Consecration

While the children of were at Mt Sinai, their new religious rituals were being established. Laws, sacrifices, holy days, festivals and a meeting place were given to the people for their worship and relationship with Jehovah.

They were starting anew. Nothing like this had been done before.

One part of the process was the consecration of the priests, recorded in Exodus 29.

One bull, two rams, unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil and unleavened wafers smeared with oil were to be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting. 

Aaron and his sons were to be washed and Aaron would be clothed with the high priestly garments. Aaron's sons would be clothed in the priestly attire. The animals sacrificed, the horns of the altar smeared in blood.

With the blood of the second ram, Moses was to perform a particular ceremony to Aaron and his sons:

"...you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his son, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right fee, and thrown the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons' garments with him. He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons' garments with him" (vs 20-21).

The blood of the sacrifice was what made the high priest and his sons, as well as their garments holy, sanctified, set apart. From that point on these men were separated from the rest of the people. These garments were to be worn in the performance of their duties of representing the people before God. These men and their clothing were no longer common; they were separated unto God.

Although the believer does not go through this ritual of consecration, they have been consecrated by a much greater sacrifice than the blood of a ram. We have been called to be holy, to live holy lives, sanctified to God.

"...but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct...knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Pet 1:15-19).

What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Oh, precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow!

No other fount I know!

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!