Sermon Tone Analysis

REFLECTION: Psalm 24:1-10

SERMON: Exodus 28-31, 39

BENEDICTION: Hebrews 13:20-21

INTRODUCTION

TRANSITION

Last week, we looked at the Funding, the Furniture, and the Fixtures of the Tabernacle and how they pointed to Christ.

I warned you about focusing too deeply on Jewish elements of detail to the point that you aren’t seeing Christ in the text.

If we focus too much on those types of details, it could easily feel like last week and this week are episodes on some OT Bible version of HGTV.

“This Old Tabernacle”...

THE PRIESTHOOD

Now, the Lord is instructing Moses about the priesthood that was to preside over the nation’s religious life.

Chapter 28 is a portrayal of the ideal high priest, a foreshadowing or ‘type’ of Christ.

But it also contains references to Aaron’s sons (1, 40) and, therefore, in a way, to the “priests” or priesthood.

The priests were going to minister in the tabernacle in a variety of ways:

they would burn incense on the golden altar twice daily,

they would maintain the lampstand and its oil

they would take care of the table of the bread of the Presence,

they would offer sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering, (including taking care of the altar itself)

and they were to bless the people.

These essential duties were the ones that took place inside the tabernacle…but their job description had many other items under the category: “other duties as assigned”

things like:

presiding over civil cases (e.g., Num.

5:5–31; Deut.

19:17; 21:5),

instructing people in the Law (Deut.

17:9, 11; 33:8, 10),

and giving encouragement in times of war (Deut.

20:2–4).

That’s where they’re headed…here is where they got started...

Let’s take a look at how these priests were singled out by the LORD for His service.

Chapter 28 describes the clothes or robes the high priest is to wear.

- it’s very much like a uniform.

Imagine you are going about your daily business one day, when someone tells you, “Stop!”

It has a tremendous impact on your response... if you see that they are wearing a police uniform.

It’s a sign that they’re acting with the authority of the state.

In a similar way, the priest’s robes give them “dignity and honour”.

They are a sign that the priest is acting with the authority of God.

But there’s more going on than that.

These robes are rich with symbolism.

We will not be diving into every nook and cranny of these intelligent designer threads - this is not an Old Testament version of Say Yes to the Dress…(maybe, “give a nod to ephod”…no?).

Let’s take a look at these threads, though.

There were 7 seven pieces of clothing for the high priest to wear.

1. undergarments (vv.

42–43);

2. a white inner robe (“coat”; v. 39; 39:27; Lev.

8:6–7);

3. a blue robe over that, with bells and pomegranates on the hem (Ex.

28:31–35; 39:22–26);

4. the ephod, a sleeveless garment of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet, held together by a jeweled clasp on each shoulder (28:6–8; 39:1–5; Lev.

8:7);

5. a girdle (or belt) at the waist (Ex.

28:8);

6. a jeweled breastplate, held in place on the ephod by golden chains attached to the shoulder clasps (vv.

9–30; 39:8–21);

7. and a white linen turban (“miter,” 28:39) with a golden plate on it that said “Holy to the Lord” (v.

36, niv).

I’d like to highlight two of these pieces as a point of interest for us this morning - not focus, but interest.

The undergarments and the breastplate.

UNDERGARMENTS

It might seem odd that undergarments are listed…for us this seems like a bit of a throwaway detail.

But for the Israelites, this IMMEDIATELY contrasted their High Priest and their rites and ceremonies from the surrounding pagan practices of the other nations.

Since we are gathered this morning in various generations and little ears are listening…let me just say it this way:

The worship and sacrifices to pagan gods were salacious and done without garments of any kind.

Alec Motyer writes, “So it was that the high priest possessed inwardly, in that which was hidden from the eye, the beauty and the purity of holiness.”

This earthly priest was to be “pure, set apart from sinners”...

Of course…(you’re probably already there)...this ideal was realized in Jesus and in no other (Hebrews 7:26), the only priest who ‘does not need to offer sacrifices … for his own sins’, for he has none.

In Campbell Morgan’s memorable words (speaking of the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ), ‘He was the first Man to enter into the perfect light of heaven in the right of his own holiness.

Heaven had never before received such a Man … On that Ascension Day there came into heaven a Man Who asked no mercy.

Pure, spotless, victorious, He came into the light of heaven, and caused no shadow there.”

BREASTPLATE

The second item is this breastpiece.

(vv15-16)

This piece is tied to the front of the priest over the ephod (v 22–28).

Sown into it are twelve precious stones in four rows (v 17–20).

for the twelve “sons [or tribes] of Israel” (v 21).

As a result, “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord” (v 29).

The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were also inscribed on two stones, six on each, and placed on the shoulders of the ephod (v 9–14).

With the breastpiece and these stones, it allows the priest “to bear the names [of God’s people] near his head and his heart as a memorial before the Lord” (v 12).

The breastpiece is referred to as the Breastpiece of decision, or judgment.

Do you see that little pouch sticking out?

It’s a connection to how the LORD directed the Priest on major decisions at the time.

It’s probably a reference to the Urim and Thummim, which were kept in a pocket in the breastpiece.

We don’t really know what these were except that they were used for making decisions.

They probably involved different coloured stones which were selected at random to determine God’s will—a bit like drawing a raffle ticket, but with complete confidence that God would use the draw to reveal his will.

It’s strange.

It’s at a different historical time.

It’s still God leading His dear children along…but aren’t you glad for the Word of God and the Spirit of God?

Sinclair Ferguson says that knowing God’s will “comes through a combination of the study of God’s word (where we learn the great principles of his will), a heart which is submitted to the Lord of the word, and the help of the Spirit who illuminates the word and leads us into a true application of its principles to our own situation” (emphasis his).

Whenever we are uncertain what to do, we should pray that the Spirit would use the Word to show us the way.

And God will answer our prayers, for the Bible says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (Jas.

1:5).

SACRFICES REQURED

CHAPTER 28 provided the Visual Aid of the priests’ separation, but guess what.

They were still sinners.

Right clothes were not enough to allow them into the Lord’s presence.

In CHAPTER 29, we see how they were to be cleansed, and sacrifices made as an offering for their sin and covering.

They were first washed from head to toe, symbolizing spiritual cleansing (v.

4).

Next they were clothed with the garments (vv.

5-6) mentioned in chapter 28.

Then they were ready to be ordained.

There was anointing oil to pour on their heads, showing that they were set apart for their ministry (v. 7).

A bull and 2 rams were sacrificed.

Blood was applied to the right ears, thumbs, and big toes of the priests.

There was a meal.

They did this every day for 7 days.

Then they entered the temple to sacrifice EVER DAY.

Lambs, grain, oil…they sacrificed and worshiped EVERY DAY!

WOW! Just wow! That’s a lot.

And we are skimming the surface of detail.

Of all the lines of focus we can take through this text…I’d like to hone in 2 that absolutely apply to us today.