Exodus 28.1-14-Summary Introduction To The Chapter Followed By Instructions Regarding The Ephod
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday May 6, 2012
Journey Through The Bible Series: Exodus 28:1-14-Summary Introduction To The Chapter, Followed By Instructions Regarding The Ephod
Lesson # 34
Please turn in your Bibles to Exodus 28:1.
In Exodus chapters 26 and 27, the Lord gave Moses instructions with regards to the construction of the tabernacle and its furniture.
Now in Exodus chapter 28, He gives Moses instructions concerning the attire of the priests and specifically those connected to the high priesthood rather than the Levitical priesthood which would come later.
Both of which would officiate in the tabernacle on behalf of the Lord and the Israelites.
These priests would minister in the tabernacle in several different ways: (1) burning incense on the golden altar twice daily. (2) maintain the lampstand (Numbers 18:3) (3) maintain the table of showbread (Numbers 18:3) (4) maintain and offer sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering (Leviticus 9) (5) bless the people (6) preside over civil cases (Numbers 5:5-31; Deuteronomy 19:17; 21:5) (7) instruct the Israelites in the Law (Deuteronomy 17:9, 11; 33:8, 10). (8) give encouragement in time of war (Deuteronomy 20:2-4). (8) function in the Holy Place (Exodus 30:7-10). (9) ceremonially inspect unclean persons (Leviticus 13; 14). (10) collect taxes from the people (tithes) (Numbers 18:21, 26; Hebrews 7:5).
So Exodus 28 concerns itself exclusively with the sacred clothing of the high priest, which would be at this time in the narrative, Aaron and his successors who were from the tribe of Levi.
These priests from the tribe of Levi would officiate over the offerings described in Leviticus 1-7.
It might appear to some that an entire chapter is devoted to the garments of the priests.
However, what the clothing symbolized was extremely important to the Israelites and God.
The clothing expressed the fact that the priests were ordained to serve the Lord in the tabernacle as well as the Israelites.
The sacramental wardrobe of Aaron and his sons spoke of their authority as well as the glory of the Lord.
Exodus 28 concentrates on the clothing for the high priesthood rather than the priesthood in general.
Leviticus 8 is specifically devoted to regulations concerning the priests in general.
However, both chapters share many common elements since the high priest was not very much different than ordinary priests since the roles, ordination and equipment of both groups overlap.
The priests would function as the Lord’s servants in the tabernacle in the sense that they serve both the guests (the Israelites) and the host (the Lord).
The worshippers of the Lord in the tabernacle were his guests and the priests were the servants.
The guests in the tabernacle worship brought their own food however but not because it was theirs but because they sought to honor the Lord.
The meal in the tabernacle demonstrated that the Lord and the Israelites had a relationship with each other since only allies in the ancient world ate together and not enemies.
Exodus 28:1 “Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. 2 You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me. 4 These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me. 5 They shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet material and the fine linen.” (NASB95)
Verse 1 teaches that the priesthood in Israel was inherited or in other words, it was to be passed down from generation to generation within a family and specifically within the family of Moses’ brother Aaron.
It was not be an office that was purchased (cf. 2 Chronicles 13:9-10), nor was a person elected to the office.
It was not assumed through power or influence (2 Chronicles 26:16-21).
Only God could make a person a priest and it was not by human choice.
The name “Aaron” is more than likely an Egyptian name since it does not seem to have any specific meaning in Hebrew or the Canaanite language.
In fact, the name of Moses and Miriam appear to be Egyptian names as well for the same reason.
The fact that the Lord has to identify Aaron as Moses’ brother when talking to Moses indicates that the name “Aaron” was common among other Israelites and non-Israelites who were part of the mob which left Egypt (12:38).
Vestments signified authority in the ancient world.
Since there was no monarchy in ancient Israel, the garments of the high priest would serve to indicate that he was the leader of the people (cf. Zechariah 3:5-7; Matthew 26:65).
The garments worn by Aaron and his sons conferred dignity and authority upon them, which a king would have worn in other cultures.
The garments of the high priest in ancient Israel would confirm his role as the representative of the Lord with regards to worship.
Verse 1 identifies the priestly succession in that the Lord personally names who will follow Aaron upon his death, namely Nadab, followed by Abihu, Eleazar and then Ithamar.
In verses 2-5, the Lord gives Moses the names of the six most important of the eight priestly garments which He would require for Aaron and his sons to wear.
He would describe these garments later during the chapter in greater detail.
These verses are presenting a sort of overview for the rest of the chapter, which would be followed by specific details during the course of the chapter.
Interestingly, the same fabrics and colors that would be used to make the priestly garments would be used in making the inner curtains and entrance curtain of the tabernacle.
This emphasizes that these fabrics and clothing were to reflect the dignity and honor of the office of the high priest as well as the tabernacle itself.
The phrase “the holy garments” would represent the fact that Aaron and his sons were set apart exclusively for the priesthood in order to serve the Lord and the Israelites.
This phrase emphasizes that the garments that the priests would wear represented the honor and dignity and authority of the office they would hold.
Exodus 28:6 “They shall also make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of the skillful workman. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, that it may be joined. 8 The skillfully woven band, which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in filigree settings of gold. 12 You shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for a memorial. 13 You shall make filigree settings of gold, 14 and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of twisted cordage work, and you shall put the corded chains on the filigree settings.” (NASB95)
“Ephod” is the noun ʾē∙p̄ōḏ (אֵפֹד) (ay-fode´), which refers to a garment like that of a vest or a coat over one’s robe, which the high priest was to wear in the tabernacle when serving.
It was the distinguishing mark of the high priest Aaron.
Exodus 28:4-5 tell the reader that the material used to make this garment of the high priest was gold, blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen.
In Exodus 28, the “ephod” referred to a garment or a piece of clothing that covered the body from thigh to shoulder without covering either the arms or legs.
It was typically worn by priests or temple servants (e.g. 1 Samuel 2:18; 22:18).
The ephod worn by Aaron was a very elaborate and impressive sort of ceremonial vest or coat worn over his other garments.
Symbolically, it signified that Aaron was to represent God among the Israelites.
It became a symbol of God’s presence among the Israelites.
This chapter distinguishes the ephod from the breastpiece, which was attached to it for the purpose of discerning God’s will through the Urim and Thummin.
The term “ephod” eventually referred to both articles in the sense of the breastpiece attached to the ephod since they were not used separately but always together.
The books in the Old Testament that come after Exodus use the term “ephod” on a consistent basis to refer to both articles of clothing.
The ephod was made of the same fabric and colors as the rest of Aaron’s garments as well as the inner curtains of the tabernacle itself.
Exodus 28:6 tell the reader that it was to be made by a skilled craftsman which would thus make it a high-quality garment.
The two shoulder pieces mentioned in Exodus 28:7 were either loops or straps that permitted the front and the back of the garment to be tied together once the ephod was placed on the high priest.
The ephod was to be secured around Aaron’s waist according to Exodus 28:8 since the phrase “woven band” actually refers to a woven waistband which the NET Bible brings out in its translation of the verse.
A special, elaborate “waistband” was to be attached to the ephod and was to be of the same fabric and color as the rest of the ephod.
This “waistband” would be tied around Aaron, the high priest much like the waistband of a bathrobe or waistband that ties at the front of a jacket or vest.
In Exodus 28:9-10, we have the Lord telling Moses that two onyx stones were to have the names of the sons of Israel engraved on them with six of the names on one stone and the other remaining six on the second stone according to the order of their birth.
Onyx was a type of quartz with varicolored bands and was imported in biblical times as a precious stone comparable in value to gold and sapphire (Genesis 2:12; Job 28:16).
The variously colored bands of onyx make it an excellent material for carving in the sense that a skilled engraver can carve the stone so that the engraving is in a completely different color than the background, which would make it a highly suitable material for signets and seals.
Genesis 29:31-30:24 along with Genesis 35:16-18 contain the record of the birth of Jacob’s children who would later become the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel, from whom the Messiah Jesus Christ in His human nature would descend.
The accounts in Genesis 29-30 and Genesis 35 are organized in such a way as to suggest the order of birth of Jacob’s sons.
Therefore, from these two accounts, the names engraved on the onyx stones of the ephod of the high priest starting on the right shoulder and continuing in order would have been Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan and Naphtali.
The left shoulder would have had the names of Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.
The significance of the birth order only suggested that just as Jacob’s sons were born in order to him whose descendants became the house of Israel, so the high priest represented the entire family of Israel in God’s presence as symbolized by the ephod shoulder stones.
Exodus 28:11-14 tells the reader that the onyx stones were to be carefully engraved with the names of the sons of Israel cut deeply and permanently in the stones, which were to be mounted in filigree or fancy gold settings that would enhance their dignity.
The stones were to be fastened permanently to the shoulders of the ephod by braided gold chains.
This was to be worn by Aaron whenever he ministered in the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle.
This was to remind the Israelites that Aaron represented not only himself but the entire house of Israel.
It was to emphasize that everyone in Israel was important to the Lord with no exceptions.
These onyx stones would hang by their special gold chains and would of course swing as Aaron moved, which would be a visible reminder of the Israelites corporate solidarity with Aaron before the Lord.