Exodus 28-29

I love how the Jews we read about in the Old Testament actually lived out physically what we who live after the cross live out spiritually.

If you notice, the primary thing Aaron and his sons did was serve the Lord. (28:1,3,4,41) Serving God needs to be our number one priority, an umbrella over everything we do.  Paul emphasizes this in I Corinthians 10:31. Whatever we do, our purpose is to glorify God. I ask myself if that’s my motivation behind everything I have planned for today. It doesn’t matter if I’m mopping my kitchen floor, or teaching a Bible study, or taking food to a shut-in, or having lunch with a friend. Is what I’m doing glorifying God?

Aaron and his sons were to be sanctified to minister to the people In Exodus 29 we see them first of all dealing with their own sin, then being clothed in sacred garments. After that they were to deal with the sins of the people.

We Christians should follow this blueprint. It’s tempting to spend our efforts pointing out sin in others, and conveniently overlooking our own sin. Didn’t Jesus tell us to take the plank out of our own eye BEFORE we point out the splinter in our neighbor’s eye? Aaron and his sons demonstrated what that needs to look like in our lives.

I ask myself if I have removed the plank from my eye, if I have asked God to forgive my sins, if I am washed in the blood of Jesus, if I am clothed with His righteousness. Then when I have fulfilled those requirements, I can be about helping someone else deal with the sin in their heart, the splinter in their eye. The first step is as important as the second. And both are necessary in serving God.

I also notice in these chapters in Exodus that the priests stood together in ministry. I think that’s a picture of what our churches should look like: God’s kingdom of priests, standing shoulder to shoulder, each one doing what God has equipped us to do to reach a lost world…

For His glory.