In what ways does Leviticus 8:22 connect to Christ's ultimate sacrifice? Leviticus 8:22 – The Ordination Ram Presented “Then he presented the second ram, the ram of ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.” Hands on the Head – Identification and Substitution • By laying their hands on the ram, Aaron and his sons publicly transferred their identity—and in the broader ceremony, their sin and need for cleansing—onto the animal. • This anticipates the way our guilt was placed on Jesus: • Isaiah 53:6 – “the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” • 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” • The ram died in their place so they could serve; Christ died in our place so we could become “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). The Ram of Ordination – Consecration for Service • This was not a sin offering (that had already been presented); it was an ordination offering—marking the priests off as wholly belonging to God. • Hebrews 10:19-22 connects Christ’s blood to our own priestly access: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near.” • Just as the ram’s blood consecrated the priests (Leviticus 8:24), Jesus’ blood consecrates believers for lifelong ministry. From Shadow to Substance – Temporary Ritual vs. Final Sacrifice • The ordination ram had to be offered again for each new priestly generation. • Hebrews 9:11-12 shows the fulfillment: “He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.” • What was repeated and limited in Leviticus becomes once-for-all and limitless in Christ. Fellowship Through a Shared Portion • Later in the chapter the priests eat portions of the sacrifice (Leviticus 8:31). Eating signified participation in the offering. • John 6:51 echoes this fellowship language in Christ: “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” • Believers “partake of the altar” (1 Corinthians 10:18) when they trust in and live from Christ’s finished work. Key Connections Summarized • Identification – hands on the head → our sins laid on Jesus. • Substitution – ram dies for priests → Christ dies for us. • Consecration – blood sets priests apart → blood sets believers apart. • Access – priests enter the sanctuary → we enter God’s presence. • Fellowship – priests eat the ram → we share in Christ’s life. Why This Matters Today • Confidence: His once-for-all offering means no lingering doubt about acceptance (Romans 8:1). • Calling: We are ordained to serve, representing God to people and people to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). • Holiness: As the priests kept themselves pure, so we keep ourselves unspotted for service (James 1:27). |
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