The Ram of Consecration

In the ram of consecration, we get another aspect of the death of Christ (Ex. 29:19-22). This offering bears in general the character of the peace offering in which the priests had their portion (Lev. 3). Happy communion with God on the part of One who partook, and communion with His people, is what is represented here. All believers, as priests in association with Christ, are figured in this offering. Being priests, they should be consecrated to God, even as Christ who swerved not, nor turned aside in His devotedness. He came to glorify God, and He came to save sinners; and with death before Him, “He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”
Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon this ram of consecration, identifying themselves thus with it, as with the other victims that had been slain. Its blood was put upon the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot of each of them. This ceremony should have a voice for all who have been made priests unto God. Set apart by the blood of the One who has been slain for them, their responsibility is to live in devotedness to Him. Special significance attaches to the blood having been put upon ear, hand and foot. The ear that is consecrated to God through the death of Christ will listen to His voice. “The perfect Servant of Jehovah was blind and deaf — blind to all fascinations of the world, and deaf to every suggestion of Satan.” The theme of some who talk of their consecration is giving up this and giving up that for the Lord, when, unlike the “perfect Servant,” they know little of what God says to them in His Word. The truly consecrated ear will seek to hear what God has to say, and to be closed to all else. Then Christ will be the theme, not what has been given up, or what high advancement has been made. The more there is of true consecration, the fuller place Christ will have in the life, and the less of self there will be manifested.
Blood upon the ear is first, then blood upon the hand. Where one has listened to the Word of God and is obedient to it, he is ready for service, and the hand is brought into use. The right hand speaks of power and of skill (Ex. 15:6,12; Psa. 37:5). The blood on the right hand of the priests fitted them for service in the handling of the sacrifices; the Christian should be found serving God in the strength and with the skill given to him; all he does should be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). And his first aim should be to seek “the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33). What before may have been done for one’s own pleasure, should now be done to please the Lord.
Blood put upon the foot speaks of the consecrated and separated walk. The foot that once trod the paths of unrighteousness, and was found in the way of sinners, should now, when set apart to God, be found in the path of the righteous, and should be “beautiful” as the bearer of “glad tidings.” Light, not the stumbling of the darkness, should characterize the path. “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4:18). The believer, thus set apart to God, is not free to go his own way or to do his own will. “Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
After the blood had been put thus upon the bodies of the priests, their garments were sprinkled with blood and with oil, the oil being a type of the Holy Spirit. They were in this way “hallowed,” or set apart to God. Notice that the oil follows the blood; it is not until one knows that he is “justified by His blood” (Rom. 5:9), and his sins are therefore forgiven (Eph. 1:7), that he is sealed with the Holy Spirit. “In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13).