Exodus 29:26-30: a reflection

26“You shall take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD. It shall be your portion. 27You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is raised up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons. 28It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering. It shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to the LORD. 29“The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them. 30Seven days shall the son who is priest in his place put them on, when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place.

As God gives instructions for consecrating Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, the language throughout is of being set apart, made holy, dedicated to God's service. They were to be anointed and consecrated over seven days, clothed in the holy garments, set apart for the holy work of ministering before the LORD. Consecration means being set apart for God, dedicated to his service, made holy for a holy purpose. Aaron and his sons were not to be ordinary in their calling; they were consecrated, set apart, dedicated wholly to God's service, clothed and anointed for it. To be consecrated is to be set apart for God, given over to his service, marked as belonging to him for a holy purpose. This consecration was a solemn and deliberate setting apart, over days, with garments and anointing, that they might be wholly God's for his service. To be set apart for God is to be consecrated, dedicated, given over to him.

Notice what consecration meant for the priests: to be set apart, wholly, for God's service. They were not casually appointed; they were consecrated over seven days, anointed, clothed in holy garments, deliberately set apart and dedicated to God. Consecration is a setting apart, a dedicating, a giving-over of oneself wholly to God for his service. This was not merely a job but a consecration, a being made holy for a holy purpose, a belonging wholly to God. And while the priesthood was theirs alone, the call to be consecrated, set apart for God, is in some measure the call of all his people, who are to be dedicated to him, set apart for his service, wholly his. To be consecrated is to be given over to God, marked as his, dedicated to his purposes rather than our own. There is a wholeness to consecration; it is not a partial giving but a setting apart of the whole self for God. To be God's is to be consecrated to him. Consecration means belonging wholly to God for his purposes.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to be consecrated, set apart wholly for God and his service. We can give God a partial claim on our lives, keeping most of ourselves for our own purposes; but the priests were consecrated, set apart wholly, dedicated over days to God's service, and the call to be consecrated to God reaches, in its measure, to all his people. To be consecrated is to be set apart for God, given over wholly to him, dedicated to his purposes. Do not give God only a partial claim on your life; be consecrated, set apart wholly for him, as the priests were dedicated to his service. Be consecrated, set apart wholly for God and his service rather than giving him only a partial claim on your life, as Aaron and his sons were anointed and consecrated over seven days, clothed in holy garments and dedicated to minister before the LORD; for consecration means being set apart for God, given over wholly to him, dedicated to his purposes rather than our own, and the call to be consecrated reaches in its measure to all God's people, who are to belong wholly to him, set apart and dedicated for his service rather than keeping most of ourselves for ourselves.

Lord, as you give instructions for consecrating Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, the language throughout is of being set apart, made holy, dedicated to your service. They were to be anointed and consecrated over seven days, clothed in the holy garments, set apart for the holy work of ministering before you. Consecration means being set apart for you, dedicated to your service, made holy for a holy purpose. Aaron and his sons were not to be ordinary in their calling; they were consecrated, dedicated wholly to your service. To be consecrated is to be set apart for you, given over to your service, marked as belonging to you. Show me what consecration meant for the priests: to be set apart, wholly, for your service. They were not casually appointed; they were consecrated over seven days, anointed, clothed in holy garments, deliberately dedicated to you. Consecration is a giving-over of oneself wholly to you for your service. And while the priesthood was theirs alone, the call to be consecrated, set apart for you, is in some measure the call of all your people. To be consecrated is to be given over to you, marked as yours, dedicated to your purposes rather than my own. There is a wholeness to consecration; it is not a partial giving but a setting apart of the whole self for you. Take that to my heart, for I am called to be consecrated, set apart wholly for you and your service. I can give you a partial claim on my life, keeping most of myself for my own purposes; but the priests were consecrated, dedicated wholly, and the call reaches to all your people. Keep me from giving you only a partial claim on my life; help me be consecrated, Lord, set apart wholly for you, as the priests were dedicated to your service, belonging wholly to you for your purposes.