I. AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT OF MEETING
The consecration of Aaron and his sons took place at the entrance of the tent of meeting (Lev. 8:3-4). This signifies that our consecration for the priesthood is not only before God but also for the church life.
I like the expression “at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” In Leviticus 8 the tent of meeting signifies the church life. We are God’s priests in the church and for the church.
II. MOSES BRINGING AARON AND HIS SONS NEAR AND WASHING THEM WITH WATER
“Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons near and washed them with water” (v. 6). This signifies that for our consecration for the priesthood we need to be washed by the Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11).
Here Moses somewhat signifies Christ, and the water typifies the Holy Spirit. Christ washes us with the Holy Spirit. For the priesthood, which refers both to the priestly service and to a body of persons who are priests, we need to be washed by the Spirit. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 6:11 tells us that we have been washed, cleansed, by the Spirit.
III. MOSES CLOTHING AARON WITH THE HIGH PRIEST’S GARMENTS
In Leviticus 8:7-9 Moses clothed Aaron with the high priest’s garments. “He put the tunic on him, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the band of the ephod, and with it he bound it to him. And he put the breastplate on him, and in the breastplate he put the Urim and the Thummim. And he placed the turban upon his head, and on the turban, at its front, he placed the golden plate, the holy crown.” This signifies that Christ as our High Priest is adorned with all the excellencies of His divine and human attributes and virtues. These attributes and virtues are Christ’s garment. (See Life-study Messages on Exodus 28.)
IV. MOSES CLOTHING THE SONS OF AARON WITH THE PRIESTLY GARMENTS
“Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons near and clothed them with tunics, girded them with sashes, and bound caps on them, as Jehovah had commanded Moses” (v. 13). Moses’ clothing the sons of Aaron with priestly garments signifies that the New Testament priests are adorned with all the attributes and virtues of Christ.
The New Testament uses clothing to refer to our outward expression (Matt. 21:7; John 13:4). Our outward expression should be the expression of Christ’s divine attributes. These attributes include the divine love, kindness, and holiness. Christ’s divine attributes are expressed in human life as virtues. This means that the divine attributes become human virtues, and the human virtues are the expression of the divine attributes. The divine attributes and human virtues are not merely combined and united but mingled. For example, as a man Christ had human love, but this human love was mingled with the divine love. What God is (oil) was mingled with what Christ is (fine flour) in His humanity. In this way, God’s nature was included in the expression of Christ’s humanity. Because in Christ the divine attributes were mingled with the human virtues, His love, kindness, and mercy are extraordinary. In Him, the divine love, kindness, and mercy were mingled with the human love, kindness, and mercy.
This mingling of the divine attributes and the human virtues has become our clothing, because we who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). To put on Christ is to be clothed with Christ. The very Christ with whom we are clothed is our priestly garment. Now whether we are a husband or a wife, a parent or a child, a teacher or a student, we should wear our priestly garment—a garment that is the expression of Christ’s divine attributes mingled with His human virtues. Especially when we are going out to preach the gospel to sinners, we need to wear this garment. The expression of Christ should be our uniform. As we contact others, we need to impress them with the expression of Christ, that is, with the Christ with whom we are clothed. If we do this, we will have power and authority in our gospel preaching.
When we are ordained by God to serve Him as priests, He clothes us with Christ. One day you may consecrate yourself to the Lord to be a priest. Immediately, God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit will adorn you. Sometimes the Lord’s servants will work with the Triune God to adorn the saints with Christ. I am a little servant of God co-working with Him to adorn you with Christ, to help you to change your uniform from the uniform of your natural human life, culture, and nationality to the uniform of Christ. The different cultural uniforms divide, but the unique uniform of Christ makes us one.
(Life-Study of Leviticus, Chapter 28, by Witness Lee)
