EXODUS 28 - CLOTHED FOR SERVICE
Exodus 28
Aaron and his sons were called to serve the Lord as priests. In the Old Covenant, priests served as mediators between God and his people. And because God is Holy and man in sinful there were specific requirements for service – even down to the type of clothes that the priests wore. God commanded for priestly clothing to be made by skillful workers. God filled the workers with a spirit of skill to make garments of glory and beauty. (v. 1-3)
The clothing for priestly service included: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They were made with materials like shimmering gold, colorful yarn, and fine linen. There were stones embedded upon the shoulders and the chest of the garments to represented the sons of Israel. (v. 4-8)
The shoulder section of the priest’s garment had 12 onyx stones with the names of the son of Israel engraved upon each one. The priest was to carry the stones on his shoulders while he did the work of serving the people. Symbolically, it showed that the priest carried the people’s burdens before the Lord. (v. 9-14)
The breastpiece was also skillfully crafted with beautiful stones. On the breastpiece were 12 precious gems that also represented the 12 sons of Israel. The priest not only worked for the people by bearing stones upon his shoulders, but the names of the Son of Israel were also placed upon his heart. Symbolically, the priest was to bear the people’s names in love upon his heart anytime he entered the Holy Place for service. (v. 15-29)
Inside of the breastpiece was two more stones called the Urim and the Thummim. These stones were used by the priest to discern God’s will for his people. Exactly how these stones were used is not exactly described in this portion of scripture, but it was a way that God would speak his judgments to the people of Israel. (v. 30)
Additionally, the priest wore an all blue robe, with carefully made seams so that it would not tear. On the hems of the robe there were bells so that when the priest entered into the holy place, the sound of it would be heard. If the other priests who waiting outside of the Holy Place stopped hearing the bells it meant that the High Priest had died. And because no one else but the High Priest could enter the Holy Place to retrieve the body, a rope was tied around the priest’s leg to pull him out if he died in violation of God’s holy service. (v. 31-35)
On the priest’s turban was an engraved gold signet that said “Holy to the Lord”. The priest bore this on his forehead to bear any guilt from the people’s gifts to God. All of this clothing for priestly service shows that the Lord required holy consecration of his priests. If the priest came near to the Holy Place to minister, he needed to be clothed for holy service. If the priest was not properly clothed for service, he would bear that guilt and die. (v. 36-43).
As we consider this clothing for service – we are drawn to consider Jesus, our High Priest, who is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Jesus, however, did not wear any of these priestly garments. God in all of his beauty and glory, actually descended and draped himself in human flesh. Jesus walked as an ordinary man, in ordinary the clothing of his day. Yet Jesus is not ordinary, he is holy. So, what changed?
Well, rather than sinful man approaching a Holy God in the Old Covenant. A Holy God has approached sinful man in the New Covenant. Jesus, the better priest, bears our names upon his shoulders and upon his heart. Jesus demonstrated that by carrying a cross and dying for the sins of the world. Jesus has been consecrated as the one to bear the judgement of God’s people. He has been given the signet that says “Holy to the Lord” for God has accepted his sacrificial death in the true Holy Place, and the veil of the Holy Temple was torn in two when Jesus died. Jesus now clothes his people for service as we come to him to receive his righteousness by faith. When we come to Jesus as our mediator and High Priest and makes us priests unto God, he clothes us with his glory and beauty, and he calls us into his service to go and make disciples of all nations.