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Sanctification Part 2 - Types In Part 1 the types then which God prepared and provided for their instruction were lost and wasted upon the Jews therefore let them not be wasted now. In Leviticus 8 there is a picture, an illustration, concerning both the consecration and sanctification of the church class in God. Those who took part, Aaron and his sons, the High Priest and the under priests, were drawn from among the Levites, that is the tribe which God had set apart or sanctified to Himself. They had no part or lot in the Land. Our Lord Jesus is the great anti‑typical High Priest and his true followers are the under Priests. Consecration of the Priests There are some who suggest that because Aaron and his sons did not go out of the door of the Tabernacle for seven days and seven nights, the implication is, that the church class should shut itself away from the world till the completion of the Gospel Age (Christian Era). That is a misrepresentation of the facts, a distortion of the picture. As we look at the picture in Lev.8 more closely we shall discuss further points which will assist us as we endeavour to make our sanctification true and real. In the second verse the Lord gives Moses the directions "Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread" and verse 4 shows that Moses had everything ready and had done "as the LORD commanded him." Here are the individual elements of verse 2 prepared for the consecration of the priests: Verse 6 tells us that Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. · The Laver–representative of the Word of God · The Water–representing the truth Thus Moses in that action represented the divine requirements; and the washing in the water in the laver represented or symbolised our Lord’s purity and the church’s imputed purity. In other words, Aaron represented Jesus, but was actually fallen—Aaron in the flesh—thus, being washed in the laver he symbolised or represented our Lord’s spotless purity. Aaron’s sons also; their washing represented the cleansing from filth and unrighteousness and the imputed righteousness of the church. Our Lord was spotless and pure. The word of God. The living Word. But so far as the members of the church are concerned, there is a work which must be done, fully done, so their course of sanctification and sacrifice can be completed. The imputed righteousness must be transformed into true righteousness. Although whilst still here in the flesh each one has the fallen nature to contend with, every effort must be made to allow that transformation into true righteousness to eventually take place now during our trial walk here. Surely each one who comes to God in consecration and would be fully sanctified to Him, made holy to Him, ready to meet the divine requirements, must realise that he or she must be completely transformed by the renewing of the mind that they may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Surely when the great apostle Paul wrote "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (rational) service" (Rom.12:1) he had in mind the sacrifice recorded in Lev.8. Is there not a great urge, equal to the need, to become like our Head? Our sacrifice, to meet the divine requirement is made here on earth. And our Father requires a true and a pure sacrifice. It will not suffice under any circumstances, to think I am covered by the robe of Christ’s righteousness. (Isa.61:10) There has to be a daily, an hourly striving to become like Him that at the last we can also say with Paul; "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Tim.4:6‑8) These words were written as an urge to Timothy to be faithful. Such was the conviction of the apostle in the power and faithfulness of God that he could speak of his death as an urging force to Timothy. Remember he referred to leaving a work that he loved and to which the whole vigour of his life had been devoted. But his love for God and Jesus and the brethren was such that he was ready to die, to face the unknown, if it were the will of his God. He was confident that the rich and precious promises of God would be his and he could rest in them. Anointing with the Holy Spirit To that end we will just refer to Lev.8:12 concerning the anointing oil representing the Holy Spirit. Aaron only was anointed. Likewise Jesus, the great anti‑typical High Priest He only was anointed. John bore record saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him." (John 1:32) The followers of the Lord receive their anointing through Him. 1 John 2:27 reminds us "the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you." The picture of the anointing of the Christ head and body is completed for us in Psalm 133:1‑2 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments." Jesus reminded his disciples during his ministry that: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) What a wonderful picture is presented to the true child of God in the anointing of Aaron. There was such a copiousness, such an abundance of anointing oil that it poured forth to descend to the skirts of his garments, to his very feet, diffusing a sweet fragrance all around. Such was the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus. He was a sweet‑smelling savour before God. What of the feet members? (Note - Feet members means those at the end of this Gospel age) How has the Holy Spirit thus poured forth been appropriated? Thus the feet members should continually examine themselves. Are we a sweet savour also before our God? If it is not, then there has been something wrong with our consecration and sanctification. The psalmist compares that shedding of the Holy Spirit to the dew of Hermon and to the dew descending from the mountains of Zion. (Psa.133:3) Here surely David had in mind the gentleness, the copiousness (abundance) and vivifying nature of that dew regarding which other writers have had much to say. David as a poet and a prophet is led to use the Holy Spirit and the dew of Hermon as a comparison of the dwelling together in unity of brethren in Christ. Thus the comparison changes to brotherly love–unity–concord–diffusing beauty—abundance–fertility. There the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore; and none of this graciousness is of ourselves. For whilst we have a record of the Holy Spirit coming upon the followers of Jesus at Pentecost, it was, the result of his own promise to them as recorded in Acts 1:5 that the Holy Spirit should come upon them "not many days hence." It is a reminder of our entire dependence upon God and Jesus in all things and of the fact that Jesus made it possible for us to draw near to God; made it possible for God to deal with the Christian church. Coat of Fine Linen (flax) The coats of fine linen which God required Aaron and his sons to be clothed in shows our Lord’s spotless purity and the imputed purity of his followers. The significance of these garments and anointing calls to mind Peter’s words: "what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness." (2 Pet.3:11) The Consecration Offerings "He brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering…and he brought the ram for the burnt offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram. And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about. And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burnt the head, and the pieces, and the fat. And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burnt the whole ram upon the altar: it was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savour, and an offering made by fire unto the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses." (Lev.8:14,18‑21) This is a reminder of the fact that the church is composed of individuals and these verses also are indicative of how God receives the sacrifice. How Paul constantly reiterates the importance of washing, inwardly. What a wonderful picture he draws in Heb.10:19‑25: "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Jesus said to his disciples toward the close of his ministry "now ye are clean through the word I have spoken unto you." (John 15:3) Again, this is a progressive work entailing a lifetime’s devotion to the Lord. Thus it can be appreciated the necessity forever of self‑examination to determine whether one is clean and still sanctified unto God. What a deep significance our Lord’s words recorded in Matt.23:25‑28 had in regard to the Pharisees and scribes: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." What an indictment, what a terrible condition. Each must ever continue heart searching. Those words were not put there merely as an indictment against the Scribes and Pharisees, necessary as it was. They were put there for our heeding, our learning, our notice, to take to heart and ever seek to walk more circumspectly. The First Ram The record continues: "And Moses burnt the whole ram." (v.21) This is a reminder of a complete sacrifice, nothing withheld. Again it is speaking of a continuous ceremony until the whole of it was consumed and to God it was a sweet savour as his word in Exod.29:18 to Moses states. Peter’s words here come to mind: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." (1 Pet.4:12‑14) The Second Ram "He brought the other ram, the ram of consecration: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram." (v.22) The picture seen here concerns the second ram and subsequent verses show the effect, the way of sacrifice for each member individually. In all the instances the record states that Aaron and his sons placed their hands on the head of the animals. By so doing, it was as though they said "this sacrifice represents us." So, in the antitype we must accept that all that happened to the animals from that moment represented what was to be done to Jesus and His body members–"the church." In the particular instance of this second ram, it states that Moses put some of the blood on the tip of their right ear, the thumb of their right hands and upon the great toe of their right feet. In thus dealing with Aaron and his sons individually it surely impresses the fact that consecration and sanctification are very individual works and once again, seeing it was done with blood, it speaks of a fully consecrated and sanctified life. (v.24) Right Ear. It speaks of hearing and heeding the word of life. Our Lord’s words on the matter were very plain. To those who sought to persecute Him He said: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24) To others He said: "he that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (John 8:47) To Pilate He said: "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:37) Right Hand Thumb. As regards the thumb of the right hand. It is a reminder to do with all our might what our hands find to do. To do all with our whole heart and hand: there must be no room for luke‑warmness as is the warning to the Laodicean church, referring to our own period: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot." (Rev.3:15) Big Toe of the Right Foot. And so far as the great (big) toe of the right foot is concerned it surely is a portent reminder as to how to walk: the seven walks of Ephesians come to mind. (Eph.2:2; 2:10; 4:1; 4:17; 5:2; 5:8; 5:15) Two of the references tell how Christians should not walk and the remaining five exhorting how. Our Father will see that we are truly sanctified if we walk worthily, in love, circumspectly, in faith, in the light –aye, and even as we have received Christ, so we must walk in him. (Col.2:6) Basket of Unleavened Bread. Returning to the picture in Lev.8:26 it says that Moses "out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the LORD, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer." He placed them upon Aaron’s hands and all his sons’ hands and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord. The waving suggests the constancy of the scriptures, the consecration and sanctification, never ceasing until accepted by our Father, in the finishing of our course. In the unleavened cake the spotless purity of our dear Lord and Master Jesus Christ is shown. The Oiled Bread shows our Lord as our High Priest filled with the spirit and it speaks of the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. No sacrifice could be adequate without it. No sanctification possible without it. The Wafer. Yes, oh so thin a wafer and yet not broken. Made of fine flour, honey and sweets of paradise; it speaks of our appreciation of Jesus as our glorified Lord even as it represents for us faith and our own hope in the promised glorification on completion of our own sacrifice. ("No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Heb.5:4) Seven Days. The sanctification of Lev.8 occupies seven days according to v.35. Yes, it is a full lifetime’s work, keeping the charge of the Lord, faithful until the end. That is the picture of the work to be done in each one. The longing of the soul, the being, for God can only make itself felt when all lesser delights and earthly joys are integrated to their rightful place. If we are not conscious of this soul thirst, then it can only be because our heart is trying to find satisfaction from the world or as the scripture says digging wells which can hold no water (Jer.2:13) rather "my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." (Psa.63:1) There are many other points in that picture of sanctification in Leviticus 8 which we cannot touch upon now. Indeed we realise that to all those who are sanctified to God, the Holy Spirit makes known the purport of these lessons and types and we can only hope to stir up one another’s minds by way of remembrance and encourage each one that seeks to walk the narrow way in sincerity and truth. NDC |
