The act of consecrating priests in ancient Israel has its connections with ordinances performed in modern times. There is a pattern pertaining to priesthood keys and also ties to a well-known Book of Mormon account.
The congregation was assembled at the door of the tabernacle where the priest was washed with water, clothed in garments, robe, sash, ephod, breastplate, Urim and Thummim, and cap. He was then anointed with the anointing oil, and the scriptures record:
"And he (Moses) poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him" (see Leviticus 8:3-12).
Two rams were offered for this ordinance. One ram would become the burnt offering and would be a representation of the priest's willingness to surrender his own will to God. The other ram would become the ram of consecration and would be sacrificed in order to consecrate the priest to the Lord and His service.
The ram was slain and some of the blood was put upon the priest's right ear, his right thumb, and upon the great toe of his right foot (vv. 23-24). This was perhaps to represent the idea that the priest should listen to the word of God, walk in His ways, and abide in a covenant relationship with God. It is significant that Peter cut off the right ear of the high priest's servant as Jesus was being arrested (see John 18:10). The high priest and his servant are no longer listening to the word of God in this case. The right hand is the covenant hand, and those covenants would be passed on to others.
"FILL THE HAND"
Now we get down to the gory details. Here is the process:
"And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and the right shoulder:
"And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, and a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, and put them on the fat, and upon the right shoulder:
"And he put all upon Aaron’s hands, and upon his sons’ hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord" (Leviticus 8:25-27).
The unleavened cake and oiled bread point to Jesus Christ. The Jews referred to unleavened cakes as "pierced bread" because of the perforations in the bread itself. The Hebrew word is challah and comes from the root chalal meaning to pierce or wound. Isaiah prophesies, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). The word here for wounded is chalal. Thus, this is "pierced" or "wounded" bread and represents the Savior's body which was "bruised for our iniquities." It would be a forerunner to the sacrament. Oiled bread would be "anointed" with oil, as Christ (or the Messiah) was the Anointed One (see Leviticus 2:4; Exodus 29:23). Jesus Christ was our Great High Priest and Mediator with the Father.
Then the unleavened cake, bread, wafer, fat, rump, inwards, caul, kidneys, and right shoulder were "put upon Aaron's hands" and they were waved before the Lord. The priest would literally "have his hands full," and that is a good thing because the Old Testament word for consecrate comes from two Hebrew words--male and yad (see Strong's # H4390, H3027). It literally means "to fill the hand." You can also find this in your Bible Dictionary under "Priests" in the fifth paragraph.
The concept of consecration is explained in the ritual in Leviticus 8:28-29:
"And Moses took them from off their hands, and burnt them on the altar upon the burnt offering: they were consecrations for a sweet savour: it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
"And Moses took the breast, and waved it for a wave offering before the Lord: for of the ram of consecration it was Moses’ part; as the Lord commanded Moses."
The priest's hands are filled again on Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, and this will be the subject for the post after next.
THE BROTHER OF JARED
Now I want to move to another story of consecration in the Book of Mormon. The brother of Jared is seeking light for his vessels to travel across the great waters, representing the journey of mortal life. The account in Ether is enlightening (pun intended):
"And it came to pass that the brother of Jared, (now the number of the vessels which had been prepared was eight) went forth unto the mount, which they called the mount Shelem, because of its exceeding height, and did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord" (Ether 3:1).
It is interesting that the brother of Jared lived during the time of the Tower of Babel. While others are seeking to build a tower to get to heaven, and their attempts are based entirely on their own merits, the brother of Jared relies on God's grace. He scales a tall mountain, symbolic of temple, and when he runs out of mountain, he turns to the Lord. But notice the consecrated effort of "filling the hand." His hands are filled with white, clear stones. In modern revelation a white stone becomes a Urim and Thummim, part of the priestly apparel, and is given to everyone entering into celestial glory. On the white stone is written "a new name" (see D&C 130:10-11).
So what is the brother of Jared carrying in symbolic imagery? He is a type of Christ as he carries celestial beings in his hands. He is carrying you on your celestial journey! Peter once said, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). The Greek word here for lively is living. You are the stones.
The brother of Jared is redeemed from the fall through Jesus Christ and brought back into His presence. There is an important lesson here:
"The Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man" (Ether 3:6).
The brother of Jared approached God in an act of consecration by "filling the hand" with precious stones. So what is a consecrated life? It is a life where the Savior has touched you and me--one at a time, and caused you to shine forth to "give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness" (Ether 6:3).
HE FILLS OUR HANDS WITH PRIESTHOOD KEYS
The Lord commanded Moses, "Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty" (Deuteronomy 16:16). In other words, don't show up with your hands empty.
But I like to think this is not a one-sided affair. The Lord wants us to bring our best to the table, and then He will make an exchange and fill our hands with blessings.
After the dedication of the Kirtland (Ohio) Temple, the Lord appeared in glory on an Easter Sunday on April 3, 1836. Moses returned to restore the keys of the gathering of Israel, Elias committed the keys of the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, and Elijah committed the keys of the sealing power. Then the Lord says, "Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors" (D&C 110:16).
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