The blood of the ram of consecration and the anointing oil were then sprinkled on the garments of glory and beauty which the high priest was to wear. This blood would remind us of how the Lord Jesus, our Great High Priest, wears the marks in His hands, feet, and side of His suffering and death for us as He serves us on high.
The blood and the anointing oil were also sprinkled on the garments of Aaron’s sons. The garments in Scripture speak of the outward associations of life, and how instructive this is to see that we who are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ should always remember in our contacts with others, that we belong to Him. Devoted obedience, by the power of the Spirit of God, of which the oil is a type, should be seen in the life of every believer.
The Wave Offering
After this the fat parts of the ram, along with the right shoulder, a loaf of bread, a cake of oiled bread, and a wafer of unleavened bread were waved as a wave offering before the Lord by Aaron and his sons. The word consecration means “filling the hand,” and so it would tell us of how in worship our hearts should be filled with a sense of the loveliness of Christ, and we delight to present Him to God in worship. The fat tells of the excellence of the sacrifice — the best part as it were. The shoulder represents strength. The loaves of bread speak of Christ as man down here, marked out by the Spirit, and ever living by the Spirit, as the sinless One. Surely our “hands” and hearts should be filled with a sense of this, and thus find our delight in reminding God our Father of all the excellence we see in His beloved Son.
Enjoying the Offerings
The heave shoulder and the breast of the ram were to be for Aaron and his sons. This shows us that we not only present Christ to God in worship, but at the same time we ourselves find our joy and communion in thinking about Him. This is a peace offering, for we find our peace and joy in such occupation.
Aaron and his sons were then to seethe the flesh of the ram and eat it in the holy place. It was to be eaten on the same day, for God would have us in the fresh enjoyment of our portion so that it does not become a formal thing with us. Anything left over until the next day was to be burned with fire.
The sin offering was to be offered each day for seven days, while Aaron and his sons were being consecrated. They were always to remember, seven days in the week, the cost of their redemption.
The next thing was the continual burnt offering — two lambs every day, one in the morning and the other in the evening. This was to continue every day of the year throughout their generations. Surely this has a lesson for us, for we need Christ in the morning and Christ in the evening all along our earthly pathway. There was also the fine flour, the oil, and the wine, reminding us of Christ’s perfect life enjoyed by the power of the Spirit of God. How often this is neglected, and we allow our hearts to become cold and indifferent to the Lord’s claims over us. May we never allow anything that robs us of our joy in the Lord.
Further Meditation
1. What do the garments represent in the Word of God?
2. When in their history did the Israelites practice this morning and evening sacrifice?
3. The Tabernacle, The Priesthood and the Offerings by H. W. Soltau presents many of the thoughts in these and the preceding chapters in more complete detail. This may help if you are interested in meditating on this soul-stirring subject.