And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
Thou shalt cause a bullock. This part of the ceremonial consisted of three sacrifices-
(1) The sacrifice of a bullock as a sin offering; and in rendering it the priest was directed to put his hand upon the head of his sacrifice, expressing by that act a consciousness of personal guilt, and a wish that it might be accepted as a vicarious satisfaction. (2) The sacrifice of a ram as a burnt offering (Exodus 29:15-18). The ram was to be wholly burnt, in token of the priest's dedication of himself to God and his service. The sin offering was first to be presented, and then the burnt offering; because until guilt is removed, no acceptable service can be performed.
(3) There was to be a peace offering, called the ram of consecration (Exodus 29:19-22) х kiy (H3588) 'eeyl (H352) milu'iym (H4394) huw' (H1931)], for it is a ram of fillings (see the note at Exodus 28:41); Septuagint, esti gar teleioosis hautee, for it is the ram of perfection.
This last offering constituted him a priest, and fitted him to appear before the Lord, and to minister with acceptance. And there was a marked peculiarity in the manner in which this other ram was to be disposed of. The former was for the glory of God, this was for the comfort of the priest himself; and as a sign of a mutual covenant being ratified, the blood of the sacrifice was divided-part sprinkled on the altar round about, and part upon the persons and garments of the priests. Nay, the blood was, by a singular act, directed to be put upon the extremities of the body, thereby signifying that the benefits of the atonement would be applied to the whole nature of man.
Moreover, the flesh of this sacrifice was to be divided, as it were, between God and the priest-part of it to be put into his hand to be waved up and down, in token of its being offered to God, and then it was to be burnt upon the altar; the other part was to be eaten by the priest at the door of the tabernacle-that feast being a symbol of communion or fellowship with God. These ceremonies, performed in the order described, showed the qualifications necessary for the priests. (See Hebrews 7:26-27; Hebrews 10:14.)