“And he brought the second ram, the ram of consecration. Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, and Moses killed it. Also he took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.”

Leviticus 8:22–23 (NKJV)

Before the priests could serve the LORD they had to be consecrated. Two different Hebrew words are translated “consecrate”. The first is qadash, which means “to set apart”. The second is male, which means “to fill up”. For Aaron and his sons, they first needed to be set apart for the LORD’s work, and then their hands could be filled with the work of the ministry.

In addition to the bull for the sin offering, Moses offered two rams. The first was a burnt offering. Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the ram, identifying with it. Then it was burned on the altar. The second was called the ram of consecration. This is what would prepare them to be filled with the works of the LORD. Again, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on it. Moses killed it and put some of the blood on the tip of Aaron’s right ear, the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot. What was the significance of this? His ear would be filled with God’s words, his hands would be busy about God’s work, and his feet would walk with God. When all this was completed, they ate a meal before the LORD. I cannot help but think about what Jesus said to the church of Laodicea:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)

It’s not just about us serving the LORD. He wants to eat with us. He enjoys our fellowship. Do we enjoy being with Him? We must first learn to sit at His feet in communion if we would be used by Him to minister to others.

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