E29-2: Is there a connection between Moses washing Aaron and Yeshua washing His disciples?

“Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and wash them with water.Take the garments, and put on Aaron the tunic, the robe for the ritual vest, the vest itself, and the breastplate. Fasten the vest on him with its belt. Put the turban on his head and attach the holy ornament to the turban.”Exodus 29:4-6

One interesting point about the consecration of Aaron and the priests is that it was do to be done out in the open, in public.

It wasn’t some secret dark underground ceremony held in some undisclosed location.

In God’s economy, secrecy is just not compatible with light and truth.

Another important point to keep in mind is that Exodus chapter 29 is not a depiction of what is happening real-time.

Moses is still on the mountaintop of Sinai.

So what we’re reading about here is God being quoted as He instructs Moses.

All of these instructions will be carried out later.

Now the first task Moses was told to carry out was the washing of Aaron and his sons with water.

This was an unprecedented command.

We’ve witnessed the practice of animal sacrifice since Adam and Eve, but this is the beginning of a ritual washing taking place. 

Let’s not overlook the significance of what was really taking place here.

Moses, the highest leader of Israel, was instructed by God to humble himself, get down on his knees and wash the priests starting with Aaron.

In a world where what social class you belonged to was everything, the idea that your supreme ruler would stoop down and wash those of lesser status was unimaginable. 

Here was this powerful man, the only person ever to talk with the Lord face-to-face, now reduced to performing a task reserved for only women or servants.

Why did God have Moses do this?

What was the point of having Moses wash the priests?

Was it to demonstrate humbleness as is so often taught in the Christian churches?

The answer is NO!

What is happening is that the priests were being prepared and consecrated for service to the Lord.

They had to be cleansed of their sins BEFORE they assumed their holy positions.

And the method the Lord chose through which to accomplish this was ritual washing.

This also demonstrated that cleansing can only come from on high as an act of mercy and love.

However, there’s even more significance to what Moses was doing.

Hundreds of years later, in the person of Yeshua, we will see an exact replay of what Moses did to Aaron and his sons.

Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel and the highest leader on earth, will humble Himself as a servant and wash the feet of His disciples.

Now I believe the Bible works in patterns.

In other words, one pattern will be established in the Torah and then will repeat itself throughout the whole Bible.

Now I’m NOT going to be dogmatic about this, so please don’t start losing your mind if you disagree.

But could it not be that just as Moses the Mediator washed Aaron and the priests to establish the earthly, fleshly priesthood, was not Yeshua the Mediator doing the same thing to establish a NEW spiritual priesthood based on faith in Him?  

Could not Yeshua’s act of washing His disciples’ feet be a consecration ceremony for a new spiritual priesthood?

Based on some feedback I’ve already received from some friends, I know there is going to be some disagreement on this point and that’s cool.

First, I’ll admit there is a whole lot of false teaching running amok in Hebrew Roots circles asserting that modern day believers have become the new and replacement physical and earthly priesthood.

This is hogwash to the 20 billionth degree!!!

The Levitical Priesthood is ETERNAL and this will NEVER change.

So I’m not saying that believers today replace the Hebrew Levites.

But and this is a big but, I am suggesting, NOT asserting, but just suggesting, because I’m still studying this matter, that there is a spiritual dynamic being addressed in Yeshua’s act that makes Messiah’s disciples as priests.

Again, I’m aware of objections out there that will say Yeshua sent out “Disciples”, but never sent out “priests”.

And that there is only ONE tribe of priests and that is Levi.

Admittedly, this makes sense, and I don’t deny it.

But I’m also confronted with many verses that seem to strongly imply that Yeshua believers comprise a “a spiritual house for a holy priesthood in order to offer up spiritual sacrifices…..”

I mean Yeshua performed the consecration of His disciples in the exact way Moses did

In His role as MEDIATOR, He performed a ritual washing.

If this was not an indication of a consecration of a priesthood, then what was it?

Maybe it was just a consecration for service to God’s kingdom as “disciples”.

But if the Bible works in patterns (which I’m pretty sure it does), then it must have been the consecration of a priesthood.

Either way, what Yeshua did on that day was far more powerful and had much more significant meaning than simply showing us by example that a master must also be a meek and humble servant to His people..

If anybody has any great feedback on this topic, I would love to see your comments.

Actually, it would be great if you could comment directly on this post for all to see.

Either way, to conclude, as believers in Yeshua, we are called to be Holy as He is Holy.

Whether as disciples, students, or even priests, we are called to BE HOLY.

CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

He came to Shim‘on Kefa, who said to him,
“Lord! You are washing my feet?” 
Yeshua answered him,
“You don’t understand yet what I am doing, 
but in time you will understand.” 
“No!” said Kefa, “You will never wash my feet!”
Yeshua answered him,
“If I don’t wash you,
you have no share with me.”
“Lord,” Shim‘on Kefa replied, “not only my feet, 
but my hands and head too!”
-John 13:6-9

“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile
and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
like newborn babes,
long for the pure milk of the word,
that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
And coming to Him as to a living stone,
rejected by men,
but choice and precious in the sight of God,
you also, as living stones,
are being built up as a spiritual house 
for a holy priesthood, 
to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Yeshua the Messiah.”
-1 Peter 2:1-5

“To him, the one who loves us,
who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood,
who has caused us to be a kingdom, 
that is, cohanim for God, his Father — 
to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever. 
Amen.”
-Revelations 1:5-6

“You made them into a kingdom for God to rule,
    cohanim to serve him;
and they will rule over the earth.”
-Revelations 5:10