LEVITICUS 8
God would have all His people to be interested in priesthood, and instructed in what pertains to it; so He tells Moses to “Take Aaron and his sons with him, and ... gather all the assembly together at the entrance of the tent of meeting” (verse 3). Aaron was called by God to the honour of priesthood (Hebrews 5: 4); his sons came into it as being kindred with him. And “the Christ also has not glorified himself to be made a high priest”. The One who said to Him,
“Thou art my Son”, said also, “Thou art a priest”. He has taken up the priestly office by God’s appointment, and in Hebrews He is the only One who is called a priest. The Spirit of God is drawing attention in that part of Scripture to CHRIST as the “merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God” (Hebrews 2: 17), as the “High Priest of our confession” (3: 1), as the “great high priest who has passed through the heavens” (4: 14), as the “priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec” (5: 6, etc.), as “high priest of the good things to come” (9: 11), and as “a great priest over the house of God” (10: 21). But it is made clear that He has a sanctified company of brethren who are “all of one” with Him (2: 11), and it is as being so that the saints are “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2: 5). Though their priesthood is not formally taught in Hebrews it is implied in drawing nigh to God, and approaching God, and in having boldness for entering into the holy of holies, and in the offering of the sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 7: 19, 25; Hebrews 10: 19; Hebrews 13: 15).
There are those who are kindred with Christ. “Take Aaron and his sons with him”. It is not sons of Adam that are seen here, but sons of Aaron. That is, it is the saints viewed not according to what they are naturally, but according to what they are spiritually as the result of the working of God. I trust we know what it is to have been attracted to Christ. We see the power of the attraction of Christ in the Gospels, and how different ones responded; the two disciples who heard John speak, and Simon, and Philip, and Nathaniel, and many others. When Christ was presented they were attracted; there was that in them which was kindred with Christ; a magnet only attracts [p. 101] what is kindred to itself. The disciples were attracted to Christ, and became attached to Him; nothing would induce them to give Him up. In listening to Him, and following Him, they were doing the will of God, and He recognized them as His brethren. See Matthew 12: 46 - 50; Mark 3: 35; Luke 8: 21. Such are bound up with Christ eternally. You may find flaws in the saints if you look for them, but they appreciate Christ, and that shows that they are kindred with Him.
“Aaron and his sons with him”. Through infinite grace we are bound up with Christ, not only in God’s purpose — though that lies behind all — but in affection which is the product of God’s working in our souls. Believing in John’s Gospel is the believing of affection; the heart has found an Object in whom it can rest. When that is so every detail connected with Christ becomes of greatest interest to the heart. How the bride in Canticles delights to speak of every feature of the Bridegroom! She loves to dwell on every detail. To such a heart the chapter before us would have profound interest.
The reader is referred to “An Outline of the Book of Exodus” — chapters 28, 29 — for remarks on the priestly garments, and the consecration offerings. The chapters in Exodus give us Jehovah’s commandment as to what was to be done; Leviticus 8 describes how Moses, as the one faithful in all God’s house, carried it out. All leads to Aaron and his sons keeping the charge of Jehovah at the entrance of the tent of meeting as nourished on the flesh of the ram of consecration, and on the bread of consecration. This is typical of the assembly as the consecrated company. The consecration-offering comes as near to that aspect of the Lord’s death which is before us in His supper as [p. 102] anything in the Old Testament. His body devoted in love to the will of God and for the assembly, so that every thought of the divine pleasure might take effect and be known in our hearts as the fruit of infinite love. The result would be that we should “keep the charge” during the seven days which are typical of the whole period of priestly service; everything would be maintained that is due to the Lord’s Name. It is not here the privilege of going in with Him to share the relationship in which He stands to His Father and His God, now known as our Father and our God, but rather the privilege and holy responsibility of keeping the charge “at the entrance of the tent of meeting”. It is the maintenance in faithfulness here of what is due to Him during the time of His rejection — having part with Him in faithfulness to His interests here. We eat the Lord’s supper on the Lord’s day in view of complete identification with the interests and testimony of Christ all through the week. John 13 - John 17 contemplates Christ going to the Father, but leaving His own here to “keep the charge” — to have part with Him in that testimony which He brought here. The Father made known, the love of Christ revealed, the Comforter given, the intercession of Christ, and the mutual affections and service of the saints, all come in with relation to keeping the charge! Keeping the charge is “until he come”!