Exodus 29: 29 – 37 “The holy garments that belong to Aaron will belong to his sons after him, so they can be anointed and ordained in them. The son who succeeds him as priest and enters the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place must wear them for seven days. You are to take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that is in the basket. They must eat those things by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no outsider may eat them, because these things are sacred. And if any of the meat of ordination or any bread is left until the morning, burn up the remainder. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred. This is what you are to do for Aaron and his sons based on all that I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. Sacrifice a bull as a sin offering each day for atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it. For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will become most holy; whatever touches the altar will be holy.”
Seven days! For seven days Aaron and his sons were to remain in the tabernacle while sacrifices were made. Not only were Aaron and his sons being consecrated, but the altar itself was also being consecrated at the same time. If you think about it, it makes sense. After all, why have a holy altar if the priests are not holy? And why have consecrated priests if the altar has not been consecrated?
What is so significant about the number seven? Dennis Prager tells us, “Once again there is the number seven, the most important and recurrent number in the Torah because it hearkens back to the creation of the world in seven days. Acknowledging God as the Creator is to acknowledge, among many other things, that life is ultimately meaningful; it is not a haphazard series of coincidences, which is all life is if there is no Creator. In this verse, “seven” suggests the initiation of the priests involves the creation of something new, namely the ritual service of God in the Tabernacle.”
There were restrictions. For this seven day period, Aaron and his sons were to remain within the Tabernacle grounds, presumably so that they could hear from God and become closer to him.
APPLICATION: When we lived in one part of the Northern Region of Ghana, a local chief was elevated to a new status. In preparation for this new position, the chief went into seclusion for a period of time before he was brought out to be “outdoored” in his new position. We were advised that this period of seclusion was to protect the chief spiritually so that nobody could attack him before he assumed his new position. This period of seclusion also involved some animal sacrifices as well. The day the chief was brought out and “outdoored” in his new position, he was given new white clothing to wear. Then the chief was carried through the streets with lots of drumming and dancing. People even sprinkled white talcum powder on the chief as a sign of encouragement, celebration, and purity.
When Aaron and his sons were ordained, it set a precedent for the ordination of all priests who were to follow. God wanted these men to draw near to Him so that they would follow Him obediently and whole – heartedly.
Do we ever withdraw just to be with God and to listen to Him? It’s very easy to get caught up in the demands of daily life, especially if you are the parent of small children. But remember the story of Charles Wesley’s mother. Susanna Wesley had nineteen children (19!!!!!). To find time and a quiet place to pray, Susanna would sit in a corner and throw her apron over her head. The children knew not to disturb Susanna until she uncovered her head again. May we find time and space to withdraw so that we can hear God’s voice.
PRAYER: Father God, help! Our lives are full of all kinds of noise and all kinds of strife. We feel pulled in many directions. Help us to be quiet before you so that you can speak to us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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