40 The Tabernacle Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John 20:21). Christ entrusts His Gospel message only to those who love Him. Aaron and his sons were provided with the same pure linen coat; we are given the robe of Christ's righteousness, which fits us for His Presence. (Only Aaron wore the robes of glory and beauty, even as our blessed Lord shall shine forth throughout eternity as the Light of heave~ the "altogether lovely" One!) Aaron and his sons were anointed with the same blood, when they were consecrated to their priestly office. We are cleansed by Christ's own precious blood--cleansed that we may serve Him, and others for His name's sake. He needed no cleansing, for He was without sin. When He said, "... for their sakes I sanctify myself" (John 17: 19) , He referred to His being consecrated, set apart, to His priestly work of redemption. As the sinless One, He could need no cleansing from sin! Aaron and his sons were anointed with the same holy oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is significant that Aaron was anointed with oil before the bloody sacri- fices were offered; his sons, afterwards; for our Lord Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism, before He went to the cross; His disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius, after His death and resurrection. Moreover, Aaron was given a greater unction of the holy oil than were his sons; it was poured on his head, and it ran down upon his beard, even to the skirts of his garments. Our Lord Jesus had the fulness of the Holy Spirit as no sinner saved by grace could ever have. The Father gave not the Spirit "by measure unto him" (John 3: 34). Again, this holy oil was not to be put upon strangers. Even so, the
41 The Tabernacle Christ-rejecting sinner can not understand the things of the Spirit; they are "foolishness unto him." (See I Cor. 2:14.) The hands of Aaron and his sons were filled with the same offering. They were filled for the Lord. They ate the same food. Jesus, the Man, lived by faith, and so must we live by faith. The priests fed upon the bread of conse- cration. Our Lord had "meat to eat" that men knew not of; He came to do the will of His Father in heaven. And He sends us forth into the whitened harvest :field to do His will, offering to heart-hungry millions the Bread of Life! (See John 4:31-38.) These are some of the analogies we may well draw from Aaron and his sons, as a type of Christ and his church. Indeed, the Holy Spirit has given us some clear statements of Scripture to show us that, as believer- priests, we are to tell the story of Christ's one sacrifice forever, to pray one for another, to be "a chosen genera- tion, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people," showing forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvellous light (I Peter 2:9). Ours is "the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3: 14). As we think of our privileges and blessings as Christians, our hearts sing the doxology of John, who, on the Isle of Patmos, said, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us a kingdom, priests (R. V.) unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (Rev. I :5, 6). The Garments of the Priests Before we enter upon a detailed study of the beau- tiful garments of the high priest, which speak to us of
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