Marked by the Blood
Exodus 29:20
“… and you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar.”
If I were standing in this crowd with my son, Micah, watching wide-eyed as Moses dips his finger into the vat and proceeds to touch Aaron’s ear with the blood, I imagine I’d feel a sudden tug on my cloak and look down to see my bewildered boy ask in a panic, “Dad—dad! Why did he do that?! Why did he put blood on his ear? What does it mean?” I’d answer as calmly as I could: “Well son, he’s consecrating Aaron’s ear to the Lord; a priest is in the service of the Word of God, so he needs to listen to God at all times and heed all God’s instructions. This is just his way of saying, ‘Lord—I’m listening fully!’”
That would suffice for a moment until Moses dips his finger again into the vat and proceeds to touch Aaron’s thumb with the blood. Another tug would ensue, followed by a similar query: “Dad—but why his thumb? What does a thumb have to do with priestly service? What does it mean?” Again, I’d answer as calmly as I could: “Well son, a priest can’t just be a hearer of God’s Word, can he? He needs to be a doer of God’s Word too. And God wants Aaron to have pure hands; hands that are clean; hands that don’t steal or cheat or do any wrong. So this is Aaron’s way of saying, “Lord, You’ve got my hands too!”
Knowing Micah, the next time Moses dips his finger in the bucket and touches Aaron’s toe with the blood, he wouldn’t tug at my cloak. Instead, he’s blurt out in the excitement of childlike epiphany: “Dad—dad! I get it, I think! A priest needs to walk with God and follow after Him too, right? Not turn and run the other way. So this is Aaron’s way of saying, “Lord—I’ll walk in your steps!”
Friend, may we speak and work and walk in such a way today that others see the consecration of our lives and ask, “What does it mean?”