Consecration of the Priests

Written by Brooke Commons

Okay so first you have to get a bunch of metals and make an ephod (whatever that is), a breastplate (wait, is that the same?), and then make some rings and twisted rope chain things and jewels and and and

We got the garment, now grab some animals, well the specific ones mentioned and follow this recipe precisely to burn certain pieces and use the blood to spray against the sides of the altar. 

After you’re in your fancy outfit that’s probably dripping in blood….you have completed the sacrifice that will atone for the sins of all the people. But you have to do it again next year. 

So maybe if it’s all for forgiveness, it’s worth it to go through the hassle. But reading through these instructions in Exodus seems quite daunting. Maybe because it’s not so much a part of our culture today but maybe just because it was a lot. Then I got to the end of chapter 29 where God says:

“So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.’ (Exodus 29:44-46)

“Then I will.” Our God is a holy God. He wants to dwell with his people and have relationship with them, but if he approached us in our sin we would die - literally. 

So instead - He died for us. 

God sent his Son to be the ultimate priest and sacrifice himself once and for all as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. That’s why we no longer have these rituals as part of our practice because Jesus. And through him, we become part of the priesthood and we become the tabernacle. Our bodies are the new temple of God and he sent the Holy Spirit to inhabit us. 

God now dwells in us, always. And we don’t have to dress fancy and kill stuff. Sounds like a good plan to me.