As you’ve read Leviticus 8-9 this week you might be thinking, “This has no relevance to my faith today.” On the surface, this is a fair assessment. Ancient ordination rites are not our usual “go to” for learning to follow Jesus. However, it is my goal to prove that there is relevant, even critical, theological material in these chapters. So today we’re going to consider what the ordination of Aaron and his sons might tell us about our vocation as disciples of Christ.
I will start from the assumption of 1 Peter 2:9:
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Peter refers to us, the church corporate, as a “royal priesthood”. This is what informs the Protestant belief of the “priesthood of all believers”. We all now have a priestly vocation; What is true for Aaron is true for all of us who are in Christ.
So from that starting point, what can we say about God’s intentions for Aaron in Exodus 28 and Leviticus 8-9 that point to His intentions for us?
1. Priests are transformed into “heavenly” people.
If you read carefully, you’ll notice that Aaron’s priestly attire parallels the coloring of the Holy Place and Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. Aaron wears gold, blue, purple and crimson clothing (Exodus 28:4-5); these are the colors of “heaven” (both in the sky and in the Israelites conception of God’s invisible heaven). Aaron also has jewels on his ephod and the breastplate (Exodus 28:6-25) and a crown (Leviticus 8:9). Jewels were, and still are, associated with heaven (think streets of gold). The point is, Aaron is being clothed for service in the heavenly realm. In his vestments Aaron would look like one of God’s servants in the eyes of the Israelites.
Likewise, the New Testament assumes that we have to be transformed into “heavenly” people. Only for us it’s not about clothing, but about being “clothed with Christ” (Romans 13:14). This means that we are to have the same character that Jesus did. Jesus is the image of God’s perfect heavenly servant, and God wants to transform our character to reflect His (fruit of the Spirit! Gal. 5:22-23).
2. Priests are made holy.
As simply as this it, this is something we cannot miss. Aaron is given new clothing, is purified (Lev. 8:22-24, note the blood goes on Aaron!) and anointed. Aaron is holy! And so are we. All who are in Christ share in His holiness and have been cleansed by His blood. All of us, as hard as it is to believe sometimes, are in fact “saints”. The Apostle Paul regularly refers to Christians as “saints” or “holy ones” in the New Testament (Phil. 4:21).
3. Priests are set apart for exclusive service to God.
We discussed this at length in the last blog, but note again that once Aaron is consecrated he cannot simply choose when to serve and when not to. He is expected to be serving in the Tabernacle and cannot do anything to jeopardize his holiness (Lev. 10:6-7). All who are in Christ are set apart for God’s Kingdom work in this way. While we have many tasks and duties all of it must be submitted to Him and if He calls us to something else we are obligated to go.
4. Priests have the power to consecrate and to bless.
Aaron and his sons are given the power to carry out the sacrifices that purify and consecrate the Tabernacle and future priests. And, they have the power to pronounce God’s blessing over His people (Lev. 9:22). Likewise, all who are in Christ have the power to make holy and to bless. We have this power through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and it is through our prayers, words and deeds that God’s blessing and holiness can be extended into the world.
5. Priests live in God’s presence and can intercede for others.
Aaron and the priests minister in God’s presence (Lev. 9:23-24). To enter the Holy Place and Holy of Holies is to come before God. As they do this they represent the rest of Israel before God, which is seen in the symbols in Aaron’s breastplate (Exodus 28:12-29). Likewise, all who are in Christ have been brought into Christ’s presence. To receive the Holy Spirit is to receive the same Spirit that filled the Tabernacle (hence the connection between the fire that comes from the altar and the “tongues of fire” in Acts 2). We now live and move and minister in God’s presence. And as such, we too can intercede by prayer for others and God hears us just as he received the priests’ sacrifices on behalf of Israel.
6. Priests mediate between God and the world.
This is the sum total of all the previous points. To be a priest is to mediate between people and their God. Aaron and his sons do this through sacrifice, by representing the people before God, and by blessing the people in God’s name and making the Tabernacle a place where they can encounter God (by maintaining its holiness). Our call is the same! We are to mediate between God and the world by representing God to the world (through our lifestyle, i.e “heavenly clothing”), by connecting people with the sacrifice that can bring them into communion with God (Christ), and by sharing God’s blessing with them (the Holy Spirit they encounter in our fellowship) and interceding on their behalf through prayer.
A final note: all that we are saying about priests is true about Jesus (and more!). But we’ll save that for a later post!
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