At Little Word, we believe that nothing in the Bible is accidental. No detail is unimportant. Some of them are technical and complicated. Others are simple, like the fact that both Elijah and John the Baptist wear hairy clothes, and are therefore connected.
We also believe that the Bible is full of patterns that you can actually figure out. Once you do, you begin to recognize examples of those patterns throughout Scripture, which in turn helps you read the world around you. The Bible is God’s explanation of the world He made. If we learn to read the Bible, we learn to read the world.
Leviticus 8 describes the ordination rite of Israelite priests. Among other things (like being baptized), the new priest is marked with blood in three places: his earlobe, his thumb, and his big toe. Why these three places? Remember, no detail is unimportant. Let’s take them one at a time. What are ears for? To hear (Ex. 15:26; Matt. 11:15). What are hands for? To build and to judge (Gen. 9:2; Ps. 95:5; Prov. 10:4). What are feet for? To travel, specifically carrying out the will of God (Josh. 6; Matt. 10:14). Once you understand the roles of ears, hands, and feet in the Bible, the priestly rite makes sense: a priest is being claimed by God as someone who hears, obeys, and follows. Christians, as priests, are called to do the same.
- Christian Leithart
For more on this biblical theme, click HERE.