John Calvin Commentary Exodus 29:1

"And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest`s office: take one young bullock and two rams without blemish," — Exodus 29:1 (ASV)

And this is the thing that you shall do unto them. Since I will again repeat and more fully explain these things as they are written in Leviticus 9, in the history of the consecration of the tabernacle, it will be sufficient to give nothing more than a brief summary of them here. Nor is it my custom to invent mysteries from vague speculations,¹⁷⁴ such as might rather gratify than instruct my readers.

First, since the whole human race is corrupt and infected with many impurities, their uncleanness prevents every single individual from having access to God. Therefore, Moses, before he consecrates the priests, washes them by the sprinkling of water, so that they would no longer be considered to be of ordinary rank.

From this we gather that true purity and innocence, which was only typical in the Law, is found in Christ alone. For such an high priest became us, says the Apostle, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, to present Himself before God for us (Hebrews 7:26).

After they had been washed, God commands that they should be invested with the sacerdotal dress, according to their respective ranks: the high priest was to wear the ephod with the Urim and Thummim, and the mitre with the golden plate, on which shone forth holiness to Jehovah; and in the third place, He adds the anointing.

This preparation was for the purpose of initiating them before they performed the office of sacrificing. However, it must be observed that, concerning this first sacrifice, the duties which were afterwards transferred to Aaron were imposed upon Moses, as if he were the only priest. Indeed, the temporal dignity which he afterwards resigned to his brother was still in his own hands.

What Moses introduces about the division of the victim, we will more conveniently explain elsewhere, when treating of the offerings, which we have stated to be the third part of the legal worship.

¹⁷⁴ Probably the Fr., “de speculations volantes,” suggests the right reading of the ,” suggests the right reading of the Lat. here, viz., here, viz., alatis for for aliis