Exodus 29:35, commentary and pictures

God commanded that Aaron and his sons be set apart for priestly service by a seven-day consecration carried out exactly according to all He had commanded before their service began. The command belongs to the detailed instructions for the tabernacle and priesthood given by God to Moses during his forty days and nights in the mount, to be followed exactly and studied for its many lessons. The earthly sanctuary with its priestly service, sacrifices and offerings was a type, example, shadow and pattern of heavenly things, pointing to Christ and His work as priest upon the throne in dealing with sin. That typical service with its sacrifices passed away when Christ died once for all, while the sanctuary it typified is in heaven where Jesus now ministers. The blood placed on the right ear, right thumb and right great toe showed that hearing, work and walk were set apart to serve God only, and so the humblest child of God must now be as devoted and consecrated as the high priest was.

Setting and Consecration Rite

Exodus 29:35 belongs to the detailed instructions for the tabernacle and the consecration of Aaron and his sons, directions for building and preparing the sanctuary that were to be followed exactly. The chapter comes after the description of the priestly garments in Exodus 28 and gives the services connected with the consecration of the priests, and both chapters should be studied carefully together for their many instructive lessons. Even then their full meaning and the reasons for every detail may not be known. These instructions were received by Moses from God during his forty days and nights stay in the mountain, when he also received the tables of stone, concerning the construction of the tabernacle and its furniture and the sanctuary service before the ark containing God's law. They were given on the mountain before the sanctuary was built and set up.

The verse stands in the very minute description in Exodus 25 to 40 of the sanctuary built in the days of Moses, which Moses was instructed to make exactly according to the pattern shown him in the mount. Exodus 25-30 give the complete description of the tabernacle built by Moses together with all the furniture and vessels connected with it, made from offerings of gold, silver, brass, acacia wood, fine linen, goat's hair and other materials, for a sanctuary that God commanded to be made so He might dwell among the people. Those directions were given after He redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage with a mighty hand, and their hundreds of years of slavery had unfitted them to comprehend God's great salvation and the character He required, so God gave a great, multiple object-lesson by various forms and rites comprehending in its teaching the great plan of salvation. The pattern for the work was divine, given by God to Moses in the mount, the children of Israel were asked for free-will offerings of all that would be used in building and commanded to make Him a sanctuary that He might dwell among them, and God specially endowed His workmen to build it. That sanctuary was the portable inner tabernacle erected by Israel at the command of God in the wilderness, which is what the word sanctuary generally means, and that portable tabernacle was later replaced by Solomon's temple. In both buildings the worship of God on earth centered, with all earthly worship and service revolving around the holy of holies where the law of God rested with the mercy-seat over it, with the priesthood ministering before the ark containing that law.

The verse commands that Aaron and his sons be consecrated for seven days according to all God had commanded, thereby setting them apart for priestly service before that service began. Here sanctification means setting people apart for sacred service. The priesthood was committed to Aaron and his sons, so that afterward no one else was to perform priestly rites unless the Lord specially directed it.

Their consecration involved special garments and sacrifices according to all God had commanded, with blood applied to the right ear, right thumb, and right great toe, unleavened bread, the sacrifice's right shoulder, and anointing oil with blood. It required the same offerings and consecration required of a cleansed leper.

Earthly Type of Heavenly Ministry

Exodus 29:35 belongs to the description of the ancient tabernacle and its priestly service with its sacrifices and offerings, given in the explicit instructions to Moses in Exodus 25-31 for building the sanctuary and preparing its services. That sanctuary and its service was an object-lesson brought down to earth setting forth God's plan of government and how He deals with sin that sought to dethrone Him. It set forth His plan devised from eternity for salvation from sin, carried out as priest upon the throne, still king while executing the priest's office in dealing with sinners. The earthly sanctuary, its priestly service, sacrifices and offerings were a type, example, shadow and pattern of heavenly things, pointing to Christ and his work, and the consecration of Aaron and his sons prepared the Levitical priesthood to minister in that earthly sanctuary as a pattern of Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary.

That typical service with its sacrifices and offerings passed away and ended when Christ died once for all. The sanctuary it typified is in heaven where Jesus now ministers. The verse belongs to the laws given through Moses, including ceremonial laws concerning sacrifices and offerings as well as moral, civil, health and other laws, part of the body of laws whose shadows help trace the substance of the new dispensation. It is part of the ceremonial requirements given through Moses which were burdensome and imposed until the time of reformation, and part of the written law of ordinances which follows the moral law in the record.

The instructions cited with the verse place the candlestick with its seven lamps on the south side of the entrance to the holy place, the south side of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Because the earthly tabernacle was made in all things according to the pattern shown in the mount as an example and shadow of heavenly things, this placement proves the heavenly temple also has two holy places. It shows that the seven lamps of fire John saw burning before the throne are the golden candlestick in the holy place of the heavenly temple, where God manifests His presence. That is where Christ was officiating as priest in John's day in the continual daily work of intercession to stay judgment and spare the sinner until the cleansing of the sanctuary and blotting out of sin.

The command that Aaron and his sons be consecrated for seven days carried out all the instructions given to Moses, and by it Moses carried forward the ministration begun when he brought the tables of stone down by consecrating the Levitical order to minister before that law in the Most Holy Place of the typical sanctuary while it should continue. That ministration could only exhibit human guilt and just condemnation and death, containing in itself no promise of pardon. Its sacrifices could take away no sin but could only point penitent sinners forward to the great Sacrifice to be offered for the sins of men.

Sanctified Life and Worship

Aaron and his sons were to be consecrated for seven days according to all that had been commanded, with special garments and sacrifices and with blood applied to the right ear, the right thumb, and the right great toe. The blood touched on the right ear set hearing apart for God to know no voice but His, and the blood put on the thumb and on the toe set the work of the hands and the walk of the feet apart to serve Him only. The unleavened bread used in that consecration represented sincerity and truth, and the right shoulder of the sacrifice pictured the priests bearing the burdens of the people. The same offerings and consecration were required of a cleansed leper, and the anointing oil placed upon the blood signified the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ, present wherever there is cleansing and consecration, which qualified them for sacred office.

The command to consecrate Aaron and his sons belongs to the instructions given during the forty days and nights in the mountain concerning the sanctuary and its worship, and such careful direction for worship and its services is meant to bring people into harmony with the holy law. Those instructions for building the sanctuary and preparing its services set forth as an object-lesson brought down to earth the plan of government and how God deals with those who by sin have sought to dethrone Him, even His plan devised from eternity for salvation from sin carried out as priest upon the throne, still King while executing the priest's office in dealing with sinners. They show that the people are so intimately related to the sanctuary that they cooperate with God in His work through Christ in the sanctuary, the divine and the human cooperating at every step, beginning with God making His purpose known so they could act their part by making Him a sanctuary that He might dwell among them.

For this reason the humblest child of God must be as devoted and consecrated as the high priest was, as devoted and consecrated as Christ.