Exodus 29:21 Comentariu

Particular orders are given in this chapter, I. Concerning the consecration of the priests, and the sanctification of the altar (v. 1-37). II. Concerning the daily sacrifice (Exo 29:38-41). To which gracious promises are annexed that God would own and bless them in all their services (Exo 29:42, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 29 This chapter gives an account of the form and order of the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priestly office; preparatory to which Moses is ordered to take a young bullock, two rams, bread, cakes, and wafers unleavened, and bring them and Aaron and his sons to the door of the congregation, where the ceremony was to be publicly performed, and which began with washing them, Exo 29:1 and then proceeded by putting on the priestly garments directed to be made in the preceding chapter, first on Aaron, who also was anointed, Exo 29:5 and then upon his sons, Exo 29:8 after which the bullock and the two rams were to be slain, and orders are given what was to be done with their blood, and the several parts of them, as well as with the cakes and wafers, Exo 29:10 and directions are given to make these wave and heave offerings, Exo 29:24 and that the garments of Aaron's should be his son's that succeeded him, Exo 29:29, and that the flesh of the ram of consecration with the bread should be eaten by Aaron and his sons and no other, Exo 29:31, the altar also where they were to officiate was to be cleansed, sanctified, and an atonement made for it, Exo 29:36 after which two lambs every day, morning and evening, were to be offered on it in all succeeding generations, Exo 29:38, and the chapter is closed with a promise that the Lord would meet with the children of Israel at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and would sanctify the tabernacle, and dwell among them, and be their God, Exo 29:43.

And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar,.... Not that which was sprinkled upon it, which could not be gathered up in such quantities as to be sprinkled again; but which was in a basin on it, having been received into it when the ram was slain: and of the anointing oil; hereafter to be made, and with which Aaron was anointed as soon as he had his garments on; and this is a different anointing from that that was poured on his head; this was sprinkled on his garments, as follows: and sprinkle it upon Aaron; both the blood and the oil: and upon his garments; the note of Aben Ezra is, under the garments of Aaron, and on his garments, as if they were sprinkled within and without: and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him; at his first unction his sons do not seem to have been anointed at all, but now they and their garments are sprinkled both with blood and oil; denoting both the justification of the priests of the Lord by the blood of Christ, and the sanctification of them by the Spirit, and the need that both their persons and their actions stand in of cleansing by them both: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him: all should be holy in a ceremonial sense, and devoted to holy uses and services; see Psa 45:8.

Ceremonies to be used in consecrating Aaron and his sons, Exo 29:1-3. They are to be washed, Exo 29:4. Aaron is to be clothed with the holy vestments, Exo 29:5, Exo 29:6; to be anointed, Exo 29:7. His sons to be clothed and girded, Exo 29:8, Exo 29:9. They are to offer a bullock for a sin-offering, Exo 29:10-14; and a ram for a burnt-offering, Exo 29:15-18; and a second ram for a consecration-offering, Exo 29:19-22. A loaf, a cake, and a wafer or thin cake, for a wave-offering, Exo 29:23-25. The breast of the wave-offering and the shoulder of the heave-offering to be sanctified, Exo 29:26-28. Aaron's vestments to descend to his son, who shall succeed him, Exo 29:29, Exo 29:30. Aaron and his sons to eat the flesh of the ram of consecration, Exo 29:31, Exo 29:32. No stranger to eat of it, Exo 29:33. Nothing of it to be left till the morning, but to be burnt with fire, Exo 29:34. Seven days to be employed in consecrating Aaron and his sons, Exo 29:35-37. Two lambs, one for the morning and the other for the evening sacrifice, to be offered continually, Exo 29:38-42. God promises to sanctify Israel with his glory, and to dwell among them, Exo 29:43-46.

CONSECRATING THE PRIESTS AND THE ALTAR. (Exo. 29:1-35) hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office--The act of inaugurating the priests was accompanied by ceremonial solemnities well calculated not only to lead the people to entertain exalted views of the office, but to impress those functionaries themselves with a profound sense of its magnitude and importance. In short, they were taught to know that the service was for them as well as for the people; and every time they engaged in a new performance of their duties, they were reminded of their personal interest in the worship, by being obliged to offer for themselves, before they were qualified to offer as the representatives of the people. this is the thing that thou shalt do--Steps are taken at the beginning of a society, which would not be repeated when the social machine was in full motion; and Moses, at the opening of the tabernacle, was employed to discharge functions which in later periods would have been regarded as sacrilege and punished with instant death. But he acted under the special directions of God.

Consecration of Aaron and his Sons through the anointing of their persons and the offering of sacrifices, the directions for which form the subject of vv. 1-35. This can only be fully understood in connection with the sacrificial law contained in Lev 1-7. It will be more advisable therefore to defer the examination of this ceremony till we come to Lev 8, where the consecration itself is described. The same may also be said of the expiation and anointing of the altar, which are commanded in Exo 29:36 and Exo 29:37, and carried out in Lev 8:11.