How does Exodus 29:37 connect to New Testament teachings on holiness and sanctification? “For seven days you are to make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches the altar will become holy.” The Heart of the Verse • Seven-day consecration: a complete, God-ordained period of cleansing • “Most holy”: set apart exclusively for God’s service • Transfer of holiness: contact with the consecrated altar imparts holiness to what touches it Why the Altar Matters • Blood was applied to the altar (Exodus 29:12, 36) • Fire consumed the offerings (Leviticus 6:12-13) • The altar stood between God and Israel as the meeting point of atonement and worship Echoes in the New Testament • Jesus is the greater altar: “We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat” (Hebrews 13:10) • His blood consecrates once for all: “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10) • Holiness is transferred by union with Him: “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) • Believers become living sacrifices: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1) • Ongoing sanctification flows from that initial consecration: “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14) Christ the Fulfillment of Exodus 29:37 • Consecration period → Jesus’ perfect life and three-day triumph over death complete the true consecration • Blood on the altar → His own blood applied in heaven’s sanctuary (Hebrews 9:24-26) • “Whatever touches the altar will become holy” → Whoever comes to Christ by faith is made holy (1 Corinthians 1:30) Positional and Progressive Sanctification 1. Positional: The moment we “touch” Christ in faith, God declares us holy (Colossians 1:22; Ephesians 1:4) 2. Progressive: The Spirit molds us daily into Christ’s likeness (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; 2 Corinthians 3:18) • Scripture is the cleansing agent: “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17) • Obedience preserves the consecration: “Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15-16) Practical Implications Today • Approach God boldly, not on our merit but by the blood-consecrated “altar” of Christ (Hebrews 4:16) • Guard what we allow to “touch” our lives—relationships, media, habits—because holiness is both gift and responsibility • Offer every day as a fresh sacrifice, trusting the Spirit to burn away impurity and display God’s glory through us |
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