The Ram Called Olah

In my previous post, I considered the significance of the bull for the sin offering. But that was just the first of a series of sacrifices used in the priests’ consecration process. Next up to the altar was the ram called olah. If the bull took care of the priests’ sins, what need was there for a further sacrifice? And why use a daddy sheep?

Rams are the big boys of the flock. Equipped with persuasive-looking horns, they lead the other sheep. A ram in sync with his shepherd will cooperate in guiding the group to safety. A ram out of sync with his shepherd will work against him and put the whole flock in danger.

Priests, like the rams, should obey their shepherd. Especially because theirs was the Good Shepherd–Messiah. The ram called olah which approached the altar next was “a whole burnt offering.” As the name implies, it was a reminder for the leaders of God’s flock that their duties required total dedication.

The Nature of Sheep

In the modern world, referring to people as sheep is usually meant as an insult–a dig at the wooly creatures’ natural inclination to follow. American mindsets in particular rankle at the idea we can’t or shouldn’t act as totally independent beings.

Yet God calls us sheep. And he does so with great affection. Sheep find solace in each other’s company. In fact, they cannot thrive unless they can see one another. Which is why, if a few sheep begin to wander off, their neighbors tend to follow them. We too were created as social creatures. We need the comfort of a flock around us. The writer of Hebrews 10:25 warns us not to neglect our human need to gather together.

God never disparaged his sheep for following in Scripture, but he did take issue with those doing the leading. His focus with the ram called olah was with anyone carrying the power to influence where the sheep were going.

Olah Means “All In”

As the ram approached the altar, the priests leaned in to lay their hands on its head as they did with the sin offering (Exodus 29:15–18). This time the transfer between offering and offerer wasn’t about sin. It was an opportunity for the two to totally identify with each other. What would happen with the ram in the natural, would take place with the priest in the spirit.

For the ram, it meant sacrificing everything that enabled it to lead–its head and body and innards–as a gift to the Lord. The ram’s dedication was complete and so should the priests’. In truth, only the Good Shepherd himself–Messiah–could be as all-in as the ram. But the priests’ were expected to be like him–devoting themselves whole-heartedly to their service as leaders.

In John 10:11–16, Jesus said a “hireling” would never lay down his life for the sheep. Only the one who “owned” the sheep would be able to do so. Laying hands on the ram showed a commitment by the priests to dedicate the whole of their lives to the Shepherd and the sheep he loves.

Who is a Priest?

Was this kind of commitment only required for Levitical priests or for those in full-time service in the church? No, because Exodus 19:6 calls us a kingdom of priests. We’re all rams of a sort–undershepherds in the flock where we find ourselves.

As I mentioned in “The Power of a Mentor,” each of us has someone following us. Our responsibility to the sheep behind us is to be fully committed as possible to the Good Shepherd ahead of us. It may require being as all-in as the ram called olah. But that dying to self will produce a fragrance for God that he enjoys from no other source.

When the bull burned, Scripture recorded no smell at all. But when the ram went into the fire it became olah–“that which goes up.” The leader of the flock was transformed from flesh into the rising perfume of total devotion.

This is becoming a living sacrifice–laying our whole being—our minds, will, and strength—on the Lord’s altar, then rising up become olah, a sweet-smelling savor for his pleasure. May we only lead where he directs.

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