Author: Beth Duncan

Exodus 29:19“ Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. 

I find myself incredibly thankful for Jesus in a whole new way as I read through Exodus today. The scenes described here weren’t unusual at the time. They were the only way for man to atone for his sins. It was a production, and it feels exhausting and excruciating. 

Exodus 29:20 Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Then splash blood against the sides of the altar. 

It also seems a bit removed. Where is the sinner in all of this? Commentary says they were in the outer courtyard, praying for atonement, but did the ritual affect them the way it must have the priests? Was the entire ritual as visceral, as impacting for both parties? 

Exodus 29:21 And take some blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.

Precious Savior, Thank You for Jesus, for removing the distance between You and me. Thank You for removing the bloody business of atonement and giving us the ability to metaphorically step inside the holy of holies and personally draw closer to You. Help me never to take that closeness for granted. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 29:22 “Take from this ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.)

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 29:15 “Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. 

Being a priest during this period seems like a bloody, awful business. They were forever involved in gore, trying to atone for the many, many sins of humanity. It seems like it would be easy to be disillusioned in this Sisyphean task. 

Exodus 29:16 Slaughter it and take the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. 

Being human, trying to be a good person, a good Christian, can be exhausting as well. My faulty humanity frustratingly shines through all the time. And yet, like Sisyphus, like the priests of Exodus, I continue to push the boulder up the hill, hoping I’ll get a little bit further this time than the last. 

Exodus 29:17 Cut the ram into pieces and wash the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. 

Precious Savior, It is easy to feel like trying to be more like You is futile. Thank You for the knowledge that I can never be like You, but if I keep persisting, I can draw closer to You with every effort. Help me to remember it is not about perfection, it is about progress. Help me to keep striving. Amen. 

Exodus 29:18 Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 29:10-11 “Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting.  

After yesterday’s reflection, I still have the image of Jesus in my head, which means that as I read about this holy sacrifice in the Old Testament, I am thinking of Jesus, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the New Testament. The horror of Jesus’s death is intensified when overlaid with the gory images here.

Exodus 29:12 Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.

And I’m left wondering what to do with all of that–the idea of being hallowed for God, the idea of sacrificing for God, the idea that Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for me, for you, the fact that, even with all of that, God doesn’t demand a relationship with us, but He welcomes it, desires it, not because it will benefit Him but because we are His and He knows it will benefit us and because He loves us fiercely and relationship is part of that.

Exodus 29:13 Then take all the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. 

Precious Savior, Thank You is inadequate, but it is all I have. Help me, as I sit and ponder the magnitude of Your sacrifice, to know what to do with it. Help me to love others as You love, to show grace and mercy as You do, to be more like You. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 29:14 But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestines outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 29:1 “This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect. 

Commentary this morning led me to this statement: “The purpose of the ceremony was to hallow them – that is, to set the priests aside for God’s purpose,” which sent me down a rabbit hole on the word hallow. While googling, I came across two definitions that fit today’s verses: “to make holy, sanctify, consecrate, or treat something as sacred and set apart” and “To recognize as sacred and therefore to treat as holy.”

Exodus 29:2 And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil. 

I believe that God has a purpose for my life. Since I still have air in my lungs, I think He’s not done with me yet, I have more of that purpose to fulfill. Do I consider myself to be hallowed for God? Should I? What about that negative voice in my head that tells me every little thing I do wrong? Does that go away with hallowing? 

Exodus 29:3 Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams. 

Precious Savior, Thank You for this idea of being hallowed for You. Help me to see how it fits into my life. Help me to live out Your purpose for me in a way that brings You praise and glory, and help me to silence that negative voice that says I am not enough. Amen.

Exodus 29:4 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 28:40 Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons to give them dignity and honor. 

As I was reading commentary on today’s verses, I came across this little nugget: “the trousers were to be made of cool linen, instead of warm wool. God doesn’t want His servants to sweat.” My immediate response was to laugh. How silly to think the God of all creation would be thinking of details this minute.

Exodus 28:41 After you put these clothes on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.

However, I’m one of those people who believes that God chooses to show up in the little details of our lives. That parking spot that opened up exactly when I needed? I see You, God. I don’t think he micro-manages as an element of control. I think He wants us to know that He thinks of us, He is with us, He loves us, so He sprinkles little reminders throughout our days. 

Exodus 28:42 “Make linen undergarments as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 

Precious Savior, Just like I do things for my kids to make them smile, to remind them that I love them, I think You give us God-winks for the same reason. Thank You–for loving us fiercely, for sprinkling unexpected reminders of Your love in our days, for covering us with grace and mercy we don’t deserve. Amen.

Exodus 28:43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they will not incur guilt and die. “This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 28:31-32 “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar around this opening, so that it will not tear. 

The sound of the bells rather intrigued me this morning, but I was shocked and horrified when I came across this bit of commentary: “By [the sound of the bells, those outside] would know that [the priest’s] offering had been accepted, and that he had not been struck dead.”

Exodus 28:33 Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 

The Old Testament God and the Old Testament relationships to God are so incredibly different that it is sometimes hard for me to wrap my head around. Even just reading about the stakes for the once-a-year sacrifice makes me anxious. 

Exodus 28:34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 

Precious Savior, Thank You that Your presence, Your life, Your death and resurrection removes the rigid weight of perfection from my relationship with God. Thank You that You allow me to come to You with all of my flaws and imperfections, that You allow me to lay my burdens at Your feet, that You wrap me in Your peace and love. Thank You. Amen.

Exodus 28:35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

Have a blessed day.