This week, we explore the Torah portion called Tetzaveh, which translates to “you command.” This section covers Exodus 27:20-30:10. Much of the reading is about the priesthood, one of the most critical institutions in Israel’s spiritual architecture. Tetzaveh covers the sacred vestments, exactly what the priests were supposed to wear, from their head covering to the hem of their robe. It also addresses the critical components required to keep the Tabernacle functioning, such as lighting the menorah, burning incense, and performing the daily sacrifices. A good bit of time is spent on the seven-day ceremony to consecrate the priests.
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The brotherhood
Until now, Exodus has featured one major hero: Moses. Yet in this section, Moses is never mentioned. Instead, Aaron occupies the center stage. Aaron was the older brother, yet God chose the younger brother, Moses, to lead the nation. Although the Bible is full of sibling rivalry—think Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, or Jacob and Esau—this relationship is different. They are one of the most functional “sibling teams” in the Bible.
Moses was raised in the luxury of Pharaoh’s palace, while Aaron remained among the Israelites, sharing their suffering. Because of this, Aaron had a more personal connection with the people. Aaron spoke Hebrew fluently, while Moses may have struggled with the language of his people. When God called Moses at the burning bush, and Moses tried to back out, God appointed Aaron as his mouthpiece. In Exodus 4:14, the Lord says to Moses:
“Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, his heart will be glad.” Aaron showed no jealousy. In a culture where the firstborn usually held all the power, Aaron’s genuine joy at his younger brother’s appointment is remarkable.
At this point in the Exodus story, it is Moses’s turn to serve Aaron. God tells Moses: “You shall make sacred vestments for the glorious adornment of your brother Aaron” (28:2). Moses, the great liberator, and the one who speaks to God face-to-face, is tasked with the behind-the-scenes work of ensuring his brother dresses the part of the High Priest.
Following God’s instructions, Moses brings Aaron and his sons to the tent entrance and washes them with water (29:4-9). He dresses Aaron in a special tunic, robe, and breast piece before placing the turban and crown on his head. As God commanded, Moses then poured oil on Aaron to anoint him. This passage is likely what the psalmist had in mind in Psalm 133:1-2 when he wrote:
“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.”
The unity between these two brothers becomes the idealic high point that Israel seeks to return to in hard times. Israel’s leadership rested on two pillars: prophecy and priesthood. When those two are in sync, the “oil” (the blessing) flows down to the nation.
The Shift to the Levites
In God’s original plan, the firstborn of every Israelite family was intended to serve as a priest. Because God spared the Israelite firstborns while the Egyptian firstborns perished, he claimed them as his own. He consecrated every firstborn male to his service (Numbers 3:13). In this original design, every family across all tribes would have had a direct representative serving God, weaving the priesthood into the very fabric of the home.
This arrangement changed abruptly at Mount Sinai during the incident of the golden calf. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the Law, the people grew restless and built an idol. The firstborn sons, who were meant to lead their families spiritually, either stayed silent or joined the worship. When Moses returned and saw the chaos, he stood at the camp entrance and shouted for anyone on God’s side to come to him.
Only the tribe of Levi stepped forward. Their willingness to defend God’s honor, even against their own neighbors, proved their fitness for service. Because of this loyalty, God moved the priestly commission away from the firstborn of every tribe and placed it solely on the Levites.
At the head of this new system stood Aaron, Moses’s older brother. While Moses was the prophet and legislative leader, Aaron was the first High Priest, or Kohen Gadol. He was known as a man of peace who would go between quarreling neighbors to reconcile them. This gentle nature made him the perfect bridge between the people and God. From that point on, the office of the priest was restricted to the direct male descendants of Aaron, creating an unbroken chain of service. The High Priest held a unique role as the only person allowed to enter the Most Holy Place, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement to seek forgiveness for the nation.
Prophet versus Priest
God commanded that “the priesthood shall be theirs by a perpetual ordinance” (29:9). Unlike the prophets, who God spontaneously selected, the priesthood was dynastic. We see this contrast in leadership when Moses died: his successor was Joshua, not one of his sons. Aaron, however, passed the torch directly to his four sons. This system ensured the sanctuary was never without leadership, and the office continued from the time of the Tabernacle until the destruction of the Second Temple. Even today, many people carry surnames like Levi, Levin, or Cohen that highlight this ancient Levitical heritage.
The priests were the guardians of the rhythmic heartbeat of Israel’s worship. They were responsible for the eternal flame, using pure oil of beaten olives to ensure the lamp burned regularly. They also oversaw the daily offering of two lambs—one in the morning and one in the evening. These rituals provided a predictable structure for the people. While life in the ancient world was often chaotic, the smoke rising from the altar and the light in the sanctuary remained constant reminders of the covenant.
Because the priesthood was a birthright rather than a merit-based appointment, the quality of the priests varied over the centuries. The office was an enduring institution, but the men holding it were often flawed. Even at the beginning, two of Aaron’s sons proved unworthy and faced judgment. Later, during the time of the Judges, the sons of the High Priest Eli were described as worthless men who mistreated the people. During periods of deep corruption, God raised prophets like Malachi to accuse and convict wayward priests who offered blemished sacrifices. However, there were also seasons of great blessing, such as when Ezra the priest led the people back to the Torah after the Babylonian exile.
There is a fundamental difference between the roles of the prophet and the priest. Prophets represent God’s intervention in history; they are the emergency responders who arrive when the nation has lost its way. Priests represent continuity. While prophets may course-correct the people, the priests make certain the path itself is never lost or forgotten.
The Priestly Bridge: From Aaron to John the Baptist
The continuity of the temple priesthood finds a striking and uniquely Christian expression in the opening chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Luke does not begin his story with a king or a political movement, but with a priest named Zechariah.
Zechariah was not just a Levite; he was a Kohen, a direct descendant of Aaron. Luke further emphasizes this priestly purity by noting that his wife, Elizabeth, was also a descendant of Aaron. This detail is significant because it highlights a “double” priestly lineage for their son, John. In the ancient world, while priesthood was passed through the father, a marriage between two priestly families was seen as a mark of high devotion and preservation of the sacred line.
The most subtle and beautiful connection, however, is found in Elizabeth’s name. In Greek, she is Elizabeth, but her Hebrew name was Elisheva. This was the same name as Aaron’s wife, the original ancestress of the entire priestly class (Exodus 6:23). This shared name is a linguistic bridge spanning 1,500 years of history. Just as the first Elisheva was the mother of the priestly line that served the Tabernacle, this second Elisheva was the mother of John—the man tasked with preparing the way for the Lord.
The “perpetual ordinance” God gave to Aaron in the desert was still active and functioning as the New Testament began. By starting with Zechariah and Elisheva, Luke’s Gospel highlights that God did not discard the old to bring in the new. Instead, he used the steady, enduring institution of the priesthood to prepare the way for the Messiah.
Join me next week for a continuation of our study on Exodus. I hope Bible Fiber can be of use to you if, in 2026, you are committed to going deeper into God’s word and reading with discipline and regularity. If you would like to get the study questions that go with this episode, visit our website and sign up for the newsletter: www.thejerusalemconnection.us
Study Guide Questions
1. The Stewardship of Light (Exodus 27:20-21): The portion begins with a command for the Israelites to bring “pure oil of beaten olives” so the lamp can burn regularly. The priests are tasked with tending this light from evening to morning. What does this “perpetual” responsibility suggest about the nature of spiritual leadership? Why do you think God required the people to provide the oil while the priests provided the labor?
2. The Weight of Representation (Exodus 28:12, 28:29): The High Priest wore the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on the shoulder stones of the ephod and on the breastplate of judgment over his heart. According to the text, this was so Aaron would bear their names before God as a “continual memorial.” In a modern context, how does the idea of “bearing names over the heart” change your perspective on what it means to intercede or pray for others?
3. Consecration and Commitment (Exodus 29:38-46): The text details a lengthy, seven-day ceremony to consecrate the priests so they may serve. This is followed by the instruction for the daily offering of two lambs, which ensures God’s presence “dwells among the Israelites.” Why does the Torah place such a high emphasis on the preparation of the priest before the service can begin? How does the “regularity” of these daily sacrifices reflect a steady commitment to a relationship with God?
