Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20070523.htm

EXODUS: FUNCTIONING WELL IN A HOPELESS GROUP ASSIGNMENT
Part II: God's Sustainment Of Israel In The Wilderness Amid Humanly Hopeless Trials
M. God's Establishment Of The Tabernacle Of Meeting
10. The Priest's Consecration: God's Pathway Toward Acceptable Service
(Exodus 29:1-46)
  1. Introduction
    1. One reason we were saved is that we might serve God in works he before ordained for us, Ephesians 2:10.
    2. However, we can serve God acceptably, or without His favor and blessing, cf. 1 Corinthians 9:17, 27.
    3. The proper path toward effectively serving God is typified in the consecration of the priests in Exodus 29:
  2. The Priest's Consecration: God's Pathway Toward Acceptable Service, Exodus 29:1-46.
    1. Regardless if the priests were to be clad in honorable vestments, they were still sinners, and stood in need of being properly consecrated by the Lord before they could serve Him with His approval, Exodus 29:1a.
    2. Thus, God gave directions on consecrating the priests beginning at Exodus 29:1b (cf. 29:1a), and that consecration is typologically revealing as to the believer's service to the Lord today, Exodus 29:1b-46:
      1. First, Moses ceremonially was to wash these men with water, Exodus 29:4. This act typifies the regeneration that occurs at salvation for today's believer, the necessary initial step toward effective service of being truly saved by faith in Christ, Titus 3:5.
      2. The second step of consecration was the donning of priestly robes designed by God and the anointing of Aaron for his role, a picture of God's assigning them their ministries, Ex. 29:5-9. This typified the gifting and assigning of ministry roles by God for each believer, cf. 1 Cor. 12:8-11; 1 Peter 4:10-11.
      3. Then, a young bull was offered as a sin offering for the priests, Ex. 29:10-14. This shows how believers must humbly serve God based on the spiritual provisions of His grace and not in pride or dependence on human merit or ability in place of those provisions, Lk. 17:7-10; 2 Tim. 2:1; 1:1-18!
      4. After the bull, a ram was sacrificed as a burnt offering, Ex. 29:15-18. This offering was fully burned on the altar (cf. Lev. 1:1-4-9), typifying the need for the priests voluntarily to yield to God's will .
      5. Following this first ram, a second ram of consecration was sacrificed, and its blood was applied to the tips of the right ears, the right thumbs and the right foot big toes of Aaron and his sons, and then the sprinkling of blood on their priestly clothes, Ex. 29:19-21. This typified how God wants believers today to hear His Word, to apply it in service actions with their hands and the directions they take in life with their feet besides emanating His godliness in life (clothes)! (James 1:22-25; 1 Tim. 4:12-13)
      6. Some of the meat of the second, consecration ram was burned on the altar to the Lord while the rest of it was eaten by the priests with the bread in fellowship with Him, a symbol of sustained livelihood in serving the Lord, Ex. 29:22-26, 27-28. This typifies the blessing of God's fellowship and His promised material provision for His servants that acceptably serve Him, cf. 2 Tim. 2:6; 1 Cor. 9:9-14.
      7. The next steps of consecration highlighted time periods: the consecration of the next high priest was a seven-day matter, a key event, Ex. 29:29-30. Also, the communal meal, being sacred, was to have its leftovers each day burned, Ex. 29:31-34. The consecration sacrifices were to occur seven consecutive days, with a sin offering each day of the consecration, 29:35-37. These all pictured the need to take time to mature and to prepare for acceptable service, 1 Tim. 3:6-7; 5:22; cf. Acts 9:26-31 with 13:1-3.
      8. The final step of consecration is implied in a reference to the daily sacrifices the priests were to make with an emphasis on perpetual fellowship with God, Ex. 29:38-46. Thus, God pictured here the need for faithfulness in serving Him in our assignments, cf. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Luke 12:42-44, 45-46.
Lesson: In consecrating the priests, God highlighted the need of His servants (1) to be saved, (2) to stick to His call and gifting of them, (3) to rely humbly on His grace, (4) to submit to God's will for them, (5) to heed Scripture and (6) apply it in life and (7) service, (8) to trust God for their livelihood as they heed Him, (9) to take time to mature and prepare to serve well and (10) to be faithful in service!

Application: To serve God with His approval, may we trust in Christ to be saved, stick to His call and gifting, serve Him humbly in His gracious provisions, submit to His will, heed Scripture and apply it in life and service, trust God for our livelihood provisions in serving Him and serve Him faithfully!