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Exodus Chapter 28
- Exodus 28:1 And take thou
unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among
the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the
priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and
Ithamar, Aaron's sons.
- 2 And thou shalt
make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for
beauty.
Here we see the ordained priesthood of Aaron
put in place to keep order and lead people in the proper worship of
God until the time when the priesthood was changed after the death,
burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The entire book of Hebrews deals with this
change and explains that the old priesthood of Aaron has been
replaced by the new. We no longer have to worship in a certain place
and the ones that serve in the capacity of a minister do not have to
dress differently than anyone else because now the High Priest is
Jesus Christ and all that believe in Him become kings and priests.
Until the time of Christ when a way was made
to cleanse individuals from sin and put within them the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit, they needed order and direction. The priests
were set apart, not to exalt themselves above their brethren but to
show how holy God is and that in our natural sinful state, we could
not just approach God in any manner. He cannot dwell with sin. To
enter His presence while we are full of sin, would kill us.
That is
why Jesus had to come into flesh or become human so that God became
a man and became the intercessor between God and man, paying the
price for our sins, cleansing us from sin and then filling us with
God's Holy Spirit. Now we do not need a human intercessor to enter
the presence of God. We come through Christ. Ministers are now
instructed to preach the gospel so that all can come to Christ for
salvation. They are not our intercessors between others and God but vessels to preach,
teach and instruct in the word of God. Interceding and agreeing with
people in prayer is still the job of all who believe in Christ, not
just the ministers but that type of interceding is not in place of
God but agreeing in prayer with us and also praying for the lost who
do not pray themselves.
In the time of the Exodus though they had to
do all things by the ordinances of the law as a schoolmaster to show
the seriousness of sin of the breaking of the law and how we all,
Jews and Gentiles alike need a savior from sin.
The garments of the priests at that time
represented, purity and the beauty of holiness. They actually
represented Christ the one that was to come. To observe the
ordinances of the law was actually an act of faith and obedience
until the time of Christ. They were saved by looking forward to
God's salvation and we are saved by looking back to that time but we
are all saved by the blood of Christ that He shed on Calvary. The
blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin but was a picture
of the innocent lamb of God, Jesus Christ whose blood is powerful
enough to take away our sin.
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Exodus 28:3 And thou shalt speak
unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the
spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to
consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's
office.
This was a very solemn and serious calling to
have. The priest had to be called of God and appointed to this
position. Just like Jesus was called to be the High priest forever.
He was called of God.
- Exodus 28:4 And these are the
garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and
a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they
shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons,
that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
- 5 And they shall
take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
- 6 And they shall
make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and
fine twined linen, with cunning work.
- 7 It shall have the
two shoulder pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and
so it shall be joined together.
- 8 And the curious
girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same,
according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
- 9 And thou shalt
take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the
children of Israel:
- 10 Six of their
names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the
other stone, according to their birth.
- 11 With the work of
an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt
thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of
Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
- 12 And thou shalt
put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of
memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their
names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
- 13 And thou shalt
make ouches of gold;
- 14 And two chains
of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them,
and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.
- 15 And thou shalt
make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the
work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of
purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou
make it.
- 16 Foursquare it
shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and
a span shall be the breadth thereof.
- 17 And thou shalt
set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the
first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this
shall be the first row.
- 18 And the second
row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
- 19 And the third
row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
- 20 And the fourth
row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in
gold in their inclosings.
- 21 And the stones
shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve,
according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every
one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
- 22 And thou shalt
make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of
pure gold.
- 23 And thou shalt
make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the
two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
- 24 And thou shalt
put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are
on the ends of the breastplate.
- 25 And the other
two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two
ouches, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod before
it.
- 26 And thou shalt
make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two
ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the
side of the ephod inward.
- 27 And two other
rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two
sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over
against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of
the ephod.
- 28 And they shall
bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the
ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious
girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from
the ephod.
- 29 And Aaron shall
bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of
judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place,
for a memorial before the LORD continually.
- 30 And thou shalt
put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and
they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goeth in before the
LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of
Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
- 31 And thou shalt
make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
- 32 And there shall
be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have
a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were
the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
- 33 And beneath upon
the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of
purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells
of gold between them round about:
- 34 A golden bell
and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem
of the robe round about.
- 35 And it shall be
upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh
out, that he die not.
- 36 And thou shalt
make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the
engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
- 37 And thou shalt
put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the
forefront of the mitre it shall be.
- 38 And it shall be
upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the
holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all
their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that
they may be accepted before the LORD.
- 39 And thou shalt
embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre
of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
- 40 And for Aaron's
sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them
girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for
beauty.
- 41 And thou shalt
put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and
shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that
they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
Here is the comments of Darby on the subject
of the priest's garments:
The garments were composed of
everything that is connected with the Person of Christ in this
character of priesthood; the breastplate, the ephod, the robe, the
broidered coat, the curious girdle, and the mitre. The ephod was,
par excellence, the priestly garment; made of the same things as the
veil, only that there was no gold in the latter, and there were
cherubims (but all enclosed inside the veil was gold, for God's
government and judgment were in Christ as Son of man): in the ephod,
gold but no cherubim, because the priest must have divine
righteousness, but was not in the place of rule and government
(compare Num. 4). It signified also the essential purity and the
graces of Christ. The girdle was the sign of service. The girdle was
of the same materials as the ephod to which it belonged.
Arrayed in these robes of glory and beauty,
the high priest bore the names of the people of God in the fullness
of their order before God; upon his shoulders, the weight of their
government, and upon the breastplate on his heart-breastplate which
was inseparable from the ephod, that is, from his priesthood and
appearing before God. He also bare, according to the perfections of
God's presence, their judgment before Him. He maintained them in
judgment before God according to these things. They therefore looked
for answers through the Urim and Thummim that were in the
breastplate; for the wisdom of our conduct is to be according to
this position before God.
Upon the hem of the robe of the ephod
there was the desirable fruit, and the testimony of the Holy Ghost,
which depended on the priesthood. I think that Christ, in entering
heaven, made Himself heard through the Holy Ghost in His people-hem
of His garment (compare Psalm 133); and He will make Himself heard
through His gifts when He comes out also. Meanwhile He bears within
also the iniquity of the holy things in holiness before the eternal
God. (This holiness is upon His very forehead.) Not only His people,
but their imperfect services are presented according to the divine
holiness in Him.
End of Darby's comments.
So we see that the garments represented the
holiness of God. This office was not to be taken lightly. Later when
the priests defiled their office with idolatry, greed and sin, it
was a very serious offense against God. We can read of the judgment
upon two of Aaron's sons as well as the sons of Eli the priest in
later years.
Something I see also when I read about the
engraving of the names of the tribes of Israel in verses 9-12 and
verse 21 is how much the children of Israel meant to God and how
each tribe had a place in the heart of God.
The story of Eli is in 2 Samuel chapter 2.
Verse 35 of that chapter prophesies of the coming of the anointed
eternal priest, Jesus Christ.
God's way is always holy. Holiness is taught
in both the Old and New Testaments. We must never take the
seriousness of sin lightly. Christ paid a high price for us to be
made holy enough to enter eternal life. For us to trample on His
blood and willingly return to sin after coming to Christ is a
serious offense just like those that knowingly went into idolatry
and broke the law of God in the days of Moses.
The way of Christ is so much better than
trying to live right by our own will power for we have been given
His Holy Spirit to abide within us and give us direction and power
to overcome sin and live by the righteousness of Christ put within
us.
This also shows the seriousness of being
modest especially in the office of the old order priesthood. Seems
to me that if they had to cover themselves completely that we should
also consider this. Its something to think about. Lust and sexual
immorality was to be avoided at all costs.
I wouldn't oppose the return to modesty in
dress as long as we don't make a religion out of it and substitute
it for the gospel itself as a way of salvation. We are never saved
by the way we dress but it is important. Immodesty can cause lust
and evil thoughts especially when we come into a place of worship as
a congregation.
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Exodus 28:43 And they shall be upon
Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle
of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to
minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and
die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after
him.
To be irreverent and unholy would actually
cause them to die prematurely. It was that serious. I think in these
last days we have lost some of the awe and reverence in out places
of worship.
When we study these ordinances and laws we
can see more clearly the importance of what Jesus did when He died
for our sins so that we could be made free from sin. It is awesome
to think about.
I want to include the 10th chapter of Hebrews
in this study on Exodus 28 to show us the change that took place at
the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It also shows the
holiness of God and the necessity never to take these holy things
lightly.
- Hebrews 10:1 For the
law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very
image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they
offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto
perfect.
- 2 For then
would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the
worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of
sins.
- 3 But in those
sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
- 4 For it is not
possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins.
- 5 Wherefore
when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering
thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
- 6 In burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
- 7 Then said I,
Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to
do thy will, O God.
- 8 Above when he
said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering
for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which
are offered by the law;
- 9 Then said he,
Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second.
- 10 By the which
will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all.
- 11 And every
priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the
same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
- 12 But this
man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat
down on the right hand of God;
- 13 From
henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
- 14 For by one
offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
- 15 Whereof the
Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said
before,
- 16 This is the
covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the
Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds
will I write them;
- 17 And their
sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18
Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for
sin.
- 19 Having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus,
- 20 By a new and
living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil,
that is to say, his flesh;
- 21 And having
an high priest over the house of God;
- 22 Let us draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our
hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed
with pure water.
- 23 Let us hold
fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised;)
- 24 And let us
consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
- 25 Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of
some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye
see the day approaching.
- 26 For if we
sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the
truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
- 27 But a
certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation,
which shall devour the adversaries.
- 28 He that
despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three
witnesses:
- 29 Of how much
sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who
hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the
blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy
thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
- 30 For we know
him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will
recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his
people.
- 31 It is a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Exodus 29
Exodus Index
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