“Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible.”
-Hannah Arendt
For in him every one of God’s promises is a “Yes.” For this reason it is through him that we say the “Amen,” to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:20 NRSV
What Did God Promised to His Servants?
Georges Seurat created a great artistic masterpiece called Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884–1886). Standing about a foot close to it, you can only see tiny colorful dots. However, if you step away from it at a considerable distance, you see a picturesque scene form of Parisians sitting in the park on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. This artistic technique is called pointillism, in which tiny points of color are applied to the canvas with the tip of the brush to from an image. It takes a change in one’s vantage point — a view of the entirety of the picture to actually recognize the beauty of the artwork.
It takes a change in one’s vantage point — a view of the entirety of the picture to actually recognize the beauty of the artwork.
It’s the same with Exodus 29. We see God giving Moses specific plans for constructing the holy sanctuary. He gave the prophet detailed instructions for how to build and sew together the tent. He identified pieces of furniture to put inside and what equipment to arrange outside. We get a lot of fine details in this chapter, and it’s hard to appreciate its relevance. We tend to get lost in the details, and forget to step back to see the big picture. At the end of the chapter, God explains how the tabernacle achieves the ultimate purpose of bringing glory to His name by saving and sanctifying His people. The thing about such artwork is each dot plays a role in forming the big picture. The târumah offering is part of the whole that forms the picture of God’s glory.
Usually in our lives, before God reveals the big picture, He provides the details. Although we must not fuss about the details, we should study them because they are a part of what God has revealed for our benefit and for His purpose for that specific season. He may not reveal the big picture all at once, but He is the one who unveils things for us. Even the ordination of the priests were a step-by-step process. People were clueless of what to do, but God was there instructing them every step of the way.
There were three kinds of sacrifices that the people made specifically for the priests. The last of them is called the “ram of filling.” The term filling comes from an ancient custom, which means when someone is appointed as king or priest, an official would come forward to “fill his hand.” Filling was the term used for an ordination or an installation.
As long as the priest was in office, he had the right to receive revenue; the people “filled his hand.”
Scholars presented different symbolisms for this according to their culture. One meaning is that the symbol of office was placed into the individual’s hand. In other cases, the hand of the new official was filled with some form of tribute. What did this mean? As long as the priest was in office, he had the right to receive revenue; the people “filled his hand.” Given what the Bible says about the ordination of priests, the latter explanation seems more accurate. This is what God said to Moses:
22 “Here is what you must take from this second ram. Take the fat, the fat tail and the fat around the inside parts. Take the long part of the liver. Also take both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. It is the ram you must use when you prepare the priests to serve the Lord. 23 Get one round loaf of bread and one thick loaf of bread with olive oil mixed in. Also get one thin loaf of bread. Take them from the basket of bread made without yeast. It is the one in front of the Lord. 24 Put all these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons. Tell them to lift them up and wave them in front of the Lord as a wave offering. 25 Then take all these things from their hands. Burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. Its smell pleases the Lord. It is a food offering presented to the Lord. (Exodus 29:22-25)
Let’s break down the passage. Different important things happen in these verses. First, the fat and innards are offered to the Lord with fire. These parts are considered the best portions in an animal. They are given back to the Lord. The priests would give what they consider as the fattest and juiciest parts of their sacrifice as an offering to the Lord.
The priests use the offering to wave at the Lord, as a symbolic way of calling God’s attention.
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