Hello, this is Father Paul and I'm glad we're taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year.
Yesterday we heard about the design of the tabernacle, the materials, the design, the
setup, and how Moses was to set all this up.
And today we're going to hear about Aaron's priesthood and about his garments and how
they are to be consecrated, Aaron and his sons, as well as the sacrifices he is to offer.
Alright, let's begin.
Today's reading is from Exodus chapters 28, 29, and 30.
Chapter 28.
Now take Aaron your brother and his sons with him from among the children of Israel that
he may minister to me as priest, Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eliezer, and
Ethamar.
And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom
that they may make Aaron's garments, to consecrate him that he may minister to me as priest.
And these are the garments which they shall make, a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully
woven tunic, a turban, and a sash.
So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons that he may minister
to me as priest.
They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread and the fine linen, and they
shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen artistically
worked.
It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together.
And the intricately woven band of the ephod which is on it shall be of the same workmanship,
made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread and fine woven linen.
Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six
of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth,
with the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet.
You shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel.
You shall set them in settings of gold, and you shall put the two stones on the shoulders
of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel.
So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.
You shall also make settings of gold, and you shall make two chains of pure gold, like
braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.
You shall make the breastplate of judgment, artistically woven according to the workmanship
of the ephod you shall make it.
Of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen you shall make it.
It shall be doubled into a square, a span shall be its length, and a span shall be its
width.
And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones.
The first row shall be a sardis, a topaz, and an emerald.
This shall be the first row.
The second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond.
The third row a jasinth, an agate, and an amethyst.
The fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper.
They shall be set in gold settings, and the stones shall have the names of the sons of
Israel.
Twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet.
Each one with its own name, they shall be according to the twelve tribes.
You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold.
And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate, and put the two rings on the
two ends of the breastplate.
Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the
ends of the breastplate.
And the other two ends of the two braided chains you shall fasten to the two settings,
and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.
You shall make two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on
the edge of it, which is on the inner side of the ephod.
And two other rings of gold you shall make, and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath
the ephod toward its front, right on the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod.
They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod using
a blue cord, so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and so that the breastplate
does not come loose from the ephod.
So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over
his heart, when he goes into the holy place as a memorial before the Lord continually.
And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and Tumim, and they shall be over
Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord.
So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.
You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it.
It shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail,
so that it does not tear.
And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its
hem, and bells of gold between them all around, a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden
bell and a pomegranate upon the hem of the robe all around.
And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into
the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out that he may not die.
You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it like the engraving of a signet,
holiness to the Lord.
And you shall put it on a blue cord, that may be on the turban.
It shall be on the front of the turban, so it shall be on Aaron's forehead, that Aaron
may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their
holy gifts.
And it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.
You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread.
You shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work.
For Aaron's sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them, and you shall
make hats for them for glory and beauty.
So you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him.
You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me
as priests.
And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness.
They shall reach from the waist to the thighs.
They shall be on Aaron and on his sons, when they come into the tabernacle of meeting,
and when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur
iniquity and die.
It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.
Chapter 29
And this is what you shall do to them, to hallow them for ministering to me as priests.
Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed
with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
You shall make them of wheat flour.
You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and the bull and the two
rams.
And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and
you shall wash them with water.
Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod,
the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod.
You shall put the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban.
And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head and anoint him.
Then you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them, and you shall gird them with sashes,
Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them.
The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute.
So you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.
You shall also have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting, and Aaron and his
sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull.
Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with
your finger, and pour all the blood beside the base of the altar.
And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the
liver and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.
But the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire outside
the camp.
It is a sin offering.
You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head
of the ram.
And you shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it all around
on the altar.
Then you shall cut the ram in pieces, wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with
its pieces and with its head.
And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar.
It is a burnt offering to the Lord.
It is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.
You shall also take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the
head of the ram.
Then you shall kill the ram and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the
right ear of Aaron and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of the right
hand and on the big toe of the right foot, and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar.
And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing
oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons
with him.
And he and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons garments with him.
Also you shall take the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails,
the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, the right
thigh, for it is a ram of consecration, one loaf of bread, one cake made with oil, and
one wafer from the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord.
And you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons.
And you shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord.
You shall receive them back from their hands and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering.
As a sweet aroma before the Lord, it is an offering made by fire to the Lord.
Then you shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration and wave it as a
wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be your portion.
And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering
which is waived, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of that which is
for Aaron and of that which is for his sons.
It shall be from the children of Israel for Aaron and his sons by a statute forever.
For it is a heave offering.
It shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace
offerings, that is their heave offering to the Lord.
And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons after him, to be anointed in them and
to be consecrated in them.
That son who becomes priest in his place shall put them on for seven days when he enters
the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the holy place.
And you shall take the ram of the consecration and boil its flesh in the holy place.
Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket
by the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify
them.
But an outsider shall not eat them because they are holy.
And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings or of the bread remains until morning,
then you shall burn the remainder with fire.
It shall not be eaten because it is holy.
Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons according to all that I have commanded you.
Seven days you shall consecrate them.
And you shall offer a bowl every day as a sin offering for atonement.
You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it.
And you shall anoint it to sanctify it.
Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it.
And the altar shall be most holy.
Whatever touches the altar must be holy.
Now this is what you shall offer on the altar.
Two lambs of the first year.
Day by day continually.
One lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.
With the one lamb shall be one tenth of a nephah of flour mixed with one fourth of a
hin of pressed oil and one fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering.
And the other lamb you shall offer at twilight and you shall offer with it the grain offering
and the drink offering as in the morning for a sweet aroma and offering made by fire to
the Lord.
This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle
of meeting before the Lord where I will meet with you to speak with you.
And there I will meet with the children of Israel and the tabernacle shall be sanctified
by my glory.
So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.
I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to me as priests.
I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.
And they shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them up out of the land of
Egypt that I may dwell among them.
I am the Lord their God.
Chapter 30 You shall make an altar to burn incense on.
You shall make it of acacia wood.
A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width.
It shall be square.
And two cubits shall be its height.
Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around and its horns with pure gold.
And you shall make for it a molding of gold all around.
Two gold rings you shall make for it under the molding on both its sides.
You shall place them on its two sides and there will be holders for the poles with which
to bear it.
You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the testimony, before
the mercy seed that is over the testimony where I will meet with you.
Aaron shall burn on its wheat incense every morning.
When he tends the lamps he shall burn incense on it.
And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense
before the Lord throughout your generations.
You shall not offer strange incense on it or a burnt offering or a grain offering, nor
shall you pour a drink offering on it.
And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering
of atonement.
Once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations.
It is most holy to the Lord.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, When you take the census of the children of Israel
for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord when you
number them, that there may be no plague among you when you number them.
This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give, half a shekel according
to the shekel of the sanctuary.
The half shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.
Everyone included among those who are numbered from twenty years old and above shall give
an offering to the Lord.
The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel when
you give an offering to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves.
And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel and shall appoint it
for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children
of Israel before the Lord to make atonement for yourselves.
Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base
also of bronze, for washing.
You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.
And you shall put water in it, for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their
feet in water from it.
When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister,
to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die.
So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die.
And it shall be a statute forever to them, to him and his descendants throughout their
generations.
Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses saying, Also take for yourself quality spices, five
hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet smelling cinnamon, two hundred and fifty
shekels of sweet smelling cane, five hundred shekels of kaisha, according to the shekel
of the sanctuary, and a hen of olive oil.
And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the
art of the perfumer.
It shall be a holy anointing oil.
With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the testimony, the
table and all its utensils, the lambstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, the
altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base.
You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy.
Whatever touches them must be holy.
And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, that they may minister to
me as priests.
And you shall speak to the children of Israel saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil
to me throughout your generations.
It shall not be poured on man's flesh, nor shall you make any other like it, according
to its composition.
It is holy and it shall be holy to you.
Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off
from his people.
And the Lord said to Moses, Take sweet spices, stacti and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense
with these sweet spices.
There shall be equal amounts of each.
You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted,
pure and holy.
And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the testimony in a tabernacle
of meeting, where I will meet with you.
It shall be most holy to you.
But as for the incense, which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according
to its composition.
It shall be to you holy for the Lord.
Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.
I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did, and I look forward to seeing you
again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.