Exodus Chapter 29
The Consecration of the Priests
A. Preparation for Consecration
(Exodus 29:1a) – “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests.”
The purpose of the consecration ceremony was to set apart Aaron and his sons for sacred service unto the Lord. The term “to hallow” means to make holy or to sanctify, setting them apart for God’s divine purpose. This was not merely a symbolic ritual but a necessary act of separation, marking these men as belonging wholly to the Lord for priestly service. It is important to note that Exodus 29 gives the instructions for this ceremony, while Leviticus 8 records the actual event. God was specific in His requirements, emphasizing that those who would minister before Him must be sanctified according to His command, not their own preferences or traditions.
(Exodus 29:1b–3) – “Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil (you shall make them of wheat flour). You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams.”
The consecration required both animal sacrifices and food offerings. The bull and two rams, each without blemish, signified the necessity of purity in sacrifice. The absence of blemish symbolized moral and spiritual perfection, foreshadowing Jesus Christ, the ultimate High Priest and the perfect sacrifice without spot or wrinkle. The unleavened bread and cakes represented fellowship with God, for leaven throughout Scripture symbolizes corruption or sin. By removing leaven, God was teaching that consecration and fellowship cannot coexist with sin. The oil mixed into and anointing the bread symbolized the Holy Spirit, for every act of worship and ministry must be guided by the Spirit of God. The one basket containing both the sacrifices and the bread illustrates unity in service—atonement and fellowship go hand in hand when approaching a holy God.
(Exodus 29:4) – “And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water.”
The first act in the consecration process was washing. This cleansing took place at the entrance of the tabernacle, in view of the people, signifying that consecration and holiness are public matters before God’s covenant community. Aaron and his sons did not wash themselves; rather, they were washed, showing that cleansing for ministry is something received, not self-accomplished. This washing represents the divine cleansing that comes from God alone. It was a humbling act, performed publicly to symbolize that all who would serve God must first be purified by Him.
This initial washing was a one-time ceremonial cleansing. Afterward, the priests were only required to wash their hands and feet before service (Exodus 30:19–21), symbolizing the ongoing need for daily purification in practical service. In the New Testament parallel, believers are spiritually washed through the Word of God: “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26). The same truth is echoed by Paul: “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).
Ultimately, this cleansing points to Christ’s redeeming work. As Revelation 1:5 declares, “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” The priest’s cleansing foreshadowed the spiritual cleansing every believer receives through the blood of Jesus Christ, a washing that prepares us for service to the living God.
The Consecration of the Priests
B. The Clothing and the Anointing
(Exodus 29:5–9) – “Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod. You shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban. And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him. Then you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them. The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.”
Once the priests were washed, the next step in consecration was to be clothed in the holy garments. These garments were not ordinary clothing but divinely appointed attire that represented righteousness, service, and identification with God’s calling. Aaron could not approach God in his own attire, for his own garments would symbolize self-righteousness and human inadequacy. Instead, he had to be clothed in what God provided.
After cleansing, Aaron was dressed in the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself, and the breastplate. Each article symbolized divine preparation and authority. The ephod and its intricately woven band represented service and devotion, while the breastplate represented judgment and intercession, reminding Aaron that he bore the tribes of Israel over his heart before God. The turban and the holy crown inscribed with “Holiness to the LORD” proclaimed that his office was one of sacred separation.
Like these ancient priests, every believer in Christ is spiritually clothed in righteousness not their own. Revelation 3:5 declares, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” This imputed righteousness is the believer’s spiritual garment, freely given by Christ but received and worn by faith. Charles Spurgeon once observed that just as the priests did not weave or buy their garments, but only received and put them on, so believers receive their righteousness at Christ’s expense, given out of divine love and mercy.
The anointing oil poured on Aaron’s head symbolized the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in abundance. Psalm 133:2 describes this image vividly: “It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments.” The priest was not sprinkled lightly but drenched, showing that God gives His Spirit not sparingly, but in great measure. This foreshadowed the spiritual anointing that all believers receive under the New Covenant. As 1 John 2:20 states, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” Just as the oil set the priest apart for service, the Holy Spirit indwells and empowers every Christian for spiritual ministry.
The final act in this section included clothing Aaron’s sons in their priestly tunics, sashes, and hats. Their garments, though simpler, were still designed “for glory and for beauty,” signifying that all who serve the Lord must be adorned with holiness and humility. God declared that “the priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute,” establishing the Aaronic priesthood as an enduring covenant. In this, we see a prophetic type of the believer’s eternal priesthood in Christ, as declared in Revelation 1:6: “and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
C. The Sin Offering
(Exodus 29:10–14) – “You shall also have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull. Then you shall kill the bull before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar. And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. But the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.”
Once the priests were clothed and anointed, the next step was atonement. The washing symbolized cleansing, but true consecration required substitutionary sacrifice. Aaron and his sons were commanded to place their hands firmly upon the head of the bull, symbolically transferring their sins to the innocent victim. The Hebrew term for “laying on” implies pressing down with force, as if to convey the weight of guilt being transferred. Spurgeon described it as leaning heavily upon the victim, demonstrating both confession and faith in the substitute. This act declared their acceptance of the bull as their representative before God.
The bull was then slain before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle, showing that forgiveness and approach to God always come through blood. Leviticus 17:11 explains, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” The blood placed on the horns of the altar symbolized purification and power, for the horns represented strength and divine authority. The rest of the blood poured at the base of the altar demonstrated total surrender and dedication.
The fat and inward parts, representing the best and richest portions of the animal, were burned on the altar as an offering pleasing to God, while the flesh, skin, and offal were burned outside the camp. This separation symbolized the removal of sin and impurity from the congregation, as sin could not remain in God’s presence. Hebrews 13:11–12 draws a direct connection to this practice: “For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.”
In this act, the altar itself was consecrated. The very word “altar” in Hebrew means “place of slaughter.” Yet through the sacrifice, this place of death was made holy, illustrating how the cross—the New Covenant altar—transformed death into life. The sin offering acknowledged human failure to give God our best, but through the substitutionary death of another, the sinner was restored to fellowship. Likewise, Christ gave His best in our place, atoning fully for our sin so that we might now live to offer our best in service to God.
The Consecration of the Priests
D. The Burnt Offering
(Exodus 29:15–18) – “You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram; and you shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it all around on the altar. Then you shall cut the ram in pieces, wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and with its head. And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.”
After the sin offering came the burnt offering, the second part of the priests’ consecration. The first offering addressed sin and guilt, but this offering expressed complete devotion and surrender to God. Once again, Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram, symbolically transferring their sin to the substitute and identifying with the sacrifice. Confession accompanied this act, for acknowledgment of guilt was an essential part of consecration. Only those who understood the weight of their sin could fully surrender themselves to God’s service.
The ram was then killed, and its blood sprinkled around the altar. The altar, a place of sacrifice and atonement, was made holy by the blood. The animal was then cut into pieces, and each part — including the head, legs, and inward parts — was washed, symbolizing inner and outer purity. Nothing could be offered to God that was defiled. The washing of the entrails represented internal purity of thought and motive, while the washing of the legs represented external purity in one’s walk before the Lord.
The entire ram was burned on the altar, making this a whole burnt offering. Nothing was withheld. The sacrifice ascended as a “sweet aroma” before the Lord, signifying that God was pleased with this complete surrender. This offering declared, “We have failed to give all to God, but this animal now gives all in our place. From this moment forward, we choose to give ourselves wholly to Him.” The burnt offering was not about forgiveness alone but about consecration and devotion.
The Apostle Paul captures the same principle in the New Testament, calling believers to similar total surrender: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). The priest’s whole burnt offering prefigured this lifelong call to dedication — that we would hold nothing back from God, but yield our entire lives for His service.
E. The Consecration Offering
(Exodus 29:19–21) – “You shall also take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram. Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him; and he and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.”
This final stage of consecration involved another ram — sometimes called “the ram of consecration.” Although the sin and burnt offerings had already been offered, Aaron and his sons once again laid their hands upon the head of the animal, symbolizing their complete identification with the sacrificial victim. This represented not merely atonement for sin, but total dedication of the priest to God’s service.
After the ram was slain, its blood was applied to three parts of each priest’s body: the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe. This act was deeply symbolic. The blood on the ear signified that their hearing must now belong to God — they were to listen only to His voice and heed His commands. The blood on the thumb indicated that their hands and all their labor were consecrated to His service. The blood on the big toe represented their walk, their daily conduct, which was to be holy and pleasing to the Lord.
Leviticus 17:11 explains the meaning of this symbolism: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” Thus, the life of the sacrificial victim was now symbolically imparted to the priest, signifying that his hearing, service, and walk were to be directed and energized by the life of God.
The specific mention of the right ear, right thumb, and right toe is significant. In Hebrew thought, the right side represented strength, skill, and preeminence. By consecrating the right side, God was requiring their very best — their sharpest hearing, strongest hand, and surest step — to be dedicated to Him. Nothing less than their finest was acceptable for divine service.
After this, God commanded Moses to mix the blood from the altar with the anointing oil and sprinkle it upon Aaron, his sons, and their garments. This combination of blood and oil beautifully illustrates the balance between redemption and empowerment. The blood represented cleansing and atonement, while the oil symbolized the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Both were necessary for consecration. The priest could not serve God merely by being cleansed; he also had to be empowered by the Spirit.
Charles Spurgeon insightfully remarked, “Yes, brethren, we need to know that double anointing, the blood of Jesus which cleanses, and the oil of the Holy Spirit which perfumes us. It is well to see how these two blend in one. It is a terrible blunder to set the blood and the oil in opposition, they must always go together.” This truth is still essential for believers today. We are redeemed by the blood of Christ and sanctified through the indwelling Spirit. Without both, true consecration is incomplete.
F. The Wave Offering
(Exodus 29:22–28) – “Also you shall take the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration), one loaf of bread, one cake made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD; and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and you shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD. You shall receive them back from their hands and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma before the LORD. It is an offering made by fire to the LORD. Then you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration and wave it as a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be your portion. And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons. It shall be from the children of Israel for Aaron and his sons by a statute forever. For it is a heave offering; it shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, that is, their heave offering to the LORD.”
After the burnt and consecration offerings, God commanded a wave offering — a symbolic act of presentation and fellowship. From the second ram, the best and richest portions were selected: the fat portions, the right thigh (a symbol of strength and honor), and several unleavened bread items representing purity and fellowship. These elements were placed in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they were instructed to wave them before the LORD. This action was both literal and symbolic, signifying the lifting up and presentation of the offering to God in acknowledgment that all belonged to Him.
The wave offering expressed gratitude, devotion, and fellowship. It was not merely an act of giving but of sharing with God. After being waved, these offerings were burned on the altar as “a sweet aroma before the LORD,” representing complete devotion and acceptance. The wave and heave offerings were then divided according to God’s command. Certain portions were given to the priests for their sustenance, demonstrating that those who minister in sacred things are sustained by them. As Paul later affirmed, “Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14).
The remaining meat portions were cooked and eaten by Aaron and his sons as part of their consecration. This act symbolized communion with God — a shared fellowship meal between the priests and their Redeemer. First, the blood of the ram was applied externally to their ear, hand, and foot, signifying outward consecration; then, the eating of the meat represented inward participation. The priests took the sacrifice into themselves, picturing the truth that God’s servants must be sustained by the life of the sacrifice.
As Spurgeon noted, the eating of the offering did not begin consecration; it followed washing, clothing, and atonement. This shows that the believer’s relationship with Christ begins through cleansing and justification, but it continues through daily fellowship. Eating symbolizes the ongoing nourishment and satisfaction of that relationship.
Eating, as a spiritual picture, reveals several truths:
It is personal: No one can eat for another; likewise, no one can have a relationship with Christ on your behalf.
It is inward: Food must be taken in to sustain life; we must take Christ inwardly through faith, not merely in outward observance.
It is active: Eating requires deliberate participation; in the same way, believers must actively pursue Christ through faith and obedience.
It is satisfying: Just as eating meets hunger, fellowship with Christ fulfills the soul’s deepest need and brings contentment.
Jesus reflected this same truth in John 6:56: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” This communion was not about physical consumption but about a spiritual relationship sustained by continual faith in His finished work.
G. The Week of Consecration
(Exodus 29:29–37) – “And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them. That son who becomes priest in his place shall put them on for seven days, when he enters the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the holy place. And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place. Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy. And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings, or of the bread, remains until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy. Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them. And you shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it. Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. And the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar must be holy.”
The consecration of the priests was not a one-day ritual but a week-long process. Each new generation of Aaron’s descendants who entered the priesthood was to undergo the same seven-day ceremony of cleansing, clothing, anointing, and sacrifice. The holy garments, originally made for Aaron, were passed down and worn by his sons to maintain the continuity and sanctity of the priesthood. This symbolized that the office was perpetual, and that God’s standard of holiness remained the same through every generation.
During those seven days, the priests were to remain at the tabernacle, eating the sacrificial meat and unleavened bread in the holy place. The process was designed to cultivate continual reflection upon the cost of atonement and the seriousness of their calling. Consecration demanded time and intentional focus; it could not be hurried. True service for God must be grounded in deliberate, prayerful preparation and spiritual reflection.
The eating of the ram and bread symbolized their fellowship with God and each other. As Spurgeon explained, the peace offering declared communion between God and man — they ate together, rejoicing in the same offering. Yet he also warned of the danger of “working without eating” — serving God without regularly feeding on His Word and grace. Many fall into the trap of ministry burnout because they labor continually but neglect spiritual nourishment. As priests under the New Covenant, believers must not only serve but also continually feed upon Christ, who said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).
The text also emphasizes that outsiders were forbidden from eating the consecration meal. Only those sanctified by the blood of the sacrifice could partake. This distinction points forward to the believer’s exclusive privilege in Christ. Under the New Covenant, all who have been redeemed by Jesus — our eternal High Priest — share in the privileges of His priesthood. Peter affirms this truth: “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5), and again, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (1 Peter 2:9).
This privilege is secured by both purchase and birth. Leviticus 22:11 declares, “But if the priest buys a person with his money, he may eat it; and one who is born in his house may eat his food.” Likewise, believers are both purchased by Christ’s blood and born into His family through regeneration. Because of this, we are welcome to partake in the spiritual nourishment of His priesthood and enjoy fellowship with the Father.
Finally, each day of the seven-day consecration required a new bull to be offered for atonement. This daily sacrifice emphasized the insufficiency of animal sacrifices to remove sin permanently. They only provided temporary covering. Hebrews 10:4 reminds us, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” These repeated offerings foreshadowed the perfect and final sacrifice of Christ, whose atonement was once and for all. His blood sanctified not only the altar but the hearts of all who come to Him by faith.
H. The Continual Consecration
(Exodus 29:38–41) – “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning, for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.”
Following the seven-day consecration of the priests, the Lord instituted a perpetual practice — the continual burnt offering. Each day, two lambs were to be sacrificed on the altar, one in the morning and the other in the evening. This daily rhythm of sacrifice symbolized that every day, from beginning to end, belonged to God. The priesthood was not a temporary calling but a continual one. Every sunrise and sunset was marked by the blood of atonement and the fragrance of devotion rising before the Lord.
The morning and evening lambs also demonstrated the constancy of Israel’s worship and dependence on God. It was a perpetual reminder that fellowship with God must be maintained continually, not sporadically. There was no day exempt from sacrifice, just as there is no day in the believer’s life exempt from dedication.
With each lamb, the priests offered grain mixed with oil and a drink offering of wine. The grain represented the fruit of human labor, while the oil symbolized the Holy Spirit’s anointing and the wine represented joy and complete surrender. The wine was poured out entirely before the Lord, a vivid picture of being wholly emptied and poured out for Him. The Apostle Paul later drew on this imagery when describing his own life of devotion: “Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all” (Philippians 2:17).
Each daily offering was “a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.” The idea of a sweet aroma does not mean that God found pleasure in the burning flesh, but that He was pleased by the obedience and devotion it represented. These sacrifices pointed to the greater fulfillment in Christ, whose sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate “sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:2 says, “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” God is honored and glorified by complete surrender, whether in the form of a daily lamb or a believer’s daily self-sacrifice in Christ.
I. Why God Wanted the Daily Sacrifices and Continual Consecration
(Exodus 29:42–43) – “This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you. And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.”
God established the continual burnt offering not merely as ritual, but as a means of fellowship. These offerings were to continue “throughout your generations,” maintaining a perpetual reminder of atonement and communion. Indeed, these sacrifices continued faithfully throughout Israel’s history, except during times of captivity or national rebellion. Even in the New Testament era, the priest Zacharias — the father of John the Baptist — was ministering at the temple during the time of the morning sacrifice (Luke 1:8–10), reflecting Israel’s enduring devotion that began in Exodus 29.
God’s purpose in commanding continual offerings is revealed in His words: “I will meet you to speak with you.” God’s desire was never for mechanical religion or lifeless service; He wanted relationship. The daily sacrifices provided a means for His presence to dwell among His people. The priests’ consecration and the nation’s worship were not for the sake of mere discipline or ritual, but so that God might meet and commune with them.
True consecration, then, is not primarily about productivity in service, but about intimacy with God. Many misunderstand consecration as a means to become more effective workers for the Lord, when in fact its primary purpose is to deepen fellowship with Him. The closer we draw to God, the more naturally our service flows. As Scripture says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). The continual sacrifices were therefore expressions of a daily, ongoing relationship — morning and evening communion with the Almighty.
God declared, “And the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.” It was not the priests’ actions that made the sanctuary holy, but the presence of God’s glory dwelling there. All the washing, anointing, and sacrifice merely prepared the way for that glory. Holiness, therefore, is not man’s achievement but God’s manifestation. When His presence fills a life, a family, or a nation, that place is sanctified by His glory.
J. So I Will Sanctify
(Exodus 29:44–46) – “So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests. I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.”
In the final portion of this chapter, God made clear that He is the one who performs the true work of consecration. Though Aaron and his sons performed many rituals and sacrifices, the sanctifying power came from God alone. The phrase “So I will consecrate” emphasizes divine initiative. Human effort in sanctification only removes the barriers; the transformation itself is the work of God’s Spirit. Jesus echoed this same truth in His prayer for the disciples: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
Aaron and his sons were called “to minister to Me as priests.” Their primary ministry was not to the people but to God Himself. While they served as mediators for Israel, their first duty was to worship and serve the Lord. Likewise, every believer’s first calling is vertical, not horizontal — to love and glorify God before ministering to others. Andrew Bonar wisely observed, “The best part of all Christian work is that part which only God sees.” True consecration begins with devotion that is unseen by men but known by God.
God also promised, “And they shall know that I am the LORD their God.” The result of consecration is revelation — a deeper awareness of God’s holiness, faithfulness, and presence. When Moses and Aaron fulfilled these instructions in Leviticus 9:23–24, Scripture records, “Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” The result of consecration was the manifestation of God’s glory.
There was indeed a price for this consecration. It involved blood, time, and obedience. Yet the reward far outweighed the cost: God’s tangible presence dwelling among His people. The Lord said, “I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.” This is the heart of redemption — that God desires to dwell with His people. The same truth is echoed in the New Testament, where God promises His indwelling presence to believers through the Holy Spirit: “For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (2 Corinthians 6:16).
Thus, the process of consecration — from the washing and clothing to the daily sacrifices and the continual offerings — all culminates in this truth: God sanctifies His people to dwell among them. Worship, holiness, and communion are inseparable, for the ultimate purpose of consecration is fellowship with the living God.
