JUST FOR FUN - A Big Toe of Biblical Proportions by Phil

The National Enquirer magazine used to boast the slogan, “Enquiring minds want to know,” and that sums me up pretty well. When I come across something a bit strange or out of the ordinary, my first question is, "why?" My inquire-o-meter went off the other day when reading through Exodus:

"And you shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of his sons’ right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet, and sprinkle the rest of the blood around on the altar." - Exodus 29:20

I know this was to purify Aaron and his boys to prepare them for their priestly service, but why the earlobes and big toes? We usually see someone anointed by pouring oil on their heads. And why not the whole hands and feet? My inquiring mind needed to know.

Interestingly enough, many of the commentaries I consulted skipped right over this part. I did find one stating these body parts represented the totality of the individual, and another suggested this was to prepare them for their duties of hearing confessions (ear), sacrificing the animals (hand), and walking in the holy courtyard (feet).

My favorite explanation came from Nahum Sarma in the JPS Torah Commentary. He writes, "The singling out of the ear, hand and foot may well symbolize the idea that the priest is to attune himself to the divine word and be responsive to it in deed and direction in life."

That is a great picture of following Christ. To be used by God we must first hear what he has to say (ear). But we can't stop there, we've got to do something about it (hand)! And to meet a need, we have to go where the need is (feet). Also, we can't just serve God in church on Sunday, we've got to take his word in our hearts wherever our little feet take us every moment of everyday. In other words, HEAR the Word, DO the Word, TAKE the Word.

But that still doesn't address, why the thumb and big toe? The thumb is one of God's great inventions that separates us from most lower animals. An opposing thumb makes our hands much more useful for picking up and manipulating objects. That's why you don't see dogs and cats doing useful things like folding laundry. (OK, that may not be the only reason). And unless your foot is deformed, your big toe points in the direction you are going. (For those with excessively long big toes, it is also the first body part to arrive!) God thought of everything.

There you have it. We're all called to be God's hands and feet, sharing His love with the world. It's as simple (and challenging) as HEAR the Word, DO the Word, TAKE the Word.
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Keep serving Jesus,
Phil and Pam

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