Exodus 39:1-30; 28:1-43: Dressed for Glory

Introduction

https://edyoungdesigns.com/ - Used to have a website pastor fashion, teaching pastors how to dress.

Crazy pastor outfits… My insecurities about what I wear - Middle-aged dad… Right shoes? Shirt tucked or untucked? Jeans or khakis?

I feel insecure sometimes about what I wear in front of you - you’ve probably had moments where you didn’t feel secure about the outfit you were wearing. What will people think of you?

What about standing before God? One day, you will stand before God and see Him face to face. What will that day be like? Will you stand before God with insecurity? You know you. You know your sin. You know your shortcomings. You know everything you’ve done, and God knows what you’ve done. Will you stand before God with insecurity or with confidence?

This morning, we’re looking at the clothing of the high priest to close out our study of Exodus. We’ve had a sermon about furniture, now a sermon about clothing.

The high priest in Israel had a very specific outfit, and his outfit wasn’t to make a fashion statement, but to speak to the role he played as the high priest of God’s people. The high priest represented God’s people so they could stand before God with confidence that the priest had made sacrifices on their behalf.

Every piece of clothing symbolic and ultimatly points us to Jesus - our great high priest.

Jesus is the high priest you need. Why? Three reasons why you need Jesus as your high priest.

Since Jesus is your high priest, you can let go of your burdens.

Exodus 25-31 = Instructions about building the tabernacle and garments for high priest. Exodus 35-40 = implementation of the instructions. A lot of repeat.

Exodus 35 - skilled artisans empowered by God to build (35:30-35). Imagine how beautiful it was if the builders were empowered by God for the task.

When we looked at 25-31, we didn’t talk much about the high priest, but the high priest played a crucial role in the nation of Israel.

In Israel, there were prophets - responsibility to speak to the people on behalf of God. God raised up prophets to give a specific message. Eventually, there were kings (Saul, David, etc.) who were tasked to rule. There were priests - who taught the people, but who also represented people before God through the sacrifical system. They upheld the ritual worship of Israel - a very important role - the role of mediator between God and man.

Exodus 39:1-30 a second description of the garments of the priest. First description = Exodus 28:1-43. We’ll examine the garments from Exodus 28.

28:1 - Aaron the first high priest.

28:2 - the holy garments worn radiated glory and beauty - two words used to describe God. If high priest was to be in God’s presence, he needed not only to represent God’s people but also God Himself. Everything in tabernacle was glorious and beautiful, even the high priest as he put on the sacred garments.

vs. 4 - various elements of his garments - most important elements were the ephod and breastpiece.

vs. 6 - Like the tent itself, the ephod made with fine garments. Scholars not sure what an ephod was, but most likely a long, sleeveless apron or vest that went over the priest’s shoulders.

Two precious stones mounted in ornate settings and attached to the shoulder piece of the ephod. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on the two stones.

When the high priest entered the tabernacle to serve, he carried the names of the tribes (vs. 12) - he bore the burden of serving the people. He carried them into the presence of God.

Jesus bore our burden. Jesus went to teh cross knowing your name, and He carried the weigh of your sin and guilt. He is the High Priest who is the one and only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). He bore the burden of our sin and guilt by taking it to the cross (Colossians 3:12-14).

Jesus releases us from the burden of guilt - sin paid for. Or, the burden of worry and anxiety - You can trust Him to be sufficient for all your needs. Burden of performance - What you have to do to please God vs. what He’s done. The burden of suffering - “Is there any purpose?” Absolutely! God is at work in your suffering. The burden of loving others (Galatians 6:2) - God’s Spirit lives in you to empower you to love.

When you feel burdened by life, remember your high priest. When you feel burdened:

Call out your burdens. Confess it to God, and repent of lack of trust, or trying to find rest somewhere other than God. Bring it to the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). God wants you to rest in the work of His Son.

Don’t complain about your burdens. We tend to complain about our burdens instead of calling them out and taking them to the Lord. You love to tell others about your struggles, but do you tell God?

Trust that God does care for you. The cross is proof that He cares. You can trust that God will give you rest as you learn to trust Him.

Since Jesus is your high priest, you can walk in wisdom.

Second most important element of the priests clothing was the breastpiece.

Breastpiece was attached to the front of the ephod. Ephod was for making decisions (vs. 15).

Breastpiece made of fabric, not metal. It was not armor. Most striking feature was its beautiful collection of gems. Nearly all the gems mentioned were found in the garden of Eden (vs. 17-20).

Twelve gemstones engraved with the names of the tribe worn on the chest of the high priest. The high priest carried the people on his shoulder, and he also carried them close to his heart.

God’s promise displayed on the priesthood - precious stones a reminder that Israel was God’s treasured possession, set apart from the rest of the world (Exodus 19:5-6).

Jesus, our High Priest, carried us close to His heart. He went to the cross for us because He loves us.

vs. 29 - The breastpiece was a memorial to God. It put the tribes of Israel front and center - reminding God of His people, not that He ever forgets. God knows His people and their needs. Also, a memorial to the high priest. He knew his job was to represent the people.

Jesus carries you close to His heart. What a thought!

vs. 30 - The Urim and Thummim? God wants to guide His people. He wants to give His people clear direction. Urim and Thummim -we don’t know exactly what they were but perhaps some kind of dice the High Priest used to determine the will of God. We don’t know anything about them or how they were used. BUT… obviously God wanted His people to know His will, and Urim and Thummim used to know God’s will. (E.g., Num. 27:21, Neh. 7:65)

Seems like Urim and Thummim used for matters of public concerns that people could not possibly know without consulting the high priest.

Bottom line… God wants to guide us, and He wants us to know His will.

We would probably like Urim and Thummim… “God give me a clear answer on who to marry, where to live, etc.”

Yet, we don’t need Urim and Thummim because of Jesus. He is the revelation of the will of God. The will of God is that we know Him through a relationship with Jesus. God’s will is that we live our lives to honor Him. We don’t need Urim and Thummim because Jesus, our High Priest, lives in us giving us wisdom to make wise decisions so that our lives honor Him.

The way we walk in wisdom is not to throw dice, but it is pretty straight forward. God doesn’t lead us by Urim and Thummim. He leads us through His Son, the Good Shepherd, who dwells in us.

Seek God first. Turn to the Word. How does the Bible inform the decision you want to make?

Seek godly counsel. (Proverbs 11:14) Godly people are a wonderful resource to help you to understand how to apply biblical principles to your life situations.

Be biblical. After seeking God through prayer and His Word, make a decision consistent with what God says in His Word.

Check your motives. As you make a decision, make sure the motive is ultimately to honor God and not just to get what you want.

Be confident. If you’ve been prayed, been in the Word, sought counsel, made a decision based on what you see in the Bible, and your motives are right, be confident. You don’t have to walk around second guessing your decisions.

Move on. Walk in that confidence. Don’t look back and wonder, “What if?” Keep moving forward. Don’t look back.

Since Jesus is your high priest, you can live out your true identity.

Other garments - a blue robe - royalty. God’s peple a royal priesthood. Same color used for the veil that concealed the Holy of Holies.

Pomegrantes and bells (vs. 33-34) - Pomegrantes = the fruitfulness of the service of God’s priest. A reminder of the garden of Eded where Adam and Eve were “priests” or servants of God. They were fruitful in their work before the fall.

Bells? The sound? You could hear him work - hear his service.

A turban - a golden plate engraged: “Holy to the Lord.” The priest did a consecrated work - He was set apart for the work of the King.

The work of Jesus - a consecrated work. The ONE who knew no sin became sin for us. He represented us by being our sacrifice - dying the death we deserve and rising from the dead three days later so our sins could be forgiven and given the gift of life. Do you know the high priest? (Hebrews 8:1-2). If not, repent of your sins and give your life to Him.

If you know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, then you get to live out your true identity. God saved you to be what Israel failed to be: a kingdom of priests (1 Peter 2:9). That’s your identity - you get to know God and be in His presence because of the work of Christ.

If kingdom of priest is our identity:

Focus more on who you are than what you do. The priesthood a reminder of holiness. God wants a holy people, set apart for him. As a kingdom of priests, we represent God, we grow in the image of God, we’re concerned about who we are becoming. Often, more concerned with what we’re doing. “Am I doing enough for the Kingdom? Am I serving enough?” If you are becoming who God wants you to be, you will do what God wants you to do.

Confess quickly and be willing to repent (1 John 1:9). Sin hinders you from living a holy life. Holy is who you are because of the work of Jesus, but we don’t always live as who we are. Regular confession and repentance helps you to keep pursuing holiness as you continue to put off the old self and put on the new (Ephesians 4).

Keep your eyes on eternity. Knowing your ultimate destination motivates you to live as a holy people now. We await the day when the One who is the prophet, priest, and king returns fro His children to bring us home to live in the presence of the One who KNOWS us (the theme of Exodus) and wants us to know Him.

This morning, if not a follower of Jesus, turn to Him. If a follower of Jesus, let’s ask God to help us live as His Kingdom of priests.