“You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram.” (Exod 29:15)

“The ‘ram of burnt offering’, (the first ram) pictured the identical consecration already portrayed in the sacrifice of the bullock, but from a different standpoint, that of divine acceptance. It showed that the offering was made to God, and accepted by God as a whole; it was completely consumed by the fire of the Lord’s altar.” (N.O.T.T. Page 508)

“And you shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it all around the altar.” (Exod 29:16)

“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.” (Exod 29:17, 18)

“Moses “cut the ram into pieces, and washed the inwards and legs in water,” and “burnt the head and the pieces and the fat.” Thus during the entire Gospel age Jesus and his Body, the Church, are being presented, member by member, before God on the altar, yet all are counted together as one sacrifice. The Head was laid on the altar first, and since then all who are “dead with him,” and cleansed, as in the type, by the washing of water –through the Word–are reckoned as laid with the Head upon the same altar.

The burning of the offering on the altar shows how God accepts the sacrifice, as “a sweet smelling savor.” (T 42)

“You shall also take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram.” (Exod 29:19)

“The second ram, ‘the ram of consecration’, showed what effect the sacrifice will have upon us, as the first showed how God receives our sacrifice. Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram of consecration showing thus that it represents them.”

“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.” (Exod 29:20)

“And Moses slew the ram of consecration, taking its blood (consecrated life) and put it upon each separately, thus showing that our consecration is an individual work.

And he put it upon the tip of the right ear, thus by our consecration we are enabled to have the ‘hearing of faith’ and to appreciate God’s promises as none but the consecrated can. And he put some of the blood on the thumb of the right hand; so that whatsoever our hands find to do we do it with our might as unto the Lord. Last he put some on the big toe of the right foot, so that henceforth we, ‘ walk not as other gentiles’ but ‘walk in newness of life’, ‘walk by faith’, ‘walk in the spirit’, ‘walk in the light’, and even, ‘as we received Christ, so walk in him’.” (T 45)

Since we understand the importance given to Moses in explaining every minute detail involved in the Tabernacle and its ceremonies, that every jot and title had to be exactly performed in the type, due to the fact that it illustrated something greater and more important, it becomes prudent for us to examine the various accounts to see that we too do not miss nor overlook anything.

A careful comparison of Exodus 29 verses 22-24 with Chapter 8 verses 25 and 26 of Leviticus, which is another account of the same consecration of the priesthood, reveals one particular step which was omitted in the Exodus account; therefore, we shall continue with our examination of the consecration of the priesthood henceforth following the account given in Leviticus, beginning with Verse 25. (The step omitted in the Exodus account is highlighted here.)

 “Then he took the fat and the fat tail, all the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh; and from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD he took one unleavened cake, a cake of bread anointed with oil, and one wafer, and put them on the fat and on the right thigh.”  (Lev 8:25, 26)

“The choice portions of the ram, it’s “entrails” and “fat” represent our heart sentiments, our best powers.” (T 45)

“Upon these were placed (by Moses) the unleavened cake, the cake of oiled bread, and the wafer. The first an unleavened cake represented the actual purity of Jesus as a man, and the imputed purity of the church as men, as attested by the law (Moses)-justification, for ‘the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us’ so long as we are accepted members of his body (Rom 8:4)

The second unleavened cake, mingled with oil, represented the indwelling spirit of God- sanctification. The third, a wafer represented our hope and faith in the exceeding precious promises of glory, honor, and immortality, without these elements it is impossible for our consecration to be complete, and hence acceptable; visualize justification (purity), sanctification by the spirit, through the belief of the truth, and faith in the promised glorification.” (T 46; N.O.T.T. Page 522)

“And he put all these (the unleavened bread, fat portions and right tight) in Aaron’s hands and in his sons’ hands and [they] waved them as a wave offering before the LORD.” (Lev 8:27)

“The wave offering represents the fact that a consecrated offering is not given to the Lord for a moment, a day or a year, but that we consecrate to continually keep our affections and powers uplifted, never ceasing until accepted of him as having finished our course.”

“Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar, on the burnt offering. They were consecration offerings for a sweet aroma. That was an offering made by fire to the LORD.” (Lev 8:28)

“And Moses took the wave offering off their hands (the priest did not lay it down). God’s acceptance being shown by fire, so we, the ‘Royal Priest’ may not lay down or cease to offer all our powers in God’s service while we have them, nor until all are consumed in his service shall say, it is enough-come up higher. When the love (“fat”) of our inmost being is laid upon the altar, it helps to increase the fire of God’s acceptance. The more love there is connected with our consecration to God, the more quickly will it consume our offering.” (T 46)

This picture also seems to shows the gospel age in progress as one by one following our Lord’s sacrifice, (the High Priest) we the “body” (the under-priest) make our calling and election sure, and pass beyond the veil.

“Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him; and he consecrated Aaron, his garments, his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.” (Lev 8:30)

“The anointing oil mingled with the blood of consecration was sprinkled over them, teaching that our consecration is accepted only because we are justified by the precious blood of our redeemer; thus we are told that we are ‘accepted in the beloved’ only. Eph 1:6 (T 46)

“And Moses said to Aaron and his sons, boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of consecration offerings, as I commanded, saying, ‘Aaron and his sons shall eat it.’ What remains of the flesh and of the bread you shall burn with fire. And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended. For seven days he shall consecrate you. As he has done this day, so the LORD has commanded to do, to make atonement for you. Therefore you shall stay at the door of the tabernacle of meeting day and night for seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, so that you may not die; for so I have been commanded.” (Lev 8:31-35)

“The boiling of the flesh of consecration (Verse 31) was no part of the sacrifice; it was merely the preparing of the portion which was to be eaten. It was all to be disposed of (Verse 32), showing that we are to be completely and entirely consecrated, and none of our time and power should be wasted. The seven days of consecration (Verses 33,35) showed again that we are consecrated to God’s service, not for a part of our time only (part of our life), but for all of it.

Seven, in scripture, is a complete number, and signifies all or the whole of whatever it applies to (‘seven seals’, ‘seven trumpets’, ‘seven plagues,’ etc.) Verse 36 shows the completion of the work of consecration.” (“Helping Hand to Tabernacle Shadows”, Page 53 question 25 and page 55 question 26)

When the scriptures speak of Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the tabernacle, it should be understood that Aaron and his sons were at the entrance on the in-side of the tabernacle, inside the ‘holy’ compartment of the tabernacle proper.

“The seven days well represent the completion of our consecration, until we have finished our course in death. During all this time, we are to remain within that state or condition so beautifully depicted in the ‘holy’ of the tabernacle of old, the secret place of the most high, under the shadow of the Almighty (Psa 9:1) as spirit begotten new creatures. We are not to emerge for entry either into the antitypical court or camp. Further, during all of this time we are to fast from all such foods (figuratively speaking) as may be common and proper for all others to eat; but must feast only upon the unleavened bread of truth, supplied in the basket of consecration by God himself.”

There are many other fine religious materials written by others, helpful and insightful to aid, comfort and instruct those seeking the Lord and His service, but these are for the unconsecrated, we need to stick solely to that food, “meat in due season” viz., the harvest truths as provided by the Lord at this time, for the fully consecrated. One cannot partake of the Lord’s table and that of the world (things written even though of good intention written by the worldly, the unconsecrated). We must stick to the heavenly manna provided by the Lord through His chosen representatives, (viz., the Lord, the apostles, the seven messengers, and those fully consecrated.) All of our time as stated is consecrated to the Lord and to his people (the fully consecrated), and to the proclamation of the truth. Now it is understandable that we should desire to help all to see the truth, especially those “babes in Christ” still caught in Babylon, but we should not allow this to impede our own personal work and study of the Lord’s Word.  (“Our Wilderness Wanderings” )

Thus we conclude the consecration of the priesthood, in our next presentation we will take a look at the Great Day of Atonement.