Exodus 29: Consecrated to Serve
Through washing, robing, anointing, and blood, Aaron and his sons are set apart as priests, so that the Lord may dwell among his people.
Exodus 29 (WEB)
1 “This is the thing that you shall do to them to make them holy, to minister to me in the priest’s office: take one young bull and two rams without defect,
2 unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil: you shall make them of fine wheat flour.
3 You shall put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams.
4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall wash them with water.
5 You shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat, the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and clothe him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod;
6 and you shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban.
7 Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head, and anoint him.
8 You shall bring his sons, and put coats on them.
9 You shall clothe them with belts, Aaron and his sons, and bind headbands on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute: and you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons.
10 “You shall bring the bull before the Tent of Meeting: and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.
11 You shall kill the bull before Yahweh, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
12 You shall take of the blood of the bull, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; and you shall pour out all the blood at the base of the altar.
13 You shall take all the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.
14 But the flesh of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside of the camp: it is a sin offering.
15 “You shall also take the one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.
16 You shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood, and sprinkle it around on the altar.
17 You shall cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its innards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head.
18 You shall burn the whole ram on the altar: it is a burnt offering to Yahweh; it is a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
19 “You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram.
20 Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood around on the altar.
21 You shall take of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be made holy, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.
22 Also you shall take some of the ram’s fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
23 and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before Yahweh.
24 You shall put all of this in Aaron’s hands, and in his sons’ hands, and shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh.
25 You shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar on the burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma before Yahweh: it is an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
26 “You shall take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before Yahweh: and it shall be your portion.
27 You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
28 and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering: and it shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to Yahweh.
29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.
30 Seven days shall the son who is priest in his place put them on, when he comes into the Tent of Meeting to minister in the holy place.
31 “You shall take the ram of consecration, and boil its flesh in a holy place.
32 Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
33 They shall eat those things with which atonement was made, to consecrate and sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat of it, because they are holy.
34 If anything of the flesh of the consecration, or of the bread, remains to the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
35 “You shall do so to Aaron, and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. You shall consecrate them seven days.
36 Every day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for atonement: and you shall cleanse the altar, when you make atonement for it; and you shall anoint it, to sanctify it.
37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it: and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches the altar shall be holy.
38 “Now this is that which you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually.
39 The one lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other lamb you shall offer at evening:
40 and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering.
41 The other lamb you shall offer at evening, and shall do to it according to the meal offering of the morning, and according to its drink offering, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
42 It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before Yahweh, where I will meet with you, to speak there to you.
43 There I will meet with the children of Israel; and the place shall be sanctified by my glory.
44 I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar: Aaron also and his sons I will sanctify, to minister to me in the priest’s office.
45 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
46 They shall know that I am Yahweh their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am Yahweh their God.
Exodus 29 (KJV)
1 And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,
2 And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
3 And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
4 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.
5 And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:
6 And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
7 Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
8 And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.
9 And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
10 And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
11 And thou shalt kill the bullock before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.
14 But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.
15 Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.
16 And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.
17 And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.
18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the Lord: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
19 And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.
20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.
22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:
23 And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord:
24 And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the Lord.
25 And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the Lord: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
26 And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the Lord: and it shall be thy part.
27 And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
28 And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the Lord.
29 And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.
30 And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
31 And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.
32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
33 And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
34 And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
36 And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
37 Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
38 Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.
39 The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
40 And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
41 And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
42 This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.
44 And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.
45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God.
Exodus 29 (ASV)
1 And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office: take one young bullock and two rams without blemish,
2 and unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened mingled with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of fine wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
3 And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
4 And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tent of meeting, and shalt wash them with water.
5 And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod;
6 and thou shalt set the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
7 Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
8 And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.
9 And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and bind head-tires on them: and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
10 And thou shalt bring the bullock before the tent of meeting: and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock.
11 And thou shalt kill the bullock before Jehovah, at the door of the tent of meeting.
12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger; and thou shalt pour out all the blood at the base of the altar.
13 And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul upon the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.
14 But the flesh of the bullock, and its skin, and its dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin-offering.
15 Thou shalt also take the one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram.
16 And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take its blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.
17 And thou shalt cut the ram into its pieces, and wash its inwards, and its legs, and put them with its pieces, and with its head.
18 And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt-offering unto Jehovah; it is a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
19 And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands upon the head of the ram.
20 Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of its blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
21 And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.
22 Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat, and the fat tail, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul of the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration),
23 and one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before Jehovah:
24 and thou shalt put the whole upon the hands of Aaron, and upon the hands of his sons, and shalt wave them for a wave-offering before Jehovah.
25 And thou shalt take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar upon the burnt-offering, for a sweet savor before Jehovah: it is an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
26 And thou shalt take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave-offering before Jehovah: and it shall be thy portion.
27 And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave-offering, and the thigh of the heave-offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
28 and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion for ever from the children of Israel; for it is a heave-offering: and it shall be a heave-offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, even their heave-offering unto Jehovah.
29 And the holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them.
30 Seven days shall the son that is priest in his stead put them on, when he cometh into the tent of meeting to minister in the holy place.
31 And thou shalt take the ram of consecration, and boil its flesh in a holy place.
32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, at the door of the tent of meeting.
33 And they shall eat those things wherewith atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
34 And if aught of the flesh of the consecration, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
35 And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
36 And every day shalt thou offer the bullock of sin-offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou makest atonement for it; and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
37 Seven days thou shalt make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it: and the altar shall be most holy; whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
38 Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually.
39 The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
40 and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink-offering.
41 And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meal-offering of the morning, and according to the drink-offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
42 It shall be a continual burnt-offering throughout your generations at the door of the tent of meeting before Jehovah, where I will meet with you, to speak there unto thee.
43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel; and the Tent shall be sanctified by my glory.
44 And I will sanctify the tent of meeting, and the altar: Aaron also and his sons will I sanctify, to minister to me in the priest’s office.
45 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
46 And they shall know that I am Jehovah their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am Jehovah their God.
Summary
God now gives the ritual by which Aaron and his sons are made holy to serve as priests. They are brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting and washed with water, then clothed in the holy garments, and Aaron is anointed with oil poured on his head. Three sacrifices follow: a bull as a sin offering, whose blood is put on the horns of the altar; a ram as a burnt offering, wholly consumed as a pleasant aroma; and a second ram of consecration, whose blood is placed on the priests' right ear, thumb, and big toe, and sprinkled with the anointing oil on them and their garments. They eat the consecrated flesh and bread at the tabernacle door, sharing in the offering that atones for them. The consecration is to last seven days, with a daily sin offering to cleanse the altar and make it most holy. God then commands the continual burnt offering of two lambs each day, morning and evening, throughout the generations. The chapter ends with a stunning promise: there at the tent God will meet with Israel, the place will be sanctified by his glory, and he will dwell among his people and be their God. Blood, washing, and anointing prepare sinners to come near, foreshadowing the once-for-all sacrifice that opens the way to God.
Main Characters
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who commands the consecration of his priests and promises to meet with Israel, sanctify them by his glory, and dwell among them.
- Aaron — The high priest who is washed, robed, anointed, and consecrated through sacrifice and blood to minister before the Lord.
- Aaron's sons — The priests consecrated with their father through the same washing, blood, and shared offering at the tabernacle door.
- Moses — The mediator who carries out God's instructions, performing the sacrifices and applying blood and oil to ordain the priesthood.
Key Verse
Exodus 29:45 (WEB)
I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
Lessons Learned
- Coming near to a holy God requires cleansing, atonement, and consecration that he himself provides.
- Blood applied to ear, hand, and foot dedicates the whole person—hearing, doing, and walking—to God's service.
- Daily, continual sacrifice reminds us that fellowship with God rests on atonement renewed morning and evening.
- The goal of the whole system is breathtaking: that God might dwell among his people and be their God.
- God cleanses those he calls to serve him. Aaron and his sons are washed, clothed, and anointed before they minister (Exodus 29:4-7, WEB). Service to God begins with the cleansing he supplies.
- Atonement is by substitution and blood. The sin offering's blood is put on the altar and its body burned outside the camp (Exodus 29:12-14, WEB), picturing the cost of sin borne by another.
- We are consecrated wholly to God. Blood touches the priests' "right ear… right hand… right foot" (Exodus 29:20, WEB), claiming the entire person for the Lord's service.
- God's purpose is to dwell with his people. "I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God" (Exodus 29:45, WEB). Every sacrifice serves this end—God making his home among us.
- What steps make up the consecration of the priests, and what does each one signify?
- Why is blood applied to the priests' ear, thumb, and toe, and what might this teach about wholehearted service?
- What is the meaning of the continual morning-and-evening sacrifice for Israel's daily walk with God?
- How does the promise of verses 45-46 reveal the true purpose behind all this detailed ritual?
- Where might God be calling you to consecrate some part of your life—your hearing, your hands, your steps—more fully to him?
- The priests are washed, robed, anointed, and atoned for through bull and rams, then they share in the offering (29:4-34). Each act says that no one comes near to God by right; cleansing, covering, and atonement must come first, all of it provided by God's appointment.
- Blood on the ear, thumb, and big toe claims the whole person—what they hear, what they do, where they go—for God (29:20). Consecration is not partial; the Lord lays claim to the entirety of a life surrendered to him.
- Two lambs offered every morning and evening (29:38-42) frame each day with atonement, so Israel never approaches God apart from sacrifice. It points to our need for grace renewed daily and ultimately to the one sacrifice that never needs repeating.
- The detailed ritual culminates in pure gift: "I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God" (29:45). All the blood and washing serve God's longing to live among his people—the storyline that runs to Immanuel and the new creation.
- This is a personal-application question. Gently invite members to name an area—words heard, work done, paths walked—they sense God asking them to set apart for him. As leader, frame consecration as joyful belonging, not burdensome demand.