LEVITICUS 19


     In the last few lessons, we saw God, through Moses, training
Aaron and his sons the manner in which all of the offerings were to be
made. At the time this was done, the head of each house operated as
the priest of his family. Some one may ask, why the family of Aaron
was chosen to be the priestly family? The first born son of each
family was God's. God worked out a system where each first born son
could be purchased back from God by paying the silver shekel of the
temple.  When Moses came down the mountain with the 10 Commandments,
Moses told them all that were on God's side to come to him. The tribe
of Levi came to Moses. At that moment, God decided the priestly tribe
would be the tribe of Levi. From the tribe of Levi, God chose Aaron
and his sons to be the first high priest and priests to carry on the
work in the tabernacle.

     In the last few lessons, we have seen the things Aaron and his
sons were instructed on. Notice, that they were not instructed on how
to make a living, or how to conduct worldly lives. They were taught
the works of God. Ministers today being taught for the ministry should
be taught more Bible and less finance and psychology.  Enough said,
now we will get on with the lesson.

     Leviticus 8:1 "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"

     If we will notice, in all this, Moses was God's earthly agent at
this time. In fact we will see Moses in the next few verses acting in
the position of God's ordained high priest, in the ordination of Aaron
and his sons. Remember, the training these separated men had, was in
the ways of God.

     Leviticus 8:2 "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;"

     God gives Moses specific instructions on exactly what he will
need in the ordination services. Moses and Aaron must have everything
needed ready for the services. In the gathering of the proper
materials for this ordination, I see that before a person is ordained
of God to be a minister, much preparation is necessary. A person must
carefully weigh the cost before beginning. The call of God is without
repentance, so we must be sure before we decide to embark on this
road.

     Leviticus 8:3 "And gather thou all the congregation together unto
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."

     This is not to be done privately. This should be an event for all
the congregation to witness. You remember, Jesus was baptized in the
river Jordan where many had come to be baptized. The congregation must
be aware of who God had ordained to lead them, before they would
follow his instructions. It is wonderful to be a leader, but the
people have to be willing to follow, before you can lead them.
     Leviticus 8:4 "And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and the
assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation."

     Notice, in all of this, that Moses does exactly as God has
instructed him. These are gathered at the entrance, you will note.

     Leviticus 8:5 "And Moses said unto the congregation, This [is]
the thing which the LORD commanded to be done."

     You may remember, from the Exodus teaching, that the people
feared God greatly, and they had asked Moses to talk to God for them.
They were used to hearing from God through Moses. Then it must be
Moses to tell them that a new day has dawned, and now they will have
new instructions on how to approach holy God. Moses reminds them that
this is not instructions from himself, but from the LORD through him.

     Leviticus 8:6 "And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed
them with water."

     This washing them with water is very similar to baptism. This is
washing the ways of the world off of them. This removing the earth
from Aaron and his sons was the first step to being ordained of God to
do the work He has called them to do. Notice at the beginning of Jesus
ministry, even though He had no sin, the ceremonial washing {baptism}
was performed. We Christians must be washed in the blood of the Lamb
of God {Jesus}, before we can put on our robe of righteousness. Even
in becoming a Christian, the heart must be prepared {we must repent of
our sins}, then we are baptized {buried with Christ, and rise to new
life in Him}. Then, we are ready to witness for Him.

     Leviticus 8:7 "And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with
the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him,
and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound [it]
unto him therewith."

     At the baptism of Jesus, we saw the Dove descend upon Him. Jesus
already was full of the Spirit of God within His flesh before baptism,
but now He was clothed with the Spirit, as well. God the Father
confirmed Jesus' ordination when the voice came from heaven and said
Matthew 3:17 "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased."  This coat, put on the priest, was
his robe of authority from God. It, also, was his covering. This robe
was of fine white linen, which symbolizes righteousness. This is the
same type of white linen that the Christians will wear in heaven
{washed in the blood of the Lamb}. The girdle was a sash made to hold
this robe tight to the body of the priest. The ephod was like a vest
that went over the robe. The vest had two onyx stones at the shoulders
with the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on them. The priest carried
the people on his shoulders. Underneath the onyx stones was a pocket
of Gold which held the stones. Gold symbolizes God. This shows me that
this tribe was on the high priest's shoulder, but God was there also
to undergird and strengthen the high priest for this great task. This
ephod, or vest, was held together with golden chains. So much gold
here tells me that the strength of the high priest was in God. On this
ephod was the breast plate a span wide and a span long which held 12
stones which represented the 12 tribes of Israel. This tells me that
all 12 tribes were not just on the shoulders of the high priest, but
on his heart, as well. These stones were, also, mounted in Gold. We
Christians must be set in Jesus also. The Israelites must be stayed on
God {this is what the mounted in gold shows} for the priest to help
them. There was a pouch on this ephod between the vest and the heart
of the high priest. God would speak through the Urim and the Thummim
to the people. I believe God spoke to the people through the heart of
the high priest. I, also, believe for a minister to be effective in
bringing the message of God to the people, God must press into the
heart of the minister and speak through the heart of the minister.
Even Jesus said He spoke the words of the Father. John 14:10
" Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?
the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father
that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."

     I believe in the garment of the high priest, God is showing us
that first you must be called to be a minister of God's Word. The next
step is to study the Bible and prepare yourself to handle God's Word
correctly. The washing shows the putting off of the world and
everything of it. Then the ordination begins. God gives the minister
the white linen garment of righteousness. A minister must be separated
from the world and must live a separated life. They, also, must be
righteous in God's sight. They must be willing to take the whole
congregation on their shoulders with the help of God. They must keep
the congregation on their heart. The minister must draw strength from
God to hold this congregation together. The minister must decide from
the beginning, that the message must be God's message that God has
placed on the heart of the minister. No ministry based on any other
system can ever work. This is God's plan, not man's. One of the most
important things in the ministry is to be endowed with power from on
High through the baptism {dedication} in the Holy Spirit of God. The
power of the minister and his or her message is when God speaks to the
people through them. Luke 12:11 "And when they bring you unto the
synagogues, and [unto] magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how
or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:" Luke 12:12 "For
the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."
I will say one more time, that to minister is a call of God, not a
vocation.













                             Questions 19

1.  Who was the priest of the family, before God established the
    Levitical priesthood?
2.  How could a family buy back their first born son from God?
3.  It is not in today's lesson, but what does silver symbolize?
4.  Why did God choose the tribe of Levi to be the family who
    ministered in the sanctuary?
5.  Who was chosen out of the family of Levi to be the high priest?
6.  Who were to assist him in the sanctuary?
7.  What type of instruction had Aaron and his sons received?
8.  What lesson can ministers of our day receive from this?
9.  What position was Moses filling before Aaron was ordained?
10. What was to be taken to the sanctuary with Aaron and his sons?
11. What lesson can we modern day ministers receive from Moses and
    Aaron preparing to bring the needed things to the sanctuary?
12. Where was the congregation to be gathered for the ordination?
13. Why was it necessary for the congregation to see this ordination?
14. It is wonderful to be a leader, but the people must be willing to
    ______ before you can lead them.
15. Why did Moses tell the people, This is the thing which the LORD
    commanded to be done?
16. Why had the people asked Moses to speak to God for them?
17. What was the first thing Moses did to Aaron and his sons?
18. What can we relate this washing to?
19. Why was Jesus baptized?
20. What is the very first thing a person must do to come to God?
21. What does water baptism for a Christian symbolize?
22. What was the order Moses dressed him?
23. What did the Dove descending on Jesus at His baptism, symbolize?
24. What at Jesus' baptism showed that Jesus was ordained of the
    Father to minister?
25. What was the coat that was put on the priest symbolic of?
26. What was the priest's robe made of?
27. What does white linen mean?
28. What was the ephod similar to?
29. What was on the shoulder of the ephod?
30. What did this symbolize?
31. What does gold symbolize?
32. How was the ephod held together?
33. The strength of the high priest was in whom?
34. What was on the breastplate?
35. What was the shape of the breastplate?
36. What spiritual meaning can we see in the stones of the 12 tribes
    being on the breastplate?
37. What did the mounting of the stones in gold mean?
38. God spoke to the people through the _____ __ ___ ____ ______.
39. What was the pocket called that went behind the breastplate?
40. A minister of God must be ______, it can not be a ______ with him.
41. What is one of the most important requirements in ministering?
42. Quote Luke chapter 12 verse 11.