Exodus 28: We have seen that the articles of furniture inside and outside of the tabernacle all speak of Yeshua Messiah. Also the materials of the construction of the tabernacle all point to the person and work of our Messiah.
Now we will see that the garments of the high priest speak of Messiah also.
(Exo 28:1 NASB) “Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me– Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
Exo 28:1: Aaron was made high priest. His sons were made priests also. They were called to a high order of service for Elohim.
Yeshua Messiah is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:11-17, Gen. 14:18-20). Melchizedek is referred to in the book of Genesis as a man who met Abraham and was called the “priest of the most High Elohim.” It is very interesting that Melchizedek is referred to as a high priest of Elohim and He came with bread and wine. Yeshua executes His priestly office after the pattern that was given to Aaron.
The sons of Aaron are priests also. They assisted the high priest in his duties.
(Exo 28:2 NASB) “And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
Exo 28:2: The last half of this book of Exodus does not give us thrilling action and mystery. It gives instruction that seems to be somewhat dull. However, close inspection shows that these chapters point to Messiah. That is one reason why they are very important to us today.
The Bible here uses instruction to paint pictures for us. Scripture is often a picture book and Elohim wants us to learn the truths He has for us by looking at these pictures.
The garments of the high priest are holy or set apart. These articles were for the glory of Elohim and were beautiful.
(Exo 28:3 NASB) “And you shall speak to all the skillful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me.
Exo 28:3: Aaron is to be set aside for the work of serving Elohim.
(Exo 28:4 NASB) “And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me.
(Exo 28:5 NASB) “And they shall take the gold and the blue and the purple and the scarlet material and the fine linen.
Exo 28:5: There are 6 items that comprise the priests garments. The first is the ephod.
(Exo 28:6 NASB) “They shall also make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of the skillful workman.
(Exo 28:7 NASB) “It shall have two shoulder pieces joined to its two ends, that it may be joined.
(Exo 28:8 NASB) “And the skillfully woven band, which is on it, shall be like its workmanship, of the same material: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen.
(Exo 28:9 NASB) “And you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,
(Exo 28:10 NASB) six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, according to their birth.
(Exo 28:11 NASB) “As a jeweler engraves a signet, you shall engrave the two stones according to the names of the sons of Israel; you shall set them in filigree settings of gold.
(Exo 28:12 NASB) “And you shall put the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial.
Exo 28:12: The “ephod” was a kind of vest consisting of two pieces, one to cover the chest and the other the back, joined by a seam at the shoulder and by a band at the waist. On each shoulder was placed a precious stone inscribed with the names of six tribes.
When the High Priest went in the Holy of Holies to Elohim, he was carrying the names of the 12 tribes on His shoulders. This speaks of the power and strength of the High Priest in his representation of the people before Elohim.
Yeshua is now our High Priest. He is our mediator to Elohim and beseeches Him on our behalf. The ephod speaks of the power and strength of Messiah to save us.
(Exo 28:13 NASB) “And you shall make filigree settings of gold,
(Exo 28:14 NASB) and two chains of pure gold; you shall make them of twisted cordage work, and you shall put the corded chains on the filigree settings.
(Exo 28:15 NASB) “And you shall make a breastpiece of judgment, the work of a skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen you shall make it.
(Exo 28:16 NASB) “It shall be square and folded double, a span in length and a span in width.
Exo 28:16: The breastplate was the most striking and brilliant object in the whole attire. It was tied to the shoulders by gold chains and set with 12 stones, upon which were engraved the names of the tribes of Israel.
(Exo 28:17 NASB) “And you shall mount on it four rows of stones; the first row shall be a row of ruby, topaz and emerald;
(Exo 28:18 NASB) and the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond;
(Exo 28:19 NASB) and the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst;
(Exo 28:20 NASB) and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper; they shall be set in gold filigree.
(Exo 28:21 NASB) “And the stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, according to their names; they shall be like the engravings of a seal, each according to his name for the twelve tribes.
Exo 28:21: The breastplate is to be worn when the High Priest walks into the Holy of Holies within which is in the presence of Elohim Himself. This breastplate speaks of all of the tribes of Israel. The same twelve stones with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel speak of the foundations of the city described as New Jerusalem. Keep in mind that New Jerusalem is a picture of redeemed Israel to the Father (Rev. 21:9-21).
(Exo 28:22 NASB) “And you shall make on the breastpiece chains of twisted cordage work in pure gold.
Exo 28:22: The golden chains of twisted cordage also parallel the street of gold described in New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:21).
(Exo 28:23 NASB) “And you shall make on the breastpiece two rings of gold, and shall put the two rings on the two ends of the breastpiece.
(Exo 28:24 NASB) “And you shall put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece.
(Exo 28:25 NASB) “And you shall put the other two ends of the two cords on the two filigree settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front of it.
(Exo 28:26 NASB) “And you shall make two rings of gold and shall place them on the two ends of the breastpiece, on the edge of it, which is toward the inner side of the ephod.
(Exo 28:27 NASB) “And you shall make two rings of gold and put them on the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front of it close to the place where it is joined, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
(Exo 28:28 NASB) “And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, that it may be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastpiece may not come loose from the ephod.
(Exo 28:29 NASB) “And Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
(Exo 28:30 NASB) “And you shall put in the breastpiece of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD continually.
Exo 28:30: What is the Urim and the Thummim? Most scholars say the words stand for “lights and perfections” (or “true instruction”). They were kept in the breastplate and apparently Elohim used them to give the High Priest “yes” or “no” answers.
Elohim does not go into specific details and the Urim and the Thummim because if He did, you could buy imitation sets of them at Wal-Mart for $5.95.
(Exo 28:31 NASB) “And you shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
(Exo 28:32 NASB) “And there shall be an opening at its top in the middle of it; around its opening there shall be a binding of woven work, as it were the opening of a coat of mail, that it may not be torn.
(Exo 28:33 NASB) “And you shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around:
(Exo 28:34 NASB) a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe.
Exo 28:34: Pomegranates speak of fruit and bells speak of witness. We ought to be witnesses of Torah and Messiah and we should have the fruit of the His Spirit in our lives. We should have a life of obeying Torah through the fruits of the Holy Spirit to back up our witness. We need a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate.
(Exo 28:35 NASB) “And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its tinkling may be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the LORD, that he may not die.
Exo 28:35: When Aaron was in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies serving Elohim, the sound could be heard. He was there to work, not take a nap. If the people couldn’t hear the sounds of his service, that meant he was dead.
(Exo 28:36 NASB) “You shall also make a plate of pure gold and shall engrave on it, like the engravings of a seal, ‘Holy to the LORD.’
Exo 28:36: The High Priest had a gold plate fastened to his head with the engraving “Holy to Yahweh.” In the same way, only those who are set-apart for Elohim will enter the Holy City of Jerusalem (Rev. 21:25-27).
(Exo 28:37 NASB) “And you shall fasten it on a blue cord, and it shall be on the turban; it shall be at the front of the turban.
(Exo 28:38 NASB) “And it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall take away the iniquity of the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate, with regard to all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
Exo 28:38: These garments distinguished Aaron from the other priests.
(Exo 28:39 NASB) “And you shall weave the tunic of checkered work of fine linen, and shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash, the work of a weaver.
(Exo 28:40 NASB) “And for Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics; you shall also make sashes for them, and you shall make caps for them, for glory and for beauty.
(Exo 28:41 NASB) “And you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests.
(Exo 28:42 NASB) “And you shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs.
(Exo 28:43 NASB) “And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.
Exo 28:43: Elohim wants His priests dressed in white linen with sashes. In the same way, we will be His priests (1 Peter 2:9) and we will be dressed similarly (Rev. 19:14).
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2014 Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly Fort Smith, Arkansas