Sermon Tone Analysis

Exodus 28

Priestly Garments (v.

1-5)

v. 1 - The priesthood was strictly hereditary.

The benefits: 1) priests held no power, there role was strictly to help the community, 2) with it being heredity, there was a reduced chance of corruption entering the religions leadership.

No one could buy or force there way into priesthood 3) priests don’t have to worry about popularity because they never had to run to be elected

1 Pet.

2:9, we are a royal priesthood, Rom.

8:16-17- being heirs with Christ is what grants us that royal priesthood

v. 2 - Sacred/holy garments were made for the priests, Aaron and his 4 sons

The priestly garments were only to be worn when the priests were serving in the tabernacle

Priestly Garment

v. 3 - This garment was specially crafted by men God filled with wisdom (see breastplate Ez. 28)

v. 4 - The priestly garments are made of the breastplate, ephod, robe, embroidered coat, turban, and sash

Ephod (v.

6-14)

This was the sleeveless outer garment that covered the priest’s upper body

The ephod was probably a sleeveless outer garment that covered the priest’s upper body.

Apparently it had two parts, a front and a back, that were fastened on two shoulder pieces with straps (braided chains) of gold with mounted onyx stones (v.

9) and held to the body with a belt at the waist (v.

8).

On the two onyx stones were to be engraved the names of Israel’s 12 tribes (6 … on each stone, v. 10) so that as Aaron entered the tabernacle he would bear Israel’s names … before God (v.

12).

v. 9 - the 2 onyx stones on the shoulders signify a weight that is being carried.

Like the expression “I have a lot on my shoulders”.

Isaiah 9:6 talks about Jesus being born and how the government will rest on His shoulders.

Another passage I want look at is Luke 15:5, and in v. 5 where it says “when he has found it, he lays it on his SHOULDERS...”.

Ps. 55:22, When we cast our burdens on Jesus, He places them on His shoulders.

So when you’re casting your cares onto Him, you’re literally casting yourself onto Jesus because sometimes you are your own burden

Breastplate (v.

15-30)

v. 15 - Also called the breastplate of judgement (MEV).

This has 12 precious stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel.

Because each stone was engraved with the tribes, it serves as a reminder of the priest’s responsibility as the people’s representative

Jesus also serves as our representative as He is our High Priest, Advocate, and Mediator (Heb.

2:17, Heb.

12:4, 1 Tim.

2:5)

Breastplate

Another passage that mentions 9/12 stones is in Ezekiel 28:11-19 .

The King of Tyre (Satan)

Ezekiel was not describing an ideal man or a false god in verses 11–26.

But his switch from “ruler” to “king” and his allusions to the Garden of Eden do imply that the individual being described was more than human.

The best explanation is that Ezekiel was describing Satan who was the true “king” of Tyre, the one motivating the human “ruler” of Tyre.

Satan was in the Garden of Eden (Gen.

3:1–7), and his chief sin was pride (1 Tim.

3:6).

He also had access to God’s presence (cf.

Job 1:6–12).

Speaking of God’s judging the human “ruler” of Tyre for his pride (Ezek.

28:1–10), the prophet lamented the satanic “king” of Tyre who was also judged for his pride (vv.

11–19).

Tyre was motivated by the same sin as Satan, and would suffer the same fate.

v. 12 - Full of wisdom ( filled with the spirit of wisdom) and perfect in beauty

The seal/signet of perfection - A signet is an official seal used to give personal authority to a document in lieu of a signature

SEALS, MESOPOTAMIAN.

Seals take two forms in Mesopotamia: stamp and cylinder.

The earliest seals are small geometric pieces of stone, bone, or fired clay, one surface engraved with a design and a back by which it can be handled (Buchanan 1984).

Cylinder seals are short tubes (avg.

20 mm) of stone drilled through the center and engraved around their circumference.

Both stamps and cylinders are engraved in intaglio to produce a positive impression when rolled or stamped on a receptive surface.

Seals may bear either design or inscription or both.

Designs include scenes of everyday life, warfare, sport, gods, legends, myth, and ritual activities.

Such scenes provide information on activities poorly recorded in texts or archaeological deposits as well as evidence of a monumental art no longer extant (Amiet 1973).

Seal inscriptions most commonly refer to the owner’s name, but also may include his patronymic, office or profession, political allegiance, and/or religious affiliation (Gelb 1977).

Thus seal inscriptions are excellent sources of information on onomastics, administrative hierarchies, political history, and religious preferences.

Seal impressions on clay documents or their envelopes both protected the integrity of the contents and served to identify the sealer as author, witness, agent, buyer, or seller, depending on the contents and purpose of the text (Leemans 1982).

So before Satan’s fall, he was not simply perfect, but the embodiment of perfection

v. 13 - In the Garden of Eden, covered with the precious stones (He had a breastplate and an ephod as seen in Ex. 28:11 the 2 onyx stones were engraved “like the engravings of a signet”)

The earliest seals are small geometric pieces of stone, bone, or fired clay, one surface engraved with a design and a back by which it can be handled

9 stones were crafted in gold ( just like the ephod) - These stones symbolized Satan’s beauty and high position

Book called Birthright by Timothy Alberino - talked about how these 9 stones could also represent the 9 planets (old notes).

I talked about this a while back when we first started Bible Recap

v. 14 - an anointed guardian cherub

Just like the priests vs the children of Israel, no angel could just approach kind any kind of way.

The cherubim were the “inner circle” of heavenly beings who had the closest access to God and guarded His holiness.

This can be seen illustrated by the ark of the covenant with the 2 cherubim surrounding the mercy seat.

Can also be seen in Ezekiel 10:1-14.

v. 14 - he was on the holy mountain of God - Satan had free access to God’s holy mountain.

Similar to Moses who was given permission to approach God on Mt.

Sinai

V. 29-30 - Aaron placed the Urim and Thummin in the breastplate and it was right over Aaron’s heart

Urim means light, Thummim means perfections

Representation of Aaron bearing the judgment of the children of Israel, just like Jesus bore our sins when He died on the cross for us except it was for the whole world and not just Israel

Urim, Thummin

These were stones cast like lots to determine God’s will (Num.

27:21, 1 Sam.

14:37-41, 1 Sam.

28:6, Ezra 2:63, Neh.

7:65)

The use of the Urim and Thummin were discontinued after the time of King David and replaced with prophets as the chief means of knowing God’s will

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (28:29–30)

Another purpose is indicated in the Urim and the Thummim, which were the means by which the priests made decisions for the Israelites (cf.

v. 15).

The breastpiece was “folded double” (v.

16) to form a kind of pocket for the Urim and Thummim.

The “Urim” and “Thummim,” which mean “lights” and “perfections,” are referred to in Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 30:7–8 (the “ephod” suggests the Urim and Thummim); Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65.

They were means of seeking from God through the priest answers to questions and crises beyond human perception.Apparently the Urim and Thummim were two stones.

How they were used in determining God’s will is unknown, but some suggest the Urim represented a negative answer and the Thummim a positive answer.

Perhaps this view is indicated by the fact that Urim (’ûrîm) begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and Thummim (tūmmîm) with the last letter.

Others suggest that the objects simply symbolized the high priest’s authority to inquire of God, or the assurance that the priest would receive enlightenment (“lights”) and perfect knowledge (“perfections”) from God.

Other Priestly Garments (v.

31-43)

The robes were completely blue and on the hems were gold bells

They reminded the priest to perform his duties exactly according to the law and indicated to the people that he was within the holy precinct.

Not the same as the hem of Jesus’ garment (https://endofthematter.com/2015/10/why-is-there-healing-in-the-hem-of-jesus-garment/ )

The purpose was so that the priest could be heard going in and out of the presence of God so he didn’t die

The turban had an engraved plate on the front of it that said HOLY TO THE LORD

They also wore tunics

Exodus 29