Exodus 29:34

29:1-37 Aaron and his sons were to be set apart for the priest's office, with ceremony and solemnity. Our Lord Jesus is the great High Priest of our profession, called of God to be so; anointed with the Spirit, whence he is called Messiah, the Christ; clothed with glory and beauty; sanctified by his own blood; made perfect, or consecrated through sufferings, Heb 2:10. All believers are spiritual priests, to offer spiritual sacrifices,

And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning,.... Being more than the priests could eat: then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire; that it might not be used in a contemptuous manner, or abused to superstitious uses; the same orders with those respecting what was left of the passover: Exodus 12:10, it shall not be eaten, because it is holy; which is the reason before given why it should not be eaten by a stranger, and being kept till the next morning it was ordered to be burnt, that it might not then be eaten at all; it was not to be given to a stranger, nor to be cast to dogs, because it had been devoted to sacred uses; and it seems as if it was not to be eaten by the priests themselves the next day, who were to live upon the daily provision made for them.

10-22. And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle—This part of the ceremonial consisted of three sacrifices: (1) The sacrifice of a bullock, as a sin offering; and in rendering it, the priest was directed to put his hand upon the head of his sacrifice, expressing by that act a consciousness of personal guilt, and a wish that it might be accepted as a vicarious satisfaction. (2) The sacrifice of a ram as a burnt offering (Ex 29:15-18). The ram was to be wholly burnt, in token of the priest's dedication of himself to God and His service. The sin offering was first to be presented, and then the burnt offering; for until guilt be removed, no acceptable service can be performed. (3) There was to be a peace offering, called "the ram of consecration" (Ex 29:19-22). And there was a marked peculiarity in the manner in which this other ram was to be disposed of. The former was for the glory of God—this was for the comfort of the priest himself; and as a sign of a mutual covenant being ratified, the blood of the sacrifice was divided—part sprinkled on the altar round about, and part upon the persons and garments of the priests. Nay, the blood was, by a singular act, directed to be put upon the extremities of the body, thereby signifying that the benefits of the atonement would be applied to the whole nature of man.

Moreover, the flesh of this sacrifice was to be divided, as it were, between God and the priest—part of it to be put into his hand to be waved up and down, in token of its being offered to God, and then it was to be burnt upon the altar; the other part was to be eaten by the priests at the door of the tabernacle—that feast being a symbol of communion or fellowship with God. These ceremonies, performed in the order described, showed the qualifications necessary for the priests. (See Heb 7:26, 27; 10:14).

Consecration of Aaron and his Sons through the anointing of their persons and the offering of sacrifices, the directions for which form the subject of vv. 1-35. This can only be fully understood in connection with the sacrificial law contained in Leviticus 1-7 . It will be more advisable therefore to defer the examination of this ceremony till we come to Leviticus 8 , where the consecration itself is described. The same may also be said of the expiation and anointing of the altar, which are commanded in Exodus 29:36 and Exodus 29:37 , and carried out in Leviticus 8:11 .

4. The absolute necessity of that holiness without which none can see the Lord. And these subjects should be diligently kept in view by all those who wish to profit by the curious and interesting details given in this chapter. In the notes these topics are frequently introduced. 28. Aaron's vestments to descend to his son, who shall succeed him, Exodus 29:29, Exodus 29:30. Aaron and his sons to eat the flesh of the ram of consecration, Exodus 29:31, Exodus 29:32. No stranger to eat of it, Exodus 29:33. Nothing of it to be left till the morning, but to be burnt with fire, Exodus 29:34. Seven days to be employed in consecrating Aaron and his sons, Exodus 29:35-37. Two lambs, one for the morning and the other for the evening sacrifice, to be offered continually, Exodus 29:38-42. God promises to sanctify Israel with his glory, and to dwell among them, Exodus 29:43-46. 1. That no man could foretell events unless inspired by the Spirit of God. And therefore the prophet was anointed, to signify the communication of the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge. 2. That no person could offer an acceptable sacrifice to God for the sins of men, or profitably minister in holy things, unless enlightened, influenced, and directed by the Spirit of grace and holiness. Hence the priest was anointed, to signify his being Divinely qualified for the due performance of his sacred functions. 3. That no man could enact just and equitable laws, which should have the prosperity of the community and the welfare of the individual continually in view, or could use the power confided to him only for the suppression of vice and the encouragement of virtue, but that man who was ever under the inspiration of the Almighty. Hence kings were inaugurated by anointing with oil. Two of these officers only exist in all civilized nations, the sacerdotal and regal; and in some countries the priest and king are still consecrated by anointing. In the Hebrew language ‫משח‬ mashach signifies to anoint, and ‫משיח‬ mashiach, the anointed person. But as no man was ever dignified by holding the three offices, so no person ever had the title mashiach, the anointed one, but Jesus the Christ. He alone is King of kings and Lord of lords: the king who governs the universe, and rules in the hearts of his followers; the prophet, to instruct men in the way wherein they should go; and the great high priest, to make atonement for their sins. Hence he is called the Messias, a corruption of the word ‫המש‬ ‫יח‬ hammashiach, The anointed One, in Hebrew; which gave birth to ὁ Χριστος, ho Christos, which has precisely the same signification in Greek. Of him, Melchizedek, Abraham, Aaron, David, and others were illustrious types. But none of these had the title of The Messiah, or The Anointed of God. This does, and ever will, belong exclusively to Jesus the Christ.

[Reformed Biblical] e Exo_29:20. Leviticus 8:24 Leviticus 8:25 Leviticus 8:26 Leviticus 8:27 Leviticus 8:28 Leviticus 8:29 ## Moses at this time administering the priest’s office was to receive the priest’s wages; it being most just and reasonable that the work and wages should go together. Leviticus 8:30 Leviticus 8:31 ## Boil the flesh, that which was left of the ram, and particularly the breast, which was said to be Moses’s part, Lev_8:29, and by him was given to Aaron, that he and his sons might eat of it, in token that they, and only they, should have the right to do so for the future. Leviticus 8:32 Leviticus 8:33 ## For seven days the same ceremonies were to be repeated, as the next verse implies, and other rit es to be perfor med. ## He consecrate you; either God or Moses; for the words may be spoken by Moses, either in God’s name, or in his own; Moses speaking of himself in the third person, which is very common in Scripture. Leviticus 8:34 Leviticus 8:35 ## The charge of the Lord; what God hath commanded you concerning your consecra