THE CONSECRATION OF AARON AND HIS SONS
THE CONSECRATION OF AARON AND HIS SONS
JT It is quite clear that we have first the priesthood as seen in Christ. The introduction of it in this chapter of the book would show that the import of the sacrifices is supposed to be understood. Up to this point the priesthood was connected with the offerers. The priest acts for the offerer as he makes his offerings, but as we get the benefit of his service on our behalf we are prepared to see his function in relation to God and to the universe.
AFM Is it Christ Himself in the opening part of the chapter?
JT Yes. His personal dignity in regard to the universe, and then typically the saints who form the assembly with Him.
FL The tabernacle sets forth the universe. Christ is anointed as Man in relation to it, and then the saints, typified by Aaron’s sons, are anointed with Him on the ground of His death.
JT As we apprehend the service of the Priest on our side, we are prepared for His function on God’s side as the Minister of the sanctuary. The tabernacle is anointed, and then he is anointed.
FL I suppose that this is really the only occasion in which Aaron can be called a complete expression of the priesthood of Christ; that is, he had on the garments, the breastplate and the mitre. He is not termed “High Priest”, but he sets forth Christ in that character. For a brief moment we see the character of the thing before breakdown comes in. We never see it again, not even on the day of atonement.
JS Moses has the place of directing [p. 154] all.
JT He represents the element of authority, which is always present; it can never cease. We are in the apprehension, in that way, of what is presented to us in the gospels the Lord Jesus as Man here and anointed in relation to the whole system under God’s eye. The tabernacle and Aaron are anointed without blood.
AFM Why is it that the tabernacle is anointed first, and then Aaron afterwards?
JT I think it is to show what God had in His mind in the creation. He did not create the universe without a purpose. He had Christ in His mind. Sin is, of course, taken account of in the sin-offering later. All is finally founded on redemption, but we see the personal glory of Christ in the opening of the chapter. He was anointed without blood.
FL To understand this really we must apprehend that for the moment Christ is seen as both Moses and Aaron. The Apostle and Priest go together.
BTF This would not refer to that side of the priesthood which supports the people in their wilderness journey.
JT No. It is what He is in upholding all things by His power; it is Christ in relation to all things. He maintains everything for God. It is a wonderful scene. We get a full type of Christ as Priest, and then in Aaron’s sons those who typically form the assembly as associated with Him.
AFM Why were all the congregation gathered together here?
JT This is a public scene. Christ was anointed at His baptism; the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost also was public. He “sat upon” each of them. The priesthood is established in the presence of those who were to benefit by it.
GWW A peculiar character attaches to the offering here. It is not like a special offering for [p. 155] sin; it is for the consecration of the priestly company. There is no confession of sin.
FL The opening passage refers to Christ in relation to the universe.
JT Aaron is anointed first without blood; he is afterwards anointed with his sons on the ground of death. The personal dignity of Christ is seen in the first, but on account of sin, His relation with His own must be on the ground of redemption.
GWW That is the important point. God has set it up on such a ground; it was due to Himself, and besides that permanent security depended on it.
BTF What do the garments worn by Aaron represent?
JT They all point to the inherent qualities of the Lord Jesus, His heavenly origin, and His service of love. It is as looking at Him as set forth in the gospels that we get the right thought about it.
Moses “put upon him the vest, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the cloak, and put the ephod on him, and he girded him with the girdle of the ephod, and fastened the ephod on him. And he put the breastplate on it, and put on the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim; and he put the turban upon his head; and upon the turban, on the front of it, he put the golden plate, the holy diadem; as Jehovah had commanded Moses”. All these refer to features that shone in the Lord personally as seen in the gospels. Take these details up bit by bit, and you can trace them in the gospels. He associated His disciples with Himself in Luke 24. Then He goes to heaven and receives the Holy Spirit from the Father, and gives it to them. He is set up as their Head. We have the full view of the priesthood set forth here. They go inside now to keep the charge of Jehovah, verses 33 - 35. Typically this refers to Christians.
[p. 156] Our place is within. The charge of Jehovah is to be kept.
CAM Christ was not anointed by the Spirit at His birth?
JT In Luke 3 He is anointed, and then we have His genealogy given right through to Adam to show that He is a real Man. The Spirit of God shows His true manhood, and then it is said, he “was led by the Spirit in the wilderness”, Luke 4:1. The Spirit is supreme in Him; He recognises the Spirit. Then it is said that He “returned in the power of the Spirit”, Luke 4:14. He returned. It was His own act, but in the power of the Spirit. He went into the synagogue and He stood up to read, and turned to the Scriptures; that is what is becoming to a priest. He takes the Scripture, the recognised word, and “found the place where it was written”, Luke 4:17. It is not that He opened it accidentally, but it really is that He found it. Found what fitted that particular moment. He says, “[The] Spirit of [the] Lord is upon me” (Luke 4:18) and He carries on now His priestly ministry in the power of the anointing.
FL He is not restricted to the Jews. His service is toward all men.
BTF Do we get Hebrews 2:11 here; the Sanctifier and the sanctified being all of one?
JT Yes. Only it is not a question here exactly of His “brethren”, those that should be with Him, but those that should keep the charge of Jehovah with Him.
GWW In all His wonderful life here among men He has shown His perfect competency as being the One who could hold everything for God. He is competent to hold the whole universe for God.
FL In Melchisedec we have the priesthood introduced, and then Aaron.
JT Melchisedec shows us the order. We have nothing of the garments connected with Melchisedec.
[p. 157] He simply appears as priest, without father or mother or beginning of days or end of life. It was, I suppose, to show the deity of Christ; but we see the priestly functions in Aaron. Christ is a real Man, with a man’s affections. He can call us by name. That is what the breastplate denotes. It is of all moment to have in our minds that He is not only Melchisedec, a divine Person, but a true Man, One who can love each of us, and can call each of us by name.
WLP Who do the “congregation” typify here?
JT Those who are to get the benefit of the priesthood. The Lord in Spirit had spoken about preaching righteousness in the great congregation, Psalm 40:9. All His ministry was there before them. They marvelled, it is said, at the words of grace that were coming out of His mouth. The affect of the anointing was there; it is for them to get the benefit of it.