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97_Consecration for service

Ex 29:1-9“Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 6 And you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8 Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, 9 and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

A job applicant arrived for an interview at one of the top companies. He had impressive qualifications and an outstanding resume. However, he ignored the dress code stipulated by the company for the interview. He assumed that the company wouldn’t mind his informal apparel because of his credentials. However, he was turned away. The directors rightly assumed that someone who was careless about their wishes in such a minor matter would cause much more trouble down the road.

In the same way, we may greatly desire to serve God, but we must be prepared for his service. This principle is vividly illustrated in Exodus 29:1-9, where Moses was given detailed instructions about the consecration of Aaron and his sons so that they could serve as priests in the Tabernacle. God’s servants must be holy. Consecration is the prerequisite for service.

Every sinner who comes to God in repentance and faith in the name of Jesus Christ is washed and clothed in righteousness. But when Aaron and his sons were chosen to minister before the Lord, he instructed Moses about their garments and their consecration. This demonstrates the importance, not just of their function but their consecration for their holy calling.

The first step was washing them with water. Every one of us needs to be purified through repentance and obedience to the word of God. Repentance is nothing but realizing the wrongness of our ways and correcting them. Isaiah 52:11 exhorts, “Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.” True service to God demands cleansing from the defilement of the flesh, and from the desire to conform to the world in its disobedient and self-serving ways.

After washing, the priestly garments were put on them, denoting their God-given authority, holiness, and single-minded devotion to God’s service. They were then girded with sashes, so that they would be unhindered by distractions as they moved about their work. Heb 12:1 instructs us, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” also, 1 Peter 1:13 tells us, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Their heads were covered, for their own sin meant that they were not worthy to present their heads before God. The white caps speak of the covering of Christ, our Head, through whom we have been made priests to our God.

They were anointed with oil. We are anointed with the Holy Spirit, who is given to us as a guarantee of our inheritance (2 Corinthians 1:22). He leads, equips, and empowers us for service. Without Him, our human efforts would fall short. Through the Spirit, we work in the power and wisdom of God.

The next step of consecration was sacrifice. Three animals were sacrificed as part of their consecration. The first was a bull, brought before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head, before it was slain as a sin offering. The fat was burned on the altar, while the rest of the bull was taken outside the camp and burned. This points unmistakably to Christ, our sin offering. He bore our sins in His body on the cross, and His sacrifice is the atonement for our wrongdoing. Like the bull, Christ suffered outside the city, bearing our reproach.

The second sacrifice was a ram, also with the laying on of hands. After it was slain, its blood was thrown against the altar, and the entire ram was burned. This was a burnt offering, completely consumed by fire, ascending to God as a pleasing aroma. The Hebrew word for “burnt offering” means to “ascend” or “go up in smoke.” It was a total surrender, nothing held back.

This is a picture of worship—wholehearted, single-minded devotion to God. True worship is not about a program or a moral obligation; it is about loving God completely and offering our whole lives to Him. Ephesians 5:1-2 exhorts, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” A life of worship is one that is fully given over to Him in love and reverence.

The third sacrifice was another ram, called the ram of consecration. Its blood was applied to the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of Aaron and his sons. This act signified that their ears were set apart to hear God’s voice, their hands were consecrated to do His will and minister to him, and their feet were sanctified to walk on holy ground. Their consecration was complete—they were now set apart for God’s service.

We have been cleansed so that we might be a royal priesthood to our God. Let us dedicate all of our life to serving God. Paul expressed this beautifully in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” True consecration means that we are no longer living for ourselves, but for Him who called us.

The culmination of this process is seen in verse 21, where the blood and anointing oil was sprinkled on Aaron, his sons, and their garments. Now they were both cleansed and anointed, made holy and appointed to serve as priests. We are not only washed in Christ’s blood but also privileged to live daily in holiness. If we only seek forgiveness, we know nothing of God. The people of God learn to walk in the newness of life, clothed in righteousness, anointed for his service, with a heart fully yielded to God.

In our enthusiasm, we may rush into ministry without first consecrating ourselves in the Spirit. Such service is in our strength, relying on our talents and intelligence rather than on the Spirit’s leading. But when we are cleansed by the water of the word, filled with the Spirit, and consecrated through the blood of Jesus Christ, we serve God acceptably. When we share his death, we embrace God’s will, and walk in the obedience of faith.

Imagine a soldier going into battle without training, or a doctor performing surgery without prior preparation. Just as disastrous is the outcome when we serve God without consecrating ourselves. Consecration is not optional; it is essential. When we approach ministry with prepared hearts—hearts that are washed, anointed, and consecrated—then we serve in a manner that truly honors our King. God bless.