L8-10: Defilement can happen in an instant, but becoming pure takes time

“From the basket of matzah that was before Adonai he took one piece of matzah, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and placed them on the fat and on the right thigh. Then he put it all in Aharon’s hands and in the hands of his sons and waved them as a wave offering before Adonai. Moshe took them out of their hands and made them go up in smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering; they were a consecration offering giving a fragrant aroma; an offering made by fire to Adonai. Moshe took the breast and waved it as a wave offering before Adonai; it was Moshe’s portion of the ram of consecration — as Adonai had ordered Moshe.”-Leviticus 8:26-29

From verse 26 of Leviticus chapter 8, we encounter a familiar procedure: the MINCHAH or Grain Offering.

Recall that the MINCHAH could be offered up in a variety of ways.

It could be leavened or unleavened, fried on a griddle, baked in an oven or even made into a cake, etcetera.

However, here for the priestly ordination, we are told it must be offered up at once in the following three ways:

-as an unleavened cake (cooked on a griddle)

-as a cake soaked in oil (baked in an oven)

-as a wafer

All of these are offered up via a procedure we should all be familiar with by now: TENUFAH.

Do you remember what that means?

It means the “Wave Offering”.

The grain offerings together with the fat and right thigh are held up above the shoulders and moved backed and forth in a waving motion (and no it doesn’t signify that the worshipper is saying “Hi” to the Lord).

After TENUFAH is performed, Moses takes the offering from Aaron and his sons and puts it on top of the Brazen Altar to be burned up.

And why?

By this point in time, your answer should be automatic.

The offering is burned up in order to create a pleasing and fragrant odor for the Lord.

Also, don’t overlook that little detail about the breast of the second Ram that was offered up.

Notice that instead of being burned up on the altar, it was set aside as food for Moses.

Finally, as the grand finale of this priestly consecration, a special mixture of holy anointing oil and sacrificial blood is sprinkled on Aaron and his sons.

However, the consecration is still not complete.

There is still one more thing that has to take place before the priesthood can officially begin.

A period of 7 days has to pass.

What is the reason for this 7 day period?

While I can’t say for sure, I will say this.

The 7-day period is the exact period of time that a person who had a skin disease but has now been pronounced clean has to wait before being allowed to return back to the camp of Israel.

Even after being diagnosed as healed by the priest, the person who had a skin disease still has to remain separate from everybody for a 7-day period.

We are told this same restriction was placed on Aaron and his sons.

Even though the consecration ceremony was finished, they still had to remain in the Tabernacle compound for 7 days before beginning their service.

As I mentioned in my last post, I think this points to the reality that before coming to the Lord, we are unclean and before serving the Lord, we have to be made clean.

There is another important principle I can glean from all of this.

Being infected with uncleanness or becoming defiled is something that can happen in an instant.

One contact with something unclean will render you unclean, instantly.

However, on the other hand, it takes time to be restored back to a state of purity.

This is another reality that is made clear when studying the Torah.

Defilement can happen in an instant.

Becoming pure takes time.

Fortunately, Yeshua believers don’t have that problem, as I believe His blood purifies us from all uncleanness instantly.

Yup, I believe the purifying power of His blood is that powerful.