Throughout the Exodus narrative, Moses has been the leader who meets with God, and who delivers the instructions of the Lord to the people: so we might expect that Moses would be the one ordained to become high priest of the followers of the Lord. Instead, the ones ordained to this service will be Aaron, and Aaron’s sons and grandsons after him. The ordination activities take place with great seriousness over a period of seven days (Exodus 29:35).

The instructions are quite elaborate. There are specific requirements for what vestments are to be produced for them to wear: “a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a tunic, a turban, and a sash” (28:4). There are details about what color of yarn is to be used (28:8, 15), what decorative gems are to be used (28:17-21), what designs are to be embroidered (28:33-34). One of the decorations is a rosette made of gold, fastened to the front of the turban with a blue cord, so that it will rest on Aaron’s forehead, engraved with the words “Holy to the Lord” (28:36-38) – a continual reminder to Aaron, and to his sons after him, that his life, his actions, his thoughts, are all forever dedicated to the service of God.

The actual physical process of the ordination again includes many details (29:1-25). In particular, with one of the rams that is sacrificed, some of the blood is placed on Aaron and his sons: on their right earlobes, on their right thumbs, and on their right big big toes (29:20). This symbolizes that no one can hear the Lord, or work for the Lord, or walk with the Lord, unless the blood of sacrifice has been placed upon them.

We do not ordain people today within the Christian church in the same manner as this. We think the call of God can come to individual from any background, instead of asserting that the call to ministry is inherent in one particular family line. We believe in ceremony and prayer and proclamation, but not in the same style as what Exodus prescribed for Aaron and his descendants. Yet the seriousness of calling expressed there, the sense of obligation and responsibility, can inspire and instruct us in the here and now.

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You call us all, O Lord, to serve you and love you, heart and soul and strength and mind – and you also call some of us to specialized ministries, pastors and priests and preachers. Grant us seriousness of purpose, that we may be Holy to the Lord, day by day.

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