For their consecration
they were all washed. Aaron and his sons together always
represent the church, not as gathered in a body (a thing
hidden in the Old Testament), but in varied positions
sustained individually before God. There is only one
sanctification for all—divine life. Christ is the
spring and the expression of it. We are made partakers of
it, but it is one [1].
Both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are
all of one. But Aaron is first anointed separately
without sacrifice, without blood. But his sons are then
brought and with him are sprinkled with blood upon the
ear, the thumb of the right hand, the great toe of the
right foot [2];
obedience, action, and walk, being measured and guarded,
both through the price, and according to the perfection
of the blood of Christ. And then they were sprinkled with
blood and with the oil of consecration, that is to say,
set apart by the blood and by the unction of the Holy
Ghost. The washing is the Spirit's work in the
sanctifying power of the word; the anointing, His
personal presence and energy in intelligence and
power-God working in us.
Cleansed by the
blood and sealed by the Spirit
And it is important to
remark here that the seal of the Holy Ghost follows on
the sprinkling with the blood, not on the washing with
the water. That was needed. We must be born again, but it
is not that cleansing which, by itself, puts us in a
state God can seal: the blood of Christ does. We are
thereby perfectly cleansed as white as snow, and the
Spirit comes as the witness of God's estimate of the
value of that blood-shedding. Hence, too, all were
sprinkled with Aaron The blood of Christ, and the Holy
Ghost have set us in association with Christ, where He is
according to the acceptableness of that perfect sacrifice
(it was the ram of consecration), and the presence,
liberty, and power of the Holy Ghost.
All the sacrifices
offered for the priests
All the sacrifices were
offered. That for sin, the burnt-offering of a
sweet-smelling savour, the ram of consecration (which had
the character of a peace-offering), accompanied by the
meat-offering. These sacrifices have been explained
elsewhere, and I only recall their import: Christ made
sin for us, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree;
first need of the soul, the sin-offering; Christ obedient
unto death, devoting Himself to the glory of His
Father—but according to God's nature, and the
existence of sin, and that in us—and to us as
belonging to the Father, the burnt-offering; the
communion of God, of the Saviour, of the worshipper, and
of the whole church, the peace-offering; and Christ
devoted in holiness of life upon the earth, but proved
even to death, the meat-offering.
Aaron's sons
associated with their head
It is to be observed that,
when Aaron and his sons were sprinkled and anointed, the
sons were anointed with him, and their garments also, and
not he with them. Everything is connected with the Head.
Aaron and his sons ate the things with which the
atonement had been made. Such is our portion in Christ,
the food of God whereby we dwell in Christ and Christ in
us.
The dwelling of
God sanctified by His glory
Then, connected with this
priesthood, comes the perpetual sweet-smelling savour of
the burnt-offering, in which the people present
themselves before God—sweet-smelling savour which is
found there, as it were in the midst of the people,
according to the efficacy of which they stand in His
presence round about. There God met the people. With the
mediator He met above the ark without veil, and gave him
commandment for the people according to His own
perfection. Here He puts Himself on a level with the
people, though speaking with the mediator. The dwelling
of God in the midst of the people is sanctified by His
glory. The tabernacle, the altar, the priests, are
sanctified, and He dwells in the midst of the people
surrounding Him. For this purpose had He brought them out
of Egypt (ver. 46): a blessed picture of how, in a far
higher and better way, God dwells in the midst of us [3]. He never dwelt with man, we may
moreover remark, till redemption was accomplished: not
with Adam innocent, nor with Abraham, or others; but, so
soon as redemption is accomplished, He says, "They
shall know that I am Jehovah their God, who brought them
forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among
them" (chap. 29: 46).
[1]
Aaron is always united to his sons in such types, for
Christ cannot be separated from His own or they would
become nought. But he had been anointed personally
without blood, a thing that has been verified in Christ's
history. He was anointed while on earth; His disciples
after His death. He received the Spirit for the church in
a new way (Acts 2: 33), when He was risen from among the
dead in the power of the blood of the eternal covenant:
for it is according to the efficacy of that blood in
behalf of His people, that He has been raised as their
Head. In Christ's anointing on earth the Holy Ghost was
witness to Christ's own personal righteousness and
sonship; in ours He is the witness of our being clean
through His blood, the righteousness of God in Him, and
sons by adoption.
[2]
Aaron is first simply anointed with the anointing oil
poured upon his head (chap. 29: 7). Then the sons are
brought, and the ram of consecration brought, and some of
its blood put upon Aaron's ear, and then on the tip of
the ear of his sons, their right thumb and the great toe
of the right foot. It might be supposed that it was only
on Aaron's ear, but comparing with Leviticus 8: 23 it
would seem that "their," in verse 20 here,
includes Aaron. The great principle is our association
with the blessed Lord; but He was obedient unto death,
and no act or walk needed to be purified. The great
principle for us is, that nothing should pass into the
thought, no act be done, nothing occur in our walk which
is not according to the perfection of consecration in
Christ's sacrifice: we have its value upon us as to
imputation, but here it is consecration, for both are in
His blood.
[3] He dwells in us both individually and
collectively by the Holy Ghost, Christ being gone up on
high as man; so that the body of the sealed saint is a
temple, and we are builded together for a habitation of
God through the Spirit. The last runs out now to all
Christendom.
Exodus 29 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
For their consecration they were all washed. Aaron and his sons together always represent the church, not as gathered in a body (a thing hidden in the Old Testament), but in varied positions sustained individually before God. There is only one sanctification for all—divine life. Christ is the spring and the expression of it. We are made partakers of it, but it is one [1]. Both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one. But Aaron is first anointed separately without sacrifice, without blood. But his sons are then brought and with him are sprinkled with blood upon the ear, the thumb of the right hand, the great toe of the right foot [2]; obedience, action, and walk, being measured and guarded, both through the price, and according to the perfection of the blood of Christ. And then they were sprinkled with blood and with the oil of consecration, that is to say, set apart by the blood and by the unction of the Holy Ghost. The washing is the Spirit's work in the sanctifying power of the word; the anointing, His personal presence and energy in intelligence and power-God working in us.
Cleansed by the blood and sealed by the Spirit
And it is important to remark here that the seal of the Holy Ghost follows on the sprinkling with the blood, not on the washing with the water. That was needed. We must be born again, but it is not that cleansing which, by itself, puts us in a state God can seal: the blood of Christ does. We are thereby perfectly cleansed as white as snow, and the Spirit comes as the witness of God's estimate of the value of that blood-shedding. Hence, too, all were sprinkled with Aaron The blood of Christ, and the Holy Ghost have set us in association with Christ, where He is according to the acceptableness of that perfect sacrifice (it was the ram of consecration), and the presence, liberty, and power of the Holy Ghost.
All the sacrifices offered for the priests
All the sacrifices were offered. That for sin, the burnt-offering of a sweet-smelling savour, the ram of consecration (which had the character of a peace-offering), accompanied by the meat-offering. These sacrifices have been explained elsewhere, and I only recall their import: Christ made sin for us, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; first need of the soul, the sin-offering; Christ obedient unto death, devoting Himself to the glory of His Father—but according to God's nature, and the existence of sin, and that in us—and to us as belonging to the Father, the burnt-offering; the communion of God, of the Saviour, of the worshipper, and of the whole church, the peace-offering; and Christ devoted in holiness of life upon the earth, but proved even to death, the meat-offering.
Aaron's sons associated with their head
It is to be observed that, when Aaron and his sons were sprinkled and anointed, the sons were anointed with him, and their garments also, and not he with them. Everything is connected with the Head. Aaron and his sons ate the things with which the atonement had been made. Such is our portion in Christ, the food of God whereby we dwell in Christ and Christ in us.
The dwelling of God sanctified by His glory
Then, connected with this priesthood, comes the perpetual sweet-smelling savour of the burnt-offering, in which the people present themselves before God—sweet-smelling savour which is found there, as it were in the midst of the people, according to the efficacy of which they stand in His presence round about. There God met the people. With the mediator He met above the ark without veil, and gave him commandment for the people according to His own perfection. Here He puts Himself on a level with the people, though speaking with the mediator. The dwelling of God in the midst of the people is sanctified by His glory. The tabernacle, the altar, the priests, are sanctified, and He dwells in the midst of the people surrounding Him. For this purpose had He brought them out of Egypt (ver. 46): a blessed picture of how, in a far higher and better way, God dwells in the midst of us [3]. He never dwelt with man, we may moreover remark, till redemption was accomplished: not with Adam innocent, nor with Abraham, or others; but, so soon as redemption is accomplished, He says, "They shall know that I am Jehovah their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them" (chap. 29: 46).
[1] Aaron is always united to his sons in such types, for Christ cannot be separated from His own or they would become nought. But he had been anointed personally without blood, a thing that has been verified in Christ's history. He was anointed while on earth; His disciples after His death. He received the Spirit for the church in a new way (Acts 2: 33), when He was risen from among the dead in the power of the blood of the eternal covenant: for it is according to the efficacy of that blood in behalf of His people, that He has been raised as their Head. In Christ's anointing on earth the Holy Ghost was witness to Christ's own personal righteousness and sonship; in ours He is the witness of our being clean through His blood, the righteousness of God in Him, and sons by adoption.
[2] Aaron is first simply anointed with the anointing oil poured upon his head (chap. 29: 7). Then the sons are brought, and the ram of consecration brought, and some of its blood put upon Aaron's ear, and then on the tip of the ear of his sons, their right thumb and the great toe of the right foot. It might be supposed that it was only on Aaron's ear, but comparing with Leviticus 8: 23 it would seem that "their," in verse 20 here, includes Aaron. The great principle is our association with the blessed Lord; but He was obedient unto death, and no act or walk needed to be purified. The great principle for us is, that nothing should pass into the thought, no act be done, nothing occur in our walk which is not according to the perfection of consecration in Christ's sacrifice: we have its value upon us as to imputation, but here it is consecration, for both are in His blood.
[3] He dwells in us both individually and collectively by the Holy Ghost, Christ being gone up on high as man; so that the body of the sealed saint is a temple, and we are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. The last runs out now to all Christendom.