The Dressing and Anointing of Aaron as The Priest (Exodus 29:5-7).
“And you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the under-robe, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpouch, and gird him with the skilfully woven band of the ephod. And you shall set the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban.”
Having been washed, and having had all earthiness removed (he has yet to be cleansed), Aaron is now arrayed in the priestly garments, those described in Exodus 28. (Note the lack of mention of the breeches, either here or in Leviticus 8:7-9, even though he would have them on, confirming our suggestion in Exodus 28:42-43). The holy crown must represent the golden plate which has on it ‘Holy to Yahweh'. A fuller description of all this is given in Leviticus 8:7-9. Here there is no mention of the under-girdle or the Urim and Thummim.
By this he is depicted as covered by and before God as to purity, as representing the whole people, and as totally Yahweh's, as ‘holy to Yahweh'.
The fact that the golden plate can be described as a ‘holy crown' (compare Leviticus 8:9) may be seen as indicating Yahweh's Overlordship with the Priest being seen as His representative. He is a royal priest, announcing judgments on His behalf. He did not, however, have supreme rulership. While Moses and Joshua were alive they, rather than ‘the Priest', had overall control, and they seem to have been followed by a council of elders (Joshua 24:31). These could call the tribes together and pass major judgments (Judges 20:2), while the Priest came into prominence when Yahweh had to be consulted through the Urim and Thummim (Judges 20:27-28). During this period prominent ‘Judges' would often take the lead in various parts of the country, but it is doubtful if their authority was seen as applying to the whole of Israel. And not all tribes would respond to the call to arms (Judges 5:12-18). However, by the time of Eli, ‘the Priest' seems to have gained a position of overall authority as Judge (1 Samuel 4:18), and although Samuel the Judge was never called ‘the Priest' he may well have been so unofficially, with His authority coming from the One Who was King over Israel (1 Samuel 8:7). This, however, was the last time when ‘the Priest' would have such a prominent role, with Saul being anointed ‘Prince' (nagid - war-leader, and prince under Yahweh) over all Israel (1Sa 10:1; 1 Samuel 10:20; 1 Samuel 10:24) followed by David, who would actually again rule over all Israel. Even later, however, some time after the Exile, the priesthood would come into its own when the High Priests again virtually ruled Israel. Jesus came as both king and priest taking over both roles.
“Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.”
While his sons will also be anointed (Exodus 28:41; Exodus 30:30; Exodus 40:15) all concentration here is on Aaron. He is to be ‘the Priest', the foundation priest of a permanent priesthood. They derive their position through him, and their anointing is secondary. Nothing is to come in the way of this great fact that Aaron is to be ‘the Priest', the anointed of Yahweh, and that once he is anointed his family are set aside as the priests of Yahweh ‘for everlasting' (Exodus 40:15). All other anointing follows from this. That is why here only his anointing is described. It is all embracing.
Anointing does not indicate the reception of power. It represents the specific setting aside of someone or something for a divine purpose (although with men chosen by God the reception of power often accompanies it). Nor does oil necessarily signify the Holy Spirit (the priests are never described as ‘filled with the Spirit of God' or as having the Spirit of God coming on them). It indicates dedication to a holy purpose, and a setting apart as Yahweh's. So here Aaron is set aside as the one who will act on behalf of Israel between man and God. But it is always as the suppliant. He comes to God on behalf of Israel and himself and offers their worship and receives God's favours. And all his family for future generations are anointed in him. Thus they too will be anointed as a sign of this fact. But that is not mentioned here because the concentration is in the official anointing of the whole Aaronide priesthood.
The composition of the oil is given in Exodus 30:23-25 (compare Exodus 25:6). It was very costly. And it is poured on his head to anoint him, to set him apart for a sacred task through the centuries, to dedicate him totally to Yahweh. Not now was it realised that it would be his failure in that dedication as the representative of the people before God that would bring about his death (Numbers 20:22-29).