Scripture to Read: Exodus 29:1–46
In Exodus 29, God laid out for Moses all of the sacrifices that must take place to prepare the high priest and the other priests to be sanctified so they could serve in the courtyard and the Tabernacle of God. As we read, we see that there must be three sacrifices. The priests were to lay their hands on the first two sacrifices (Exodus 29:10, Exodus 29:15), but with the third sacrifice, they were to all be sprinkled with the blood of that sacrifice. Of course, before the sacrifices were to take place, the priests must be washed with water (Exodus 29:4), then put on their priestly robes and all of the other garments commanded by our Lord (Exodus 29:5–6). The priests must also be anointed with oil (Exodus 29:7), and then the ceremony was to be completed by all of the sacrifices (Exodus 29:10–21). We read in Exodus 29:35–37, that sacrifices were to be made for seven days so that everything would be sanctified—set apart for God. The number seven is the number for completeness, which goes back to the creation account where God had everything completed by the sixth day, and on the seventh day, the day of completion, He rested (Genesis 1, 2). God used this number many times under the old covenant (see Leviticus 4:6, Leviticus 4:17, Leviticus 8:11, Leviticus 14:7, Leviticus 16:14, Numbers 19:4, Joshua 6:4, 1 Kings 18:43, 2 Kings 5:10, and Psalm 119:164). Thankfully, our Lord Jesus finished everything for us on the cross.
Challenge & Application
· When you consider all that the priests had to go through just to be able to come into the Holy Place, how does that affect your worship of our King daily?
· What did God reveal to you about all Christ fulfilled through shedding His own blood for us?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!