What does the act of laying hands on the ram symbolize in Exodus 29:15? scripture focus “ ‘You are to take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head.’ ” (Exodus 29:15) what actually happened • Moses presented the first ordination ram. • Aaron and his sons placed both hands firmly on the ram’s head. • After the laying on of hands, the ram was slaughtered, its blood applied, and its parts offered on the altar (Exodus 29:16-18). symbolic meanings woven into the gesture • Identification – By touch, the priests publicly “claimed” the animal as their representative. – Leviticus 1:4 uses the same action: “He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so that it may be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.” • Transfer of guilt – Their sins and imperfections were symbolically transferred to the ram, making the animal a sin-bearer. – This idea is explicit in the Day of Atonement: “Aaron shall lay both hands on the head of the live goat, and confess… all the sins of the Israelites” (Leviticus 16:21-22). – Isaiah 53:6 echoes the principle: “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” • Substitution – Because guilt was symbolically placed on the ram, its death satisfied divine justice in the priests’ place. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 underscores the pattern: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” • Consecration to service – The ram’s life, now identified with Aaron and his sons, was wholly devoted to God on the altar. – Hebrews 10:10 shows the fulfillment in Christ: “By His will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” implications for today • God requires a mediator and a substitute—fulfilled perfectly in Jesus, the final Lamb (John 1:29). • True service flows from first being cleansed and consecrated. Believers now “present [their] bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). • The laying on of hands reminds us that salvation is personal; each must identify with Christ by faith, trusting His atoning death as our own. |
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