He then presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.

Leviticus 8:18-21

18 He then presented the ram for the burnt offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. 19 Then Moses slaughtered the ram and splashed the blood against the sides of the altar. 20 He cut the ram into pieces and burned the head, the pieces and the fat. 21 He washed the internal organs and the legs with water and burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Today’s title is “Laying Hands on Thee”

One of the most unforgettable days for all pastors is the ordination day. A person is allowed to be ordained as a pastor after long and arduous preparations. The ordination is the final and climactic procedure for a layman to become a pastor officially. It’s an honor to become ordained as a pastor. At the same time, it’s a frightening moment for those who are ordained. Every pastoral candidate knows how sinful they are. But as they become ordained, they represent the Lord in many ways. They speak for God through preaching. Their actions should reflect God’s holiness. They should lead the flock not only by words but also by examples. How will they carry out such a holy mission? A pastoral candidate underwent long and arduous preparations to become a pastor such as seminary training, test, interview, and internship. Although such preparations are greatly needed, no preparations are indeed sufficient to prepare a sinner to become a servant of a holy God. They need the anointing of God more than anything else. An action that symbolizes such anointing in the ordination of a pastor is laying hands of already ordained people such as pastors and elders. In fact, that is the climax of any ordination worship. As the seasoned pastors and elders lay their hands on the new pastor, they ask God to forgive their past sins, renew their minds and body, and strengthen them with God’s wisdom and power. We see the spiritual root of such ordination of the servants of God in today’s passage. God commanded Moses to ordain Aaron and his sons to make them priests to serve in the tabernacle. Though this original ordination differs in many ways from today’s ordination, we still see the same spiritual laws such as washing, renewing, and sacrifice underlying the ordination procedures. In today’s scene, such purification and sacrifice were all performed by the ram. Aaron and his sons just laid their hands on the ram and identify themselves with the ram. They are indeed purified and separated for God through the ram. The ram of course is a symbol of Christ who purifies and sanctifies to become acceptable in God’s presence. Yes, pastors, as well as priests, are all sinners. Without the blood of the lamb sprinkled upon, no one is fit to be in the presence of God. But with the blood of the Lamb poured upon, even the most heinous sinner can be used for the glory of God. We can all be God’s servants whether you are a pastor or a layman.