Exodus 29:10-30 | The Way of Scripture

Exodus 29:10-30

What did the sacrifices set apart for God?

Berean Standard Bible

10 You are to present the bull at the front of the Tent of Meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head. 11 And you shall slaughter the bull before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 12 Take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 13 Take all the fat that covers the entrails and the lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But burn the flesh of the bull and its hide and dung outside the camp; it is a sin offering.
15 Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. 16 You are to slaughter the ram, take its blood, and splatter it on all sides of the altar. 17 Cut the ram into pieces, wash the entrails and legs, and place them with its head and other pieces. 18 Then burn the entire ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.
19 Take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head. 20 Slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the right earlobes of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. Splatter the remaining blood on all sides of the altar. 21 And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, as well as on his sons and their garments. Then he and his garments will be consecrated, as well as his sons and their garments.
22 Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat covering the entrails, the lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh (since this is a ram for ordination), 23 along with one loaf of bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD. 24 Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 25 Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar atop the burnt offering as a pleasing aroma before the LORD; it is a food offering to the LORD.
26 Take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it before the LORD as a wave offering, and it will be your portion. 27 Consecrate for Aaron and his sons the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the heave offering that is lifted up from the ram of ordination. 28 This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is the heave offering the Israelites will make to the LORD from their peace offerings. 29 The holy garments that belong to Aaron will belong to his sons after him, so they can be anointed and ordained in them. 30 The son who succeeds him as priest and enters the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place must wear them for seven days.

What is the context?

The bull and the two rams have different roles in the ceremony. Aaron and his sons lay their hands on each animal. For the bull, blood is applied to the altar’s horns and poured at its base, selected fat is burned on the altar, and the remaining body is burned outside the camp as a sin offering.

The first ram is a burnt offering: its blood is splattered on the altar, and the whole animal is offered as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. The second is the ram of ordination. Its blood is applied to the priests’ right ears, right thumbs and right big toes, with blood and anointing oil also sprinkled on them and their garments. Their bodies and clothing are set apart for the service they are entering.

Selected portions of the second ram and the bread are placed in their hands, presented before God as a wave offering and burned on the altar. Moses receives the breast as his portion in this ceremony. Verses 27–28 also establish the breast and thigh as the regular priestly portion from Israel’s peace offerings. The closing instructions provide for Aaron’s garments to pass to the son who succeeds him.

How is this passage commonly understood?

The sacrifices are generally read as God’s provision for the priests’ own need of atonement and their dedication to Him. Wesley emphasizes both the confession of their need and the giving of their whole selves to God. Calvin reads the ear as representing obedience and the hands and feet as representing conduct and the course of life. On that reading, the marked parts express the dedication of the whole person, rather than only those individual body parts.

The differing treatment of the animals matters: the sin offering, whole burnt offering and ordination offering are not three identical actions. The ceremony distinguishes removal of guilt, dedication and the priest’s participation in the appointed service.

Where does this fit in God's plan?

Hebrews 9:11–15 explains the greater cleansing accomplished by Christ’s blood: the conscience is purified so that people may serve the living God. It also says that His death redeems transgressions committed under the first covenant. The earlier sacrifices belong within God’s provision that reaches its lasting accomplishment in Him.

Ephesians 5:1–2 describes Christ giving Himself as a fragrant sacrificial offering, then calls His people to walk in love. Romans 12:1–2 calls for their bodies as living sacrifices in response to God’s mercy. These connections carry the theme of whole-person dedication into lives transformed by His saving work.

What is our position?

We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.

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