What is the meaning of Exodus 29:33? They must eat those things “They must eat those things…” (Exodus 29:33) speaks of Aaron and his sons consuming the meat of the ram of ordination and the bread from the basket (Exodus 29:2, 32). • Eating made the offering personal; the priests internalized what God provided, showing fellowship with Him (Leviticus 6:16–18; 8:31–32). • In a wider biblical thread, sharing a sacred meal often seals covenant relationship—think of the elders on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:9–11) and later believers at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 10:16–18). by which atonement was made The food came from sacrifices that “made atonement” (Exodus 29:36). • Blood had already been shed on the altar (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22); eating the portion was the priests’ acceptance of God’s cleansing. • The word “atonement” links the ram of ordination with every substitutionary sacrifice pointing forward to Christ, “who gave Himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 2:2; Romans 5:11). • Practically, Israel’s priests began their ministry knowing their own sin was dealt with before they ministered for others (Hebrews 5:1–3). for their ordination and consecration Ordination lasted seven days (Exodus 29:30, 35). Through repeated sacrifice, washing, anointing, and the shared meal, the priests were publicly set apart. • “Consecration” literally means filling the hands; God filled their hands with holy tasks (Exodus 28:41; Leviticus 8:33). • In Christ, believers are now “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6), similarly cleansed and commissioned for service. But no outsider may eat them God draws a firm boundary: anyone not of Aaron’s family was barred from this meal (Leviticus 22:10–13). • “Outsider” here is not ethnic but covenantal—only those called, cleansed, and consecrated could partake (Numbers 3:10). • The restriction guarded both God’s holiness and the people’s safety; mishandling holy things invites judgment (2 Samuel 6:6–7; Acts 5:3–5). because these things are sacred The food was “most holy” (Leviticus 8:28–29). • Sacred objects convey God’s presence; treating them casually desecrates God’s name (Leviticus 10:1–3; Hebrews 10:29). • Holiness is contagious in two directions: it can sanctify those God appoints, or it can consume those who approach wrongly (Exodus 19:12–13; 1 Corinthians 11:27–29). • Today, reverence remains essential whenever believers handle the holy—whether Scripture, the ordinances, or ministry (Hebrews 12:28–29). summary Exodus 29:33 reveals a holy meal reserved for newly ordained priests. By eating the sacrifices that secured their atonement, Aaron and his sons personally embraced God’s cleansing and entered covenant fellowship. Outsiders were excluded to safeguard the sanctuary’s holiness, reminding Israel—and us—that access to God is always on His terms. The passage points forward to the finished work of Christ, whose once-for-all sacrifice consecrates a new priesthood of believers, calling us to the same joy, gratitude, and reverent awe. |
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