Exodus 28: 1 – 43
Dressing up for the Lord
28 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest. 5 “They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, 6 and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. 8 And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. 9 “Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: 10 six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth. 11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. 12 And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial. 13 You shall also make settings of gold, 14 and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings. 15 “You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it. 16 It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span shall be its width. 17 And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; 18 the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings. 21 And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes. 22 “You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold. 23 And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24 Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate; 25 and the other two ends of the two braided chains you shall fasten to the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front. 26 “You shall make two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which is on the inner side of the ephod. 27 And two other rings of gold you shall make, and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. 28 They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod, using a blue cord, so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod. 29 “So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the LORD continually. 30 And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear. 33 And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the LORD and when he comes out, that he may not die. 36 “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37 And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. 38 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 “You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work. 40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty. 41 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests. 42 And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs. 43They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.
How quickly things change. We use to do certain things but some forces such as technology and cultural change has erased things from our lives that were a normal activity. Some of these things seem to have changed overnight. I have put together some of these things we use to do and I encourage you to stop and think of some others that I did not list.
. Buy and read a newspaper
. Purchase a music CD
. Subscribe to a land line phone for your house
. Maintain a written appointment calendar and phone directory
.Amassing a DVD personal library
. Obtaining a hard cover book
. Taking Saturday Evening baths
. Maintain two sets of clothes – one for everyday use and one for Sunday go to church wear
This last point is the one subject which I want to expand on. Question: "Do we have to dress up nice for church?"
Answer: It is good for us to ponder why we wear what we do. Let me mention two Scriptures on this point.
Genesis 35:1-3 speaks about when Jacob was instructed by our Holy God to return to the spot where he had his revelation of The Lord Most High. Jacob obeyed and told his family this, “He said, 'Get rid of the strange gods you have with you. Make yourselves pure, and change your clothes. Come, let's go up to Bethel. There I'll build an altar to honor God. He answered me when I was in trouble. He's been with me everywhere I've gone.'"
Exodus 19: 10 , “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.”
It is possible that as Jacob began this faith-journey to Bethel with God, he recognized how much God had done for him, and how much he needed God! His response was to take everyone with him on this faith-journey, so they could experience God for themselves. "Get rid of the strange gods you have with you. Make yourselves pure" implies the need to be united in "coming clean" before God. The book of Romans chapter 3 verse 23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Many then had "household idols" with them that they depended on, as well as God. They did not trust God alone. "Change your clothes" implies a change of heart toward sin. It was to be a reflection of what had taken place on the "inside."
We would all benefit from a "spiritual bath" [remember the Saturday night bath] to confess and get rid of sin before we go to church. This is making ourselves pure. For some people, clean is their "best." For others, their heart tells them that wearing their best is showing God His value to them. For still others, there needs to be a caution that their best isn't merely showing off.
It is always the heart God is looking at, rather than the exterior. However, what we wear to worship our holy, pure God may be an indication of where our hearts are. If you have never considered it before, ask yourself, "Does it matter to me how I look when I am going to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? More importantly, does it matter to Him?" We must all be the judge of that for ourselves. It's a personal choice, keeping in mind that having a proper attitude toward God Himself is important preparation for worship at church.
In today’s scriptures our Most Magnificent and Holy Father thought it was important that for the men who were allowed to minister to Him on behalf of the people dressed up. The nice part is that our Great God provided the special clothes for them to wear.
28 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
The choice was wise. Moses was unavailable, for he had a nation to lead through the wilderness and could not give his time to the office of ‘the Priest’. He would always be unique. He was Yahweh’s man. But Aaron was equally recognized by the people as having been an instrument of God, and his relationship to Moses, and his part in the deliverance, were equally recognized. Indeed in an age when the firstborn was often seen as pre-eminent it might have been seen as appropriate that the elder brother be appointed.
That Aaron as ‘the Priest’ was seen as holding a priesthood superior to that of his sons comes out in the special garments which he was to wear. He was the leading priest, called ‘The High Priest’.
His sons acted as his assistants. Nadab and Abihu had been with him when they had feasted before God in the Mount (24.1), but would die because they offered ‘strange fire’ before our Holy Father Yahweh, in disobedience to His commands as we read in the book of Leviticus 10.1-2, “Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”
When you want to be appointed by our Great God to serve Him then you need to understand that when God chooses a man he must show himself worthy. Presumption may lead to his downfall.
It is significant that the four sons are divided into two sets of ‘two’, that is, two sets of witnesses. The first two failed in their witness. The second two carried it on. None, except Eliezer, was ever titled ‘the Priest’.
The responsibilities of the priests in general in Israel were fourfold.
1). they had the responsibility of maintaining the service of the Holy Place. This included burning the incense each morning and evening, trimming and refilling the lamps each evening, and replacing the showbread each Sabbath day.
2). They maintained the service of the courtyard of the Tabernacle. This included the offering of sacrifices each morning and evening, and as required, and blessing the congregation after the daily sacrifice. It also meant keeping the fire on the brazen altar burning always for when sacrifices were brought to be offered, and periodically removing its ashes.
3). they were responsible to inspect and appraise people and their sacrifices. These included lepers coming for examination, wives accused of adultery, and things offered to God or dedicated to the sanctuary.
4). they were to teach and counsel the people. It was their responsibility to communicate the Law of Moses to the congregation and to pronounce on difficult cases of law.
‘The Priest’ had the additional responsibility of overall supervision, responsibility to ensure that the ordinances were correctly carried out, responsibility for the use of the Urim and Thummim and especially responsibility for officiating solely in unique situations like the Day of Atonement when he, and he alone, entered the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies.
2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
This section is mostly concerned with a description of the high priest's ceremonial robes known as the garments of glory and beauty. In style and color, the robes of the priests were rich in typical significance for they depicted both the wondrous beauties of Christ Jesus our Lord The High Priest and also the privileges and duties of all who are the priests of God. In his garments of glory and beauty, he was a shadow of the Greater One Who was yet to come. Aaron became typically that which our Lord Jesus Christ was intrinsically in all the purity and holiness of His being.
The garments made for Aaron are unique and are to separate him off as holding a splendid office, a thing of beauty, distinguished from all others in his being ‘sanctified’, set apart as holy, as belonging to God, as God’s supreme representative to His people, as God’s mediator between God and man. They were to reveal to the people a hint of Yahweh’s own glory and beauty, and that this one acted before God on their behalf, and came to them from God.
So God was concerned that men should honor ‘the priest’ as His representative and mediator, and through his clothing God revealed some small hint of His own glory and beauty.
Today the One Who has a right to these garment’s ministers in Heaven. We have ‘the high priest’ eternal in the heavens. There is now only One Mediator between God and man. It is questionable therefore whether any should wear such garments on earth. To do so is to make a claim that is not justified. There is now only One Who represents God before His people.
Men love such clothing for it exalts them, doesn’t it. Look around today and this truth is evident. Maybe the motive for them may initially be pure, but man’s heart is such that it soon turns what is good into what is supremely evil, and man becomes exalted, and enjoys his exaltation, rather than exalting God. They actually begin to mistakenly see themselves as especially holy.
3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.
To Israel the ‘heart’ was seen as the seat of the intellect and of all wisdom. And those who made Aaron’s garments were to be those whose hearts had been filled with the Spirit of wisdom, revealed by the expertise of their work. There seems little doubt here that they were to be seen as not just talented but as inspired by God in a special way. The Holy Spirit would inspire their spirits. For these garments were special and they set apart Aaron in holiness before God so that he could fulfill the priestly office. They were to be seen therefore as, in a real but secondary sense, made by the Spirit of God. And yet even these had to be ‘sanctified’ by the shedding of blood, as had Aaron.
4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.
His clothes had to be specially made by those who had been given particular ability for the task. Over a robe the High Priest wore a garment called an 'ephod'. It was made of linen with gold, blue, purple and scarlet. It was intended for both the front and back of the body and made in two parts, which were clasped together at the shoulder by two onyx stones set in gold. Each of these onyx stones was engraved with names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Six names, in order of birth, were carried on one shoulder and six on the other. This meant that every time the High Priest went into the Holy Place he bore the names of the tribes before the Lord and he represented these people to God.
5 “They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, 6 and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. 8 And the intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. 9 “Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: 10 six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their birth. 11 With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. 12 And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial.
The stones were to be engraved with the names of the twelve sons of Jacob and placed in gold settings on the shoulder of the ephod so as to bring the names of the twelve tribes before Yahweh. When Aaron entered the Sanctuary the whole of Israel in effect went with him and were brought to Yahweh’s attention. According to the historian Josephus, who personally saw this garment of the High Priest, the engraved onyx stones on the shoulders were designed so that the names of the six eldest sons were engraved on the stone on the right shoulder, and those of the six youngest sons on the stone on the left shoulder.
The ephod as a whole, with its different colors and materials, typifies our Great Mediator and King our Lord Jesus Christ in His high priestly ministry. Jesus Christ Is The High Priest and He bears His people upon His shoulders, the place of strength and seat of power. The shoulders also speak of carrying a burden, and therefore The Anointed One of God, Jesus Christ, The High Priest carries the whole burden alone.
Over the ephod the High Priest wore a breastplate which was a pouch about 22-centermeters square made of beautifully woven material. On the front of the breastplate were fastened twelve precious stones in four rows of three. On each of these stones were engraved the name of one of the tribes of Israel:
13 You shall also make settings of gold, 14 and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings. 15 “You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it. 16 It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span shall be its width.
The breastplate was actually a piece of elaborately finished cloth of the same material as the ephod. It was a strip twice as long as it was wide, but folded back on itself so as to form a square bag into which the Urim and Thummim were placed. The breastplate was held in place by golden chains attached to the onyx shoulder clasps and also by blue lace ribbons, which attached the breastplate to the ephod. Evidently, there was a small golden ring attached to each corner of the breastplate to which in turn the golden chains and ribbons were connected. Inasmuch as the twelve stones were in one breastplate they speak of the oneness of the people of God; while their position upon Aaron's breast speaks of God's affection for His people. the names on the breastplate were always close to Aaron's heart just as with our God Jesus Christ.
17 And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; 18 the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings. 21 And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.
Therefore there were four rows of three, making twelve in all. Four regularly indicates ‘world wideness’. Three represents completeness. Thus the priest was seen as representing the whole of his world, with the twelve indicating the twelve tribes, that is, all Israel.
22 “You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold. 23 And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24 Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate; 25 and the other two ends of the two braided chains you shall fasten to the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.
This describes the way in which the pouch is attached by golden chains of interwoven gold cords to the shoulder straps of the ephod by means of catches. All are of pure gold.
26 “You shall make two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which is on the inner side of the ephod. 27 And two other rings of gold you shall make, and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. 28 They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod, using a blue cord, so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod.
The front and back of the ephod were made to be as one garment by a sash or girdle, which was tied about the priest's waist. This was also of blue, purple, and scarlet linen intertwined with golden threads. In the language of Scripture for a priest to be girded with his sash was for him to be fully arrayed in his garments and prepared and ready to serve.
29 “So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the LORD continually. 30 And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.
There is a twofold purpose for the breast pouch. One is that it enables Aaron to carry on his whole intellectual and emotional being, the names of the twelve tribes before Yahweh for a continual memorial, concerned for them, feeling for them, praying for them. And secondly that it may contain the instruments by which judgment can be found on His people’s behalf through the Urim and Thummim. The Urim and Thummim were instruments of judgment on behalf of Yahweh, and their ever being in the pouch meant that concern for the true judgment of the people was ever before Yahweh and ever a concern of Aaron’s.
It is not known for certain exactly what the Urim and Thummim really were, but it is thought that they may have been two precious stones, possibly gems, which were identical in shape. One or the other could be drawn from the pouch in order to provide a yes or no answer in seeking the Lord for guidance.
So the ephod with the breastpouch, both containing engraved jewels, and the pouch containing the Urim and Thummim, were worn by Aaron to bring the nation before Yahweh continually. By their jewels they depicted them as precious to God, by the engraved names as personally within God’s thoughts, and through the Urim and Thummim they were a ‘reminder’ of the need for justice for God’s people.
Under the ephod Aaron wore a priestly robe. From its skirts were to hang pomegranates of blue-violet, purple-red and scarlet all round, and in between there were to be golden bells. Their sound as he went in and out of the Holy Place in some way contributed to his survival.
31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear.
Under the ephod the High Priest wore a robe of blue. Golden bells were attached to the hem and pomegranates made from material hung between the bells.
The priestly robe was to be of one color, setting off the multicolor of the ephod. The place for the head to go through was to be round and not formed by a slit, and the hole was to be protected by a binding of woven work, carefully protected just like the hole in a coat of mail. This was to prevent any danger of it being torn. To wear a torn robe within the sanctuary would bring dishonor to it for it would depict that which was less than perfect.
33 And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the LORD and when he comes out, that he may not die.
The robe of the ephod was a plain blue sleeveless garment worn directly beneath the ephod and probably extending some inches below it. Apparently there was a row of pomegranates embroidered upon the hem interspaced with tinkling golden bells which sounded as the priest moved. The bells speak of listening to God while in His service and the music of them brings a certain joy. The pomegranates speak of fruitfulness (abundant seeds) and are symbols of the Word of God as sweet and pleasant spiritual food. The sound of the bells could be heard when Aaron went into the Holy Place before the Lord, and the listening people would know that he had not been struck dead in God's presence, but that his offering on their behalf had been accepted by God.
The probable idea of the bells is that Aaron must not enter the Holy Place secretly and unawares. The bells would announce his presence as all high servants of a king must be announced. Thus his entry was always to be a public affair, on behalf of the people, and never to be seen as a private audience. This would stress that the Holy Place belonged to Yahweh, and Aaron did not have freedom of movement in it. He came as an underling. To give the impression of trying privately to sneak up on God or as a private person would be to be worthy of death. Thus the emphasis of the bells is on the necessity for his announcement each time he came, and resulted from the fact that there was no one else there to announce him.
The bells could then further be seen as an indication of subservience. They declared that he was not free to move as he would. They indicated that he was always to be under some level of subservience and observation.
The bells were important because by hearing the bells the people could participate in what Aaron was doing and could participate with him in thought as they heard him moving about, and that for Aaron to deliberately act in such a way as to prevent this was to be worthy of death. He must ever remember what his position was, and to go in without their being aware would make him as one who went in as an individual regardless of the fact that he was the people’s representative. Proper reverence always had to be observed.
On his head the High Priest wore a turban or miter of fine linen which was bound around the head in coils like a turban or tiara. On the front of the miter on Aaron's forehead, attached by a blue lace ribbon, there was the golden plate engraved HOLINESS TO THE LORD. This was a constant reminder of holiness to the covenant people in Israel and to the High Priest in his calling , for the Lord said to Moses, 'Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them, "Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy"' (Leviticus 19:2). By being marked, the High Priest typified the true inner holiness on the ground of which, alone, Israel could be accepted before God. He was truly the most important man on earth. The conspicuous position of the golden plate upon Aaron's forehead gave special meaning and character to all of his garments and to his office. In committing himself to holiness, Aaron could be assured that he qualified for divine service and was accepted by God as a mediator between God and the people of Israel.
It should be noted that the turban is secondary here, only worthy of mention because of the plate of gold which had on it HOLY TO YAHWEH which was to be on Aaron’s forehead. The turban is not itself described here in any way. All eyes are to be on the golden plate with its powerful declaration.
This plate is remarkable. It sums up why Aaron can come before Yahweh as the representative of the people. It is because he has in his official capacity as ‘the Priest’ been made ‘holy to Yahweh’, set apart as ‘holy’ through due process. It sums up the significance of his office. It is why he can make atonement for all the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel ‘set apart to God’, and can ‘bear the iniquity of sacred things’. He stands alone, a picture of a Greater yet to come, because of God’s appointment, the shedding of blood on his behalf, and his various preparations which we have yet to consider. He is God’s appointee. But as such he represents all Israel. Thus in him Israel too is holy to Yahweh. The whole of the sacrificial system and ordinances, and the covenant, are summed up on that plate.
So having been anointed, and cleansed, and purified, and having clothed himself in his under robe which covers him from neck to toe, including sleeves, so that no part of him might come naked before God, and having put on robe and then the ephod, together with the breast pouch of judgment, He now dons his turban and the golden plate on his forehead which declares that he and Israel are Holy to Yahweh. He is ready to function as Yahweh’s anointed.
And yet we are aware that Aaron too is sinful. His holiness, as ‘the Priest’, is God-provided and not his own. He too has had to come through the blood of bulls and of goats, and through various other ceremonies, and will again and again have to do so, and will in the end die because of his particular sinfulness. He is not the perfect representative. But he is pointing ahead, pointing to One Who would one day come, and would wear on His head the declaration that He Was Holy to Yahweh, and that His people were holy to Yahweh, and that not because of some sacrifice offered on His behalf, but because He truly was so, and had offered Himself for them. And He would then bear, not just the iniquity of sacred things, but the sins of the whole world. Aaron is a shadow of things that will be, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, The Great High Priest Who Is yet to come.
36 “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD. 37 And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. 38 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
The plate of pure gold is to be engraved HOLY TO YAHWEH, in the same way as a man’s signet ring is engraved, and in the same way as the stones were engraved. Thus just as the signet ring represents a man, and the stones represented the children of Israel, it may be that we are to see this as representing Yahweh Himself. His stamp is on Aaron as the representative of Israel.
The golden plate is to be fastened to the turban over Aaron’s forehead by a blue-violet lace, the same color as his robe. (The turban is white). Perhaps the blue-violet represents what is heavenly. But the placing of the golden plate certainly emphasizes its pre-eminence. And it is because this one is made holy to Yahweh that he can in effect bring all the gifts and offerings of the children of Israel and present them to Yahweh even though there is that in them which is lacking, either because of what the children of Israel are, and because of the nature of the gifts, or because of anything lacking in their presentation. Aaron, through the whole sacrificial system carried through in accordance with God’s commands. It is the wearing of the golden plate, and its significance, that finally makes this possible. Through him Yahweh presents them to Himself, Aaron, of course, having previously made atonement for himself and the people as he does daily.
But this all points forward to the One Who will perfect for ever those who are sanctified by the offering of Himself as the perfect One. Thus are they made holy in Him.
Please note the importance of the statement, ‘And it shall be always on his forehead that they may be accepted before Yahweh.’ Always, that is, when he is officially ministering and especially when he enters the Holy Place. The sign on his forehead is the symbol that all Yahweh’s requirements in the sacrificial system have been fulfilled. Full atonement has been made. The assumption behind all this is, of course, that the people are living in accordance with the covenant.
39 “You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work.
The under-robe is pure white, delicately woven and patterned. The turban too is white. Both are of fine linen. The under-girdle is to be embroidered, and is to be of fine linen, blue-violet, red-purple and scarlet (39.29). The white is a picture of purity and righteousness covering the whole person, righteousness possible because the appropriate sacrifices have been made from an honest heart. But the weaving and the patterning and the embroidery suggest an added something to the white indicating that God has added to them something of His own purity and holiness. But these clothes are on the whole hidden, so why the delicate work? The answer is that in all things to do with God man must take the greatest care and trouble. All must be done to the glory of God, even that which is not seen.
So prior to coming forward to fulfill his priestly duties Aaron must robe himself in a pure white under-robe which covers his person, with its multicolored girdle patterned on the curtains of the Sanctuary, and put on his pure white turban. Then he puts on his robe or tunic of blue-purple, over which he dons the multicolored ephod together with the attached breast pouch, and finally he dons the golden plate which declares Him and Israel as ‘holy to Yahweh’.
He is thus a picture of Christ Jesus The Holy Son of God Who will come pure in righteousness, girdled by God in His strength and holiness, bearing in Himself His people whose representative He will be, bearing also all that is necessary for judgment and marked off uniquely as ‘holy to Yahweh’.
40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty.
The other priests officiating in the Holy Place wore wore simpler garments: A long tunic (the embroidered coat) with sleeves of white linen, woven throughout without seam, white trousers from hip to thigh, a white linen hat or miter wound like a turban, but cone-shaped, and a sash or girdle woven in the same material as the veil.
41 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests.
The uniqueness of Moses is again here brought out. He is the one who under God is to establish the priesthood. They receive their commission from him. He is to clothe Aaron and his sons in the apparel that has been described, and is then to set them apart for the priesthood by anointing, consecrating and sanctifying them. This will be described in more detail in chapter 29. But before then a small, but important, detail must be dealt with. These are very pointedly not put on them by Moses. They are not a part of the official garb as such, although a requirement of the office. For these items act to cover the private parts (like underpants).
42 And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs. 43They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.
Aaron and his sons must at all time within the Tabernacle and while on duty in its courts wear linen breeches which covered from loins to thigh. Nothing of what they were must be exposed to God. The linen breeches emphasized the fallen man. They did not declare the priest’s status, but rather were a reminder of his sinfulness, of the great lack that there was within him. Neither the Tabernacle nor altar were to be approached unless they be worn.
To fail to cover their nakedness on official duties before Yahweh was to be under sentence of death. And this was considered to be so important that it was declared to be a permanent statute while the priesthood continued.
It will be noted that no prescription has been made for footwear. The priests were to walk barefoot, and must wash their feet (in the laver) prior to entering the Holy Place or approaching the altar to officiate at it (30.18-21). Like the wearing of breeches this was a permanent statute.
In the priestly garments are symbols of God’s provision for His people. The ephod symbolized God’s people being brought by the High Priest into His presence constantly, for he wore their names on his shoulders. Thus does our great High Priest ever bear our names before Him. Spiritually we can state that all the clothing is worn because He has appointed as His royal priests (1 Peter 2.5, 9) and His provision for us of the blood of Christ cleanses from us from all sin (1 John 1.7). He provides for all that we need in order to serve Him, and through this provision it is our responsibility to ‘wear the ephod’ and bring to God His people in our prayers and worship. The breast pouch too is the symbol that our High Priest bears our names upon His heart, and that from it by His Spirit He guides His church and brings to us all truth (John 14.26; 16.13), we must therefore be ready to bring God’s guidance and truth to the world, by studying to show ourselves workmen approved to God, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2.15). The clothing stresses again that we must wear the righteousness’s of the saints, and be constantly heavenly, royal and cleansed. The golden plate declaring ‘holiness to the Lord’ is important that me must understand the calling He has done for us and we must be spiritually worn by His people constantly that the world might know of what true holiness consists.
