In the previous chapter, we read about the priest’s clothing; in this chapter, we read about how the priests consecrated themselves, Exodus 29:1. The priests are set apart for the service for which God had chosen them. Moses is to take a young bull and two rams without defect, Exodus 29:1.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘God is addressing Moses in this command, for Moses himself will act as High Priest in the consecration of the Jewish priesthood, despite the fact that Moses was never to hold that office. Moses was indeed a priest after the manner of all priests during the Patriarchal Dispensation of God’s grace. Significantly, on the mountain of transfiguration, it was not Aaron who appeared with Elijah and Christ, but Moses.’
From the finest wheat flour he is to make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil, Exodus 29:2.
Moses is to then put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams, Exodus 29:3 / Leviticus 8:2. He is to bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water, Exodus 29:4 / Leviticus 8:6.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This concerns the ‘washing” of the candidate for the priesthood. Standing, as it does, at the head of the list on the agenda of the consecration ceremonies, it is typical of Christian baptism, the initiatory rite into the Christian religion. Esses, a former Rabbi now a believer in Christ, went so far as to call the ablution here ‘their baptism.’
Moses is to take the garments and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece and fasten the ephod on him by its skilfully woven waistband, Exodus 29:5 / Leviticus 8:7.
The turban is to be placed on Aaron’s head and the sacred emblem to the turban is to be attached, Exodus 29:6. Moses is to then take the anointing oil and anoint Aaron by pouring it on his head, Exodus 29:7 / Leviticus 8:12.
Aaron’s sons were to be dressed in tunics and have their caps fastened on them, then Moses was to tie sashes on Aaron and his sons, Exodus 29:8-9 / Leviticus 8:13.
Rawlinson, in his commentary, says the following.
‘They do not seem to have been anointed, as Aaron was, by having oil poured upon their heads, but only by having some of it sprinkled upon their garments, Exodus 29:21 / Leviticus 8:30.’
God declares that the priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance, then Moses shall ordain Aaron and his sons, Exodus 28:9. Aaron was appointed as the high priest, and his sons as priests, and they were established as priests for the rest of their lives.
Their successors would also be priests for life. Because Christians make up a royal priesthood, 1 Peter 2:5 / 1 Peter 2:9, after the pattern established for priests of God, they also are on duty as priests for the rest of their lives. Jesus is now functioning as our high priest, Hebrews 5:6, but all Christians function as God’s priests to the world.
After the children of Israel had left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, God called Moses up to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments and the pattern of the Tabernacle from God. Whilst Moses was away, a critical problem of idolatry arose among the children of Israel, who remained down on the Plain, Numbers 3:3-37.
The tribe of Levi showed itself to be definitely on the Lord’s side at that time. Exodus 32:25-28. Levi was the tribe to which both Moses and Aaron belonged. As a result of their taking sides with the Lord, the tribe of Levi, the Levites, was selected to take care of the Tabernacle of the Testimony, Exodus 38:21. As a whole, the Levites became responsible for ‘the service of the work of the Tent of Meeting’, the tabernacle.
The Hebrew word translated service also means ‘warfare.’ Therefore, their ‘service’ in the Tabernacle was a figure of spiritual warfare; as at the golden calf incident, the Levites were on the Lord’s side, Exodus 32:25-28. Levi had had three sons, Gershon, Kohath and Merari. The Levites’ work was partitioned according to their families.
The family of Gershon were responsible for carrying and setting up the curtains of the outer court, the coverings of the tabernacle, the curtain door to the sanctuary, the curtain door to the outer court, together with all the ropes and fixings required for securing these curtains, Numbers 3:25-26.
The family of Merari were responsible for carrying and setting up the Boards, the Bars and the Pillars and Sockets of the Outer Court, Numbers 3:36-37.
The family of Kohath were responsible for carrying and placing the Ark of the Covenant, the Veil, the Golden Incense Altar, the Lampstand, the Showbread Table, the Laver and the Burnt Offering Altar, together with all the utensils required, Numbers 3:31.
The children of Israel knew when it was time to move on in their journey through the wilderness, because the pillar of cloud, by day or fire, by night, would move as a signal leading them. The Levites would dismantle the tabernacle, carry it to the destination, determined by the pillar of cloud and fire and then reassemble it at the new location.
When the tabernacle was reared up at a new location, God commanded that the tribes be settled around it in a specific order. Numbers 2:1-34. On the East side were Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. On the South side were Reuben, Simeon and Gad.
On the Westside were Ephraim and Manasseh (the sons of Joseph) and Benjamin. On the North side were Dan, Asher and Naphtali. The Levites were to encamp all the way around the tabernacle, Numbers 1:53.