sons, the waving of them as a wave offering, and the burning of them on the altar upon the burnt offering for an offering of consecration (vv. 24-25) signifies that the tender, excellent, and strong parts of Christ, with His sinless but Spirit-mingled humanity in different aspects as food, are offered to God in Christ’s resurrection (waved — see note Exo. 29:24¹) as a satisfying and fragrant offering in the fellowship of His sufferings unto death on the cross for our assuming of the New Testament priesthood.

The washing of Aaron and his sons with water signifies the washing away of the believers’ uncleanness with the water in the Word (Heb. 10:22; John 15:3; cf. Eph. 5:26). This washing sanctifies and cleanses the believers to serve God as priests.

See note Lev. 2:4³. So also for v. 40.

The bull and the two rams were of the animal life, signifying Christ as the redeeming life (John 1:29), and the bread, the cakes, and the wafers were of the vegetable life, signifying Christ as the generating life (John 12:24). The sanctification of those who would serve God as priests involves the experience of Christ as both the animal life for redemption and the vegetable life for generation.

See note Exo. 29:1².

The burnt offering, signifying Christ as the One who was absolutely for God’s satisfaction (John 5:19, 30; 6:38; 7:18; 8:29; 14:24), was God’s food (Num. 28:2-3). The blood was sprinkled on and around the altar on earth (v. 16) for the priests’ redemption and peace (cf. Heb. 9:14), and the sweet savor ascended to heaven for God’s enjoyment and satisfaction. Because we are sinful, we need Christ’s redemption, and because we are not for God, we need Christ as our burnt offering to satisfy God in full. See notes in Lev. 1.

Or, soothing. So also in v. 25 and v. 41.

Lit., cause to rise in smoke. So also in v. 18 and v. 25. This word is used for the burning (offering) of burnt offerings and incense. Two kinds of burning are mentioned in vv. 13-14. In this verse the burning of the fat and the inward parts of the bull on the altar was not for judgment but to produce a sweet savor for God’s enjoyment. This burning signifies the riches and sweetness of the inner being of Christ offered to God to satisfy the requirements of His righteousness, holiness, and glory (see note Gen. 3:24^1a). In v. 14 the burning outside the camp (signifying abandonment and judgment) of the flesh, the skin, and the dung was a burning of judgment, signifying the outward being of Christ sacrificed for the believers on the earth for their redemption (cf. Heb. 13:11-13). By these two kinds of burning, Christ as the sin offering fulfilled God’s requirements and bore God’s judgment on our behalf.

The inward parts and the fat signify the riches and sweetness of what Christ is in His inner being for God’s satisfaction.

Putting some of the blood of the sin offering on the horns of the altar and pouring the rest out at the base of the altar signifies making the redemption of Christ powerful with a strong foundation. See note Exo. 27:2^1a.

Signifying that Christ was slain by God, represented by Moses, before God Himself in front of His people (Isa. 53:10).

The laying on of hands here and in v. 15 and v. 19 signifies the identification of Aaron and his sons with the offering (cf. Lev. 1:4; Acts 13:3). In order to be priests we need to be one with Christ as the burnt offering: whatever we are and do must be slaughtered, cut in pieces, washed, and burned on the altar (the cross) entirely for God’s enjoyment and satisfaction. See notes on Lev. 1:5-9.

To serve God as priests, our hearing (ears), our working (hands), and our walking (feet) must be cleansed and sanctified by Christ’s redeeming blood. We must learn how to listen to the word of God (cf. Exo. 21:2-6; Isa. 50:4-5; Luke 10:38-42), to do what is required by Him, and to walk according to His way in serving Him. In Lev. 14:14 the same procedure was used in the cleansing of a leper, indicating that in the eyes of God we sinners who have been ordained to be His priests are unclean, like lepers.

The sprinkling of the blood and the anointing oil on Aaron and his sons and on their garments to sanctify them signifies that God sprinkles us, the New Testament priests, and our conduct (garments) with the redeeming blood of Christ and the compound Spirit (the anointing oil — Exo. 30:22-33) to separate us, to make us holy, unto Him. The blood implies termination and redemption, and the anointing oil implies germination, a new beginning. As terminated, redeemed, and germinated ones, the priests had a new beginning, through which they could serve God (cf. Rom. 7:6).

In v. 7 Aaron was anointed apart from the blood. This is a type of the anointing of Christ by God apart from redemption (Psa. 133:2). A second anointing was needed here, with the anointing oil and the sprinkling of the redeeming blood, because unlike Christ, Aaron and his sons were sinful. The blood being mentioned first here indicates that we must first have the redeeming blood, and then we can participate in the anointing Spirit. Where the blood washes, the Spirit anoints. See note Exo. 30:25¹ and note Exo. 30:26^1a.

See note Exo. 29:21^1a.

The breast signifies love. Hence, the breast waved as a wave offering typifies the resurrected Christ in love.

The wave breast being Moses’ portion signifies that the loving capacity of Christ in His resurrection is for the one who ministers Christ to us in our consecration for the priesthood. Whenever we, the serving ones, minister Christ to others, we deserve to enjoy the very Christ whom we minister (cf. 1 Cor. 9:23).

The thigh signifies strength and power, and heaving up signifies ascension. Hence, the heave thigh signifies the exalted and ascended Christ in power. The portion of the priests included the wave breast and the heave thigh, signifying that they enjoyed Christ in resurrection with love and Christ in ascension with power.

The bread, the cake, and the wafer signify Christ in His outward behavior (see note Lev. 2:1^2b). The riches and sweetness of Christ’s inner being (v. 22) and the preciousness of Christ’s outward conduct are holy portions for God’s satisfaction.

Waving, indicating movement, typifies Christ moving in His resurrection. Hence, the wave offering typifies Christ in resurrection. The offerings were first “killed,” and then they were waved, i.e., resurrected, thereby becoming offerings before God in Christ’s resurrection.

That which filled the priests’ hands (v. 24) was offered to God, showing that the priestly service is to offer, to minister, Christ to God in a detailed way for His satisfaction (Rom. 15:16; Heb. 13:15-16).

In the offering of the peace offering, God, Moses, and the priests each had a portion (see note Exo. 29:22¹). In type, all three parties enjoyed Christ, the all-inclusive One, as a feast. In such a situation there is full peace and satisfaction. This is the filling of hands for consecration (see note Exo. 28:41^1b), and this is true sanctification. At this point Aaron and his sons were fully sanctified, separated, having been washed from their uncleanness, clothed for their nakedness, redeemed from their sinful nature, and filled with the offerings as types of Christ. They had something in their hands to offer to God, and they also had a portion with which to satisfy themselves. Thus they were fully equipped and qualified to serve God as priests.

The offerings as the priestly food typify Christ. By eating the peace offering the priests, in type, were constituted with Christ, saturated with Christ and transformed with Him. Hence, they were sanctified both positionally and dispositionally; they were separated in position and transformed in disposition. This is the full meaning of sanctification in the Scriptures (Rom. 6:19 and note Rom. 6:19^2b).

Seven days signifies a full course of time, i.e., our entire Christian life, from the time we are saved until the Lord’s coming back. The wearing of the holy garments seven days signifies that if we would be proper priests serving God, we need to live Christ day by day, wearing Him in His different aspects for the full course of our Christian life on earth.

Burning implies God’s judgment. Anything offered to God for His enjoyment must be judged by Him, i.e., burned by His holy fire (vv. 18, 25). However, the priests’ food was not burned but boiled, which does not imply judgment. Cf. note Exo. 12:9¹.

The tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, is a type of the church. The eating of the flesh and the bread at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting signifies that Christ as the redeeming One (the flesh) with His humanity (the bread) is food to us (John 6:51), the New Testament priests, only in the church life.

The food for the priests was the topmost portion of the top tenth offered to God by the children of Israel from the harvest of the good land (Num. 18:26). That this portion was enjoyed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting signifies that the topmost enjoyment of Christ is in the church meeting.

See note Lev. 16:1¹.

Christ as the holy food is to be eaten only by holy people in a holy place (vv. 31-32), i.e., in the church meeting.

The altar was cleansed by the blood of the burnt offering for expiation that was offered upon it. It was also sanctified by being anointed with oil. After the altar was sanctified, it became most holy, and everything offered on it spontaneously became holy (v. 37).

That something remained after God’s portion had been offered to Him and the priests had enjoyed their portion signifies that the Christ whom we offer to God for His enjoyment and whom we also enjoy is inexhaustible. The burning of the remainder with fire signifies that the inexhaustible riches of Christ should be kept in and by God’s holiness (fire).

In typology the morning denotes the time of the Lord’s coming back (2 Pet. 1:19; Mal. 4:2). That the flesh and the bread that remained until the morning were not to be eaten by the priests but were to be burned for God’s enjoyment signifies that we should experience and enjoy Christ today and should not save Christ for our enjoyment in the future at His coming back.

The offering of a bull as a sin offering on each of the seven days (v. 35) of the priests’ sanctification indicates that if we would serve God as priests, we should offer Christ to God as our sin offering every day of our Christian life (cf. note Exo. 29:30^1a). See note Exo. 29:14^1b.

Lit., make a bull as sin (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21).

God’s daily food consisted of two lambs as a burnt offering (vv. 38-42a), fine flour mingled with oil as a meal offering (vv. 40-41 see note Lev. 2:4³), and wine as a drink offering (vv. 40-41), all of which signify different aspects of Christ. The lamb signifies Christ (John 1:29) as the One who was obedient to God (Phil. 2:8; Rom. 5:18-19) and meek before man (Isa. 53:7). Flour, made from wheat (v. 2), typifies Christ as the life supply and the One who produces life (John 6:41; 12:24). Oil typifies Christ as the anointing Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17), and wine typifies Christ enjoyed by us and poured out in and with us unto God for His satisfaction (cf. Phil. 2:17 and note Phil. 2:17¹). Wheat flour is produced by the grinding of wheat grains, and oil and wine, by the pressing of olives and grapes, respectively. Both grinding and pressing signify the operation of the cross.

All the items offered to God as His food were things grown, raised, reaped, and processed by the children of Israel. Hence, they were subjective to the children of Israel. This indicates that the Christ whom we offer to God as His food must be subjective to us, the produce of our living Him and experiencing Him in all the aforementioned aspects, based on our daily offering of Him as our sin offering (v. 36).

Lit., between the two evenings; referring to the time interval between sunset and darkness. So also in v. 41 and Exo. 30:8.

See note Lev. 23:13^2a.

The result of the life depicted in this chapter, in which we have the priestly garments (vv. 29-30), the priestly food (vv. 31-34), and the food offered to God by the priests (vv. 35-42a), is that God comes to meet with us, eat with us, speak with us, and dwell among us (vv. 42, 45-46).