Holy Garments for Holy Work
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Aaron’s wardrobe made according to the divine design.
Aaron’s wardrobe gives us a picture of both Christ and the church that is in Christ.
1. Clothing Fit For A High Priest, 39:1-31.
1. Clothing Fit For A High Priest, 39:1-31.
A. Ephod, verses 1-7
A. Ephod, verses 1-7
First piece made was the ephod (Exodus 39:2-5)
Unusual, sleeveless garment attached by two shoulder straps. Each shoulder strap (39:6-7) had a stone on it, bearing the names of six of the twelve tribes of Israel. By this visual picture, we see that the priest represented the nation by bearing them on his shoulders before the LORD.
Every time the high priest went about his priestly duties, he was seen as serving God on Israel’s behalf. It was not only the priest who had forgiveness, cleansing, illumination, communion and intercession: these blessings were for all the people of God, as represented by their High Priest. The ephod was worn by Aaron to show that he was bringing God’s people into God’s presence.
B. Breastpiece, verses 8-21
B. Breastpiece, verses 8-21
The second piece of the High Priest’s garment was the breastpiece.
Exodus 28 tells us that the breastpiece was for judgment; that is, making decisions. It was a pouch which contained the Urim and Thummim -- what the high priest used to consult the will of God for Israel.
1) The Making of It, verses 8-14.
1) The Making of It, verses 8-14.
The breastpiece was also a visual representation of Israel. It was decorated with twelve precious and semi-precious stones, each engraved with one of the names of the twelve tribe of Israel.
2) The Positioning of It, verses 15-21.
2) The Positioning of It, verses 15-21.
Once it was assembled, it was attached to the ephod with gold chains (Exodus 39:15-21). The chains kept the breastpiece where it belonged.
There is a symbolism in the breastpiece as well as the ephod. Whereas the ephod showed that the High Priest carried the burdens of the people on his shoulders, the breastpiece showed that he wore their concerns close to his heart. The High Priest’s ministry was one of both support and sympathy.
C. Robe, verses 22-26
C. Robe, verses 22-26
The robe was the third major piece of clothing for the high priest. It was a long, seamless garment of royal blue. Its construction is described in Exodus 39:22-26.
This robe was rich in symbolic significance. Woven out of a single piece of cloth, it showed what kind of wholeness and integrity God demanded in His priests.
The pomegranates were a sign of fruitfulness, full of seeds. The golden bells were for safety because the high priest had to wear them when He entered the Holy Place or else he would die.
D. The Turban, verses 27-31
D. The Turban, verses 27-31
Completing the wardrobe, there were several accessories topped off with a turban.
When completed it was unique, setting apart the high priest. Each piece had symbolic significance and the ornate clothing showed that he had a unique calling, consecrated for the holy service of God.
Three things mentioned in Exodus 28 tell us what Aaron’s garments were to convey: holiness, glory, and beauty. These garments were holy, only to be worn during the service in the Tabernacle. They were glorious garments, exalting the priestly office in the eyes of the people. The garments were beautiful, harmonizing with the Tabernacle furnishings
The turban was the crowning glory of the high priest. It had a golden plate which summarized his priestly calling: “Holy to the LORD.” The high priest was holy for the people before God. The people were not holy; they kept sinning against God. How could they enter His holy presence? They could not, but they had a priest who could enter on their behalf, who was “holy to the LORD.”
2. Jesus Christ, Our High Priest
2. Jesus Christ, Our High Priest
In Israel, no one held a more privileged, prominent position than the high priest. But there is one problem: he was not a perfect high priest; he was subject to infirmities and death like all men. As a man, He was also subject to sin. He could wear the sign on his forehead which declared he was “Holy To The LORD,” but what was in his heart? The psalmist declared that the high priest was supposed to be “clothed with righteousness” (Psalm 132:9). Holy clothes do not make a man holy, and here it was that the high priest fell short of perfection. He had to make atonement for his own sins as much as for the sins of anyone else.
But now God has provided a perfect salvation for us in Jesus Christ. The Scriptures call Jesus our “great High Priest” (Heb. 4:14), “a great High Priest over the house of God” (Heb. 10:21). We need someone to make atonement for our sins, or we perish. We need someone to usher us into the holy presence of God. We need someone to pray for us in our trials and temptations.
The high priest in Exodus gives a picture of the priestly ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus does for us what the high priest did for Israel.
He offers the sacrifice for our sins
He brings us into God’s presence
He prays for what we need
He carries us on His shoulders, like the shoulder stones of the ephod
He takes our needs to heart, like the gemstones on the breastpiece.
He is robed in royal righteousness
His perfect life bears this inscription: “Holy To The LORD.”
But Jesus is superior in every way to the high priest in Exodus.
Jesus ministers for us in a superior place — heaven itself (Heb. 8:1, 2; 9:24)
Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
Jesus ministers to us with superior righteousness. He has a perfect divine nature and a perfect human nature, unstained by sin (Heb. 7:26, 27a).
For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;
who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
He has no need to offer any sacrifices for his own sins because he is the priest “who has been made perfect forever” (Heb. 7:28b).
For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.
For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.
Jesus ministers to us with superior sympathy. Jesus has suffered death and endure temptation to the point of victory over Satan; therefore He is able to show us sympathy. No matter what we are going through, Jesus understands (Heb. 4:15, 16).
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Knowing that Jesus cares about our concerns gives us the confidence to take all our troubles to Him
Jesus ministers to us with superior longevity. By His resurrection Jesus lives forever, and thus his priestly ministry continues forever. He is our eternal High Priest (Heb. 7:23-25).
The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing,
but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.
Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Jesus ministers to us with a superior sacrifice. The high priest of Israel could only offer the blood of animals to atone for sin, but Jesus shed His own blood when He died on the cross (Heb. 9:12).
and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
He freely chose to be the sacrificial victim as well as the sacrificing priest, offering His own body unto death to make atonement for our sins.
Because Jesus is the sinless Son of God, His sacrifice was perfect, sufficient to pay for all our sins.
Once Jesus had offered Himself, the whole system of sacrifice was finished forever (Heb. 9:25, 26b).
nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.
Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Jesus is not simply our great High Priest; He is or perfect high priest who will perfectly save any one who trusts in Him.
3. The Church as God’s Priests.
3. The Church as God’s Priests.
Jesus did all this for us to enable us—as unrighteous as we are--to serve the holy God, Heb. 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
The church is described in the NT as a holy and royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:4, 9).
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Rev. 1:5-6.
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—
and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Every believer in Jesus Christ is a priest of the Most High God
In Israel, only a priest is qualified to enter the Tabernacle grounds. As God has made us priests through Christ, we too are invited to come in. It is on the basis of the blood Jesus shed for our sins that we can approach His throne of grace through prayer.
Prayer is a significant part of our duties as God’s priests. We intercede on behalf of others: our neighbors, the local church, and the church around the world. But what about offering sacrifices?
We do not need to bring any sacrifices at all. Jesus made the supreme sacrifice when he died on the cross and atoned for our sins once for all.
But the Bible says there are some sacrifices we can bring.
Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Heb. 13:15
Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Worshiping God publicly and privately is fulfilling our priestly duty to offer “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5)
Our calling as priests demands complete holiness. In ourselves, we are not. But the righteousness of Christ is our only hope that God will accept us and our ministry. It is to be our everyday garment for the holy work He has called us to pursue daily.