Exodus 29

Chapter 29

In order to be fit to perform their sacred duties, Aaron and the other priests must first perform a painstaking series of rituals. The process involves bread, olive oil (actually used for cooking this time), rams, bulls, lambs, and the various body parts of said animals. Being a priest is not for the squeamish; whenever a lamb or bull is slaughtered, Aaron and his sons have to "lay their hands on its head" (verses 11, 19). Killing an animal is a messy enough business, especially if you want to keep it from struggling, but if you have to be so close as to have your actual hand on it? Needless to say, you'll probably want to change before you go out on a date.

Verse 18 mentions the "pleasing aroma" that emanate from the sacrifices. It's almost comforting to think that God enjoys some of the same sensations that we do. He didn't have to give us noses or taste buds, and He didn't have to create the many wonders of the natural world. He enjoys reveling in His creation. Of course, I could be wrong and this "pleasing aroma" is just metaphorical. But the point is that it pleases God.

Verses 24-26 include the directions for what is called a "wave offering." Seeing grown men wave loaves of bread and ram innards around at ostensibly nothing does seem pretty silly out of context. The ultimate purpose is to please God and to show one's devotion to Him, but I do wonder about the purpose behind the actual waving. Is there some sort of health benefit, like there was behind God's mandate not to hoard manna? (And apparently, the Israelites do have more to eat than just manna and quail at this point.)

Not only do we learn that Aaron and the priests get to eat some of the offering, but we learn just what parts of the ram they get to feast on: the breast and the thigh (verse 27). God does know the choice cuts of an animal--He created them, after all--so He's not going to have the priests eat, say, the brain. Because that will certainly end well.

"You shall not steal."(20:15)

I know you're just on pins and needles waiting to see if I've stolen anything. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I have not embezzled funds, shoplifted, or relieved anyone of their personal effects. And I have not performed the most grievous act of all: stealing a library book. I used to go to our local library a lot--it was always a fun walk over, but lugging all my spoils back home? Not so much. Anyway, from time to time, I'd wake up in anxiety, wondering if I had any library books I'd forgotten to return, hiding under the bed somewhere. Because if you don't return a library book on time, you know what that means: Death. Or not being able to check out any more books, which is just about as bad. But I will confess one misdeed: Our library had some paperbacks without barcodes that you were supposed to borrow on the honor system. And though I did end up returning everything I borrowed, let's just say that I kept some of them considerably past the normal due date.