I am sure that if the choice of the subjects to be included in the elementary principles had been left to us, we never would have included the doctrine of the laying on of hands. Yet God, in his infinite wisdom, caused this teaching to be an essential foundational truth.

One may have thought that it would be dangerous even to teach a new convert this truth in case he or she would indiscriminately lay hands on people. But if the previous truths have been established, then we will only do that which is initiated by God, trusting him to lead and empower us by the Holy Spirit.

By this truth we are taught that although we have received so many blessings from God, he wants us to be imparters of blessings to others. A Christian is one who has Christ in him and Christ in us desires and delights to bless others. We remember the letter to the Hebrews was written to Jews and that the matter of the laying on of hands was not new to them. It was part of their tradition and practice, dating right back to the Levitical law. Let us take a biblical overview of this subject.

Laying Hands on the Sin Offering

According to the Levitical law, if a person sinned they had to take a lamb to the priest. The offender had then to lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and kill it. The priest then took some of the blood and put it on the horns of the altar and the rest he poured at the base of the altar (Lev 4:27-35).

The laying on of hands signified two things: first identification with the offering, and second transference of the sin to the sacrifice. This of course was a signpost to Jesus, the Lamb of God, who would take away the sins of the world. What a wonderful illustration of the grace of God to us.

The truth of laying on hands teaches us that although we have received so many blessings from God, he wants us to be imparters of blessings to others.

When we were saved we identified ourselves with Jesus our sin-bearer, “who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree”. Our sins were transferred to him at Calvary and by believing in him we were forgiven. ‘Horns’ in Scripture speak of power. The priest put the blood of the sacrifice on the four horns of the altar, reminding us that: "There is power, power, wonder-working power, in the Precious blood of the Lamb”.

Can you imagine how carefully the children of Israel must have lived in the wilderness? Supposing there was a family consisting of father, mother and their son, and the father sinned. He had to go to his flock and pick out the very best animal, kill it himself, reminding him that his sin cost a life. Let us say that next day the mother sinned. Again the best of the flock had to be taken and slain. Say next day the son sinned, and again the flock is depleted. Do you not think that they would be very careful how they lived the rest of that week? May the knowledge of what our sins cost the Lord Jesus encourage us to live righteously.

The Day of Atonement

In the Jewish calendar, there was a very special day, the ‘day of atonement’. A special sacrifice was included in the ceremonies which involved two goats. One goat was slain as a sin offering, and again some of the blood was put on the horns of the altar. Then the high priest, Aaron, took the second goat and laying both his hands on it and at the same time confessing all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites, he “put them on the goat’s head”. After that he appointed a man to take the live goat and lead it out to a solitary place and there release it, never more to return.

What a glorious illustration of the grace of God in salvation! Not only are we forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, but our sins are forever in the place of ‘forgotten-ness’, as illustrated by the goat being sent away into no-man’s-land. God said, “I will forgive their wickedness, and will remember their sins no more” (Jer 31:34). When the Old Testament priest placed his hands on the goat it symbolised not only forgiveness but also ‘forgotten-ness’. We can sit down and call to remembrance sins of our past, but God will never recall to his remembrance, any sins we have confessed and forsaken.

Oh! precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow,
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Not only are we forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, but our sins are forever in the place of ‘forgotten-ness’, as illustrated by the goat being sent away into no-man’s-land.

Some years ago I was in Davao City, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. I walked with a friend down to the sea and stood and admired the view. He pointed in a certain direction out to sea, and told me that was the deepest known sea in the world. I said, ‘Praise the Lord, the scriptures say, “You will hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”’

Aaron, the high priest, by the laying on of hands, transferred all the sins of Israel to the goat, but the Lord Jesus, our Great High Priest as both the offerer, and the offering, had all our sins laid on him, as Isaiah reminds us, “the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (53:6).

Setting People Apart to Serve God

Another purpose of the laying on of hands is to set people apart for a particular ministry or work.

God chose the tribe of Levi to serve him in the priestly ministry and in the tabernacle. He instructed Moses, “You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them” (Num 8:10).

When Moses was about to hand over leadership to Joshua, God told him, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him…Give him some of your authority” (Num 27:18,20). When Moses obeyed, something was imparted to Joshua. It was not a meaningless ceremony, something was given.

You find the same practice in the New Testament. In the early days of the Church, when many were coming to the Lord and everyone was so busy, it was reported that the care of widows was being neglected. The apostles, wanting to rectify the situation, asked the people to choose seven to take over this responsibility. These men were then brought to the apostles who prayed for them and laid hands on them. Through this there was impartation of authority and enablement for the task.

The Church at Antioch

In Acts 13 we read of a meeting in the church at Antioch, where prophets, teachers and others had gathered together. Among them were Paul and Barnabas, who had met with the believers for a day of fasting and worshipping the Lord. It was a vital time for the church which was poised to take the message of the Gospel out into the world.

Through the apostles’ laying on of hands there was impartation of authority and enablement for the task.

There were also prophets and teachers present, one from as far away as North Africa. During the service the Holy Spirit spoke through one of them and said, “’Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them’…They placed their hands on them, and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3). This was not an initial setting apart for ministry but a setting apart for a new phase of their work for God, as they were about to go on an effective missionary journey.

The laying on of hands indicated that the church and those present identified themselves with Paul and Barnabas in this call from God, and no doubt praying God’s blessing on them, imparting strength and encouragement as they set out.

Next week: The laying on of hands to bless, heal and to baptise in the Holy Spirit.

This article is part of a series. Click here for previous instalments.