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Then the Eternal One told Moses:

Eternal One: The following are instructions regarding liars and cheaters: Anytime someone commits a sin and violates his covenant duties to Me by deceiving his neighbor in financial or security matters, by stealing or by extortion, or if a person finds something that is lost and lies about it and makes a false claim, or in anything that someone does, and if he has sinned and comes to realize it, he will give back what he has stolen or extorted, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost object he found, or any other object he lied about. He will repay it entirely plus ⅕ of its value. He must give it to its rightful owner the very day he gives his guilt offering. He is to bring to the priest an unblemished ram or its equivalent value as his guilt offering to Me. The priest will make atonement and cover the guilty person’s wrong before Me, and the guilty will be forgiven for anything that he did wrong.

The Eternal One spoke again to Moses.

Eternal One: Give Aaron and his sons these instructions regarding the ritual of the burnt offering: The burnt offering must stay on the wood-fire all night until morning arrives. The fire on the altar is to be tended and kept burning during the night. 10 The priest must dress in his ritual linen clothes and undergarments, and he must take the ashes from the burnt offering on top of the altar and place them next to the altar. 11 Then the priest must remove his ritual clothes and dress in other clothes to transport the ashes to a ritually clean space outside the camp. 12 The fire on the altar must burn continually; it must not be allowed to go out. The priests are to feed wood to the fire every morning, arrange the burnt offering on the fire, and offer up the fat portions of the peace offerings. 13 The fire on the altar must burn continually; it must not be allowed to go out.

14 Here are the instructions for the ritual of the grain offering: Aaron’s sons must offer it to Me in front of the altar. 15 A priest is to take a handful of the finest flour from the grain offering, together with the oil and frankincense that are part of the grain offering, and offer it as a memorial portion on the altar. The smoke of the sacrifice will rise and be a pleasant aroma to Me. 16 Aaron and his sons get to eat whatever is left over. They must eat it without yeast in the holy place or in the courtyard around the sanctuary. 17 It must not be baked with yeast. I am assigning this as their portion of the fire-offerings. Their portion is most sacred in the same way that the purification offering and guilt offering are sacred. 18 All of Aaron’s male descendants are allowed to eat of it. It will be their portion of the fire-offerings presented to Me. This directive stands throughout all generations. Anything that touches them will become holy.

Holiness is contagious. We’re accustomed to thinking about it in the negative. “A bad apple spoils the barrel,” our Western wisdom instructs us. But the Scriptures are clear that holiness, too, spreads from contact. Essentially, holiness refers to whatever is set apart for God’s purpose and use. The act of setting apart creates a reality that can transform anything it touches. Holy bread consumed in the holy place by holy priests created a holiness that could spread throughout the community.

19 The Eternal One continued to Moses.

Eternal One: 20 Here are instructions for the ritual sacrifice which Aaron and his sons are to offer Me on the day Aaron is anointed high priest: bring four pints of the finest flour as a grain offering. Offer half of it in the morning and the other half in the evening. 21 Prepare it with oil and bake it on a griddle. After it has been mixed with the oil and thoroughly cooked,[a] offer it as a pleasant aroma to Me. 22 This directive stands for all time. The priest from Aaron’s line who is selected to be his successor must bring this same offering when he is anointed, and all of it must be burned. 23 The grain offering from the priest is not to be eaten; all of it must be consumed on the altar.

24 The Eternal One continued to Moses.

Eternal One: 25 Go, talk with Aaron and his sons, and give them these commands for the ritual of the purification offering for sin: The purification offering is to be slaughtered in My presence in the same place where the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is most sacred. 26 The priest who presents the purification offering is to eat his portion of it in a sacred place inside the courtyard around the sanctuary. 27 Anything that comes in contact with the flesh of the sacrifice will be made holy. When the blood of the sacrifice gets on any clothing, you must wash the bloodstain out in a sacred place. 28 If a clay pot is used to boil the sacrifice, it must be shattered and discarded. If it was boiled in a bronze bowl, however, then it must be scrubbed and rinsed with water. 29 Every man who is a priest may eat it; it is most sacred. 30 But none of the offerings from which blood is brought inside the congregation tent as a covering for sin may be eaten. All of it must be consumed on the altar.

Footnotes

  1. 6:21 Meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

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