Tabernacle
Leviticus 8:22-36
22 He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 23 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then he splashed blood against the sides of the altar. 25 After that, he took the fat, the fat tail, all the fat around the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys and their fat and the right thigh. 26 And from the basket of bread made without yeast, which was before the Lord, he took one thick loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf, and he put these on the fat portions and on the right thigh. 27 He put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and they waved them before the Lord as a wave offering. 28 Then Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering as an ordination offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord. 29 Moses also took the breast, which was his share of the ordination ram, and waved it before the Lord as a wave offering, as the Lord commanded Moses. 30 Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.
31 Moses then said to Aaron and his sons, “Cook the meat at the entrance to the tent of meeting and eat it there with the bread from the basket of ordination offerings, as I was commanded: ‘Aaron and his sons are to eat it.’ 32 Then burn up the rest of the meat and the bread. 33 Do not leave the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed, for your ordination will last seven days. 34 What has been done today was commanded by the Lord to make atonement for you. 35 You must stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and do what the Lord requires, so you will not die; for that is what I have been commanded.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord commanded through Moses.
The ceremony of this ordination(anointing) of priests is almost the same as the other offering ceremonies, but one thing is very different from others, and that is not leaving the entrance of the tabernacle for 7 days. Why did God ask for this? The tent of meeting is made in clothes, and it looks like a hut. I mean, it's not fancy or gold-decorated churches or cathedrals. The English word, tabernacle(the tent of meeting) is derived from the Latin, meaning "tent" or "hut". The Hebrew word 'mishkan' implies "dwell", "rest", or "to live in".
The tent was divided into two parts with a curtain as the holy place and the most holy place. No one except the main priest of the year could go into the most holy place, as God was in there. I don't think that God is in there, but it symbolizes that God is the holy one that no one could see in person. Moreover, with any sins or without any forgiveness, no one could dwell in rest and to live in. The anointed people were in charge of the tent and the ceremonies, and their duty was to keep it as God had commanded.
Then, what did they do for 7 days? I am not sure, but I can guess that they made atonement for themselves, in verse 34, not doing any others' work. Making atonement for means confession of their own sins, purifying themselves from their daily and lifelong sins. Then they could do the holy work for others. God accomplishes His own plan through people, especially, the chosen people, priests, which could sound unfair or nonsense, but looking through the biblical history, it's true. The anointed people should do more jobs for the Sanctuary as it is their duty, and they were specially selected for the required work.
Nowadays, thanks to Jesus, we are all picked, getting priesthood and being called God's special possession. However, the first thing we should do is purifying ourselves. Then, before thinking about my job as a Christian, I should do make myself pure in heart, spending my time on it. It's my QT, which means quiet time, meditating on the bible for an hour, day or night. Now I am doing it at this late night. Without this kind of time, I am not able to do my duty or required work as a holy priest that has been commanded by God: Love God and love your neighbors as yourself! Because I myself am a sinner, I could not do this holy work without the QT, when I get the wisdom and strength and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
