Good Morning.
And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended. For seven days he shall consecrate you. (Leviticus 8:33)
Hebrew is a fascinating language for so many reasons. One reason I have been so intrigued by it through the years is to see how concepts are embedded within words and phrases provoking the student to see beyond the surface of the text. Unfortunately, these concepts don’t often translate into other languages such as English. The phrase, “He shall consecrate you” is an example of what I mean. Reading it in English, we understand that God will elevate the priests to the status of being set apart for sacred duties. That is truly the intent of those words, even in Hebrew. However, that is not the literal translation of the Hebrew words found in this verse.
Most literally, the Hebrew texts says, “Your hands shall be filled.” What is that supposed to imply? Obviously, this is idiomatic expression meant to say that the priests were being inaugurated into the priesthood. Yet, in a very literal sense, they would now have their hands filled with the offerings presented by the people. No longer would Moses be the sole intermediator for the people but Aaron and his sons would shoulder more of the responsibility in properly leading the people into the future. Thus, the Hebrew phrase, “Your hands shall be filled” is intended to say, “It (the responsibility) is in your hands now.”
This is important for us to grasp because that is exactly the charge that has been given to those who follow the Messiah. For the short time that He walked this earth, He demonstrated to His followers what was expected of them. He taught them what to do and how to do it and, before leaving, promised to send them the help they would need to follow through, that is to say, the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, He more or less told them — and us — that the function and advancement of God’s Kingdom is now in our hands. We have been given the responsibility to follow through on this Great Commission. It falls to this generation to continue the work that was started so many years ago, and so, let us continue to take the Good News into all the world and make disciples of all nations. The mission is in our hands.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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