and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.
The ceremonies for consecrating Aaron and his sons had to be set down in detail so that they themselves would grasp the weight of what God called them to, and the people would learn to honor the office and keep their hands off it. The Hebrew word for consecrating means filling the hand, which tells us ministers have their hands full, no time for trifling, their work is so great and constant.
AI summary
Commenting on Exodus 29:1-37
And thou shalt gird them with girdles (Aaron and his sons),.... Aaron with the girdle of the ephod, and with the girdle of needlework, and his sons with common girdles made for them; all which showed what strength, diligence, and expedition were necessary for the discharge of their office: and put the bonnets on them; upon their heads, which differed only from the high priest's...
The full force of this consecration ceremony cannot be grasped apart from the sacrificial law in Leviticus 1-7, so I defer detailed examination until we reach Leviticus 8, where the consecration is actually carried out. The daily offerings that follow belong here because they begin immediately after the tabernacle's completion and form part of the sanctuary's total operation.
AI summary
Commenting on Exodus 29:1-37