Leviticus 8:6 Moshe brought Aharon and his sons, washed them with water, 7 put the tunic on him, wrapped the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, put the ritual vest on him, wrapped around him the decorated belt and fastened the vest to him with it. 8 He put the breastplate on him, and on the breastplate he put the urim and tumim. 9 He set the turban on his head, and on the front of the turban he affixed the gold plate, the holy ornament, as YHVH had ordered Moshe.
Here Aharon stands.
About to be commissioned into the highest office on earth.
A man set to encounter Abba directly on behalf of the entire nation of Israel.
A man that can be killed for the sin of just one person.
A man that has to trust that all of the people in Israel are willing to trust Abba.
A man that has to ensure all people know Torah or else he will die.
How did he get here?
He started as a slave in Egypt. He then had to boldly walk into the courts of Pharaoh and participate in a rebuking of the most powerful man on earth. He instructed all of Israel to apply the blood on their doorposts so they might live. He had to endure the grumbling of the people after they had been saved. He had to help hold up Moshe’s arms during war.
After all of this, he helped the children of Israel create the golden calf.
WHILE Abba was explaining to Moshe that Aharon would be the one to stand in the gap.
And Abba knew it all.
We tend to view ourselves as standing as Aharon is standing right here:
- Ready to be commissioned
- Ready to do the work of the Kingdom
- Ready to engage with Him at a moment’s notice
- A servant of all
But do you know where you are actually standing at that moment?
Zechariah 3:1 He showed me Y’hoshua the cohen hagadol standing before the angel of YHVH, with the Accuser [Satan] standing at his right to accuse him. 2 YHVH said to the Accuser, “May YHVH rebuke you, Accuser! Indeed, may YHVH, who has made Yerushalayim his choice, rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3 Y’hoshua was clothed in garments covered with dung; and he was standing before the angel, 4 who said to those standing in front of him, “Take those filthy garments off of him.” Then to him he said, “See, I am taking your guilt away. I will clothe you in fine robes.” 5 I said, “They should put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and gave him fine robes to wear, while the angel of YHVH stood by. 6 Then the angel of YHVH gave Y’hoshua this warning: 7 “YHVH-Tzva’ot says this: ‘If you will walk in my ways, obey my commission, judge my house and guard my courtyards; then I will give you free access among these who are standing here. 8 Listen, cohen gadol Y’hoshua, both you and your colleagues seated here before you, because these men are a sign that I am going to bring my servant Tzemach [Sprout]. 9 For look at the stone I have put in front of Y’hoshua: on one stone are seven eyes; I will engrave what is to be written on it,’ says YHVH-Tzva’ot; ‘and I will remove the guilt of this land in one day. 10 When that time comes,’ says YHVH-Tzva’ot, ‘you will all invite each other to join you under your vines and fig trees.’”
Joshua the High Priest was on trial in the heavenlies. And Abba stripped away the filthy rags before the Adversary’s very eyes.
Aharon was guilty but the blood of the sacrifice made his garments as white as snow.
This could be why Aharon and his sons had to apply the blood to their ear, thumb, and toe:
Leviticus 8:22 Then the other ram was presented, the ram of consecration; Aharon and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram. 23 After it had been slaughtered, Moshe took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aharon’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 24 Next Aharon’s sons were brought, and Moshe put some of the blood on the tips of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; then Moshe splashed the blood on all sides of the altar.
You stand in this place right now. You have an accuser to your right. He’s there right now and will stand there until the Day he is thrown into the pit for 1000 years. Making his petition to Abba that you are worthless, useless, defiled, unclean.
And he’s right, you are guilty.
But there has been made a sacrifice whose blood separates you from all of that.
You will be on trial every day of your life. And you must place the blood between the two of you. But here must be a sacrifice in order to have the blood. The same blood that divides Aharon from his accuser is used to also seal off the altar upon which the sacrifices are made.
This is where you bring your sacrifice:
Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which those who serve in the Tent are not permitted to eat. 11 For the cohen hagadol brings the blood of animals into the Holiest Place as a sin offering, but their bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 So too Yeshua suffered death outside the gate, in order to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Therefore, let us go out to him who is outside the camp and share his disgrace. 14 For we have no permanent city here; on the contrary, we seek the one to come. 15 Through him, therefore, let us offer God a sacrifice of praise continually. For this is the natural product of lips that acknowledge his name.
16 But don’t forget doing good and sharing with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
The altar is the place of repentance.
So do not assume your sacrifice is more holy than the altar upon which it was offered:
Matthew 23:16 “Woe to you, you blind guides! You say, ‘If someone swears by the Temple, he is not bound by his oath; but if he swears by the gold in the Temple, he is bound.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is more important? the gold? or the Temple which makes the gold holy? 18 And you say, ‘If someone swears by the altar, he is not bound by his oath; but if he swears by the offering on the altar, he is bound.’ 19 Blind men! Which is more important? the sacrifice? or the altar which makes the sacrifice holy? 20 So someone who swears by the altar swears by it and everything on it. 21 And someone who swears by the Temple swears by it and the One who lives in it. 22 And someone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and the One who sits on it.
You are to have a continual fire upon this altar. It can never go out. You must be repenting always
You can never let up…ever!
You don’t have it all figured out. You aren’t fully healed. You aren’t fully benevolent and people-focused. You are selfish and will do whatever you can to protect yourself.
But learn to protect the altar instead.
The place of repentance is holy. And the blood ensures the altar is always ready for repentance.
You aren’t fooling anyone but yourself. This is all happening at the gate for everyone to see. Stop hiding and thinking your sacrifice is in secret. It’s there for everyone to see.
Allow Abba to take away the filthy rags. He will do it. But you must stand at the gate and face all of Israel.
Let the people see. Because you are being commissioned TO HELP THEM.
Put shame away. Put pride away. Stop striving. Stop “saving” others. Quit building golden calves that help take people astray.
Right now, Abba has drawn out His plans for you in the heavenlies.
Repent.
Stand boldly and let Him prepare you for the most humble walk you could ever imagine.
Put away the filthy rags and allow Abba to make them as white as snow.
Do not whitewash your filthy garments.
Ezekiel 13:9 “‘“My hand will be against the prophets who have futile visions and produce false divinations; they will not be allowed into the council of my people, or be written in the register of the house of Isra’el, or enter the land of Isra’el. Then you will know that I am YHVH Elohim. 10 They deserve this, because they have led my people astray by saying there is peace when there is no peace. If someone builds a wall without mortar, they ‘plaster’ it with whitewash [to make it appear strong]. 11 Tell these ‘plasterers’ that a cloudburst is coming, with huge hailstones and gale-force winds; 12 and the wall will fall down. Then people will ask you, ‘Where is the whitewash you used to “plaster” it?’” 13 Therefore YHVH Elohim says: “In my rage I will cause gale-force winds to break out, and in my anger there will come a cloudburst, with huge hailstones to consume it in fury. 14 This is how I will break down the wall you covered with whitewash — I will smash it to the ground, so that its foundation will be revealed. The wall will fall down, and you will be consumed with it. Then you will know that I am YHVH. 15 In this way I will spend my fury on the wall and on those who covered it with whitewash; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is gone, and so are those who “plastered” it,’ 16 that is, the prophets of Isra’el who prophesy about Yerushalayim and see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,” says YHVH Elohim.’
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Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but inside are full of dead people’s bones and all kinds of rottenness. 28 Likewise, you appear to people from the outside to be good and honest, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and far from Torah.
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Acts 23:23 Sha’ul looked straight at them and said, “Brothers, I have been discharging my obligations to God with a perfectly clear conscience, right up until today.” 2 But the cohen hagadol, Hananyah, ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Sha’ul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Will you sit there judging me according to the Torah, yet in violation of the Torah order me to be struck?”
Instead, recognize your garments are in fact filthy rags.
Isaiah 64:4 (5) You favored those who were glad to do justice,
those who remembered you in your ways.
When you were angry, we kept sinning;
but if we keep your ancient ways, we will be saved.
5 (6) All of us are like someone unclean,
all our righteous deeds like menstrual rags;
we wither, all of us, like leaves;
and our misdeeds blow us away like the wind.
6 (7) No one calls on your name
or bestirs himself to take hold of you,
for you have hidden your face from us
and caused our misdeeds to destroy us.
Then clothe yourself in garments of white.
Revelation 3:4 Nevertheless, you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; and they will walk with me, clothed in white, because they are worthy. 5 He who wins the victory will, like them, be dressed in white clothing; and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life; in fact, I will acknowledge him individually before my Father and before his angels.
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Revelation 7:13 One of the elders asked me, “These people dressed in white robes — who are they, and where are they from?” 14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” Then he told me, “These are the people who have come out of the Great Persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb. 15 That is why they are before God’s throne.
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Revelation 19:11 Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. 13 He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, “THE WORD OF GOD.” 14 The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
And what are these white garments?
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.
14 Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly; 15 and let the shalom which comes from the Messiah be your heart’s decision-maker, for this is why you were called to be part of a single Body.
And be thankful — 16 let the Word of the Messiah, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts. 17 That is, everything you do or say, do in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
18 Wives, subject yourselves to your husbands, as is appropriate in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and don’t treat them harshly.
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Romans 13:11 Besides all this, you know at what point of history we stand; so it is high time for you to rouse yourselves from sleep; for the final deliverance is nearer than when we first came to trust. 12 The night is almost over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and arm ourselves with the weapons of light. 13 Let us live properly, as people do in the daytime — not partying and getting drunk, not engaging in sexual immorality and other excesses, not quarrelling and being jealous. 14 Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Yeshua the Messiah; and don’t waste your time thinking about how to provide for the sinful desires of your old nature.
Let the altar speak:
Revelation 16:7 Then I heard the altar say,
“Yes, YHVH, God of heaven’s armies,
your judgments are true and just!”
Remove the whitewash and face your filthy rags head on.
Repent. Truly repent. An apology isn’t enough.
Repair the wall. Don’t just cover it with plaster and assume all is well.
Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly; and let the shalom which comes from the Messiah be your heart’s decision-maker, for this is why you were called to be part of a single Body.
Then, and only then, are you prepared to begin walking in the calling Abba has already set forth for you in the heavenlies.