Exodus Chapter 28 Deep-Dive: The Priestly Garments

Hosted by Joey and Matt 

biblebonesandligaments.com

Deep-dives into the Bible beyond what Sunday teaches you.

 

Ex CH 28 MOSES IS STILL ON MT SINAI RECEIVING INSTRUCTION FROM GOD FOR 40 DAYS,

IN THIS SECTION YAHWEH ESTABLISHES THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD:

Ex 28:1“Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

THE ISRAELITES KNOW WHAT A PRIEST IS, MELCHIZEDEK AND ABRAM, JETHRO – MOSES’ FATHER IN LAW THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN, ALSO, THERE WERE PRIESTS OF THE PAGAN GODS IN EGYPT … THE CONCEPT OF PRIESTHOOD WAS WELL KNOWN IN THE ANCIENT WORLD

THEY HANDLED SACRIFICES, RECEIVED OFFERINGS ON BEHALF OF GOD, PROVIDED MEDIATION BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND THEIR GOD … REPRESENTED THE PEOPLE TO GOD, DIFFERENT FROM A PROPHET WHO REPRESENTS GOD TO THE PEOPLE.

THE PEOPLE NEED A PRIEST – A MEDIATOR BETWEEN SINFUL MAN AND GOD. YAHWEH SETS UP HIS OFFICIAL PRIESTHOOD AT THIS TIME THROUGH AARON AND HIS SONS.

2And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, (GOD IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION AND ARTISTRY .. HE HAS ALREADY CHOSEN THE ARTISTANS) that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests.

5They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. SIMILAR TO THE HANGINGS SURROUNDING THE COURT OF THE TABERNACLE

6 “And they shall make the ephod LIKE A WOMAN’S JUMPER, OR APRON, of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth AS GOD DIRECTED THEM TO BE BORN … NOT BASED ON ANYTHING THEY DID LATER IN LIFE SUCH AS JOSEPH SUPPLANTING REUBEN AS THE FIRST-BORN. 11As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. THESE JEWELER SKILLS WERE MOST LIKELY LEARNED BY ISRAELITES WHO WERE CRAFTSMEN IN EGYPT. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings.

REPRESENTING THE TWELVE SONS OF JACOB/ISRAEL … ALL OF THE PEOPLE … BY TRIBES.

15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth. 17You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. AN UNBREAKABLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YAHWEH AND HIS PEOPLE … SECURITY. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord. 30And in the breastpiece of judgment (A POUCH IN THE BREASTPIECE) you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, USED TO COMMUNICATE GOD’S WILL … LIKE CASTING LOTS .,, BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY LOOKED LIKE OR SPECIFICALLY HOW THEY WERE USED and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the Lord. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the Lord regularly. PUT ON (AND REMOVED) BY THE HIGH PRIEST WHEN HE MINISTERS BEFORE THE LORD.

THE URIM AND THUMMIM, WHEN USED BY A PRIEST, PUT AN END TO DIVINATION & SORCERY IN ISRAEL … THIS WAS A TOOL THE ISRAELITES COULD USE TO SEEK AN ANSWER FROM GOD WHEN NO PROPHET WAS AVAILABLE. WE SEE KING SAUL AND DAVID USING IT IN THE BOOK OF 1 Sam ... Prov 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment, so that it may not tear. 33On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34a golden bell (MAKES NOISE) and a pomegranate (DECORATION), a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. THE SOUND HELPED THE PRIEST TO FOCUS ON WHAT HE WAS DOING BECAUSE SERVING YAHWEH INCORRECTLY IN THE TABERNACLE COULD GET YOU KILLED … YAHWEH’S DIRECTIONS ARE NOT TO BE IGNORED OR MOCKED, THE PRIEST MUST BE AWARE THAT HIS LIFE IS ON THE LINE IF HE DOESN’T FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND APPROACH GOD HUMBLY, WHO IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PERSON IN THE UNIVERSE? … YAHWEH … WE SERVE A DANGEROUS GOD!

36“You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord/YAHWEH.’ 37And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord. THE NAME YAHWEH & HOLINESS IS ENGRAVED ON AARON … AND AARON WILL BEAR THE GUILT FROM THE HOLY THINGS THE PEOPLE HAVE OFFERED TO GOD … EVERY SINGLE SACRIFICIAL ACT BY THE PEOPLE OF GOD WILL BE TAINTED BY SIN …

39“You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 “For Aaron’s sons (ALL PRIESTS) you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. NAKEDNESS … IMMODESTY … GOES BACK TO GOD’S DIRECTION REGARDING STONE ALTARS, NOT HIGH UP SO NAKEDNESS IS NOT EXPOSED.

FOUR OF THE ITEMS ARE COMMON TO ALL PRIESTS: TUNIC, SASH, HEADPIECE, AND UNDERGARMENTS 28:39-43 ALL MADE OF HIGH QUALITY WHITE LINEN – VERY EXPENSIVE (WHAT ANGELS WEAR AND WHAT THE BRIDE OF CHRIST WEARS Rev 19:7Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints) … AND, FOUR ITEMS UNIQUE TO THE HIGH PRIEST – WHICH HE ONLY WORE WHEN HE ENTERED THE HOLY TENT. 28:6-38 BREASTPIECE (WHICH HOLDS THE URIM AND THUMMIN – USED TO COMMUNICATE WITH GOD – TO LEARN HIS WILL), THE EPHOD, THE ROBE AND THE DIADEM (REPRESENTING ROYALTY, OR VICE REGENCY, KINGSHIP). THE HIGH PRIEST WAS A TYPE OF KING-PRIEST. HIS GARMENTS WERE ALSO MADE OF HIGH QUALITY LINEN BUT ALSO INCLUDED SOME ORNAMENTAL BLUE PURPLE & CRIMSON YARNS. THE HIGH PRIEST’S CLOTHES ARE SIMILAR TO THE CURTAINS OF THE SANCTUARY AND ITEMS IN THE SANCTUARY. THE WAY PRIESTS WERE DRESSED AND ESPECIALLY THE HIGH PRIEST, WAS THEOLOGICAL MESSAGING – THE HIGH PRIEST’S GARMENTS WERE DESIGNED TO REPRESENT AN IMAGE OF PRIESTLY ROYALTY

PRIESTS ARE HUMAN, APPOINTED BY GOD, INVOLVED IN THE WORK OF THE SANCTUARY, AND THEIR WORK IS INVOLVED IN MAKING INTERCESSION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND GOD – ESPECIALLY THE ROLE OF THE HIGH PRIEST, AND WE’LL SEE IN LEVITICUS THAT THEY WILL BLESS THE PEOPLE ON BEHALF OF GOD.

KEEP IN MIND THE ORIGINAL PLAN THAT GOD HAD … WHEN THE ISRAELITES FIRST ARRIVED AT SINAI AND MOSES WENT UP THE MOUNTAIN … THIS IS WHAT YAHWEH SAID TO HIM:

Ex 19:3 while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” WHAT GOD DESIRED FOR ISRAEL … THE NATION WOULD BE HIS WITNESS TO THE WORLD.

LET’S TIE IN JESUS … WHEN HE FIRST BEGAN HIS MINISTRY

Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned (FROM HIS 40 DAYS IN THE WILDERNESS WHERE HE WAS TEMPTED BY SATAN) in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 (QUOTING ISAIAH CH 61) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

LET’S READ THAT PASSAGE IN ISAIAH CH 61: The Year of the Lord’s Favor

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, THAT WAS WHERE JESUS STOPPED, THE REST THE PASSAGE WILL OCCUR AS JESUS BUILDS HIS CHURCH THROUGHOUT HISTORY AND AT HIS SECOND COMING … and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins; THE CHURCH WORKING IN THE WORLD) they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks; foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers; 6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. 7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy. 8 For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations, and their descendants in the midst of the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed. THE CHURCH 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (JESUS AND HIS BRIDE, THE CHURCH)11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.

GOD’S PLAN WAS FOR ISRAEL TO FULFILL THAT ROLE IN RELATION TO THE OTHER NATIONS – THE WHOLE EARTH, BUT IT’S TAKEN JESUS ALONG WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BRING IT ABOUT THROUGH THE CHURCH. WE ARE PRIESTS AND WE ARE KINGS IN THAT ONE DAY WE WILL SIT WITH JESUS ON HIS THRONE AND RULE THE NATIONS AND JUDGE ANGELS … JUDGING = MIDDLE MANAGEMENT

FINALLY, WE NEED A PRIEST NO LESS THAN THE ISRAELITES DID

Heb 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb 7:23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

AND THAT WILL WRAP UP EX CH 28

 

About

 

This is an audio broadcast, designed to encourage you to dive deeper into the most influential and impactful literature of all time: The Bible. This podcasts helps to show the benefits of reading/listening to the Bible, front to back, over and over and over endlessly. And study to fill the gaps for deeper understanding. Join us as we dissect the bones and ligaments of God’s written revelation to mankind through scripture.