Title: Priest and Blood (Ex 29:35-46)
Content God created man in his image and entrusted his work to man. However, human beings do not do God's work, but fall into the devil's temptation and become a person who only works on the devil's work. Since it was said, “In the day that you eat it, you will surely die”, man deserves to die. Nevertheless, the God of love wanted to save sinful humans. He wanted to destroy the devil and Satan who rebelled against him, but he wanted to save those who fell into temptation and sinned. So he promised to send the Messiah, and until the Messiah came, he had priests to serve as mediators between God and humans. Messiah in Hebrew is [ponynex]. It means ‘one who lays a bridge’. Humans did not become bridge builders voluntarily, but God established them. God established it and appeared to the priest and delivered His word. The priests that God establishes have historically gone through four stages.
First, he wanted to use the entire nation of Israel as priests (Nation Priests). There are 254 countries on the earth. We do not know how many countries and people lived at that time, but God wanted to save all mankind through Israel. “You shall become a kingdom of priests to me and a holy people, and you shall tell the children of Israel these words” (Exodus 19:6).
Second, he made the tribe of Levi a priest. (tribe priest)
However, the children of Korah Ido rebelled and the last priest Eli fell, and the end came to an end.
The third is the age of the Nazarite priesthood.
After Eli, the last Levite priest, Samuel becomes the priest. Samuel is from the tribe of Ephraim, not from the tribe of Levi. “In the hill country of Ephraim there was a man named Elkanah an Ephraimite named Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, and the great-grandson of Shub” (1 Samuel 1:1).
To become a Nazarite, you must do three things:
① Do not put wine in your mouth. Wine symbolizes joy and pleasure. For the Nazarite to abstain from wine, it means that he must have given up the pleasures of the world and given up the joys.
② Do not cut your hair. A person who has not shaved his head looks filthy. Not having a haircut means that only a person who can endure the world's humiliation for the Lord's work can become a priest.
③ No corpse should come close. In Numbers 6, we find the commandments that the Nazarites must keep. Even the dead bodies of parents and wives should never be near. Being unable to get close to the corpse means that you must sanctify yourself from all unclean things.
The fourth is the age of all priests.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the goodness of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
All the saints in the New Testament era are chosen saints, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. The term "priest of all" was coined by Martin Luther, the founder of the Reformation. In the Old Testament times, only the priests offered sacrifices in the tabernacle and sanctuary. However, due to the phenomenon that appeared the moment Jesus was crucified and died, the limit of being a priest was broken. The tabernacle is divided into the Court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy. The sanctuary and the holy of holies cannot be entered without a priest. There is a veil between the Holy and Most Holy, which was torn from top to bottom when Jesus' body was torn. This insignia is 10 cm thick. 16 horses had to be split into two sides to tear them apart. When Jesus heard the sound of the veil being torn, He said it is finished.
One day Jesus went to Jerusalem with a priest and saw a magnificent temple. It was a temple built by Herod over 46 years for political purposes. While the disciples were admiring the grandeur of the temple, Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.” This was referring to his own body. The veil of the sanctuary speaks of Jesus. By his tear, we have the status and right to go before God. All the saints could see where only the priest could enter, and they could pray and worship at will.
In the tabernacle, prayers were to be held in front of the altar of incense. Lay people could not pray, and the priest prayed in front of him instead. The people simply passed on the prayer request to the priest. However, believers in the New Testament can pray anywhere, anytime. You are free to enter and exit the temple like a priest. I was able to read the Bible and pray. Not only me who became a pastor, but all of you are priests.
Now, looking at the priest's commissioning ceremony, let's look at the relationship between the priest and blood. According to Exodus 29:35, the ordination ceremony is to be held for 7 days, but one cow and two sheep must be sacrificed every day.
“You shall do the same to Aaron and his sons, as I commanded you, to be pregnant for seven days” (Exodus 29:35).
At this time, he took the oil-mixed cakes, rice cakes, and unleavened bread, and went to the front of the tabernacle, washed himself, put on his clothes, and laid his hands on the head of the ox. Then he pierced the neck of the ox to collect the blood, and with his four fingers spread the blood on the horns of the altar of burnt offering. The intestines are burned on the altar of burnt offering, and the rest are burned outside the camp. They are burned outside the camp because they are buried in sin. Every time a person who becomes a priest sacrifices a sheep and offers it as a burnt offering, he confesses, “I will give myself to God until I become ashes.” Also, whenever a sheep is slaughtered, he lays his hands on his head and applies blood to his right earlobe, right thumb, and big toe of his right foot. The reason for putting blood on your ears is to hear the voice of God. Slaves served their masters for seven years, and then were set free the following year. After seven years, if the slave wanted to remain attached to the master, he took him to a pole and pierced his ear with an awl. He sees the hole and knows that he is an eternal servant belonging to his master.
The reason you put blood on your right finger and toe is because it means the right one is stronger. “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”
The amount without blood is caught and eaten. The meat of the sheep will be a peace offering. As priests of all, we must be priests that build bridges among all saints and unbelievers. In today's text, there are 10 things that God requires. By examining the ordination ceremony and the duties of the priest, we want to confirm each other's responsibilities as priests.
①Repentance Sprinkling and applying blood is to wash away sins. A priest is a person who builds a bridge between God and others. Before you can forgive the sins of others, you must first have your sins forgiven. “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins”
②Confession - During the commissioning ceremony, the priest is to confess that my sins have been passed on to the beast and that his sins are forgiven through his death, 3 times a day for 7 days. We too must confess daily that the Lord bore the cross for my sins and that my sins were forgiven through the shedding of His blood.
③ Humility - The priest will eat unleavened bread, sweets mixed with oil, rice cakes, bread and sweets, etc. during this period. Bread and sweets are made from fine flour. Today's text is the process of going into the wilderness. At that time, Israel ate manna from heaven. Finding wheat in the wilderness was as difficult as picking a star in heaven.
Why did God allow us to eat food made from fine flour? “God, make me a powder that I can use completely. I will live as God tells me to.” When flour is kneaded, its shape is formed as the master's hand moves. It means to become a person who is not burdensome for God to use.
Moody, an American evangelist, said this one day while preaching on the third floor. “Everyone, if God tells me to jump now, I think I can jump.” Let's live a life like flour. Be a flour life where you can always say Amen no matter what you order from early morning prayer, evangelism, or the Word.
④The dedication-commissioning ceremony will continue for 7 days. At this time, 14 sheep and 7 cattle are sacrificed. In material terms, that's a lot of money. But this is absolutely necessary. You must become a saint who gives first before God. We must burn the most precious tail to God. The tail, kidneys, liver, and thigh (right) must be presented to God. It means dedication to burning it. Only those who can devote themselves can become God's priests.
⑤Gender - Priests were to wear the priest's own clothes. This is to wear priestly clothes and lead a worthy life.
⑥ Decision - Meat, hides, dung, etc. must be thrown out outside the camp. Leather refers to hypocrisy and pretense. These things must be thrown away. You can't do big things without a decision.
⑦ Filled with the Holy Spirit - Oil is to be mixed or applied to rice cakes and sweets on the top of the bread table. He gives the Holy Spirit to broken hearts like powder. When we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we can work with power.
⑧ Fragrance - Gold wool was added to the end of the priest's clothes. A pomegranate is hung between these drops and the drops. So whenever the priest moved, the smell of pomegranate wafted. Whenever the saints move, the fragrance of Christ should vibrate.
⑨Golden bell sound - Golden bells are attached to the outer garments of the ephod base, so that when the priest moves, a golden bell sounds. Priests do not wear shoes. Only the sound of faith like gold should be heard.
⑩ Encounter with God - A priest is a person who builds bridges. A person called to meet God. We must strive to meet God by going in and out of the sanctuary and the most holy place.
Priests, I pray that these ten responsibilities will be fulfilled and that the Lord will always meet and bless you.