The Tabernacle - The High Priest
Exo 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.
The Tabernacle and all it’s beautiful furnishings was inaccessible and of no benefit to the Israelites without a mediating priesthood.
They needed a mediating priest. Someone to represent them before God.
The concept of priesthood was not new with the Tabernacle.
During the time of the patriarchs the head of each household functioned as a mediating priest on behalf of his family.
Job offered burnt offerings for his family Job 1:5
Noah Gen 8:20
Abraham Gen 12:7-8 13:18 22:9
Isaac Gen 26:25
Jacob Gen 33:20
The concept of a mediating priesthood goes back to the beginning chapters of the Bible.
From the beginning God was teaching the need of a mediator and a substitute sacrifice.
Mosaic Covenant – Israel was to be a kingdom of priests
Exo 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine:
Exo 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
But this was conditional. They had to obey Ex 19:5
Israel refused to obey. Their standing as kingdom of priests was dissolved.
God then chose Aaron and his sons.
They were divinely called by God.
The priests were not chosen by the people or self appointed.
This is just one of the ways that the priests pictured Christ.
Christ our high priest was commissioned and sent into the world by the appointment and authority of God the Father.
Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Priests were to have no Physical defects.
Levites were rejected for body blemishes, blindness, lameness, flat nose, limbs deformed, broken hand or foot, hunchback, dwarfism, defective eyes, scabs. Lev 21:22-23
The priests were a picture of Jesus our Great High Priest. They were to have no defects because Jesus was without sin. A deformed priest would not be a very good picture of the perfect Son of God.
What Israel failed to obtain as a kingdom of priests under the law, God has freely given to all believers in the church age thru grace.
The church has been called to be a kingdom of priests.
1Pe 2:9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Under the law you had to be born into the priesthood.
When we accept Christ we are born into the family of God. We also become believer priests on the basis of birthright.
Our position that we were given as believer priests is far above that of the Aaronic priests. Our priesthood is a royal priesthood. We are believer priests through Jesus Christ and not after Aaron. Jesus is the king of kings. We are born again into His family and made believer priests and that makes it a Royal priesthood.
The whole body of believers have been formed into a kingly priesthood. Therefore there is no need for an earthly hierarchy of priest to represent believers before God.
Jesus tore away the barrier between God and mankind. Now every believer has direct access to the throne of God.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And [having] an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 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.
1Ti 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
There is no more human mediator showing the picture of the true High Priest.
The Catholics have it wrong. The priesthood has ended.
All believers today are believer priests. Every believer can approach the throne for himself.
And as believer priests we are to be a people to be set apart.
1Pe 2:9 But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech [you] as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
We are to be a holy distinct people. We are called to serve our Lord.
Our heart should not desire to be like the lost world around us. Our attitudes and actions are to be different.
We are to be a peculiar people. We have been bought with a price 1 Cor. 7:23. And are a unique possession of God.
The Old Testament priesthood has ended. And we are not to try to resurrect it like the Catholics or the Mormons.
But we can learn from what the Old Testament priesthood pictured.
One example is the clothing that the priests wore.
Exo 28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
Exo 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.
Exo 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.
Yes it did matter how the High Priest dressed. He could not come in clothing of his own choosing. He was NOT to minister in shorts and a polo shirt. Comfort was not the issue. Following God’s specific instructions on the clothing for service was.
This was because each piece of clothing had divine truth and spiritual teaching that was typical of the Lord Jesus Christ and His ministry. They had to wear this specific clothing to show the picture.
The pictures have been fulfilled so there is no more need for us to wear this clothing. We are not to learn from this section of scripture of how to dress for worship. But we are to learn from the timeless truths that the clothing pictured.
Some groups do not understand that. Mormons for example get their idea of Holy underwear from this chapter of Exodus. Anyone who is married in their temple must wear the underwear for life. They are to wear them all the time. This teaching can be taken to extremes. Some will never take them off. When they shower they leave the old pair wrapped around an ankle. After they dry off they will put a new pair on one leg. Only then do they take the old pair off. Then they will finish putting on the new pair. A relative went so far as to not store her underwear in her bedroom. She kept a clean stack in the bathroom. It was the only clothing she stored there. She wanted them close by when she got out of the shower. I understand that this is not how all Mormons are taught to do it. Any ritual in a works related system can be taken to extremes. The thought process can become if it helps me to do it 98% of the time, then 100% must be better.
We have no need for rituals, symbols, pictures, and types today.
Everything has now been revealed. God’s word is complete.
We are complete in Christ. We do not need robes and funny hats today.
Some might argue tradition. Well the Bible warns us against tradition.
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
The first piece of Clothing mentioned is the Ephod.
Exo 28:5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
Exo 28:6 And they shall make the ephod [of] gold, [of] blue, and [of] purple, [of] scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
Exo 28:7 It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and [so] it shall be joined together.
The ephod was a piece of clothing that covered the priests chest and back. Many times in Israel’s history we read of the ephod. It became the symbol of the priestly office 1 Sam 2:28
The ephod was made of 4 colors. You should be well acquainted with them by now. Fine twined linen which is white speaks of purity and righteousness. It was also made of blue, the heavenly color Christ came from heaven, scarlet – shed blood the color of a servant. Purple the color of a king.
In addition to the 4 colors, the ephod had a gold thread running through it. This was symbolic of the Lord’s deity. The ephod that the High Priest wore with it’s 4 colors and it’s gold was pointing to Jesus who is the true High Priest.
The second piece of clothing is the girdle.
Exo 28:8 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.
The High priest also wore a girdle. This was a piece of clothing for a servant. Christ girded Himself with a towel and washed the disciples’ feet. John 13:4-17
As believer-priests, we are to be girded with the truth of God’s Word Eph. 6:14.
Third we have the onyx stones
Exo 28:9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
Exo 28:10 Six of their names on one stone, and [the other] six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
Exo 28:11 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.
Exo 28:12 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.
Exo 28:13 And thou shalt make ouches [of] gold;
Exo 28:14 And two chains [of] pure gold at the ends; [of] wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.
The high priest wore two onyx stones. They were engraved with the names of the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. The names were engraved in the order of their births. The stones were placed on the shoulders of the High priests and attached to the gold straps of the ephod. They were placed on the shoulders of the high priest to remind him that he was representing the 12 tribes of Israel before God during his ministry.
The shoulder is a place of burden a place of carrying a load.
This is a beautiful picture of Christ who bears the needs of all believers before the throne of God.
Heb 7:25 9:24 1 John 2:1
We can cast all our load upon Him. Jesus has the shoulders that are able to carry it.
Next we have the breastplate
Exo 28:15 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.
Exo 28:16 Foursquare it shall be [being] doubled; a span [shall be] the length thereof, and a span [shall be] the breadth thereof.
Exo 28:17 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.
Exo 28:18 And the second row [shall be] an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
Exo 28:19 And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
Exo 28:20 And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
Exo 28:21 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.
Exo 28:22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends [of] wreathen work [of] pure gold.
Exo 28:23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
Exo 28:24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen [chains] of gold in the two rings [which are] on the ends of the breastplate.
Exo 28:25 And [the other] two ends of the two wreathen [chains] thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put [them] on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.
Exo 28:26 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.
Exo 28:27 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.
Exo 28:28 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.
Exo 28:29 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.
Made of the same materials as the ephod the breastplate was doubled over to form a pouch in the center. 12 stones were set in gold and placed in rows on the front of the breastplate. The stones represented the 12 tribes of Israel.
The high priest bore the children of Israel upon his heart. Not on his back, not under his feet, but upon his heart. Each tribe was represented by a precious stone as he ministered before the Lord. Each stone was unique and He bore them all on His heart.
The Lord bears each Christian close to His heart as He represents us before God the Father.
We do have a Lord who cares.
The Urim and Thummim
Exo 28:30 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.
They were put in the pocket of the breastplate, resting over the heart of the high priest when he went before the Lord. Both were used in seeking divine counsel and guidance from the Lord Num. 27:21
We do not know exactly how the Urim and Thummim functioned in decision-making. We only know that they were used in determining the will of God for the Israelites.
Urim means light, which is a beautiful picture of Christ. Jesus is the true light.
John 8:12
Thummim means perfection. Perfection is found in Christ. 1 Pet 2:22.
He is our perfect counselor Col 2:3
We are to get our light, guidance, and judgment from Him. He is to be involved in our decision-making.
The Robe
Exo 28:31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all [of] blue.
Exo 28:32 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.
Exo 28:33 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:
Exo 28:34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
Exo 28:35 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.
The robe was a blue seamless garment. It reached to just below the knees of the high priest and had pomegranates and gold bells.
The bells speak of testimony. The bells would sound as the high priest ministered. This united the people with him as he ministered. Through the sounding of the bells the people were able to follow the priest’s movements and be in prayer with him as he ministered.
The Mitre
Exo 28:36 And thou shalt make a plate [of] pure gold, and grave upon it, [like] the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
Exo 28:37 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.
Exo 28:38 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.
Exo 28:39 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.
The Mitre was the headdress that was worn by the high priest.
A plate of pure gold was engraved with the worlds “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” it was tied to the front of the miter. Its purpose was two fold. It indicated that the high priest was to bear the iniquity of the holy things. The high priest was to carry away the iniquities of the people
The gold plate was to be always upon his forehead verse 38. So that the Israelites would be accepted before the Lord. Jesus did not have to wear the words “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” Because he is the Holy Lord.
As believer priests the gold plate on the miter reminds us that our lives and service are to be holy.
1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
The Breeches and Undergarments
Exo 28:40 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.
Exo 28:41 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.
Exo 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
Exo 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.
They were made from linen and were to cover the nakedness of the priest from the loins to the thighs verse 42. Many of the nations surrounding Israel did not cover their pagan priests like the Israelites did.
In fact much of the heathen worship was obscene with services performed by naked people.
God would not have worship done that way. God demanded that worship to Him be carried out in modesty and decency. The priests were to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Psa 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Modesty of dress is important when we come before Him in worship.
Once properly clothed they were fit for worship and service. We get properly clothed today when we get saved. As believer priests today we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.
As believer priests we are not to allow our garments to be spotted by the flesh.
We are to keep ourselves from the corruption of the world. We are commanded to set our affection on things above col 3:1-2
We have been clothed in His righteousness and are fit for worship and service.
We have by grace been given the privilege of direct access to God as believer priests.
We need to appreciate it, we need to take advantage of it, and we need to live like it.
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