Exodus 29:22-46  Consecration of Priests – Part 2

[Study Aired December 12, 2022]

Exo 29:22  Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:
Exo 29:23  And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD: 
Exo 29:24  And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. 
Exo 29:25  And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 
Exo 29:26  And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part. 
Exo 29:27  And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: 
Exo 29:28  And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD. 
Exo 29:29  And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them. 
Exo 29:30  And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
Exo 29:31  And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.
Exo 29:32  And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Exo 29:33  And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. 
Exo 29:34  And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. 
Exo 29:35  And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them. 
Exo 29:36  And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it. 
Exo 29:37  Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy. 
Exo 29:38  Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. 
Exo 29:39  The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
Exo 29:40  And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. 
Exo 29:41  And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. 
Exo 29:42  This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee. 
Exo 29:43  And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory. 
Exo 29:44  And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office. 
Exo 29:45  And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. 
Exo 29:46  And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

This review continues with the consecration of Aaron and his sons as they put on the priestly garments which signify putting on Jesus Christ. As we indicated in the previous review, putting on Christ means not making provision to indulge the flesh. The review also focuses on wave and drink offering as part of the consecration process of the priests. 

Exo 29:22  Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration: 
Exo 29:23  And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD: 
Exo 29:24  And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. 

The wave offering is a unique type of offering made to the Lord. Portions of the things offered were literally waved in the air before the Lord. It forms part of the consecration or ordination ceremony of Aaron and his sons. A wave offering was such that a portion of a sacrifice was presented to God, then released by God for the use of those involved in the sacrifice. This chapter is the only instance where part of the wave offering was consumed by fire as we shall see in the next verses. The remainder was “waved” to God but eaten by Aaron, his sons, and Moses.

Other instances of wave offerings include the breast of a peace offering (Leviticus 7:28-34), a lamb from the cleansing sacrifice of a healed leper (Leviticus 14:12), and two loaves of bread and two lambs of the sacrifice affiliated with the feast of first fruits (Leviticus 23:9-15). 

The question is, “What is the spiritual significance of a wave offering?” As we can see from verses 22 to 24, parts of the ram of consecration, loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread and one wafer were put into the hands of Aaron and his sons by Moses. These mentioned items are then waved to the Lord as a wave offering. The putting of these items into the hands of Aaron and his sons by Moses symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ (represented by Moses) giving His elect (symbolized by Aaron and his sons) His words. Remember that the items stand for Christ and His words. Thus, the wave offering is unique in the sense that it shows us what the Lord has given to us to be able to present ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord. According to Strong’s Dictionary (H5130), the word “wave” used can mean to lift up, offer, perfume, etc. which is consistent with offering ourselves to the Lord as living sacrifice.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

What this means is that the Lord gives us all we need to be able to be consecrated as Priests before Him.

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Exo 29:25  And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

As we indicated, it is only in this chapter that what was waved by Aaron and his sons was burnt as a sweet-smelling offering to the Lord. All the other wave offerings were not burnt. Since this is the first time that a wave offering has been introduced, we can learn a lot about the wave offering. What we need to know is that this wave offering is not a one-time event. It is a process we go through for a lifetime. The judgment of our old man is part of the process we go through in order to offer our bodies as a wave offering to the Lord.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 

As we said earlier, what was waved signifies Christ and His words. As the Lord is, so are we!! We know that our Lord learned obedience by the things He suffered and therefore became a sweet aroma before God. 

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 
Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

What this means is that through our fiery trials (burnt offering), we become a sweet savor before Christ. These fiery trials we face are the persecutions we go through because of the word we have received in our hands, that is, the wave offering of ram and bread we have received.

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Exo 29:26  And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part. 
Exo 29:27  And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
Exo 29:28  And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.

These verses show us that the wave offering is given to us, the elect, as our portion. In other words, we are given to eat our Lord’s flesh (the ram of consecration) which is His words. 

Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 
Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 
Joh 6:57  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 
Joh 6:58  This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.

These verses in Exodus 29:26-28 are another way of saying the following:

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

We must remember that this wave offering was all part of the consecration of Aaron and his sons, the elect. It is our Lord’s words which sanctify or consecrate us for His service.

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Exo 29:29  And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them. 
Exo 29:30  And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.

As we have stated in previous studies, putting on the holy garments means putting on Christ. 

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

The verse above shows us that to put on Christ means not to focus on gratifying the desires of the sinful nature. In the preceding verse of Romans 13:14, we are told that we have to wake up from our sleep by casting off the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light, which is the same as putting on Christ. These verses suggest that the works of darkness are the same as gratifying the desires of the flesh which bring us to spiritual sleep.

Rom 13:11  And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 
Rom 13:13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

These holy garments are the same as putting on the white linen garments of the saints which reflects the righteousness of Christ. The garments are also equivalent to the whole armor of Christ.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

It is insightful to note that in verse 30, Aaron and his sons are required to wear these holy garments for seven days. The seven days means that we are to put on Christ throughout the complete period of our lives as priests. 

Exo 29:31  And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.
Exo 29:32  And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Exo 29:33  And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.

As indicated earlier, the flesh of the ram of the consecration together with the bread in the basket must be eaten by the priests only. The stranger here refers to all those who are not given to know Christ in this life. The eating of the flesh of the ram of the consecration and the bread in the basket by the priests signifies that it is only the priests or the elect who are given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Through the eating of the ram and the bread we become sanctified.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Exo 29:34  And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

This age is regarded as one long night as shown in the following scriptures: 

Rom 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Pro 31:15  She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

Verse 34 is therefore saying that in the morning, which spiritually represents the next age, the keys of the kingdom of God shall not be given to those living in that age as it is only the elect who are holy and therefore given to eat the flesh of Christ.

Exo 29:35  And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
Exo 29:36  And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
Exo 29:37  Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.

Our consecration or sanctification is required to last for seven days. The seven days imply the complete period of our lives as we serve as priests to the Lord. During this stage of our lives, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as we learn righteousness by our fiery trials.

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Exo 29:38  Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.

In verse 38, the two lambs to be offered daily represent the Lord’s elect who serve as a witness of Him. What is significant is that the lambs must be one year old.  The following verses of scripture show us the significance of the first year:

Exo 40:17  In the first month in the second year on the first day of the month (one year old), the tabernacle was erected.

Num 9:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
Num 9:2  Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.

Jer 52:31  And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the first year of his reign lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison,

What this means is that when we begin to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to the Lord, we can be offered as lambs for a meat and drink offering to the Lord. In other words, it is when we come out of prison (like Jehoiakim) and our temples (bodies) are going through the cleansing process by the Lord; that is when we can become lambs to be offered to God.

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

According to verse 38, this offering of ourselves as a living sacrifice is to be done daily as long as we live in this tent of our bodies.

Exo 29:39  The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
Exo 29:40  And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
Exo 29:41  And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

According to these verses, what we are to offer daily to the Lord in the morning and in the evening as a sweet savor for a meat offering and a drink offering are two lambs of a year old. Each of the lambs is to be offered together with a tenth of an ephah of finest flour mixed with a quarter of a measure of oil from pressed olives and a quarter of wine measure. Regarding the meat offering, the biblical use of meat refers to solid food as opposed to drink.  The first occurrences of meat in the Bible are found in Genesis where the Lord gives every herb bearing seed and the fruit of a tree for meat. Thus, the use of fine flour for a meat offering is appropriate in this context.

Gen 1:29  And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

The meat offering is the offering of a “living sacrifice” which the elect are required to offer. That was the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ gave during His earthly ministry.

Joh 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 

Joh 6:27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Spiritually, the drink offering signifies our service of love to the people of the Lord as demonstrated by Apostle Paul as follows:

Php 2:17  Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
Php 2:18  Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. (ESV)

2Ti 4:6  For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. (ESV)

Exo 29:42  This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
Exo 29:43  And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.
Exo 29:44  And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.

Offering our bodies as living sacrifices entails going through fiery trials as shown in verse 42 where there must be a continual burnt offering throughout our lives. Here in these verses, we are told that it is as we offer our bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to the Lord, and our service of love to the people of the Lord that our Lord meets us and speaks to us. The sanctifying work of the Lord involves cleansing our temples, which are our bodies, through our fiery trials so we can minister as Priests. 

1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

Exo 29:45  And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
Exo 29:46  And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

The Lord dwelling with us is predicated on the fact that we are able to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him as we labor for the Lord’s people.

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Here in Corinthians, we are given further information about the condition under which our Lord comes to dwell in us. We must do away with our idols of the heart and come out from Babylon completely. Although physically we have left Babylon, there are still some aspects of their doctrines that may linger in our heavens which represent the unclean thing. However, our confidence is in the fact that whatever the Lord starts, He is able to finish!!

May the Lord continue to cleanse our temple of any unclean thing as we go through this process of consecration in this life. Amen!!