The Priest's Garments

The Priest’s Garments- Exodus 28

We come to the description of the high priest’s and regular priests’ garments. Perhaps after hearing about the subject of our focus this morning you became bored, like a child being told they were going to the National Mustard Museum in Wisconsin. There is nothing appealing to you about a museum dedicated to mustard.

But before you drift off into distraction, let me remind you of two truths. First, this is the holy Word of God and in and of itself is worth our complete and undivided attention and adoration.

Second, this passage is given to us as the shadows of Christ. We are not looking at the priests’ garments for its own sake, we are merely looking at shadows of the precious Lord Jesus.

Seeing and savoring the shadow of Christ in the priests’ garments should lead us to adore and acknowledge Him with our lives

I. The Aaronic Priesthood

First, we must offer a brief word about the Aaronic priesthood. God specifically chose the Levites to be the line of the priests, but not all Levites were priests. Only the line of Aaron could be priests (cf. Ex. 28:1), although the rest of the Levites would assist them in the Tabernacle/priestly duties (cf. Num. 8:5–22).

Aaron and his sons would serve as priests. In other words, if you were not one of Aaron’s descendents, you would not be able to enter the Tabernacle nor minister in it. Just keep this thought in the back of your mind for the last point we will consider this morning.

II. The Priest’s Garment- Ex. 28

We will not dwell long on every piece of clothing here, but we do want to look at this.

A. The Garments

The garments contained six different pieces, a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. Each of these pieces was given specific instructions on what to make and how to make them. There was absolutely zero options for choosing their own clothing. Unlike Burger King, the priests could not “have it their way.”

1. Breastpiece

2. Ephod

3. Robe

4. Coat of Checker Work

5. Turban

6. Sash

B. The Materials

*Gold, blue, purple, scarlet yarns (28:4–14)

*Precious Stones- sardius, topaz, carbuncle, emerald, sapphire, diamond, jacinth, agate, amethyst, beryl, onyx, jasper, gold filigree, golden rings (28:17–28)

Keep these items in mind for our last point as well.

III. The Purpose—to minister to Israel before the LORD- 28:1, 12, 29, 30, 35, 38, and 43

The garments were not special in and of themselves. There was a purpose for them: to clothe the ministers of Yahweh as His priests (cf. 28:1, 4, 23, 32, 39,-30,35, 38, 41, 43)

A. To Minister the Sacrifices for Israel- Ex. 28:9, 11, 12, 21, 30, 38

“Before the LORD” and “the sons of Israel”

Although individual Israelites, and the nation as a whole on the Day of Atonement, would bring their sacrifices and place their hands on the heads of the animal, and slice the neck of the lambs themselves, only the priest could check the animal, follow through with the rituals, or enter the Holiest of All to atone for Israel.

The priests ministered for Israel. Israel, as we have already noted, was a wicked nation. In the book of Exodus alone they have:

Questioned the LORD’s deliverance- 5:15–21

Did not believe God’s power to deliver- 6:9

Did not believe God could destroy Egypt- 14:10–12

Did not believe God could provide food for them- 16:1–3

Did not obey God’s instructions about the Manna- 16:13–21

Did not obey God’s instructions about the Sabbath- 16:27–29

Did not believe God could provide water- 17:1–7

And perhaps most heinous of all, Israel made a golden calf (not unlike the instructions and materials of what the Tabernacle and priests) and worshipped, as Aaron would say, “your gods who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (32:4)

They may not have said, with such audacity as Pharaoh Exodus 5:2 “But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”” But their lives screamed out: Who is the LORD, that we should obey His voice?”

Israel needed a priest to minister on their behalf, but they also needed someone to represent God to Israel.

B. To Represent God to Israel— “holy to the LORD”

EXODUS 19:21–25

They could not enter into the presence of Yahweh, only the priests could. They needed, however, fellowship with God. Thus, the priests played two roles: to minister the sacrifices to the Lord and to represent God to Israel.

Their work as priests aside, the very garments they wore reminded Israel of the glory and beauty of Yahweh. Notice this verse, Exodus 28:2, 40 “And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.” (28:40)

Exodus 28:36 ““You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’”

In other words, one of the functions of the garments was to reflect the glory and beauty of the LORD. It calls to mind some of Moses’ lyrics after their Red Sea deliverance, Exodus 15:11 ““Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

Or, how about Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

Psalm 27:4 “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”

The priests’ garment were visible representations of the glory and beauty of the LORD for whom they ministered. They were to teach Israel the Word of God (cf. Leviticus 10:10–11 “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.””)

C. The Dangers of the Priesthood- 28:35, 43

As glorious as this task was, every time they ministered was a matter of life or death. God highlights the utmost seriousness of their special privilege in 28:35 and 43.

Exodus 28:35 “And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die.”

Exodus 28:43 “and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him.”

We will see just how dangerous a careless approach to God would be (cf. Lev. 10:1–3).

Can you imagine the utter terror of the priests when it was their turn to serve?

All of this prepared the priests to be ministers for the Lord to Israel by teaching and serving in the Tabernacle, and to represent the people of Israel to the Lord through the sacrifices.

The fellowship of Israel as a nation would be mediated through the priests as long as this covenant stood.

But this covenant would be set aside by the Great High Priest, the Substance of the shadow cast by the priests’ garments.

IV. The Great High Priest

These garments, and the significance they convey, all point us to the Substance: our Great Hight Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. Echoes of Fellowship Through Scripture- Bookends of Scripture

1. Garden of Eden- Gen. 2:9, 10–13

Original, pristine created setting for fellowship with the Lord.

2. The New Heaven and New Earth- Rev. 21

Restored and remade setting for eternal fellowship with the Lord

B. Jesus is Our High Priest- Heb. 4–10

1. Appointed by God- Heb. 5:1–4

Meek and lowly in heart

Perfect, does not need a sacrifice first

2. Singular in Number and Eternal in Life- Heb. 7:23–28

No other priest is needed, He never dies

No other priest is needed, we have the Best

3. He ministers a better Covenant—the New Covenant- Heb. 8–9

Our sins are forever forgiven- 8:12, 9:12

We have uninhibited access to the Triune God without fear- 4:16

He is our Intercessor- 7:25

4. He causes us to adore and acknowledge Him with our lives- Heb. 13:20–21

May God equip you

with everything good

that you may do his will

through Jesus Christ

Seeing and savoring the shadow of Christ in the priests’ garments should lead us to adore and acknowledge Him with our lives