Exodus 29:30, commentary and pictures

The verse directs that the son who succeeds his father as priest, Aaron's eldest son succeeding him as high priest, shall wear the priestly garments for seven days when he enters the tabernacle to serve in the holy place, and that seven-day wearing is the consecration that sets him apart for God's service. The holy place where he serves is the first apartment of the Mosaic tabernacle, twice as large as the most holy place behind the veil, and the direction belongs to the sanctuary instructions given to Moses in the mount in Exodus 25-31 to be made exactly according to the pattern shown him. The earthly sanctuary and its priestly service were a shadow of the heavenly sanctuary where Jesus now ministers as High Priest in the true tabernacle, its ceremonies pointing to Christ and His power to forgive sin and belonging to the system of sacrifices and offerings that ended when Christ died once for all. It stands among the ceremonial laws and ordinances given through Moses concerning priestly service, distinct from the moral law of the Ten Commandments which God spoke directly from Sinai and wrote on stone, part of the added precepts and carnal ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. Even where the reasons for every detail cannot be fully grasped, the careful appointment of the tabernacle, priestly attire, and consecration sets forth God's plan of salvation from sin for instruction and spiritual encouragement, showing that the humblest child of God must be as devoted and consecrated as Christ was.

Words and Sanctuary Setting

The term rendered holy place denotes a holy place or sanctuary, specifically the tabernacle itself, rather than simply the quality of holiness. That holy place in which the priest ministers is the first of the two apartments of the Mosaic tabernacle, separated by a veil from the most holy place. It was twenty cubits long, ten cubits wide, and ten cubits high, twice as large as the most holy place, which was ten cubits in each of its dimensions. Its sides and west end, with those of the other apartment, were made of acacia boards overlaid with gold, secured below by tenons fitted into silver sockets weighing a talent each and held above by bars placed through rings on the boards. It stood at the center of Israel's worship, where the priest ministered facing west with his back to the eastern entrance.

The verse prescribes that the son who is priest in his stead shall put on the priestly garments seven days when he comes into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place. The priesthood passes from father to son, with Aaron's eldest son succeeding him as high priest. The seven-day wearing of the garments is the consecration that sets the priests apart for God's service, as described for Aaron and his sons in Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8. That consecration account belongs with the description of the garments prepared for the priests in Exodus 28, and both chapters are to be carefully studied together. It belongs to the instructions for consecrating and serving in the Levitical priesthood of the earthly sanctuary, whose ministry included the daily services in the holy place.

The verse belongs to the sanctuary instructions given to Moses in the mount, recorded in Exodus 25-31. It comes before the building and setting up of the sanctuary in Exodus 33-40. It stands within the full minute description of the sanctuary, its building, furnishings, and priestly attire that begins in Exodus 25 and continues to the end of Exodus. It is part of the detailed directions for building and furnishing the sanctuary whose central place was the holy of holies, with the ark containing God's law beneath the mercy seat. The whole sanctuary was made exactly according to the pattern shown to Moses in the mount. Its careful details of tabernacle and priestly attire offer instruction and spiritual encouragement even when the reasons for every detail cannot be fully grasped.

Its historical setting is God's direction for worship after redeeming Israel from Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand. Because long slavery had unfitted Israel to comprehend God's great salvation and the character He required, God gave a great multiple object-lesson by various forms and rites comprehending the plan of salvation. He asked free-will offerings of the children of Israel to make Him a sanctuary that He might dwell among them. He then gave the divine pattern to Moses in the mount with directions for building and description of the marvelously beautiful structure, and specially endowed His workmen to build it.

Type and Doctrinal Distinction

The direction for the succeeding priest to wear the priestly garments seven days when entering the tabernacle to minister belongs to the directions for the earthly sanctuary's priestly service. That earthly sanctuary and its rites were a shadow of the heavenly sanctuary and of Christ's ministry as High Priest in the true tabernacle where Jesus now ministers. Its ceremonies pointed to Christ and His power to forgive sin and transform character. This service belonged to the system of sacrifices and offerings that ended when Christ died once for all. The specific meaning of the garments or the seven days is not explained.

Exodus 29 sets apart the Levitical order of priesthood to minister before the ark containing the two tables in the Most Holy Place of the typical sanctuary while that sanctuary continued. That work carried forward through the entire Old Testament period the ministration commenced by Moses in bringing down the law. That priesthood ministered before the ark of the testament in the typical sanctuary and offered no sacrifice that could take away sin, but could only point penitent sinners forward to the great Sacrifice to be offered for the sins of men. In contrast stands the ministration of pardon, hope, and salvation through Christ the life-giving Spirit and great High Priest ministering before the ark of God's testament in the heavenly sanctuary.

The verse is part of the ceremonial laws given through Moses concerning priestly service, belonging to the laws of offerings, sacrifices, and types. It belongs to the written law of ordinances given by the hand of Moses, distinguished from the moral law, and written out after the record reaches Moses's time. It was given after God had spoken the Ten Commandments directly from Sinai and added no more, and it is not part of what God spoke and wrote on the tables of stone. It stands among the additional precepts, statutes, and laws recorded chiefly in Exodus 25-30 and Leviticus. Those include burdensome ceremonies such as required yearly pilgrimages, circumcision, diverse washings, and carnal ordinances imposed until the time of reformation, a yoke which neither the fathers nor their children were able to bear. God's people are to remember those laws of offerings, sacrifices, and types so the substance of the new dispensation can be traced through the shadows of the old.

Exodus 29 establishes that the priesthood was committed to Aaron and his sons, and priestly rites were not to be performed by others unless the Lord specifically directed it. Saul had not been ordained for priestly service, so his offering sacrifices himself violated this order.

Instruction and Present Application

The detailed instructions for the tabernacle and for the priestly attire of Aaron and his sons carry instruction and spiritual encouragement even where the reason for every detail cannot be fully grasped. Those explicit directions for preparing the sanctuary services set forth God's plan for salvation from sin.

The direction belongs to God's separate set of laws for regulating the worship of Israel, distinct from the set of laws for civil government in Exodus 21 to 23. Priestly service in the tabernacle therefore belongs to the religious system, whose officers and work are plainly designated apart from civil rulers. Civil government is a temporary arrangement made necessary by sin, ordained only to control men and regulate their relations toward each other in this life, and it is impotent to turn hearts to God. Religion is designed to bring men back to God by persuading them to be reconciled to Him. The two systems must go side by side in the world with entirely separate lines of operation, and any commingling of them produces discord detrimental to both.

The consecration required of the high priest in putting on the holy garments seven days to minister in the holy place, with its offerings, was also required of the cleansed leper. The humblest child of God must therefore be as devoted and consecrated as Christ was.