Exodus 29:19-2, “Take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head. Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet…”
First we examined this verse and how the blood was applied to the ear lobe of the high priest Aaron and his sons. Second the blood was applied to the thumb on their right hand. What was so significant about that? well I’m glad you were pondering. Remember Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…”, 1 Peter 2:9. The priests were spiritual leaders and therefore performed priestly duties. As the ear was the organ that hears the Word of God, the thumbs were the organs by which the mediatorial work was to be performed on behalf of the people. There was certainly a right and a wrong way to serve God and God’s people. In Leviticus 10 we read of how two of Aarons four sons Nadab and Abihu, profaned the sanctuary with strange fire and actually died before the Lord (vv.1-3). Judgment was very harsh for these two men, but no more so than it was for Ananias and Sapphira when the Christian church was just beginning (Acts 5). One needs to remember that “to whom more is given, more is required”; and Aaron and the congregation needed to know that God was real and that the priests were not playing a religious game.
Peter reminds us that as Christians we are all priests. And in light of that, Paul instructs us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1. I’ve always loved this verse, but there is a deep challenge within its words. A dead sacrifice can’t move, but a living sacrifice can crawl off the altar when God asks us to do something that our flesh rises up against. We are to give our lives to the Lord on the “altar of sacrifice” in simplest terms, by actively serving Him in ministry through the local church. We are to serve the Lord out of pure motives, and not out of selfish ambitions or vain conceit. This is why Paul tells us “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith…, as he did for himself (1 Corinthians 9:27). There are so many believers that have so many gifts that God has invested in their lives. However each one needs to find, what I would call ministry SHAPE. This is in an acronym for Spiritual Gifts, Heart (passion), Abilities (natural), Personality, and Experiences. As Evans shared before in his message “Doing everything does not equal effectiveness”, ministers need others to help them do ministry. As a matter of fact Ephesians 4:11-12 reads “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare (equip) God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” The ministry leaders are gifts to the local church, but the real ministers are to be the congregation. The ministry leader can’t do it all, they are there primarily to train others to do the work of the ministry.
Have you had the blood of Christ applied to your thumbs and found your ministry SHAPE yet? If so are you active or is ministry a spectator event for you? Can you imagine if every Christian had the biblical imperative, I was saved to serve? I can envision churches, and ministries exploding for the Lord, because He’s the One that gets the credit (glory). “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.” 1 Timothy 4:14. The talents He’s invested in our lives, He expects a return on, Are we being wicked lazy servants talked about in (Matthew 25)?
Application: Ask a mature believer or perhaps a ministry leader to help you find your place in ministry, and serve God in that ministry. To continue, Blessings Pastor Phil
He Has Magnified His Word 