How does Exodus 29:21 connect to the New Testament understanding of sanctification? Exodus 29:21 in Its Original Setting • “Take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his garments will be holy, as well as his sons and their garments.” (Exodus 29:21) • God sets Aaron and his sons apart for priestly service by a double sprinkling—blood from the sacrifice and oil from the horn of consecration. • The act publicly marks them as “holy,” meaning separated unto God’s exclusive use. Blood and Oil: Twin Emblems Brought Together • Blood = cleansing from sin, satisfying God’s justice. • Oil = the Holy Spirit’s presence and empowerment. • Joined together, they picture both positional cleansing and ongoing enablement; sanctification always carries these two dimensions. New Testament Echoes of the Sprinkled Blood • “According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood.” (1 Peter 1:2) • “How much more will the blood of Christ… cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God!” (Hebrews 9:14) • “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10) • Just as Aaron’s garments were made holy in a moment, believers are declared holy the moment Christ’s blood is applied to them. Oil as the Holy Spirit—Sanctification’s Power Source • Jesus was “anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38); believers share that anointing (1 John 2:20, 27). • “God chose you… through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) • The Spirit indwells to transform behavior, echoing the oil that soaked into priestly garments—permanent, fragrant, unmistakable. Believers as a Consecrated Priesthood Today • “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” (1 Peter 2:9) • “To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood… and has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.” (Revelation 1:5-6) • “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11) • The Exodus ceremony prefigures the believer’s privilege: cleansed by Christ’s blood, indwelt by His Spirit, and commissioned for priestly service in the world. Putting It Together: A Theology of Sanctification • Exodus 29:21 previews the two-fold New Covenant work—cleansing by the blood of Christ and consecrating empowerment by the Spirit. • Sanctification is both positional (once-for-all holiness granted at conversion) and progressive (daily growth as the Spirit applies Christ’s victory). • As Aaron’s garments continually reminded Israel of his consecration, a believer’s lifestyle is meant to display the fragrance of Christ in every arena of life. |
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