Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Exodus 29:1-3
The Sanctifying Of the Priests and The Anointing of Aaron (Exodus 29:1).
In Exodus 28:41 Moses was to anoint the priests, and consecrate and sanctify them for their ministry in the priest's office. How this was to be done is now described. The procedures were complicated, for they had to deal with all aspects of their purification and dedication.
In the beginning the priesthood was intended to be limited to the family of Aaron. But as with many institutions its perameters would be expanded by misuse, which is evidence of the failure of Israel to be faithful to the covenant. Slackness in observing an ordinance is not necessarily evidence that it does not exist. See:
• Judges 17:5, where it is specifically stated that Micah is doing what is right in his own eyes.
• 1 Samuel 7:1, where the Ark was stored in the house of Abinadab, and his son was ‘sanctified' in order to ‘keep the Ark of Yahweh', although Abinadab may have been of the priestly line, which may be why his house was selected for the safe keeping of the Ark, and the purpose there was that the Ark would be protected, not used.
• 2 Samuel 8:18, where David's sons are called ‘priests', but as these were David's sons they may in fact have been priests of the order of Melchizedek (Psalms 110:4), the ancient Jerusalem priesthood, now non-sacrificing.
• 1 Kings 4:5, where Zabud is called a ‘priest', but Zabud was a ‘priest' as ‘ the king's friend', an official title, and he too may have been a priest after the order of Melchizedek, or the title may have here another meaning as king's representative, for Zadok and Abiathar have already been declared to be the official priests of the line of Aaron.
The first part of the chapter may be analysed as follows:
a The preparation of all the offerings to make the priests holy (Exodus 29:1).
b The preparation of Aaron and his sons by washing with water (Exodus 29:4).
c The robing of Aaron followed by his anointing with oil (Exodus 29:5).
d The robing of Aaron's sons (Exodus 29:8).
e The offering of an ox bull for a purification for sin offering (Exodus 29:10).
e The offering of the first ram as a whole burnt offering (Exodus 29:15).
e The offering of the second ram, the ram of consecration, with its grain offerings (Exodus 29:19).
d The provision of wave offerings and contribution offerings for Aaron and his sons (Exodus 29:26).
c Provision for the passing on of Aaron's holy garments (Exodus 29:29).
b Aaron and his sons to partake of the ram of consecration (Exodus 29:31).
a The seven day ceremony of consecration (Exodus 29:35).
This is then followed by provision for Israel's future blessing.
• Provisions concerning the daily whole burnt offerings offered at the door of the Tabernacle of Meeting where Yahweh will meet with Moses and speak with him (Exodus 29:38).
• Yahweh will meet with the children of Israel and sanctify the door of the Tabernacle of Meeting by His glory, the Sanctuary itself and the altar, and Aaron and his sons as priests (Exodus 29:43).
• Yahweh will dwell among His people and they will know that He is their deliverer from Egypt and is Yahweh their God (Exodus 29:45).
The Consecration of the Priests (Exodus 29:1).
Preparations For The Making Holy of the Priests (Exodus 29:1).
“And this is the thing that you shall do to them to sanctify them to minister to me in the priest's office.”
The process of ‘sanctification', that is, their cleansing and purifying and their setting apart to Yahweh as ‘holy' will now be described.
“Take one young bullock and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread, and unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. And you shall put them in one basket, and bring them in the basket with the bullock and the two rams.”
The procedures that follow are to include a bullock, two unblemished rams, and unleavened bread, cakes and wafers made of wheat flour which have been mingled or anointed with oil. All but the bullock and the two rams are to be put in a basket. Then he is to bring them to the Tent of Meeting for the sanctification ceremony.
We note that the rams have to be unblemished (see Malachi 1:6). Nothing that is less than perfect can be offered to Yahweh. The bread, cakes and wafers have to be unleavened, that is, no corrupting influence must have been involved in their making. The oil is probably an indication of their being ‘anointed', that is, wholly set apart for the service of Yahweh. Bread and cakes could be mingled with the oil, but the wafers had to be made without oil and it was therefore poured on them.
The word for ‘bring' includes the idea of offering. This is probably to be seen as an initial ‘offering' of them to Yahweh prior to their use.
The young bullock is for a purification for sin offering, one ram for a whole burnt offering, and the other is a ‘ram of consecration'. The bread and cakes are for meal offerings.