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When we read the Mosaic Law in the Pentateuch, it is easy to get lost and to find the text incomprehensible to us post-modern people. But a little bit of study sometimes yields a small but important and rewarding understanding. Last night the readings were excerpts from Leviticus chapters 8 and 9 on the ordination of the Levitical or Aaronic priests. The sacrifice of a bull and two rams in chapter 8 for the sin, burnt and ordination offerings, and the sprinkling of blood on the altar and people seem strange to us. But in verse 23 the sacred writer states that when the second ram was sacrificed, Moses took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. The same was done to Aaron's sons. We post-moderns would think that practice to be utterly barbaric. But there is a reason for this. First, in ancient times right was considered good (dexter in Latin - dexterous) and left bad (sinister in Latin - sinister or evil). So the blood of a sacrifice would be applied to the right side. Now why ear lobe, thumb and big toe? Because the priest was being ordained - consecrated - to hear God's Word, to do God's Word, and to walk according to God's Word. Indeed, so should we in a spiritual sense be anointed by Jesus' blood to hear the Word, do the Word, and walk according to the Word. For John 1:1-3 makes clear that:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being...