Make Them According to the Pattern (Part 2)
God's instructions continue in Exodus 29 regarding the tabernacle and matters associated with it. Specifically, a pattern is given in Exodus 29 regarding consecrating priests for service. I will read some interesting excerpts at this time and only make a few comments. These verses, I believe, illustrate the seriousness of the priestly work; namely, to maintain the holiness of the chosen people of God:
"And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil...And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water. 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" (29:1,2,4-9).
"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...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 of his sons with him; and he and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons' garments with him" (29:10-12,20,21).

Some have suggested that the placing of blood on the ear, thumb, and toe signify the complete nature of being set apart for God in where one goes, what he does, and what he hears. In all of life, priests belong to Jehovah--and so it is with Christians today.

"Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Seven days you shall consecrate them" (29:35). The process to sanctify a priest was clearly quite involved. To enter into God's presence and serve Him was not a matter to be considered lightly then--and neither is it a trivial matter today! He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

"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...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. 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" (29:38,39,42-46).

I find it intriguing that when they offered a lamb at the morning and evening, it was called "continual". Could there be some application here regarding our understanding of I Thessalonians 5:17 and Ephesians 6:18 regarding prayer?